Updates by Email
RSSThe Talkbox Will Never Die: A Talkbox Playlist
If you’ve ever heard Peter Frampton sing “Doooo You Feeeeel Liiiike I Doooo” in that robotic guitar voice, then you know what a talkbox sounds like. The effect has been around for over 40 years now, and has made it’s way into tracks from Classic Rock to Funk.
Because DigitalDarryl knows that I can’t resist compiling odd musical lists (like cowbell or actors turned singers), he has asked me on a number of occasions to compile a list of talkbox songs for him. Well, I’ve finally put together my 20th FineTune playlist, “The Talkbox Will Never Die”, so that D and all the talkbox fans out there can get their fill of talkbox madness by simply clicking the green button below.
I’ve included the full track listing below, but even at 60+ songs, this playlist feels a little light to me. If you can think of any talkbox songs that aren’t included, be sure to drop them in the comments.
Enjoy!
“The Talkbox Will Never Die” Track Listing
- “Anything Goes” by Guns N’ Roses (Appetite For Destruction)
- “Beverly Hills” by Weezer (Make Believe)
- “Black Man” by Stevie Wonder (Songs In The Key Of Life)
- “Blacked Out World” by Black Label Society (Shot To Hell)
- “Bloody Well Right” by Supertramp (Classics)
- “California Love (Original Version)” by 2Pac (Greatest Hits: CD2)
- “Call Me Up (Album Version)” by Chromeo (Fancy Footwork)
- “Can’t Get This Stuff No More” by Van Halen (Best Of Volume 1)
- “Chocolate City” by A Thin Line Between Love & Hate-Roger Troutman feat. Shirley Murdock (The Compilation: Greatest Hits II And More)
- “Computer Love” by Zapp (All the Greatest Hits)
- “Dance Floor” by Zapp (All the Greatest Hits)
- “Do You Feel Like We Do” by Peter Frampton (Frampton Comes Alive)
- “Don’t Tell Me” by Soulive (No Place Like Soul)
- “Down For Yours” by Nastyboy Klick (Tha 1st Chapter)
- “Dust N’ Bones” by Guns N’ Roses (Use Your Illusion I)
- “Falling Into Grace” by Red Hot Chili Peppers (One Hot Minute)
- “Feel The Spirit Of My Guitar” by Johnny “Guitar” Watson (The Funk Anthology)
- “Fire It Up” by Black Label Society (Radio Single)
- “Focus Feat. DJ Quik & Xzbit” by Def Squad (Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis)
- “Funky Bounce” by Zapp (Zapp)
- “Funky Crime” by Red Hot Chili Peppers (The Uplift Mofo Party Plan)
- “Generator” by Foo Fighters (There Is Nothing Left To Lose)
- “Girl Blue” by Stevie Wonder (Music Of My Mind)
- “Gone” by Montgomery Gentry (You Do Your Thing)
- “Guerrilla Radio” by Rage Against the Machine (The Battle Of Los Angeles)
- “Hair of the Dog” by Nazareth (Hair Of The Dog)
- “Haitian Divorce” by Steely Dan (The Royal Scam)
- “Holier Than Thou” by Metallica (Metallica)
- “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi (Crush)
- “It’s Your Body” by Johnny Gill (Best Of Johnny Gill 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection)
- “Jambi” by Tool (10,000 Days)
- “John Doe” by Shade Sheist (Informal Introduction)
- “Keep Talking” by Pink Floyd (The Division Bell)
- “Kickstart My Heart” by Motley Crue (Dr. Feelgood)
- “Kiss Kiss” by Chris Brown featuring T-Pain (Exclusive)
- “Live In a Hole” by Pantera (Vulgar Display of Power)
- “Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi (Cross Road)
- “Love Having You Around” by Stevie Wonder (Music Of My Mind)
- “Man In The Box” by Alice In Chains (Facelift)
- “Master of the Game” by Kool Keith (Black Elvis – Lost in Space)
- “Me And My Gang” by Rascal Flatts (Me And My Gang)
- “Media Overkill” by Scorpions (Savage Amusement)
- “Monkey On Your Back” by Aldo Nova (The Best of Aldo Nova)
- “More Bounce To The Ounce (LP Version)” by Zapp & Roger (All the Greatest Hits)
- “Pigs (Three Different Ones) (1992 Digital Remaster)” by Pink Floyd (Animals)
- “Put Your Lovin’ Through The Test (Featuring Roger Troutman) (LP Version)” by Keith Sweat (Featuring Roger Troutman) (Get Up On It)
- “Rocket Queen” by Guns N’ Roses (Appetite For Destruction)
- “Rocky Mountain Way” by James Gang (Joe Walsh’s Greatest Hits: Little Did He Know…)
- “Romantic” by Soulive (Doin’ Something)
- “Rosetta Stoned” by Tool (10,000 Days)
- “Safe + Sound” by DJ Quik (The Best of DJ Quik – Da Finale)
- “She’s A Woman” by Jeff Beck (Blow By Blow)
- “Show Me the Way” by Peter Frampton (Frampton Comes Alive)
- “So Ruff, So Tuff” by Zapp & Roger (All the Greatest Hits)
- “Something’s Got To Give” by Beastie Boys (Check Your Head)
- “Summertime” by Kenny Chesney (The Road And The Radio)
- “Sweet Emotion” by Aerosmith (Toys In The Attic)
- “Tell Me Something Good” by Rufus Feat. Chaka Khan (Soul Hits Of The 70′s: Didn’t It Blow Your Mind! Vol. 13)
- “Tenderoni (Album Version)” by Chromeo (Fancy Footwork)
- “The Ballad [Denny & Jean]” by Todd Rundgren (Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren)
- “The House That Jack Built” by Metallica(Load)
- “The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut” by Coheed and Cambria (Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness)
- “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (Long Version)” by Flaming Lips (At War With The Mystics)
- “The Zoo” by Scorpions (Animal Magnetism)
- “Those Shoes” by Eagles (The Long Run)
- “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith (Toys In the Attic)
- “Wipe Out (Album Version)” by Gary Hoey (Monster Surf)
- “You Gots to Chill” by EPMD (Strictly Business)
March 21st, 2008 at 6:29 am
As Lawrence from Office Space would say:
Fuckin’ A.
