The Other Side has a lovely talkie bit towards the end. I think it works.

Also, Rabbit In Your Headlights, the Thom Yorke/ UNKLE collaboration has a clip from the movie "Jacob's Ladder" in which Danny Aeillo waxes lyrical on death. Very powerful.

So, in the right places, it works.

However the "Future Legend" intro to Diamond Dogs ruins a perfectly good rock song.

the case for rests.

by Ian Dury. I got a hiding from my dad when I put that on for the first time.

1960s girl groups are great at this, particularly The Shangri La's. Leader of the Pack is the most famous example I suppose. Past, Present & Future is probably my favourite. I also like the chat in the middle of Human League's Louise, 'Something truly real'.

The Look Of Love 'I sigh maybe'

Human League - Circus Of Death 'the narcotic that forges their union...'

Blur - Parklife/ Ernold Same

Pulp - loads of stuff

Moody Blues - In Search Of The Lost Chord

Michael Jackson - start of album version of Don't Stop

Primal Scream - Loaded

on rap records don't bear repeat listening . There's the bit on that Rough trade (?) indie collection by quentin crisp (which Danny Baker uses) which has worn better than most of the music that precedes it.

by the Bonzos.

No mention yet for 'By the time i get to phoenix' by (the late great) Isaac Hayes, featuring a talkie bit that has to be over 10 minutes long (not got it to hand, can't check that detail). It's rather good.

Lots of spoken seduction in his grooves, oh yes.

by Aretha Frankiln.

Intro to New Rose by The Damned. Still thrilling 33 years on.......

Not sure if bits of film dialogue tacked on to the start of songs is allowed but this one always really gets me..

"I eat too much to die and not enough to stay alive" intro from 4st 7lb by the Manics.

AND

Iggy and Debbie Harry's take on Well Did You Evah? Brilliant

wtf?

Wouldn't the lack of spoken word put Arab Strap out of business? I know they are, but you know what I mean...

who tend to be good looking".

The break in The Stranglers "Ugly" where it all stops and JJ screams the above lines before they hammer back into the song.
Still gives me a thril today!

Hole In My Shoe - Traffic
Graveyard Girl - M83
Did You Pass Thru This Night - Explosions In The Sky
Florian Trout - Jack Frost

I keep meaning to do a CDR of them, but can never remember enough of them at once!

a separate track, but the Blue Nun operates as a de facto spoken word intro to The Maestro on the Beastie Boys' Check Your Head: "Mm, it does go well with the chicken."

But I always find the talky bit at the start if "If you Let me Stay" by Terence Trent D'Arby quite exciting (not sexwise, I hasten to add). Maybe it's the backing.

I know it's a little embarrassing but, when it turns up on the old shuffle, me and MrsG quite like speaking along with the 'Hot Summer Night' intro to 'Two out of Thre Ain't Bad'.

We'll get our coats (but they'll be too hot in this weather).

The plane was way overdue, so I went inside to the airlines desk and I said Sir, I wonder why 12-03 is so late. He said Aww, they probably took off late. Or they may have run into some turbulent weather and had to alter their course. I went back outside and I waited at the gate and I watched the beacon light from the control tower as it whipped through the dark ebony skies as if it were searching for my Ebony Eyes. And then came the announcement over the loudspeaker, Would those having relatives or friends on flight number 12-03 please report to the chapel across the street at once

Admit it - you're welling up

1-2 !!

Dum di dum di dum...
When the sun beats down and I lie on the bench
I can always hear them talk.

Let's goooooooooooooo!

Sky Pilot: What an epic.

San Franciscan Nights: The most embarrassing song ever recorded. But it was the Sixties.

I love the little bit at the end of Nick Cave's spoken/sung narrative masterpiece "John Finn's Wife", from the album "Henry's Dream".
It has the same tone of voice as the ultimate hammy spoken bit, in Elvis' "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" (the bit that was so hammy that he couldn't do it seriously in later years).

Sort of talking. Sort of Singing. Sort of great.

We have discussed the magnificent "He stopped loving her today" before - the final verse payoff is all spoken, not a dry eye in the house...

"You know she came to see him one last time
Oh and we all wondered if she would
And it kept running through my mind
This time he's over her for good"

I have something in my eye...

... I've been searching for the young soul rebels, I can't find them anywhere, where have you hidden them? Maybe you should welcome the new soul vision...

A great (near-)ending to a great album. Of course Kev did a lot of this kind of thing, but this bit remains my favourite.

Bit of soft one this but Let It Be was full of "hilarious" intros.

wrong!"

First words on The Blue Aeroplanes "Jacket Hangs" from their classic Swagger album before the beautiful guitar riff comes in.

