Songs with Phone Calls/Answering Machine Messages

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Looking for songs with a phone call (it can be fake) or answering machine message sampled into the tune. Some examples:

Damien Jurado - "Eyes For Windows"
Lisa Germano - "A Psychopath"
Cinerama - "Maniac"
Kramer - "Coda"
Kate Bush - "All The Love"
Jeanette Katt - all of them
Sonic Youth - "Providence"
Aerogramme - "A Simple Process of Elimination"

others ... ?

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 21:46 (twenty-two years ago)

super furry animals - (drawing) rings around the world

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Rockwell - Obscene Phone Caller

Rockmaster Scott - Request Line

― pet from the street, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Ansaphone: Pulp
End Credits: Laptop

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 21:50 (twenty-two years ago)

A perhaps obscure (but nevertheless quite hilarious) one is à;GRUMH's "A Message from Sweden". And then it is of course Poison by The Weathermen.

― Tobias H (akausal), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 21:57 (twenty-two years ago)

There's that Mike Watt track with Kathleeen Hannah

― Michael Patrick Brady (Michael Patrick Brady), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 21:59 (twenty-two years ago)

junior vasquez, "wheh madonna calls"
replacements, "answering machine"

― fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:01 (twenty-two years ago)

every single hip hop interlude to thread

(gangstarr's "aight chill", one on Jay Dee's 'welcome to detroit' with a freaky obsessive girl, and something on one of the dj shadow album with him mom comes to mind)

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:02 (twenty-two years ago)

spellcheck: WHEN madonna calls

― fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Waitresses-"No Guilt"

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:03 (twenty-two years ago)

True Steppers feat. Dane Bowers - "Buggin'"

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:07 (twenty-two years ago)

The Nerves' "Hanging on the Telephone" starts with a phone reciever ring

― Michael Patrick Brady (Michael Patrick Brady), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:08 (twenty-two years ago)

...As did the Blondie cover.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Green Velvet - Answering Machine
Cinérex - Feminax

― daarkbee, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:10 (twenty-two years ago)

"One More Chance"

― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Felix Da Housecat- "Madame Hollywood"

― Cameron (Cameron), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:11 (twenty-two years ago)

"Sacred Love" by Bad Brains (sung down the phone by H.R. while he was in lock-up)

"The Truth Hurts/Secret" by Firewater

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:11 (twenty-two years ago)

The Vandals have a song featuring Kelsey Grammar(!) doing an answering machine message.

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:14 (twenty-two years ago)

On Flex Your Head, isn't there a version of "Stepping Stone" that's sung down the phone by Ian MacKaye? I seem to remember that.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:15 (twenty-two years ago)

thats "Phone Machine" by the Vandals

― Dean Gulberry (deangulberry), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Kinks - Party Line
Buzzcocks - No Reply

― may pang (maypang), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Eberhard Schoener - Why Don't You Answer?
(with The Police as session musicians)

― daarkbee, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Ring Ring by De La Soul....also some stuff off of Handsome Boy Modelling School.....Prince Paul is a big fan of that

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:31 (twenty-two years ago)

the last track on the morrissey live at kroq single is pretty awesome.

'OMG MORRISSEY YOURE LIKE THE BEST EVER. NOT LIKE THOSE GIRLS WHO LOVE NKOTB WITH THEIR SHINY BLACK SHOES. NOBODY UNDERSTANDS WHY I LOVE YOU SO MUCH..,. LIKE.. LIKE OHMIGAWWDD.'

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"Michele's Message" on the Masters at Work album 'Our Time is Coming' is pretty much the worst thing ever recorded. Rest of the album is excellent, but this thing is so awful that I have to be very vigilant with the FF button.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Tell Her I'm Not Home Ike & Tina Turner beats ALL of them.

― rumple, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Michel'le "No More Lies"!!
"hello?"

― heywood jablomi (heywood), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:38 (twenty-two years ago)

eels - manchild
many bright eyes songs
ludacris - t baggin' (not really a song tho)

― bnw (bnw), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Ciconne Youth - "Two Cool Chicks Listening to Neu" (or whatever it's called) from "The Whitey Album."

― Neil FC (Neil FC), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:40 (twenty-two years ago)

also "22 Going on 23" from Butthole Surfers from "Locust Abortion Technician"

― Neil FC (Neil FC), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

"Got me an office, gold records on the wall.
Just leave a message, maybe I'll call." -- Joe Walsh, "Life's Been Good"

― chuck, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:42 (twenty-two years ago)

and didn't the Replacements have a song called "Answering Machine"?

― chuck, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:42 (twenty-two years ago)

ken laszlo - 'hey hey guy'

― raphael diligent (Cozen), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Ben Folds Five "Your Most Valuable Possession and the Slackers'
"Marcus's Song"

― Stephen Morris, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Wiley and J2K - Pick Yourself Up

― Philippe, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 22:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Also the Replacements "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out" from the same LP starts with a phone message.