And yes, you have all the ones that I found in my iTunes Library ( and then some! )
Thanks dude! Now I can clean the house with new tunes.
-d—
March 24th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Turn on channel 9, man.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Hi !
You seem to know a lot about talkbox tracks, so i have a question for you.
I’m looking for a talkbox track, but i have no informations, excepted some lyrics, it was like : “My life [...] my life with youuu…”
It sounded Funky/RnB.
This track was played on the TV Show “Run’s House” (The episode was when Rev Run had to talk about sex to his sons…).
I Hope you could help me !
Peace.
November 22nd, 2008 at 6:47 pm
dude! deadly list, but where is Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by Daft Punk??
November 25th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Neil Young’s “Trans” album, including Transformer Man, Sample & Hold and Computer Age
December 16th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Here’s one you don’t have. The seventies tune called “Mindbender” by a group called Stillwater. Killer talkbox track.
Peace
January 28th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Missing?
Weezer – Beverly Hills
Queen – Delilah
January 28th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
ps Neil Young and Daft Punk use a VOCODER not a Talk box! Peace!
February 23rd, 2009 at 4:03 pm
steve miller, Korn, Lynard Skynard, ZZ top, queen, The who, The guess who used them in songs and maybe CCR
February 23rd, 2009 at 4:04 pm
and the Cars
March 1st, 2009 at 7:25 am
ehim…….what about Battlecat??
Check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61mYBOJwaMc
May 25th, 2009 at 12:27 am
You forgot “Rocky Mountain Way” by Joe Walsh
September 15th, 2009 at 11:25 am
I Need a Lover by John Cougar Mellencamp starts out with a prominent cowbell.
October 27th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
This is awesome. Major piece missing though….”Mindbender” by Stillwater. Great talkbox tune!
January 7th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
“I thought it was You” By Herbie Hancock is essential and missing from the list. A lot of these more recent artists on your list (besides Chromeo) are using Anteres Autotune or vocorders, not a talkbox. Alot of these songs only have about 5 seconds of talkbox in them, and there are alot more R&B artists who used them more consistently in songs.
January 19th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
hey there i have looked it over twice so if it is there i am blind but i didn’t see miracle man from Ozzy
January 20th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
I can’t believe I missed that one. If Finetune were only operational…
February 1st, 2010 at 7:17 am
Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine
Bon Jovi _ Bounce
Bon Jovi _ we got it going on
Bon Jovi – All I Want is Everything
Joe Satriani _ I just wanna rock
Scorpions – Money and Fame
Scorpions – To be No. one
Scorpions – Can You feel it
Scorpions – Raised on Rock
Nazareth – Born under the wrong side
Lady Pank – nie mam nic prócz ciebie
Lady Pank – prawda i serce
February 12th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
I think Cause I Love You by the Scorpions is one of the coolest talk box songs to me.
February 21st, 2010 at 5:34 am
Maktub’s song from their most recent release in 2009 called “Seems Like Only Yesterday”.
March 1st, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Guerrilla Radio isn’t a talkbox. It’s a kill switch. He uses that for quite a few songs that end up confusing people, like the DJ scratch in Bulls On Parade.
March 1st, 2010 at 9:32 pm
@Aco: Morello uses a kill switch extensively, but the studio versions of “Wake Up” and “Guerilla Radio” both use a talkbox. In “Guerilla Radio” it’s most prevalent in the solo.
March 1st, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Ah.. I take it back then. The thing is, he already can achieve close to a talk-box with a guitar. It seems like an unnecessary addition. I recalled it as their records and Morello in real life both stating that all sounds are guitar, bass, and drummers. I rewatched an interview I was recalling and he did say vocals too, so it is covered.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQcPYBLGla0
June 11th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Ween – L.M.L.Y.P.
July 23rd, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Rocky Mountain Way is by Joe Walsh, not the James Gang.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:39 am
Are you shure SUPERTRAMP -BLOODY WELL RIGHT is a TALKBOX ? Sounds more like its just a WAH WAH PEDLE.
October 14th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Nice list – I would add both of these:
** Motley Crue – Kickstart My Heart
** Warrant – Hole In My Wall
October 14th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Hey, you had Kickstart in there. I just missed it the first time. My bad.
June 25th, 2011 at 9:05 am
Little Neutrino by Klaatu. (I think)
New Orleans by Emerson Lake & Palmer featuring…yup, Joe Walsh.
L.M.L.Y.P. By Ween
August 29th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
Great JOb. Just found your blog from google. Totally adding some tracks to the list I have never even heard before. Thank you.
August 30th, 2011 at 10:13 pm
Ten Years After “I Say Yeah”