Prologue from Time

Just on the border of your waking mind
There lies... Another time
Where darkness & light are one
And as you tread the halls of sanity
You feel so glad to be
Unable to go beyond
I have a message
From another time..

His song, 'To Beat The Devil' has a loooong talky intro and is interspersed with the telling of a story.

It's an absolute blinder of a song. Great little melody and catchy and tells an interesting story, setting a scene inside a bar.

Go back to your girlfriend with that under your sleeve!

sighing "I want to have you" in "Wild Horses" by Prefab Sprout

Sorry, I'm lost in a kind of reverie now...

http://open.spotify.com/track/1PI9dVPPv7QRGVPHskw3Vv

Haywood has some scary speechifying in it.

Walk away Renee - absolutely lovery. In just over 2 minutes he perfectly nails the pain of unrequited love.

Lyndsey de Paul who'd got her invite, wasn't it?
Honourable mentions for;
"And where are they now?
The little people of Stonehenge
And what would they say to us?
If we were here... tonight"
and from the Hokey Pokey album;
"Look, there's Smiffy coming in the infirmary
He's got a glass eye, ye ken?"
"No, I can't do it!"
"Where'd you find it?"
"Oh, it just came out in the conversation"

Kerr-tisshhh. He's here all week - try the fish.

Likky on 'A Very Cellular Song".

... come va .........

Out of the middle of Spanish Stroll. I saw Mink DeVille by accident in 1977 (they were supporting Dr Feelgood in Hanley) and when Ruben the bass player came to the mic and started reeling that off, EVERYONE in the victoria hall had an erect-neck-hair moment.

This is still one of my favourite gig moments of all time (and he dragged it out for about 2 mins, which was even better)

Sadly, Willy De is very poorly indeed now, - but check out the vid (I'm off to ebay to find me a pair of cuban heels - man, was he cool)

I would go far as to say that a spoken interlude is always a good thing. I can't think of any bad ones - and if there are, they'd be worse without the spoken bit.

A bit like melodicas, the presence of which is another reliable indicator of quality.

Great entertainment for any 13-14 year old lad!

is all spoken by one of the most beautiful speaking voices I've ever heard

And it will make you cry

On a related theme, the 'scene setters' or 'establishing shots' that used to be sung at the start of songs could be quite classy, especially when voiced by Frank and Ella:

"My story is much to sad to be told,
But practically everything leaves me totally cold,
The only exception I know is the case,
When I'm out on a quiet spree, fighting vainly the old ennui,
then I suddenly turn and see
your fabulous face

I get no kick from champagne..."

or

"Summer journeys to Niag'ra
and to other places aggra-
vate all our cares.
We'll save our fares!

I've a cozy little flat in
what is known as old Manhattan
we'll settle down
right here in town!

We'll have Manhattan..."

Followed by.....

The original pressing (don't look for it, it's not there anymore) of Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever CD contained a bonus track between proper tracks 5 and 6 entitled "Hello CD listeners". From memory it went like this:

"Hello CD listeners. We have reached the point in this album where those listening on record or cassette will have to get up and turn the record, or cassette, over. In fairness to those listeners we will now take a brief moment before we begin side two.

Thank you, here's side two."

Much as I abhor 'skits' I thought it worked - it was original, amusing and over very quickly. The accompaniment to Tom's narration was Del Shannon providing farmyard noises in perhaps his last recorded output before his death.

And in the death
As the last few corpses lay rotting on the slimy thoroughfare
The shutters lifted in inches in Temperance Building
High on Poacher's Hill
And red mutant eyes gaze down on Hunger City
No more big wheels
Fleas the size of rats sucked on rats the size of cats
And ten thousand peoploids split into small tribes
Coveting the highest of the sterile skyscrapers
Like packs of dogs assaulting the glass fronts of Love-Me Avenue
Ripping and rewrapping mink and shiny silver fox, now legwarmers
Family badge of sapphire and cracked emerald
Any day now - The Year of the Diamond Dogs

Honourable mentions to the scary whispers and weekend freak story on Zappa's "We're only in it for the Money".

And of course "Father, 'yes son?', I want to kill you. Mother? I want to fwuearrrahhhhhhghh", - thanks Jim!

How about this one

Or This (long silent bit first)

Like a broken arrow, I'll catch the tail wind and draw the clouds, burning sugar, as black as smoke, closing walls; I open my heart.

She sings when she hurts. It's good to sink deep inside, to my only touchstone.

She's a friend in the dark, my strength, my memories. She delights in torture, but she holds my hand and never shields me.

