Best Telephone Songs

[Hugh Weldon]

The proliferation of mobiles has failed to produce any good new telephone themed songs that I'm aware of, I wonder why. Anyway Des's recent youtube posting of Vikki Carr has got me off on one I'm afraid, here we go, in no particular order...

Vikki Carr- It Must Be Him
Jim Reeves - He'll Have To Go
Blondie - Hanging On The Telephone
Jim Croce - Operator
Love Unlimited - Walking In The Rain (With The One I Love)
Meri Wilson - Telephone Man
The Beatles - You Won't See Me
Dr Hook - Sylvia's Mother
Tom Waits - Telephone Call From Istanbul
Fun Boy Three - The Telephone Always Rings

[Jarlath]

Tom Waits - Martha

[AndyM]

Abba - Ring Ring

Rolling Stones - Miss You (the bit about the Puerto Rican girls who are just dyyyyyyyyyyyyyyying to meet you)

Shirley Brown - Woman To Woman (Hello ? May I speak to Barbara ? Barbara this is Shirley.....) - a TOTAL classic

[David Flower]

Chuck Berry - Memphis Tennessee
Looong distance information....

[Des]

Paul Evans: Hello This Is Joannie

(We could start a sub-thread on answerphone message songs).

[AndyM]

Paul Evans: Hello This Is Joannie

(We could start a sub-thread on answerphone message songs).

Especially as the Evans track has the secondary title 'The Telephone Answering Machine Song' (approximately).

(I answered a question about that record when I was on University Challenge. Not relevant, but there you go.)

[Jamie Renton]

Apology Line - Barrence Whitfield & the Savages. Which would also make my list of best apology songs & best radio songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQhrYJi3o58

[Des]

(I answered a question about that record when I was on University Challenge. Not relevant, but there you go.)

Wow! Did your team win?

[AndyM]

(I answered a question about that record when I was on University Challenge. Not relevant, but there you go.)

Wow! Did your team win?

Nah. Lost to an Oxford college with a super-smart preppy Yank. Close, though. (Our star player got 'stage fright' & froze, but I was GREAT, though.........)

[Neil Foxlee]

6345789 - Wilson Pickett http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2apquxKKQ

Atomic Telephone - Spirit of Memphis Quartet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVfxqm0ReXU

Call Me - Aretha http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59GFCsu96P0&feature=related.

Can't think of any reggae (as opposed to bashment) phone songs off the top of my head, maybe because the sort of people who wrote the lyrics in those days weren't connected.

[Neil Foxlee]

Just remembered What's Your Grouse - Derrick Morgan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWUhgTiSSO8

Great!

[Dayna]

I love the one by Fun Boy Three Hugh mentioned. I also love Telephone Line by ELO, but no one here likes ELO for some reason.

[AndyM]

Just remembered What's Your Grouse - Derrick Morgan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWUhgTiSSO8

Great!

Great indeed. That must be one of the earliest songs (assuming it's late 60s, which it sounds like) to parody phone-in radio.

[Jarlath]

Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Telephone And Rubber Band

[Rob Hall]

I'm not sure it warrants inclusion in a list of 'best' of anything, but "Alexander Graham Bell" by The Sweet qualifies in terms of subject matter.