Songs With Spoken-Word Intros

Inspired by recent threads about favorite intros, vocal-only intros, etc.

First, some simple ground rules:
1. Spoken-word intro must be at least one sentence long.
2. Must be unique in and of itself, not taken from a verse or chorus.
3. Can be with or without instrumental backing.
4. Count-offs don't count.

Here's a couple off the top of my head...

Iron Man - Black Sabbath
Soft Parade - Doors
Fire - Arthur Brown
Wildwood Blues - Nazz

Have at it!

 

Atlantis - Donovan
Dream a Little Dream Of Me - Mamas and Papas
San Franciscan Nights - Eric Burdon and The Animals
Just Because - John Lennon
Happy Xmas War Is Over - John and Yoko

 

Barry White's "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love"

 

Proud Mary--Ike & Tina, still my favorite of the type
You're The First, The Last, My Everything--Barry White
Walking In The Rain With The One I Love--Love Unlimited
I Can't Control Myself--Troggs
Conditional Discharge/Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock'n'Roll--John Baldry
Daydream Believer--Monkees
Mr. Bojangles(long version)--Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

 

Have You Seen Her?--Chi-Lites
Kiss and Say Goodbye--Manhattans
Looking for a Kiss--New York Dolls

"When I say I'm in love, you best believe I'm in love L-U-V!!" (Somebody remind me which girl-group oldie the Dolls lifted this from...)

 

That would be the Shangri-Las, Jimbo.

Speaking of, the dialogue at the start of "Leader of the Pack" might count.

Also:

The Angels, "My Boyfriend's Back"
The Countours, "Do You Love Me"

 

How about that really long intro to "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" on Isaac Hayes "Hot Buttered Soul" (MFSL SACD)? That goes on for ever!

 

Kinks - "Party Line." Hello, who's that speaking please?

 

My Boyfriend's Back--Angels
Give Him A Great Big Kiss & Past, Present & Future--Shangri-Las

 

How about Patti Smith's versions of "GLORIA" and the "Horses" introduction to "Land of a Thousand Dances" - do those count?

 

"First We Take Manhattan" - Jennifer Warnes

A lotta Mark Knopfler intros might be regarded as "spoken word"

 

In Held T'was In I - Procol Harum

(Granted, this is a looooong spoken word intro...but I think it still qualifies.)

 

Ed, can we add any Moody Blues songs? "Higher and Higher".

 

Ministry - "Jesus Built My Hot Rod"

 

"I Call Your Name"-Switch
"Everybody Plays The Fool"-The Main Ingredient
"Don't Stop Til You Get Enough"-Michael Jackson
"B-Movie"-Gil Scott-Heron
"Try To Remeber/The Way we Were"-Gladys Knight & The Pips

 

Hmmm. A tricky one...almost seems more like a song with two spoken word verses.

 

I think that's the only Moodies track other than "The Balance" where there is a spoken piece before the song(they have other recitations, but these are either separate track listings, or part of a later passage)....

"H&H" is Edgey's showcase piece during the second part of their more recent live gigs....he capers around the stage in a Hawaiian shirt, schlepping, having a silly old time, and moves about during that one song more than Justin or John the entire show! For an old fart he's still got some juice left, and a damn fine drummer too!

 

"Hi, I'm Archie Bell and the Drells..." - Tighten Up

 

Have You Seen Her--Chi-Lites
Starting All Over Again--Mel & Tim

 

"Baby Let Me Follow You Down" - Bob Dylan
"Dark End Of The Street" - Clarence Carter
"Hello Darlin" - Conway Twitty
"Hello Walls" - Faron Young

and....does "Queen says NO to pot-smoking FBI members" fall at the beginning of "For You Blue", or at the end of "The Long and Winding Road" on The Beatles Let It Be?

 

"Without Love (There Is Nothing)" -- Tom Jones
"Smokin' in the Boy's Room" -- Brownsville Station

 

Speaking of Patti Smith, isn't that her doing the spoken word intro to Blue Oyster Cult's E.T.I.?

 

Rocky Raccoon - The Beatles
Get Back (Album) - The Beatles
Any Road - George Harrison
Girls School - Wings
Thorn In My Side - Eurythmics

 

There's a unique & spontaneous intro uttered by Bob Dylan during his 1966 concert in Manchester, England. When an audience member (later indentified as Keith Butler) yells "Judas!", Dylan responds "I don't believe you, you're a liar!" Dylan then turns to his band, the Hawks, and exhorts, "Play f***in' loud!" as they kick into "Like A Rolling Stone".

 

Well, that is her reciting the intro to "The Revenge of Vera Gemini" which she co-wrote: "You were boned, like a saint...with the consciousness, of a snake." Sounds menacing when she says it...