I love a song when the singer comes in, unannounced. When Macca sings “We’re so sorry…” I just bloody melt. (I continue to melt when the telephone voice comes in at 1′ 30″.)
So give me your other examples of songs where the first thing you hear is the singer’s voice.
I love a bit of Uncle Albert…
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“A butter pie..?”
Costello’s first three albums start with just his voice.
“Now that your…”
“I don’t wanna kiss you, I don’t wanna touch”
“Oh, I…”
Off the top of my head, another Macca one – “No More Lonely Nights”. And, rather more stridently, “Supernatural Superserious” by REM.
“We’ve already said…” Go Now – The Moody Blues
“Hey Jude”. Macca’s got a lot of form in this department. I don’t know whether it was to avoid DJs prattling on, or he’s not that good at intros.
also ‘That Day Is Done’ on Flowers in the Dirt.
It’s a ballsy thing to do ‘live’; I suppose in a studio you can have the note you need to hit played thru headphones, but it’s still a birrova gamble.
And Jack down there…yeah, there’s a bit of Abbey Road Medley in UA/AH alright. And for me, ‘Back Seat’ is the highlight of the album. That’s how you do a closer!
Also – Another Day, Pipes of Peace.
Here there and Everywhere
I have always regarded UA/AH as a mini version of the Abbey road medley, & think it is joy from beginning to end.
A fabulous song from what is, IMHO, his best post Beatles album.
Lennon’s demented ‘Mistaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiirrrrrr Moooooooooo-oooooooooonlight’ must have taken a few goes to get right….
I am the god of Hellfire is quite hard to beat.
(So glad the post wasn’t about the ghastly whimsy of echolalia brought out by McCartney in his shittier songs. like Uncle Albert (Uncle Albert). It’s bad enough when human beings do it, apropos the Kennedy period Van)
Not a thread in celebration of Buster Merryfield then?
Oh well, I’ll still say “During The War”
Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey – I have had a long drunken argument about whether it is John Cleese who [provides the telephone voice in that song (it isn’t, it’s Macca himself (doing a passable JC impression))
Words before music?
Dexys Midnight Runners – Plan B
Kev warbles: “You’ve always been searching for something”, and then the horns kick in.
Marvellous
“If I say to you tomorrow…”
Led Zeppelin – What Is And What Should Never Be.
Hey hey Mama
“It’s been…”
One Week – Barenaked Ladies
I don’t suppose the Dead Kennedys are what you’re looking for?
“Ah-we-ah-he-ah-he-ah-hell…”
Rave On – Buddy Holly
During the War… Oops, sorry wrong Uncle Albert
More Macca !
“Why don’t we do it in the road”
It’s something that happened a lot with old crooners.
“Here’s a song that’s been very kind to me over the years…
you might just recognise it…
it goes something like this…#ohh what an atmosphere#
(applause) thank you…thanks a lot…
#I love a party with a ha-ppy atmospheeere…#
Jennifer we can’t go wrong lets put it in writing….
Lloyd Cole 7 The Commotions