The Smiley Smile Message Board

Anybody else like this sort of thing? I love things like Captain Beefheart's "Pachuco Cadaver" (especially, although he has plenty of other examples), the bulk of Fiery Furnaces' Rehearsing My Choir, Tom Waits' "Frank's Wild Years," among others, the BW Fairy Tale on Holland, etc.

What are your favorites? What makes them cool?

Anyone remember Jeff Wayne's "The War Of The Worlds" with Richard Burton doing the narration? Album's mainly notable for Justin Hayward's track, Forever Autumn.

Vincent Price on Thriller .....

Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"

The little girl on Have You Seen Jackie by The Dukes Of Stratosphear.

The Alan Parsons Project used Orson Welles on "Tales Of Mystery And Imagination."

The Clash used Alan Ginsburg on one of the "Combat Rock" tracks.

"Days Of Future Passed"

"The Gift" - VU

 The  second half of  Ogden`s Nut Gone flake by the small faces....after about 15 listens the guy acutually makes sense...
The Irony of It All : the streets... thecnically not narration but it freaking rocks my world.....

Dude on "Ou Est Le Soleil"
Mike Love  :D

The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band  "The Intro and the Outro"

...Big hello to big John Wayne, xylophone
Looking very relaxed Adolf Hitler on vibes
Eric Clapton on ukulele
Yeah! Digging General de Gaulle on accordion
Really wild, General! Thank you, sir
Roy Rogers on Trigger...

I have to second "The Gift", and add the little kid on Traffic's "Hole In My Shoe".

Brilliant, as the Traffic was my second choice, and I believe the inspiration for my choice.

Beaks Of Eagles

Jimi Hendrix: "If 6 Was 9".

William Shatner, 'You'll Have Time': "You're gonna die!  YOU'RE...GONNA...DIE!"

Crass -- "Reality Asylum"

Does "Convoy" count?

The Gift
Dead Man's Curve
A Beginning from and End (I find this one really funny because it's so over the top)

Too obvious maybe, but I still think Elvis's narration on "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" is brilliant.

"Big Joe and Phantom 309"--Tom Waits' cover of the Red Sovine tune.

"Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend"--T Bone Burnett

Give Him A Great Big Kiss

The Shangri-Las

Somewhere Down the Crazy River
Beaks of Eagles
Does Lou Reed count?  8)

On The Move's remake-'Revisited' version of their own Cherry Blossom Clinic as featured on SHAZAM!, lead singer Carl Wayne (?I think it's him) reinterprets the originally sung first verse as spoken narration instead, sounding deceptively like it's a spontaneous oral testimony not part of a song at all. The trick comes off because the LP has on-the-street interviews with average Londoners (old pensioners, a Jamaican)  as link-concept . A sort of silly Richard Lester like device maybe, but it sets up the intro to this song brilliantly. The narration is so offhand and mumbled, though undeniably odd and attention getting () that it totally disarms one and what follows is like being thrown into a cold stream while in a deep sleep as Carl continues mumbling: and suddenly the whole band smashes through from their camouflage location bayonets and Duane Eddy guitars blazing as Carl screams as a banshee (off my) HEEEEAAAADDD!!!

My favorite 'narration', but, if you want something more conventionally following thread rules,  I also like Diana Ross's spoken bits in old Supremes songs (very Shangrilas), and, of course, Lorne Green doing his great dust bowl ballad (and multi million seller: I owned a copy as my first forty five) Ringo

Aww man, that's the one with the least narration.
Ever hear Past, Present And Future?

Nope, I am a new fan.  I have about 6 tracks.  They are ALL AMAZING.

3 words:
Myrmidons Of Melodrama. One of the greatest compilations ever.
I'll send it to you with the Tommy stuff.

Awesome.  My IPOD is going to melt when I load that Shangri-Las stuff in, it's so hot.

Jacques Brel, Pierre et le Loup

Two, one naughty and one nice:

Bob George (Prince)

"Prince? That skinny motherfucker with the high voice?"

my perennial fave Tighten Up (Archie Bell and The Drells)

"Now let that guitar fall in..."

Moody Blues, byotches!  "Breath deep the gathering gloom... watch lights fade from every room."

Another good one, "Nightmare of Percussion" by the Strawberry Alarm Clock.  "Her name is Sonique... the goddess of infinate wisdom..."


great stuff to listen to when contemplating one's navel!  ;D

(http://"Breath deep the gathering gloom... watch lights fade from every room.")

As I've said before, that narration is the reason I hate The Moody Blues.  ;D

...

Isn't your navel your belly button?

(http://www.hissandpop.com/celebrities/e/barbaraeden/photos/002.jpg)

...

And suddenly everything becomes... clear.

Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant"
Peter and the Wolf (Weird Al/Wendy Carlos version)

Well, yes, very good choices! Arlo's especially (Peter and the Wolf is pretty much actor-proof whoever does it, though that's a very good one you picked!)

Younger Guthrie is totally overlooked in virtually all sixties surveys as a major player, and yet this song-performance sums up the era better than almost anything for nearly everyone there and not yet born, and always will (the kind of artefact fit to ship to the outer reaches of the galaxy to explain what it was all about and who we are-were).

