Musicians who laugh in the middle of songs: C/D

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I personally believe that Bob Dylan is the guiltiest person I can think of when it comes to this practice (not necessarily in a bad way). Though I honestly can't remember a song at the moment outside of "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" off of Bringing It All Back Home where he does this to the point of completely cracking up. But I know there are other instances out there in his catalogue.

Anyway, do you hate this or do you relish the glimpse into the studio atmosphere? Totally self-indulgent? All in good fun? Help me think of other instances in which this is actually enjoyable or perhaps if you want to strangle Fred Durst for forcing you to listen to him chuckle.

― Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (Plastic Gas Booby Trap), Sunday, 10 July 2005 03:19 (twenty years ago)

I think there's a topic similar to this but Bob is the worst. He even laughs when he says "breast" in girl from N. Country. And I think in Ballad of a Thin Man too.

― Cunga (Cunga), Sunday, 10 July 2005 04:04 (twenty years ago)

I love a good Mark E Smith laugh.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Sunday, 10 July 2005 04:06 (twenty years ago)

W. Axl Rose. He even says "Ha Ha HA!"

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Sunday, 10 July 2005 04:23 (twenty years ago)

Kim Fowley does it a lot, but he's probably copying Dylan. It works for him, but being self-indulgent is pretty much his whole point.

― dlp9001, Sunday, 10 July 2005 04:35 (twenty years ago)

Don't know if Stipe does it often, but after the middle 8 of REM's Sidewinder, he can be heard to laugh when he comes in for the chorus

― smudger (smudger), Sunday, 10 July 2005 12:19 (twenty years ago)

On "I Don't Believe You", Bob realises he's already sung the lines which are meant to be coming up RIGHT NOW, so swaps in the lines that he, like, should have sung ALREADY when he was singing the ones coming up, and the thought of this gives him a little chuckle.

But then, if a musician laughed in concert, that wouldn't be annoying, so if the album tracks are the record of a performance... hmmm. Maybe Bob is essaying some kind of Verfremdungseffekt?

I've just remembered, I've dwelt on this topic meself: here, and the scariest laughter you will hear.

― A.C.M.E. (A.C.M.E.), Sunday, 10 July 2005 12:38 (twenty years ago)

Verfremdungseffekt?

Fremme neppa venette?

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Sunday, 10 July 2005 13:58 (twenty years ago)

Not sure on the specific songs (possibly "Cashing In"), but Ian MacKaye seems to have done this a lot with Minor Threat. "Oh ho ho ho!"

― astropatty (adr), Sunday, 10 July 2005 14:06 (twenty years ago)

ween to thread

― Ô¿Ô (eman), Sunday, 10 July 2005 14:21 (twenty years ago)

Rappers who use a laugh as a recurring vocal tic, to thread.

― mike h. (mike h.), Sunday, 10 July 2005 14:22 (twenty years ago)

Ah huh-huh-huh

― Black Arkestra (Black Arkestra), Sunday, 10 July 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

if repeatedly intoning the words "ha ha" or "hee hee" or "ho ho" constitutes laughter, then:

napoleon XIV, "they're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Sunday, 10 July 2005 18:22 (twenty years ago)

Terence Trent D'arby laughed in the middle of one of his songs. I think it was Wishing Well.

― Hot Pants, Sunday, 10 July 2005 18:25 (twenty years ago)

in the anthology version of "and your bird can sing," mccartney and lennon break out into a fit of giggles. but it's a take they threw away, so maybe that doesn't count.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Sunday, 10 July 2005 18:25 (twenty years ago)

Yaz, "Situation"

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Sunday, 10 July 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

The Velvets' "Some Kinda Love" has a nice self-deprecating laugh by Uncle Grumpo.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Sunday, 10 July 2005 18:40 (twenty years ago)

psychfurs:

they're making up things
that we've all heard before
like romance and engage and divorce
you have to be crazy to stay in this place
you just have to laugh at it all HA HA HA

― Aaron A., Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:09 (twenty years ago)

Worst repeat offender:

QUIET RIOT!!!

― Let's Get Crazy, Bang Your Head, Mama We're All Crazy Now, etc..., Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

Amy Ray of Indigo Girls laughs in the live recording of "Joking." And she laughs on the actual word "laughing." Which is kinda funny.

She also lets loose with a maniacal witch-laugh in the song "Faye Tucker."

― Justin, Sunday, 10 July 2005 21:21 (twenty years ago)

There's some laughter at the beginning of the Chameleons' "Caution."

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 10 July 2005 21:23 (twenty years ago)

Smudger, good call on Stipe laughing during "the Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite." I knew there was an REM song that I was trying to place where he does it and that was the one. There's some other song of theirs that I can't remember either (so there's no real point in me bringing it up) where he's not necessarily laughing but I'm about 90% positive he's at least smiling when he says the lyric.

