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  #1  
Old 01-11-2012, 11:50 AM
AndyLee AndyLee is offline
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Songs That Feature A Kazoo

Inspired by this thread

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/...d.php?t=638069

Have their ever been any hit songs, (and I know that's a relative term) or any other songs that have featured a kazoo?

I can't recall any, but I'm pretty tone deaf. I may be hearing a kazoo and not know it.

I guess it doesn't have to be a kazoo solo but one where the kazoo can be clearly heard
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  #2  
Old 01-11-2012, 11:57 AM
lieu lieu is offline
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I'm pretty sure I've heard one in a song by Beck on Mellow Gold, Steal My Body Home perhaps?
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  #3  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:00 PM
Zeldar Zeldar is offline
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Enter Kazoo Man: Metallica Enter Sandman performed on KAZOO by Mister Tim (multitrack)
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  #4  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:05 PM
DCnDC DCnDC is offline
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San Francisco Bay Blues from Eric Clapton's Unplugged.
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  #5  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:07 PM
Wheelz Wheelz is offline
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The Beat Farmers' Happy Boy features both a kazoo break and a gargling solo.

I certainly wouldn't call it a "hit song" though... maybe a cult classic.
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  #6  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:17 PM
blondebear blondebear is offline
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Jewish Princess by Frank Zappa
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  #7  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:19 PM
amijane amijane is offline
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Love Rollercoaster by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The kazoo chorus is most noticeable coming in around 1.20 minutes.
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  #8  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:21 PM
UntouchedTakeaway UntouchedTakeaway is offline
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I Love Onions


UT
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  #9  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:22 PM
Nightfall1 Nightfall1 is offline
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You're 16 (right title?) Ringo Starrs version.
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  #10  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:23 PM
AndyLee AndyLee is offline
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Thanks, and how could I have missed Ringo Starr's, You're Sixteen.

Keep 'em coming
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  #11  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:33 PM
Biffy the Elephant Shrew Biffy the Elephant Shrew is online now
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Hit song:

Country Joe & the Fish, "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag"

Not so hit songs:

Pink Floyd, "Corporal Clegg"
Mothers of Invention, "Hungry Freaks, Daddy" and "Who Are the Brain Police" (the latter featuring the most chilling kazoo solo ever)

Not an actual kazoo, but the Beatles' "Lovely Rita" features comb and paper.

Last edited by Biffy the Elephant Shrew; 01-11-2012 at 12:34 PM..
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  #12  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:35 PM
bleach bleach is offline
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"I'm the Urban Spaceman" by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band reached #5 on the UK charts.
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  #13  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:39 PM
Labtrash Labtrash is offline
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Just about everything Weird Al did in his early days

Also this list is pretty good

Last edited by Labtrash; 01-11-2012 at 12:40 PM..
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  #14  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:40 PM
campp campp is offline
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Jimi Hendrix Crosstown Traffic
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  #15  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:45 PM
KarlGauss KarlGauss is offline
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How about one of my all time favourites?

Runaway by Del Shannon. Wait a minute; that is a kazoo, isn't it?
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  #16  
Old 01-11-2012, 12:48 PM
Biffy the Elephant Shrew Biffy the Elephant Shrew is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KarlGauss View Post
Runaway by Del Shannon. Wait a minute; that is a kazoo, isn't it?
The solo? That's a Clavioline.
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  #17  
Old 01-11-2012, 01:09 PM
KarlGauss KarlGauss is offline
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Thank you! Live and learn . . . (well, live).
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  #18  
Old 01-11-2012, 01:50 PM
TreacherousCretin TreacherousCretin is offline
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Hit:

"Johnny Get Angry" Joanie Sommers, 1962

Non-Hit:

"You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here" Zappa/Mothers
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  #19  
Old 01-11-2012, 02:08 PM
njtt njtt is offline
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Don't forget the ineffable Temple City Kazoo Orchestra.
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  #20  
Old 01-11-2012, 02:19 PM
Simmerdown Simmerdown is offline
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A thread from some years ago...
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  #21  
Old 01-11-2012, 02:56 PM
Maggie the Ocelot Maggie the Ocelot is offline
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When The Cure were on MTV Unplugged, they did the synthesizer parts of "The Walk" with kazoos. Hilarious.
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  #22  
Old 01-11-2012, 03:05 PM
Sigmagirl Sigmagirl is offline
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I believe that "Oh, Babe What Would You Say?" by Norman "Hurricane" Smith featured a kazoo. Played by Paul McCartney.
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  #23  
Old 01-11-2012, 08:22 PM
Sam A. Robrin Sam A. Robrin is offline
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There's the instrumental interlude in this one, if you can get past those sickening lyrics:

http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Johnny+G...y/3h7rte?src=5
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  #24  
Old 01-11-2012, 08:59 PM
Argent Towers Argent Towers is offline
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Old Crow Medicine Show, Cocaine Habit.