I wonder why the concurrent neglect and ongoing popularity. I'd guess 'spoken word' and dreaded recorded comedy  music gets  the shaft every time. Arlo and Alan Sherman, Stan Freeberg, Shel Silverstein and Weird Al, alongside other shiny 'novelty' trinkets by the likes of Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, the Coasters, the Beach Boys and the like, will continue to be our civilization's emissaries long after most of the more vaunted luminaries fade. You can call them nonbiodegradable junk filling up precious space in eternal orbit if you like, but Arlo's recycled junk dumped near Stockbridge MA one long ago Thanksgiving is as worthy an obnoxious recirculating milestone as Sputnik and Telstar as far as I'm concerned.

This pain in my heart
These tears in my eyes
Please tell the truth
You're like the...

YES!

How about Mike Love over Heroes and Villains?

When are they gonna release "i dream of jeannie " on DVD ???

"Ramona was so cold....when she broke it off with Leon, she said 'The ring is enough; I don't want to see his face again'".

Bowie Outside.

"Dangerous" - Michael Jackson

Computer Blue- Prince

Wendy?
Yes lisa
Is the water warm enough?
Yes lisa
Shall we begin?
Yes lisa

When the white eagle of the North
Is flying overhead
And the browns, reds and golds of autumn
Lie in the gutter, dead

Remember then, the summer birds
With wings on fire flailing
Come to witness  smoke of dope
by those with brains decaying

I like the exchange at the end of Beck's "Hotwax":
"Who are you?"
"I'm the enchanting wizard of rhythm."
"Why did you come here?"
"I came here to tell you about the rhythms of the universe."
(cue rhythm)

"Morpheus...you have been summoned here to offer your judgement of the boy. Do you still deem him worthy of the fellowship?"

"I..I certainly do, my Lord. In fact, I think you're gonna like this one. He's got the light in his eyes...and...the *something* of a champion...a real champion!"

Chi-Lites - "Have You Seen Her"
The Barbarians - "Moulty"
Beatles - "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)"

Ahhh!  "Moulty"!

Especially the bit about "finding a girl".  Yep, it musta been a rough life with that one arm, eh?

This also gets my vote for absolute most hideous backup singing ever, on the chorus!  (2nd place goes to whomever in the VU sang "There She Goes"...)

I love that the Hawks/Band is the backing band on that.
Have to say I love the backing vocals on both songs you mentioned.

I agree, and yet I agree with Ian.  They can't sing at all, but somehow that's just what the song needs.  I don't know if I'd like it with "better" vocals.

This one just came on the radio: "Atlantis" - Donovan

I never knew that was Robbie and company on "Moulty"! Wow.

Moulty rocks! With or without the Hawks, tho especially with them behind him. They could make even scrawny Bob sound good.

I had the regular weekend pleasure of hearing Moulty in grownup and well adjustedly genially boozy Boston South Shore person for many years as regular guest on a truly daft oldies program hosted  by Marshfield MA station WATD done live and staggering about in someone's basement on Cape Cod, brawling over which of the most out there, moldy-moulty songs in existence to play next! Death Rock numbers like "I Want My Baby Back!" (guy crawling into the grave to exhume his girlfriend), and muzak covers of "A Summer Place" figured heavily. I hope he's still at it  To find out, check the live stream here: http://www.959watd.com/music_pages/stream.asp  (Edit: What a pleasure to tune it in just now, and find the same old super obscure music blaring into the overnight, one of the last steam driven radio stations in existence! What's more, it's all coming back, the station itself has a Moulty-like tale of survival despite disability, love conquering iall, behind it, cue appropriate theme for narration. The geniuses behind this very special place are Ted and Jenny, two blind ('sightless' is their preferred term) doowop lovers and record collectors who found one another and built a massive record vault and transmitting venue to share their passion. Jenny's in hospital right now, but Ted's carrying on in his midweek 2-5 AM slot. Check it out. )
 

Hey Cabinessence
I know Bill Clark who broadcasts on Sunday night's ..he is a huge doo-wop fan and Peter Wolf of the Geils band has stated that this is his Fave radio show. Bill use to own a record store down the street from me , but had to close due to the non interest in my town.

Past present and future - Shangri-las

Rock Lobster - B-52s

Oh, and Nillson's THE POINT

Cool! I can't believe I'd forgotten all about the station till Moulty entered the conversation (and Bill Cook's name till you mentioned him. )

(And now I actually have something worth recording and archiving on that pricey 'Replay Radio' gizmo I downloaded, doubly cool :-) )   

Thank you, Joe.

No problems!

Actually - "Once in a Lifetime" by Talking heads could go on the narration list. I always feel like David Byrne is narrating that track.

(currently enjoying the live brilliance that is "The name of this band is Talking heads")

Take a look at this! 
Hey, man, that suit is you! 
You'll get some leg tonight for sure! 
Tell us how you do! 
(Come on, Dave, give me a break.) 
Hey, hey, hey, hey, one break coming up!  - Unchained

I like the way the line runs up the back of the stockings. 
I've always liked those kind of high heels too. You know, I... 
No no no no, don't take 'em off, don't take... Leave 'em on, leave 'em on. 
Yeah, that's it, a little more to the right, a little more....  - Everybody Wants Some

Yeah, we're runnin' a little bit hot tonight. 
I can barely see the road from the heat comin' off of it. 
Ah, you reach down, between my legs, 
ease the seat back.  - Panama

Van Halen anyone?

DLR

Have you seen junior's grades?

Frank Zappa at the end of Flower Punk on We're Only in it for the Money and the bits between songs on Joe's Garage.

The title track from Ween's The Mollusk.