I couldn't figure out what to call this, but I hope I make it so others will want to contribute. 

I watched a wonderful documentary today called Record Row, was about Chicago and the great record labels there.  My favorite was always VeeJay, and they devoted a lot of time to them.  Something came up about the Shoop Shoop Song,  and a particular sound in the arrangement. It all revolved around phone books and everybody stomping on them.  Jerry Butler commenting - People kept asking how we got that bass drum sound, but it wasn't a bass drum, it was people stomping on phone books.

Takes me to another situation where I was talking to Dan Penn about Joe Simon's Nine Pound
Steel. I sure did love that record, and told him so, especially the sound effects. He said, "oh, that's just s bottle opener on a Coke bottle,:  Me:  "I wish you hadn't told me that.  He said "It was a REALLY BIG Coke bottle 

I seem to recall that a Chubby Checker record called The Fly had some sound effects created by an electric razor. 

There must be many more of these things - how did they really create those sounds?  I feel sure a bunch of you have more to add to this.