Can't leave out Spill The Wine ....Eric Burdon & War

gopher wrote:

one of my favorites since a child is the intro to "m.t.a." by the kingston trio. 

Yes, that's a favourite of mine, and it was also a favourite of my father's ... it was the first song that came to mind when I saw this topic. And I have an interesting personal anecdote about it as well. A few years ago, I was attending a show that featured my friends Sue and Dwight Peters from the Toronto Transit Commission's Subway Musicians Program, and this song was part of their set as it's also a favourite of theirs. But in introducing it, Sue commented on the fact that there happened to be a TTC fare increase coming up. She knows that I used to work in TTC fare policy, and so as she said this I was thinking to myself, "Please don't tell everyone that there also happens to be a former TTC fare policy person in attendance". But she's a good friend, and didn't blow my cover. 
 

Two which sprang to mind (admittedly after I checked the large selection in Songfacts) are -

The already mentioned  - Atlantis by Donovan. A bit quirky because it only has two sung lines, endlessly repeated after the introductory poem

and

China Girl - David Bowie     ... for  personal reasons and because I do like it very much!

Have You Seen Her - Chi-Lites
Patches -  Clarence Carter
Smokin' In the Boys Room - Brownsville Station
Proud Mary - Ike and Tina Turner

Lorne wrote:

gopher wrote:

one of my favorites since a child is the intro to "m.t.a." by the kingston trio. 

Yes, that's a favourite of mine, and it was also a favourite of my father's ... it was the first song that came to mind when I saw this topic. And I have an interesting personal anecdote about it as well. A few years ago, I was attending a show that featured my friends Sue and Dwight Peters from the Toronto Transit Commission's Subway Musicians Program, and this song was part of their set as it's also a favourite of theirs. But in introducing it, Sue commented on the fact that there happened to be a TTC fare increase coming up. She knows that I used to work in TTC fare policy, and so as she said this I was thinking to myself, "Please don't tell everyone that there also happens to be a former TTC fare policy person in attendance". But she's a good friend, and didn't blow my cover. 
 

did you guys ever check out the 70's uk punk band, subway sect?
 

gopher wrote:

did you guys ever check out the 70's uk punk band, subway sect?
 

I had to look them up because I had never heard of them ... interesting name, though. 
 

Natural Man - Lou Rawls
Don't Just Stand There - Patty Duke
Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross & the Supremes
Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted - Partridge Family

Last edited by It's me Karen (March 21, 2021 9:36 am)

To be honest, I heard Charlene not that long ago on an old American Top 40 program, and I didn't mind hearing it. It's the same if I hear Muskrat Love ... I don't mind hearing it on a one-off basis now. I actually find it kind of interesting to listen to records like that from the point of view of what might have made them appealing to others. For instance, when I heard I've Never Been To Me recently, I kept thinking "Roman likes this" all through the song ... you and Charlene are inextricably linked in my mind. 

So, kind of like Never Been To Spain. I think I might like the song better that way ... would give it a Weird Al Yankovic kind of quality, and it's definitely his type of song. Wish I'd heard that DJ do this with it at the time, but better late than never. Got to thank Roman as well for thinking of me here.  

30,000 Pounds of Bananas-Harry Chapin

Chestnut Mare by the Byrds
Departure, the lead to "In Search of the Lost Chord" by the Moody Blues
Silent Night/Six O'clock News by Simon & Garfunkel
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me by Boy George & The Culture Club
Chantilly Lace by the Bopper
The End by Jim Morrison & The Doors

Interesting that you mention that the spoken part of Fire is brief, because reedo's mention of Harry Chapin brought to mind how he speaks a couple of lines in Taxi ("Harry, keep the change" and "I stashed the bill in my shirt"). Can't recall if there were any lines like that in the Sequel that he eventually did to this record. 

Here's one for you Lorne:  a song by a famous Canadian actor who spoke an entire song which was #1 on the Billboard charts in 1964.  Also #1 on the RPM charts in 1964.

Last edited by Little Rich (March 22, 2021 7:32 pm)

Strangely enough, the recitation that immediately came to mind for me was the almost-20-minute version of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" by Isaac Hayes.  It may not meet the intent of Roman's original post, but I thought I'd include it since it's one of my all-time favorites.  An honorable mention might be Solomon Burke's version of "Just Out Of Reach".