― nickn (nickn), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 23:13 (twenty-two years ago)

What's that Public Enemy song with the radio call in show basically calling them a bunch of savages? Man, it's a great song.

― Big Red, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 23:26 (twenty-two years ago)

The last song on Soul Coughing's Ruby Vroom was built entirely on an answering machine sample.

― David Allen, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 23:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Aphex Twin - "Lornaderek"

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 23:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Pink Floyd are repeat offenders in this category...

― steve, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

The vocal part to "The Blimp" from Trout Mask Replica (as "sung" by Jeff Cotton) was recorded over the phone by Zappa.

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 23:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Lil' Louis : "I called you"
Village People: Sex Over The Phone"

― invincis, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 00:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Throbbing Gristle's "Death Threats", which consists of messages left on their answering machine which are precisely that.

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

placebo "evil dildo"

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 00:16 (twenty-two years ago)

tool - message to hairy manback (i think this is right. from aenima)

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 00:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Beasties - 3 mc's and one dj

― bnw (bnw), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 00:33 (twenty-two years ago)

There's that Les Savy Fav song, I forget what it's called, but he recorded phone conversations where he tried to get people to use the exact phrases used in the lyrics to the song, and then sampled it. it's super cool!

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 00:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Born Against "Born Against Are Fucking Dead"

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 00:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Mr. Oizo - "Flat Beat"

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 00:55 (twenty-two years ago)

'Sorry I'm not home right now
I'm walking into spiderwebs
So leave a message
And I'll call you back'

-- No Doubt

Oh you guys are talking about records that sample answering maching messages... I can't think of any.

― Unum, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 01:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 7 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

'If a Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up)" - vanity 6

― r. mcnichol (r. mcnichol), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 03:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Long Gone by Super Furry Animals (I think Rhys Ifans does the answering machine message)
the start of Rockafeller Skank by Fatboy Slim, with the guy calling in to request the song

― Poppy (poppy), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 04:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I think the Les Savy Fav song is "February." Great catch.

Beastie Boys - "Cookie Puss"
Ween - "Birthday Boy"

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 04:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Kid 606 - "Buffalo 606-The Morning After"

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 04:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Pizzicato Five - "Arigato We Love You"

― Chris F. (servoret), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 06:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Paul Evans - Hello This Is Joanie
10CC - Donna

― Jez (Jez), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 07:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Dizzee Rascal / "Jus A Rascal"!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yazz(oo) / "Wrong Number"!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bomb the Bass / "Understand This"!!!!!!!

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 09:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Jawbreaker, "Incomplete"

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 10:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Geto Boys, "Do It Like a G.O."

― dave q, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 10:51 (twenty-two years ago)

More Beasties : B-Boys Makin with the Freak Freak (message in French at start)

― bham, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Lil' Kim--"She Don't Love You"

― Sarah Pedal (call mr. lee), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 11:38 (twenty-two years ago)

"Perfectly simple" by Traffic has a great phone call in the middle of it - Dave Mason trying to be profound and failing hilariously to a backing of massed sitars. It's 1967 all over.

The only other examples I can think of are weird indie things, like "French kiss 66" by Hula Hoop which features a friend of the band calling what sounds like directory enquiries asking for a Mr Zee, and "Cathedral Forest" by Purple Ivy Shadows on the Watercolour compilation which features a member of the band ringing up to tell the label to include that song on the compilation - "... and I hope you enjoy me filling up the tape on your messaging machine..."

See, I've managed to mention both Purple Ivy Shadows tracks on "Self Portrait" in two different posts on ILM this week. I feel quite happy about that.

― Rob M (Rob M), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 12:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Does anyone remember a song where there's a sampled phone message from a label rep played in its entirety, after which the band burst out in a chorus of laughter?

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 12:51 (twenty-two years ago)

"Leave A Message" by Mary J Blige

The whole of DJ Assault's "Off The Chain For The Y2K", where people keep interupting him working on the album.

― Nick H (Nick H), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 13:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Eminem. On 'The Slim Shady LP', there's a part where Kim (his wife) tells him that he is sick in the head for making their daughter join in on one of his songs ('97 Bonnie & Clyde).

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 13:18 (twenty-two years ago)

the p.e. track mentioned is 'incident at 66.6 fm'
off of '...black planet'.

*the* ansaphone message track though is 'dont walk away' by JADE.

u know the one ? 'we'll get back to yoooooooooo' that one.

― piscesboy, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 13:23 (twenty-two years ago)

"Flaver" - Jon Spencer Blues Explosion with Beck rapping on the phone
"Original Soundtrack" - People Under the Stairs with some Rastafari, is it Yabba You? - leaving them a totally incomprehensible message
"7th Message" - Prefuse 73 - the whole song is a cut up answering machine message

― BrianB, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"Suicidal Thoughts" by Notorious BIG (if it counts as a song). Or Holly Johnson's intro to "Feed The World" by Band Aid (b-side to "Do They Know It's Christmas?") - "I can't get the laugh right, Bob."

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 14:33 (twenty-two years ago)

That Soul Coughing tune is called "Janine".