Also, while it's not necessarily genuine laughter but used more to the effect of scaring the shit out of you, M.O.P. destroys every other rap group I can think of in this respect.

― Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (Plastic Gas Booby Trap), Sunday, 10 July 2005 21:54 (twenty years ago)

There's some laughter near the end (NOT at the end, mind you -- that's crying) of John Cale's "Thoughtless Kind".

As I said on a similar thread, Elizabeth Fraser chuckles and giggles a lot in Cocteau Twins songs, especially the earlier ones. It's very cute and so it's classic.

― Ian Riese-Moraine: that obscure object of desire. (Eastern Mantra), Sunday, 10 July 2005 22:14 (twenty years ago)

Yaz, "Situation"

Weird. I never thought of that sound as a laugh but I guess it is. It's kind of a creepy forced laugh though.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 10 July 2005 22:16 (twenty years ago)

heather cracking up in the middle of (i think) 'long distance love' from the brunettes lathe-cut ep release. i reckon it adds to the slapped together appeal of it, actually.

― chris andrews (fraew), Sunday, 10 July 2005 22:38 (twenty years ago)

peter andre does during "funky junky" while he dances like michael jackson dances in " in the closet".
janet jackson "runaway".

― caomi nampbell, Monday, 11 July 2005 09:15 (twenty years ago)

"it's like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how i can keep from going under, ha hahaha ha ha"

― Ô¿Ô (eman), Monday, 11 July 2005 11:15 (twenty years ago)

Iggy Pop does it all the time, but he's got a great laugh.

Joni Mitchell does it in Big Yella Taxi, and I just want to reach through time and space and smack her.

― geyser muffler and a quarter (Dave225), Monday, 11 July 2005 11:45 (twenty years ago)

So does "Anarchy in the UK" count?

There must be several Pixies songs, too, though none are coming to mind.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Monday, 11 July 2005 12:53 (twenty years ago)

The laughing in "Feel Good Inc." is almost the best part!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:08 (twenty years ago)

The Laughing Policeman.

I like the New Order one (Every Second Counts).

Genesis - Mama. Phil Collins just about busts a gut.

― Peter Stringbender (PJ Miller), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:27 (twenty years ago)

'Ebenezer Goode' to thread.

― BARMS, Monday, 11 July 2005 13:34 (twenty years ago)

Ozzy at the beginning of Crazy Train (All Aboard!!! Ha ha ha ha!!)

― Pete Baumann, Monday, 11 July 2005 13:40 (twenty years ago)

do any musicians out and out cry in the middle of songs? any choked sobs? sniffles?

― matlewis (matlewis), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

The Replacements like to laugh a little, most notably in "I Don't Know".

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Monday, 11 July 2005 16:37 (twenty years ago)

do any musicians out and out cry in the middle of songs? any choked sobs? sniffles?

I believe Jonathan Richman did this w/the Modern Lovers during "Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste," didn't he?

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Monday, 11 July 2005 16:47 (twenty years ago)

I love Lil' Wayne's sort of half-giggling in Go DJ.

― temeraire (r h), Monday, 11 July 2005 17:02 (twenty years ago)

Shirley Horn, "A Time for Love"

― Jon Hope (jarge), Thursday, 14 July 2005 11:35 (twenty years ago)

Lou Reed, before he became a full-time miserable cunt, see various Velvets: "Beginning to See the Light", "Temptation Inside Your Heart", "I Love You" (early version). Maybe now he's ashamed about the camp girly "Will and Grace" type nature of his laugh.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 14 July 2005 11:44 (twenty years ago)

Yes, people do it all the time in their songs.

― Alice Munn, Thursday, 14 July 2005 20:49 (twenty years ago)

janet jackson "runaway".

Janet is required by contract to laugh at least once in every one of her songs.

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Thursday, 14 July 2005 20:58 (twenty years ago)

classic: "I finally found somebody that could make me laugh (haha) - you so crazy, I think I wanna have your babies" from Salt'n'Pepa's 'Whatta Man'

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 15 July 2005 08:39 (twenty years ago)

I love it when King Diamond does it on those first Mercyful Fate records.
His theatrical eunuch goofiness always makes me happy. Hyuck hyuck hyuck! Is this Satan's fall? *schoolgirl giggling* No! it's satan's call!

― Øystein (Øystein), Friday, 15 July 2005 12:03 (twenty years ago)

Fakelaughing rules, come to think of it.
I love that suh-mooth laugh some soul singers etc do. cf Brook Benton on dueting "A Rockin' Good Way" with Dinah Washington. "And I love to rock, what 'bout you?" -"Aaaaah baby you got what it takes" -"ha-HAAAAAAAH!" (like great big rooster, even!)

― Øystein (Øystein), Friday, 15 July 2005 12:06 (twenty years ago)

Terence Trent D'Arby, "Wishing Well," in which he lets loose an amused giggle after the riverboat gambler line (wtf).

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 15 July 2005 12:41 (twenty years ago)

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