# This dude has major vocal skills
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 22, 2014, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237 "2014-08-22T20:56:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2014, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/1 "2014-08-22T20:56:59Z")
A hip hop artist who does [significantly more](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HHMA1Dpo5M) than just beatbox with his voice. Pretty amazing stuff.
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### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2014, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/2 "2014-08-23T01:32:10Z")
Michael Winslow is a hip hop artist?
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### Author:  [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/3 "2014-08-23T01:37:24Z")
WOW! Thanks for sharing!
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### Author:  [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2014, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/4 "2014-08-23T01:44:21Z")
Woah.
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### Author:  [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/5 "2014-08-23T01:59:57Z")
He also can do [the bleeps, the sweeps, and the creeps](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8auGAJrnpY4).
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### Author:  [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2014, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/6 "2014-08-23T03:53:57Z")
Bobby McFerrin vs Michael Winslow
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFfia3Zs3lE)
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### Author:  [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/7 "2014-08-23T04:02:26Z")
Holy crap that was unreal.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2014, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/8 "2014-08-23T07:27:44Z")
I had a pretty good day today, and now I’ve watched that. 🙂 Thanks, **Chefguy**! That totally fucking rocked!
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2014, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/9 "2014-08-23T10:12:56Z")
> [@Number](#):
>
> Michael Winslow is a hip hop artist?
Hip-hop, no, but apparently he’s now a rocker.
Though I will say I’m surprised at his percussion sounded at the beginning. It got better, but at first it sounded worse than the vocal percussionists in the various a capella bands.
Which makes me wonder: would he ever feature with one of those bands? That could be amazing! (Just please not Pentatonix. They cheat by using effects, which would make Winslow not seem as amazing as he is.)
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2014, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/10 "2014-08-23T10:45:15Z")
Actually, in [another interview](http://youtu.be/61ZEUu0qVT4?t=9m22s), he does refer to what he does as hiphop, saying that he’s available if Peter Jackson wants to add hip-hop to the Middle Earth movies.
(I started the interview where he does a bit about Kiwi sound effects, the comment comes in a bit.)
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2014, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/11 "2014-08-23T13:50:55Z")
> [@Number](#):
>
> Michael Winslow is a hip hop artist?
I assumed so, since I have never heard of him.
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2014, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/12 "2014-08-23T14:01:04Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> I assumed so, since I have never heard of him.
Michael Winslow is amazing, and has been around for 30+ years. Police Academy movies; the submarine movie with Kelsey Grammar where MW is the sonor man, as you might expect. Dude knows how to manipulate his voice - and play lead mic, using its threshold for overdrive to his advantage - like nobody’s business. His guitar tones are rockin’!!
What I really loved was his working with the guitarist. It was very clear that they had gone over it _maybe_ once before playing it live. But the guitar player was attentive and MW was working him like James Brown, feeding him cues with his eyes, words (“okay, lead”)and even touch when he got him to sit down. The whole song was seamless so watching that Field Generalship in action to pull it off was fun. That’s my job in my bands so I guess I pay attention to it. 😉
It is often interesting to hear comedians whose vocal skills are central to their Funny do straight singing - meaning selling it as a sincere vocal vs. selling it for shtick. He totally pulls it off. Adam Sandler rarely straight sings, but when he does, he has a great instrument. So does Jimmy Fallon. Has anyone heard Vocal Imitator Frank Caliendo sing; I bet he could kill. Oh, Fred Travelena and Frank Gorshin both where great singers…
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2014, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/13 "2014-08-23T14:09:28Z")
I thought I saw a clip with the real guys but this appears to be what I saw:
[Key & Peele: McFerrin vs. Winslow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFfia3Zs3lE)
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2014, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/14 "2014-08-23T14:37:16Z")
> [@WordMan](#):
>
> Michael Winslow is amazing, and has been around for 30+ years. Police Academy movies; the submarine movie with Kelsey Grammar where MW is the sonor man, as you might expect. Dude knows how to manipulate his voice - and play lead mic, using its threshold for overdrive to his advantage - like nobody’s business. His guitar tones are rockin’!!
>
> What I really loved was his working with the guitarist. It was very clear that they had gone over it _maybe_ once before playing it live. But the guitar player was attentive and MW was working him like James Brown, feeding him cues with his eyes, words (“okay, lead”)and even touch when he got him to sit down. The whole song was seamless so watching that Field Generalship in action to pull it off was fun. That’s my job in my bands so I guess I pay attention to it. 😉
>
> It is often interesting to hear comedians whose vocal skills are central to their Funny do straight singing - meaning selling it as a sincere vocal vs. selling it for shtick. He totally pulls it off. Adam Sandler rarely straight sings, but when he does, he has a great instrument. So does Jimmy Fallon. Has anyone heard Vocal Imitator Frank Caliendo sing; I bet he could kill. Oh, Fred Travelena and Frank Gorshin both where great singers…
I vaguely remember the sound effects guy in the Police Academy film (never watched any sequels), although I seem to remember that I thought it was faked. I guess he’s just never been on my radar, but will have to check out some videos.
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### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2014, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-dude-has-major-vocal-skills/696237/15 "2014-08-25T23:21:29Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> I guess he’s just never been on my radar
Perhaps it’s been…jammed.