― christoff (christoff), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 15:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Jonny L 'Ansaphone'

Goldie 'This Is A Baad'

Adam F 'Mother Earth'

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 15:28 (twenty-two years ago)

the So Easy/Eple intersect on Royksopp's 'Melody AM'

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Master P - Make Crack Like This

― Chris B. Sure (Chris V), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Boredoms - 52 Boredom or at least I think it's that particular track off Soul Discharge...

I also seem to remember an answerphone on 'Doctor Beat' - anyone know if that's right?

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

portastatic "NYC, Raining, 5 AM"

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

The Super Furries also did it on 'Long Gone', as I remember...

― Kate Jane Connolly (fixitgirl), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

the one where biggie kills himself.
tupac - whats your phone number, pretty x rated shockingly
mogwai - tracy
big - warning
snoop doggy dogg - deez nuts
big tymers - the one where he tells his bird to put her finger in her booty, gregory i think, pretty x rated surprisingly
nas - the one where he raps a story backwards, off stillmatic
i like it that wiley's girlfriend actually calls him wiley. that seems weird somewhow

― sseeaan, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Rah Band: Clouds Across The Moon

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:36 (twenty-two years ago)

i think the LSF song is "I.C. timer" instead of "hide me from next february"...good track, either way

― PMK (PMK), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Billy Joel, "Just A Fantasy" (Glass Houses)
The tones used "spell" out the number for the Root Beer Rag.

Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Detroit Rock City" (Kiss My Ass)
Features Gene Simmons telling the band that Megadeth had dibs on doing "Detroit Rock City".

Nilsson, "One"
Harry got the idea for the riff from an unconnected dial tone.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 19:21 (twenty-two years ago)

James White (with sensual noises from Lydia Lunch) Stained Sheets from the Offwhite album

The Grid - the very end of the Evolver album

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 19:38 (twenty-two years ago)

the macha/bedhead cover of "believe" might count

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 19:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Sparklehorse, 'Spirit Ditch'.

― danjunk, Thursday, 27 November 2003 00:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Hello
how are you ?
Have you been alright
through all those
lonely
lonely
lonely
lonely
lonely nights
that's what I'd say
I'd tell you ev'rything
if you pick up that telephone
yeah yeah yeah.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 27 November 2003 02:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Thinking Fellers 282: "The Invitation"
The Lemonheads: Track 11 on Lovey ("Ooooooh, Taco Bell, cornflower...")

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Thursday, 27 November 2003 02:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Sunny: Doctor's Orders...

― Tom May (Tom May), Friday, 28 November 2003 02:01 (twenty-two years ago)

there is a phone ringing during the whole of swell's "don't give" from 41. nobody picks it up though. that would have destroyed the atmosphere of the song.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Friday, 28 November 2003 20:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Um, it's "If Madonna Calls", isn't it?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 28 November 2003 20:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Um, it's "If Madonna Calls", isn't it?

well i'll be a fact-checked fact checker! yes it is.

― fact checking cuz, Friday, 28 November 2003 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Further "overrated" .. off that griptape lp...

(this was the further that used to be shadowland, and was partially the summer hits, and is now partially the beachwood sparks.)

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 28 November 2003 22:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Phone Call by Pretenders, though I'm not sure that it's an answering machine, more like various phone line effects.

― Hunter (Hunter), Friday, 28 November 2003 23:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Mountain Goats - "Lonesome Surprise"

― wl (wl), Saturday, 29 November 2003 01:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Adickdid "Telephone" (don't know if it was scripted, but it sounds like a real recording of a creepy guy phone stalking a girl)

― donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 29 November 2003 01:50 (twenty-two years ago)

"It's Business as Usual" by Barry Adamson is a series of psychotic answering machine messages.

"Little Girls" by Kool Keith starts off with a phone message.

Turbonegro have a threatening phone message stuck between some of the songs on Ass Cobra.

― webcrack (music=crack), Saturday, 29 November 2003 03:31 (twenty-two years ago)

two weeks pass...

Psychic TV: "Bliss"

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Friday, 19 December 2003 01:46 (twenty-two years ago)

four months pass...

"JFK 2 LAX"--Gangstarr
"I Just Wanna Fuck You"--Dr Dre

― Lil' Lainie - Delaware (LILLAINE), Monday, 19 April 2004 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Unwound - The Light at the End of the Tunnel is a Train

― Acid! Polizei! (ex machina), Monday, 19 April 2004 18:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Phone Pitman

― jadrenos (jadrenos), Monday, 19 April 2004 22:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Angelica - Teenage Girl Crush

― jellybean (jellybean), Monday, 19 April 2004 23:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Thurston Moore "Queen Bee and Her Pals"

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Monday, 19 April 2004 23:05 (twenty-one years ago)

dark tower - lindon (lindon puffin leaving a message)
jon spencer blues explosion - flavor (beck with a phoned in cameo)

― chris andrews (fraew), Monday, 19 April 2004 23:31 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.