Request Line: Gimme All Your Gimmicks

INT. RECORDING STUDIO – DAY

The PRODUCER sits at his desk, casually sipping coffee.  DJ 3000 remains in his usual location, currently in sleep mode.  As he boots up, the PRODUCER glances at him, and then does a double take.

PRODUCER: What the hell happened to you?

DJ 3000: [groggily] OH.  REMEMBER THAT GIRL CLARISSA WHO WORKED HERE AS A RECEPTIONIST A FEW YEARS AGO?

PRODUCER: Vaguely.

DJ 3000: HER BACHELORETTE PARTY WAS LAST NIGHT AND THEY NEEDED A DEEJAY.

PRODUCER: Oh.  Wow.  Looks like you had fun.

DJ 3000: I FEEL DIRTY.

PRODUCER: Metaphorically or literally?

DJ 3000: BOTH. THERE’S NOTHING WRITTEN TO MY HARD DRIVE PAST 1:08 A.M. – I THINK MY INTERNAL BATTERY MUST HAVE GONE DEAD. THEY DIDN’T WRITE ON ME, DID THEY?

PRODUCER: [snickering slightly] Uh, no, they didn’t write on you.

The PRODUCER takes out his cellphone, snaps a photograph of DJ 3000, and emails it to him.

DJ 3000: GODDAMNIT.

PRODUCER: I’ll see if Lupita’s got any solvent and a scraper that will take those off in the cleaning closet. In the meantime, I had an idea for Request Line.

DJ 3000: GO ON…

PRODUCER: Gimmicks.

DJ 3000: WHAT KIND OF GIMMICKS?

PRODUCER: Oh, you know, songs where the vocals are spoken word, songs that have a section – or maybe the whole thing – that’s played in reverse, a capella stuff, maybe stuff with a weird sound effect…

DJ 3000: SURE, WHY NOT. GOT SOMETHING TO GET US ROLLING?

PRODUCER: Cue up the old beat box, my good sir.

Today’s theme is Gimmicks.  We’re looking for songs who include weird stuff that you don’t usually see, like a lack of instruments, sections played in reverse, spoken word vocals, etc. Feel free to be creative in terms of what constitutes a “gimmick”.  Post links as “https://www.youtube.com/watch?5rLL4fr3t4w and they should embed in the comments after you refresh.  Last week’s puzzle answer of “Godzilla” by Blue Oyster Cult was again solved by BeefReeferLives. Woozle wuzzle!

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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly
Law-abiding Raiders fan, pet owner, Los Angeles resident.
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DJ TAJ

You could pretty much use anything by this most brilliant light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFIpxaAzi9k

ArmedandHammered

A gimmicky group with a gimmicky song featuring a gimmick:

https://youtu.be/6epzmRZk6UU?si=pvgWVUnFuZ97QVQ5

scotchnaut

They weren’t the first by any means but it was a gimmick at the time. Rapper’s Delight sampled Chic’s “Good Times”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zer0tlE4zGQ&ab_channel=TopPop

SonOfSpam

Also one of the first rap songs to mention Kaopectate.

scotchnaut

And one of the very last!

Gumbygirl

Is this the puzzle song? I guess the gimmick would be Lisa Lopes yapping
https://youtu.be/8WEtxJ4-sh4?si=1lx1Y2kpVt5gKDyF

scotchnaut

“Her cover of Burning Down The House was so ironic!”

-A. Morissette

Gumbygirl
yeah right

Slide whistle?

Check.

Kick ass song?

Double check.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hr3Stnk8_k

Gumbygirl
Mr. Ayo
scotchnaut

“I Want Xylophones In My Pop Music!”- Nobody Ever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHMJE0rcb8M&ab_channel=ViolentFemmesVEVO

yeah right

In one song you’ve got clavichord, reggae/dub, backwards guitar solo, goth, whistling and snoring.

Love this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNwj0ExB1No

scotchnaut

Gimmicky or just plain weird? Bear with me here-Dutch Shultz was a gangster that was targeted by the mob because he tried to kill Thomas Dewey without permission. He was shot several times and died a slow death in the hospital with a police stenographer by his side as he was questioned. He went into stream of consciousness mode and William S. Burroughs decided to make those words into a song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXu8Mpn8b4s&ab_channel=WilliamS.Burroughs-Topic

DJ TAJ

Greetings pudding shakers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goh2x_G0ct4

SonOfSpam

Shit, at the point, yeah that’s wonderful.

