# Famous spoken guest voices in iconic songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [October 9, 2024, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585 "2024-10-09T05:12:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2024, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/81 "2024-10-09T23:15:48Z")
Public Service Broadcasting have built their career on the formula of “electronic music playing along with extended nonfiction spoken word passage” Go! (Featuring audio from the Apollo 11 mission) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BHIo6qwJarI/hqdefault.jpg "Public Service Broadcasting - Go!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHIo6qwJarI) “People Will Always Need Coal” (Featuring descriptions of a Welsh colliery) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/5JwoMf2f9FQ/hqdefault.jpg "Public Service Broadcasting - People Will Always Need Coal") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JwoMf2f9FQ) ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2024, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/82 "2024-10-09T23:21:21Z")
Also famously Phil Daniels has long spoken word passages in Parklife by Blur [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YSuHrTfcikU/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-CYAC0AWKAgwIABABGH8gIigTMA8=&rs=AOn4CLD-STU1VcUoN6mknzgLRx8GT4f2ew "Blur - Parklife (Official 4K Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSuHrTfcikU) ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/83 "2024-10-10T11:39:47Z")
As well as writing, producing and playing keyboards on the Meat Loaf track “You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth” Jim Steinman did the male half of the “Would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses” spoken introduction. Does he count as a guest? TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/84 "2024-10-10T11:53:39Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Also famously Phil Daniels has long spoken word passages in Parklife by Blur See post #21. > [@Famous spoken guest voices in iconic songs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/21): > > Parklife, by Blur, with Phil Daniels. Tubular Bells, by Mike Oldfield, with Viv Stanshall. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/85 "2024-10-10T12:01:57Z")
Kate Bush used a brief piece of dialogue from the 1957 film “Night of the Demon” at the start of her song “Hounds of Love." The dialogue “It’s in the trees, it’s coming" spoken by fairly famous British actor Maurice Denham. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/86 "2024-10-10T12:14:25Z")
The Fun Lovin’ Criminals biggest hit song Scooby Snacks includes some dialogue samples from Quentin Tarantino films (Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs I think). Although not involved in the original assembly and recording of the song Quentin demanded and got a song co-writing credit and 37% of the royalties. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/87 "2024-10-10T13:54:18Z")
Phil Daniels provided the narration (as Jimmy) for the backing film on the Who’s 1996/97 Quadrophenia tour. ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/88 "2024-10-10T15:34:43Z")
The original version of the track Inoculated City on the first release of the Clash’s Combat Rock had a voice over of a TV commercial for the toilet bowl cleaner, 2000 Flushes. The clip was scrubbed from subsequent album releases, ostensibly due to a legal dispute over the band’s unauthorized use. But word on the street was that, prior to doing the commercial and unbeknownst to the 2000 Flushes people at the time, the woman in the commercial had been in some porn movies. When 2000 Flushes found out, they did not want that to stain their reputation, so they flushed the commercial. And then they did not want it resurfacing, so they went after the Clash when the clip appeared on the album. I don’t know who the woman was who did the 2000 Flushes talking, but —and especially if the rumor is true! — that kinda makes her famous in my book. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/89 "2024-10-10T16:09:29Z")
Producer Ted Templeman studio talking back to David Lee Roth, “Come on Dave, give me a break,” in Van Halen’s ‘Unchained’. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/90 "2024-10-10T16:12:06Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > Also from _The Wall_ near the end of “Don’t Leave Me Now” you can hear basketball announcer Chick Hearn doing the play-by-play for a Lakers-Bulls game. And in “Nobody Home”, there’s a “Surprise surprise surprise!” from Gomer Pyle. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/91 "2024-10-10T16:34:56Z")