Takes me back to my freshman year of college, when I used to listen to this band a lot, in a haze of cannabis. (NOT cocaine!)
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  #25  
Old 01-11-2012, 10:08 PM
dropzone dropzone is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TreacherousCretin View Post
Hit:

"Johnny Get Angry" Joanie Sommers, 1962
Also known as a song in which a young lady begs to be hit for her infractions.
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  #26  
Old 01-11-2012, 11:21 PM
SeldomSeen SeldomSeen is offline
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The original recording of Just an old-fashioned love Song - by the songwriter, not the better-known Three Dog Night version - features a kazoo.

An aside....I hadn't thought of Paul Williams in years until I went looking for that link. Anybody else remember him? The guy wrote lots of hit songs for others, but never really was renowned for his own performances. He was actually quite good though. My younger brother was a fan back in the mid-seventies and played Paul Williams records incessantly. I guess some of it must have rubbed off on me.
SS
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  #27  
Old 01-11-2012, 11:38 PM
Jamicat Jamicat is offline
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Here...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FklUAoZ6KxY @ 2:23.
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  #28  
Old 01-11-2012, 11:56 PM
nikonikosuru nikonikosuru is offline
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Julian Perretta- Wonder Why. Just the beginning and towards the end, I believe. Adds a sweet little charm to the song.
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  #29  
Old 01-12-2012, 12:41 AM
TreacherousCretin TreacherousCretin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dropzone View Post
Also known as a song in which a young lady begs to be hit for her infractions.
(Johnny Get Angry)

It's an odd song, with the happy-sounding kazoo ensemble sandwiched by those "brutalize me" lyrics.

.
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  #30  
Old 01-12-2012, 08:22 AM
psychonaut psychonaut is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lieu View Post
I'm pretty sure I've heard one in a song by Beck on Mellow Gold, Steal My Body Home perhaps?
Yep, that's the one.

There's a web page out there which lists the use of the kazoo in popular music.
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  #31  
Old 01-12-2012, 12:16 PM
statij statij is offline
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Skinned by Blind Melon, off the album Soup. Not a hit song by any stretch but I love it. One of my favorite and I think most underrated bands ever. The song is about the serial killer Ed Gein, and there is quite a bit of kazoo.
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  #32  
Old 01-12-2012, 12:22 PM
Ellis Aponte Jr. Ellis Aponte Jr. is offline
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"Lazy Sunday" by the Small Faces (1968), which was a big hit in Britain.
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  #33  
Old 01-13-2012, 06:54 AM
Staggerlee Staggerlee is offline
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Does 'Bear Necessities' from The Jungle Book feature a kazoo?
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  #34  
Old 01-13-2012, 02:45 PM
Mr. Skinny Mr. Skinny is offline
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Little Diane by Dion (1962).

Googled it to confirm and came up with this web site. "The Kazoo In Popular Music" http://www.kazoos.com/popkazoo.htm
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  #35  
Old 01-13-2012, 02:59 PM
Left Hand of Dorkness Left Hand of Dorkness is offline
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Not a hit song, necessarily, but the sexiest kazooing I've ever seen is in the Carolina Chocolate Drops's version of "Shakedown."
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  #36  
Old 01-13-2012, 03:00 PM
LaurenIpsum LaurenIpsum is offline
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This probably doesn't count as a "hit," but there is "Smells Like Nirvana" by Weird Al Yankovic.
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  #37  
Old 01-13-2012, 03:05 PM
Left Hand of Dorkness Left Hand of Dorkness is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamicat View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by LaurenIpsum View Post
This probably doesn't count as a "hit," but there is "Smells Like Nirvana" by Weird Al Yankovic.
If these two posts were combined, it would be one awesome post .
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  #38  
Old 01-13-2012, 05:21 PM
Peanuthead Peanuthead is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Left Hand of Dorkness View Post
Not a hit song, necessarily, but the sexiest kazooing I've ever seen is in the Carolina Chocolate Drops's version of "Shakedown."
Thanks Lefty, that was a lot of fun. And you ain't kiddin' about some sexy kazooing!
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  #39  
Old 01-14-2012, 08:30 AM
pojimba pojimba is offline
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"Lather" by Jefferson Airplane.
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  #40  
Old 01-26-2012, 03:38 PM
motleyjust motleyjust is offline
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There is a list of songs about the kazoo at [my website which I am not going to spam you with]

Last edited by twickster; 01-28-2012 at 06:16 PM.. Reason: link removed
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  #41  
Old 01-28-2012, 06:17 PM
twickster twickster is offline
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Moderator note

motleyjust, Please see my note to you about spam here: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/...0&postcount=14

twickster, Cafe Society moderator
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  #42  
Old 01-29-2012, 04:02 AM
Jeff Lichtman Jeff Lichtman is offline
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The earliest kazoo recording that I know of is Arkansaw Blues (sic) by the Mound City Blue Blowers in 1924. The original membership of this group was Dick Slevin on kazoo, Red McKenzie on comb and tissue paper, and Jack Bland on banjo. It was a minor hit in its day. The personnel of the Mound City Blue Blowers changed over the years but always included Red McKenzie. Probably their best record was One Hour b/w Hello, Lola.
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