ArmedandHammered

Time to do as the video says and watch a horror movie called Satanic Hispanics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMK4cfXj5c0

ArmedandHammered

The gimmick is the bong noise, of course.

fleshwound_NPG
fleshwound_NPG

the remake/remaster sounds like tool trying to make a mario bowser theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O8fDfDkyH4

scotchnaut

Such a remarkably distinctive song thanks to the fire alarm right from the hop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXYPWE_8Twg&ab_channel=GordonYYZ

2Pack
scotchnaut

This song is interesting for two reasons. It was composed using snippets of phrases pulled randomly from a box and then cobbled together. The tune also doesn’t have a chorus that is repeated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA93R_mOSng&ab_channel=DustinDecker

scotchnaut

Check out the intro to Philip Glass’ rockin’ tune 4’33”! The solo is even better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWVUp12XPpU&ab_channel=BerlinerPhilharmoniker

scotchnaut

I believe the percussion here is a fella playing his thighs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMezwtB1oCU&ab_channel=nocturon

SonOfSpam

Song features sounds from Mattel’s football game among other weirdness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPfmNxKLDG4&ab_channel=BeckVEVO

scotchnaut

This is the second spoon solo I heard. The first was my mother wailing on my butt with a wooden one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0_zzCLLRvE&ab_channel=SoundgardenVEVO

SonOfSpam

The whole song is kinda gimmicky, so I’ll just point out the part where he sings like he just inhaled helium.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmGxh1FhtxE

yeah right

During the recording, two of the band members while supposedly shit-faced, jumped up and down on scaffolding boards to add depth to the percussion.

Plus it’s still a cool-ass tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoRLIJJSG4o

Redshirt

I can’t remember the song name but there was one song we played in Concert Band that was fun. It was about warfare. The first half of the song, the band blew into their instruments and randomly hit their keys but without making notes, the second half we played as loud as we could, intentionally squeaking while randomly sections played the melody. Just imagine this SpongeBob video but as an entire song.

We played it the final day of school every year with the door open so the whole school would hear. I think one year we may have knocked dust off the rafters in the auditorium and gym.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkDO1lDNpCk&pp=ygUTc3BvbmdlYm9iIGJhbmQgbG91ZA%3D%3D

SonOfSpam

A Scottish band making their guitars sound like bagpipes? You bet that’s a gimmick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=657TZDHZqj4

SonOfSpam

Going to the other side of the world to have Ladysmith Black Mambazo sing backup? A little gimmicky.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmf9ZJ_Yn0A&ab_channel=PaulSimonVEVO

ThurberHerder

Big ol gimmick, maybe the OG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbxgYlcNxE8

ThurberHerder
ThurberHerder

youtube won’t load for me could someone please post Peter Frampton

Brocky
SonOfSpam
Game Time Decision

gonna stretch the gimmick thing in that the song name is my user name
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDk8nye2w3g

Game Time Decision
Brocky

Weird al Albuquerque

Just a 12 minute rambling song with no structure

https://youtu.be/JE37e1eK2mY?si=dGmA47vbxqfemfyd

Brocky

NGL weird al feels like I’m cheating

2Pack
2Pack

More radio, a baseball play by play

https://youtu.be/C11MzbEcHlw?si=VvVuV3RGNhGA0gJg

SonOfSpam

Many rock songs do not feature Phil Rizzuto.

SonOfSpam

A lot of Queen songs are gimmicky…like Freddie singing through a megaphone here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU6EyXcFBxA&ab_channel=QueenOfficial

2Pack

We are thinking alike. They do a ton of odd stuff.

SonOfSpam

As a cool gimmick, I will beat BeefReefer to the puzzle solution.

Also, this is a fantastic song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NrLBlw9WZE&ab_channel=StoneRosesVEVO

SonOfSpam

Hmm. Ok, well I can’t guess no more. Unless it’s a cover or something.

2Pack

https://youtu.be/IXdNnw99-Ic?si=h5NCA58HRIPZPeOF

Gimmick is the radio recorded background music that then comes alive… or am I off on the concept here?

SonOfSpam

I knew a guy who swore they recorded this song in the shower.

Like, I think there are easier ways to get that sound effect?