Some from Apollo 11: Porcupine Tree’s “Stars Die” has Richard Nixon’s “phone call” to Armstrong and Aldrin after they had landed on the Moon and walked. This was a big thing for early Tree, note, but they (lead singer/guitarist Steven Wilson rather) mostly stopped doing it after the turn of the millenium. Chroma Key’s “Astronaut Down” has the transcript as Buzz is coming out of the LEM, including his “Magnificent Desolation” line after he alights on the surface. The last one the Tree ever did I believe was “Last Chance To Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled”, which has a clip from that crazy leader of the Heaven’s Gate cult, Marshall Applewhite. Fields of the Nephilim liberally used an actual reading by Alestair Crowley reciting his poem “At Sea” on their album _Elizium_. Cabaret Voltaire on their cut “Yashar” has a repeated clip of Robert Culp wondering “There’s sixty million people out there, where are they hiding?” from the Outer Limits ep. “Demon With A Glass Hand.” Got tons more as I think of them. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/92 "2024-10-10T16:41:43Z")
Masses against the classes by Manic Street Preachers begins with a Noam Chomsky passage: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2Vi7kCxMBTY/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGBMgOSh_MA8=&rs=AOn4CLBN-qlBFh367btiNfJZzSOneWlfIg "The Masses Against The Classes - Manic Street Preachers") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vi7kCxMBTY) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/93 "2024-10-10T18:10:57Z")
At the beginning of _Daydream Believer_ by the Monkees, Davy Jones asks “What number is this, Chip?” to producer [Chip Douglas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_Douglas). In response, Douglas and engineer [Hank Cicalo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Cicalo) respond in unison with “ **Seven A**!” Both men are fairly famous in the industry, Douglas also was a member of the Turtles and wrote several hits. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/94 "2024-10-10T20:21:10Z")
The vocals to _Providence_ by Sonic Youth consist entirely of a few answering machine messages left by Mike Watt. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/HNo5dCbKy0g/hqdefault.jpg "Sonic Youth - Providence") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNo5dCbKy0g) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/95 "2024-10-10T21:51:36Z")
After an Outer Limits one, one from the Twilight Zone just played here, that I thought of earlier. “I’ve Been Dying” by Single Gun Theory (despite the name they aren’t a political band at all, just some trip-hop tinged alt-pop): _Twelve months ago to the moment you destroyed yourself,_ _Much as I told you you would._ From ep. “The Silence”, a takeoff of Chekhov’s “The Bet”. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/96 "2024-10-10T23:46:12Z")
The voice of Dada poet Kurt Schwitters reciting his “_Ursonate_” is heard in “Kurt’s Rejoinder” by Brian Eno, from _Before and After Science._ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UYAlDZqO7rs/maxresdefault.jpg "Kurt's Rejoinder (2004 Digital Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYAlDZqO7rs) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2024, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/97 "2024-10-11T00:12:47Z")
The founders of Sub Pop Records(or maybe their answering machines show up on this one… > **[Soundgarden - Sub Pop Rock City](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7mY-1VvLWc%2F)** > > “Sub Pop Rock City“ from the 11/26/13 reissue of Soundgarden’s 'Screaming Life/Fopp'Sub Pop Megamart: https://megamart.subpop.com/releases/soundgarden/scream... ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2024, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/98 "2024-10-11T00:26:12Z")
Let’s not forget Bread’s “If” sung by Telly Savalas. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/RbixtoAsaf0/maxresdefault.jpg "Telly Savalas - IF (HQ)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbixtoAsaf0) ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2024, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/99 "2024-10-11T04:23:24Z")
Hehehe, I had forgotten about that one. It’s where I learned the phrase “At your earliest convenience” A great deal of Ministry’s _Thieves_ is R. Lee Ermey from Full Metal Jacket (and I kinda almost swear that fast palm muted guitar riff is actually a pitch shifted recording of a stun gun). [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lhLd18Xg6x0/maxresdefault.jpg "Ministry- Thieves") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhLd18Xg6x0) ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2024, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585/100 "2024-10-11T04:54:37Z")
“Jesus Built My Hot Rod” features lines from Wise Blood Well long versions do [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-spoken-guest-voices-in-iconic-songs/1008585.md?page=6)