Because the best shield is to accept the pain, then what can really destroy me?

Let me close my eyes and lie invisible, and perhaps the clouds will pass through me.

[double post]

description of a tiresome encounter with the police. The band strike up in a suitably angry manner. It was included in last year's BBC4 documentary.

Art of Noise "Close to the Edit". ZTT artists used speech a lot: Ian MacShane contributed to a Grace Jones album. Steinski "Number Three on Flight Eleven". Everything by Drag Racing Underground. Slint did a lot of talking. Kate Bush incorporates scripted dialogue into side two of her "Hounds of Love" album. I'm trying to avoid mentioning poems and short stories set to music, Gavin Bryars or Bruce Gilbert manipulating found sounds, recording studio chat by The Pixies, one-liners in novelty songs, and Stan Freberg.

The final line of "24 Hours From Tulsa" is more spoken than sung.

There's another talkie bit on the gorgeous One Of The Broken off Jordan The Comeback,viz :'Hi, this is God here/Talking to me used to be such a simple affair/Moses only had to see a burning bush/And he'd pull up a chair'. Cue tune of genius.

I give you Larry Jon Wilson, possibly the best voice in the world. He likes a preliminary natter now and again, as on this great song : Larry Jon Wilson - Sheldon Churchyard

'Fuckin long, innit?' from Magnificent 7.
Brilliant song though.

Van 'I'm a poet' Morrison's 'Co(r)ney Island' anyone? One long ill advised spoken interlude

Velvet Underground 1969 Live (greatest live album ever, but I guess that's another thread,eh?). Lou Reed's long and remarkably friendly "let's all get comfy" address to what sounds like a very sparse Texas crowd before the band eases into I'm Waiting For My Man. I know that technically it's not part of the song, but to my ears it's inseparable, perhaps partly because this was the first Velvets record I ever heard. Couldn't have asked for a better and more welcoming introduction.

"In Candy's room there are pictures of her heroes on the wall.."

Especially spine-tingling for the way it passes almost imperceptibly from speaking into singing. Later there's a guitar solo to die for. Bruce would be assured of a spot in rock Valhalla even if he'd never done anything else.

This is the spoken word bit before DB kicks in properly

Nesmith - "7A..."
Jones - "What's that number again?"
Nesmith, Tork & Dolenz - (shouting) "SE-VEN A!!!"
Jones - "no need to shout - just because I'm short..."

***************************
Ever since childhood, I have wondered why Davey Jones had to refer to the song as "7A"? Is it some sort of sonic clapperboard device. Or is it so that the band can make sure that they are all on the same actual page? What's wrong with calling it "Daydream Believer?".

See, the song hasn't even started yet and its enigmatic spell is already being cast. Aside from the greatness of the song, the 6 O'clock alarm "rings" just as Jones sings that line and carries on right up until the end of the next verse. Probably the coolest use of an alarm clock since Peter Pan.

Any more alarm clocks in rock? No, I'm only joshing.

You broke my heart
'Cause I couldn't dance
You didn't even want me around
And now I'm back, to let you know
I can really shake 'em down....

Do you love me! - the Contours

"walk with me...take my hand"

How about talking behind the singing? Damaged Goods and Armalite rifle always worked for me.
And there is a Peel session of Microdisney doing "and he descended into Hell" with the first lines spoken rather than sung that I loved - and of course cannot find now the cassette has worn out.

Should I write a book or should I take to the stage

But at the back of my head I heard distant feet

Che Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat......"

We have a weiner!!!!!

Lengthy intro and outro featuring the voice of John Standing being interviewed by someone from Lemon Jelly's dad about travel.

Gorgeous song, one of my all-time favourites.

'Johnny Marr with your theatrics, your acting's a drag'
Private Life

...hundreds of years before the dawn of history....

without the soul for getting down"

Vincent Price and MJ working on original voiceover intro to Thriller

Check the contrast between the speaking voices of the two

Also features the best demonic laugh of all time - courtesy Mr P.

http://open.spotify.com/track/2Nb8yAzBNZgOwjSzUpcXaT

"Never could stand that dog.." Great stuff!

In the original Brinsley Schwarz recording of "What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?"

"We must have peace. More peace and love. If just for the children of the new generation."

http://open.spotify.com/track/3wEj6njz1GJnor5QNNIo5k

The Boy Looked at Johnny - and Punk was born.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1SaG4B1Q6sRvzGnTGASiqn

See also "Birdland"

...fuck off

A friend of mind liked this so much he made a special long version by taping up to FO then retaping it over and over again so it went "Not me baby I'm too precious - fuck off fuck off fuck off fuck off etc."

