# Pop songs featuring a kazoo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 17, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208 "2003-01-17T12:17:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/1 "2003-01-17T12:17:54Z")
I can think of Ringo Starr’s version of “You’re Sixteen”. What are some others? ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/2 "2003-01-17T12:44:23Z")
Weird Al Yankovic’s parody of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”…his was called “Smells Like Nirvana”…had a section with kazoos in it IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/3 "2003-01-17T12:55:07Z")
Skyy did a song called Skyzoo. Sample lyric: _Whatcha gonna do? I’m gonna play I’m gonna play My Skyzoo!_ If anybody else but me remembers this song, please speak up. I’d like to be able to point this thread to some people I know so that they can stop calling me crazy whenever I mention this song. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/4 "2003-01-17T14:27:57Z")
Define “pop.” Jug bands of the 1920s and 1930s usually featured a kazoo, and not for laughs either. Along with the mouth organ, it usually soloed and carried the melody. Some of the most popular (with recordings still in print) are the [Memphis Jug Band](http://taco.com/roots/memphisjug.html) and [Gus Cannon’s Jug Stompers](http://taco.com/roots/cannon.html). ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/5 "2003-01-17T14:31:06Z")
On Eric Clapton’s **Unplugged** album, there was a song with kazoos; I think it was called “San Francisco Bay.” ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/6 "2003-01-17T14:34:35Z")
UNCLE ALBERT/ADMIRAL HALSEY by Paul McCartney (“Hands across the water”) I think the Beatles also used kazoos in the weird part (hah) of _Yellow Submarine._ ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/7 "2003-01-17T14:47:47Z")
It’s while since I’ve heard it (thank goodness), but I believe a kazoo was used in the chorus of [Mould Old Dough](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=8:25:19%7CAM&sql=Ahl4zef5k2gf3) by Lieutenant Pigeon. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/8 "2003-01-17T14:48:57Z")
It’s _been a_ while… ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/9 "2003-01-17T14:49:15Z")
“Cool, Calm and Collected” by the Rolling Stones off _Between the Buttons_ has a pretty cool kazoo solo. And good luck finding it, but “Stormy Petrel” by Thunderclap Newman has an amazing kazoo solo. It was one of their singles included on the “expanded” _Hollywood Dream_ cd. Sadly, it now appears to be out of print. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/10 "2003-01-17T15:01:58Z")
Thanks **Ike** – my favorite of that genre is probably Tommy Johnson’s “I Wonder” – the only surviving record is in _terrible_ shape but the sound of the kazoo and guitar is truly amazing. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*Define “pop.” > > Jug bands of the 1920s and 1930s usually featured a kazoo, and not for laughs either. Along with the mouth organ, it usually soloed and carried the melody. > > Some of the most popular (with recordings still in print) are the [Memphis Jug Band](http://taco.com/roots/memphisjug.html) and [Gus Cannon’s Jug Stompers](http://taco.com/roots/cannon.html). \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Alto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Alto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alto)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/11 "2003-01-17T15:23:40Z")
This is stretching the definition of pop pretty far, but Leonard Bernstein’s Mass has a kazoo section for the children’s chorus. ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/12 "2003-01-17T15:36:16Z")
“Lady Madonna” by the Beatles ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/13 "2003-01-17T15:46:35Z")
That’s an alto saxophone, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/14 "2003-01-17T19:41:39Z")
“Happy Boy” by the Beat Farmers off the Tales of the New West album, with the late Country Dick Montana on lead vocals… ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/15 "2003-01-17T20:30:16Z")
Are there good kazoos made of metal or something? The only kind I’ve seen are the cheap plastic toy ones. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/16 "2003-01-17T20:53:33Z")
Yes. You can find them in good music stores. The sound is much louder and punchier than the plastic ones. Some interesting history: [http://kazooco.com/museum.html](http://kazooco.com/museum.html) > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Splanky \* > \*\*Are there good kazoos made of metal or something? The only kind I’ve seen are the cheap plastic toy ones. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/17 "2003-01-17T21:09:02Z")
It sure sounds like a kazoo after the choruses in “This Girls in Love with You” by Dionne Warwick, though it might be a saxophone. Quite a buzz on the mouthpiece. Wasn’t there some group called “Kazoophony” back in the 1970s? I remember checking out a book from the library (when I was 8) called “How to Play The Kazoo” (!) that was written by the lead kazooist of that group. ---
**Author:** ![Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ins_Outs_What-have-yous)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/18 "2003-01-17T21:13:49Z")
“Corporal Clegg” from Pink Floyd’s _Saucerful of Secrets_ album—at least I think that’s kazoo. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/19 "2003-01-17T21:17:39Z")
As to the metal vs. plastic debate, I’d have to say that the Hohner plastic kazoo is to kazoos in general like the Fender Stratocaster is to guitars and Ludwig Supraphonic is to snare drums. Plastic kazoos generally give a warmer, darker sound fitted for the studio as opposed to the metal kazoo which is fitted to live playing with its bright timbre. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208/20 "2003-01-17T21:55:15Z")
Damnitt, **ArchitectChore** -I opened this thread to post “Corporal Clegg”! You’re right, it is a kazoo…in fact, a whole chorus of kazoos. The other one I was thinking of was “Hungry Freaks” by Frank Zappa. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-featuring-a-kazoo/149208.md?page=2)