I suppose being told to fuck off repeatedly by Chrissie Hynde does something to a certain sort of chap.

...in the mid-late eighties there is nothing that beats Mr Wayne Hussey, and the line -

'i still believe in god, but god no longer believes in me.'

intro to wasteland, track one, side one, debut 'real' album.

cojones the size of coconuts to put such utter, utter tosh so front and centre.

Shivers down my spine just thinking about it.

i loved it then, and will always love it, in the face of all reason.

on Iron Maidens Number Of The Beast (Woe to you oh earth and see etc).

Propaganda on Dr Mabuse and Shack on Finn, Sophie, Bobby and Lance both have Edgar Allan Poe derived quotes
"All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream".
I'm not sure if either song gives a verbatim quote.

I'm Norman, pleased to meet you
and I'm Mickey, hello
Wilko
I'm Johnny, how you doing, all right?
My name...is Davey
...and I'm Ian, and guess what?
WHAT?

A candy-colored clown they call the sandman
Tiptoes to my room every night
Just to sprinkle stardust and to whisper
Go to sleep. everything is all right.

Somewhere down this crazy river - Robbie Robertson

But I also downloaded Paddy Mcaloon I trawl the Megahertz on the recommenadation of a previous thread.

Mel and Tim. Best song the Chi-lites never recorded.

...I'm Jimmy Carl Black, I'm the Indian of the group"

chips for all the shoulders (lunch is on the table now dessert is on the floor) - Sabrina Paste and Plato by Jellyfish.

Related -
'This isn't a discotheque darling, it's the theatre of the stars' (Imperial Drag) - sounds like Leslie Phillips (but probably isn't).

Not really spoken, but the interludes in '(Remember) Walking In the Sand' are awesome.

She had a snake for a pet and an Amulet
And she was breeding a dwarf (but she hadn't done yet).

Montana
I might be movin' to Montana soon
Just to raise me up a crop of Dental Floss
Raisin' it up, Waxen it down
In a little white box
I can sell uptown
By myself I wouldn't have no boss,
But I'd be raisin' my lonely Dental Floss

Well I might Ride along the border
With my tweezers gleamin' in the moon-lighty night ( really pleased to see Dweezil & Co play this at Symphony Hall).

around 1975 called "The Phoenix Concerts" that has several spoken bits, all terrific. The best one is in the middle of possibly his best known (or at any rate, his least unknown) song, 'California Bloodlines.' Urging the crowd to sing along, he tells us not to worry about what the person next to you will think because he's too busy trying to look cool. "On our tombstones it's gonna say, 'He didn't have any fun, but he was cool!'" RIP John.

Peace in the Valley by Alabama 3 (off Exile on Coldharbour Lane) has a spoken intro that sounds - to me - like something from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest ... is it? Does anyone know where that intro is from? Ta

Steely Dan.

Hey Nineteen.

The utter masters of everything and anything musical demonstrate just how a spoken interlude should be done.

Two minutes twenty in, little instrumental break, just a few words.

"Nice.."

Bit of gentle Rhodes

"Sure looks good.."

A little more twiddling

"Skate a little lower now.."

Masterful.

...that no-one's mentioned 'Are Friends Electric?' yet. A fabulous record - the first one I bought, I think - but I'm undecided about whether the talkie bit needs to be there (and am certainly unable to decipher it), though it does allow for some dramatic tension to be racked up...

Maybe somebody should post the OGWT clip of it so we can all have a fully-informed 'What IS he saying there?' discussion...

is Charlene on 'I've never Been To Me'. Some blether about the baby in your arms and the man you fought with this morning .... 'the same one you're going to make love to tonight'. Record should have come with a sick bag.

On the way home tonight Guy Clark's song Homeless from his album The Dark came on the MP3.
The verses are spoken while the chorus is sung.

For some reason I suddenly thought of the David Frost spoof of 'Deck Of Cards' (and the ISIRTA spoof of this by Bill Oddie)

'You see, Sir, when I look at the cricket ball...
I think of God's Earth, spinning in the firmament.

When I look at the two umpires,
I think of those other two umpires at York and Canterbury... there's no throwing there!

And when I look at the three cricket stumps...
I think of the three virtues or of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego!

And when I look at the four bails...
I think of the Gaderene swine... or at least, four of them!

And when I look at the six balls in an over,
I remember that is just half the number of the disciples!

And when I look at the eight balls in an Australian over...
I remember that is just two thirds the number of disciples!

And when I look at the eleven men in a team...
I think of the 'Ten Commandments'... plus one!

So you see, Sir, my cricket bag serves me as my Bible,
my prayer book and my... cricket bag.'