THE ELECTRIC MEATBALL TELEPHONE EXCHANGE
1982 Urban P-Funk, NY Funk, 112 BPM. George Clinton style. Vocal Group Style. Harmony & Adlibs. Thick layered vocals throughout. Deep male lead vocal, low-register funk narrator, dramatic spoken passages, wild ad-libs. Raspy male vocal. Sexy female vocal. Funky female vocal. Male and female chorus ensemble. Heavy call-and-response. Multiple character interactions. Chaotic vocal exchanges. Unexpected vocal interruptions. Operatic group passages. Theatrical funk storytelling. Urban melodic synth atmosphere with heavy P-Funk low-end. Minimoog bass, ARP Odyssey, Prophet-5, OB-Xa, Rhodes, jazz piano, Clavinet, wah guitar, LinnDrum, handclaps, percussion, congas, horns, trumpets, synth brass, digital synth textures. Streetwise NY funk attitude. Unpredictable arrangements. Sudden stops. Spoken sections. Laughter. Screams. Vocal layering. Operatic breakdowns. Heavy groove. Long instrumental passages. Massive ensemble finale.
THE ELECTRIC MEATBALL TELEPHONE EXCHANGE
1982 Urban P-Funk, NY Funk, 112 BPM. George Clinton style. Vocal Group Style. Harmony & Adlibs. Thick layered vocals throughout. Deep male lead vocal, low-register funk narrator, dramatic spoken passages, wild ad-libs. Raspy male vocal. Sexy female vocal. Funky female vocal. Male and female chorus ensemble. Heavy call-and-response. Multiple character interactions. Chaotic vocal exchanges. Unexpected vocal interruptions. Operatic group passages. Theatrical funk storytelling. Urban melodic synth atmosphere with heavy P-Funk low-end. Minimoog bass, ARP Odyssey, Prophet-5, OB-Xa, Rhodes, jazz piano, Clavinet, wah guitar, LinnDrum, handclaps, percussion, congas, horns, trumpets, synth brass, digital synth textures. Streetwise NY funk attitude. Unpredictable arrangements. Sudden stops. Spoken sections. Laughter. Screams. Vocal layering. Operatic breakdowns. Heavy groove. Long instrumental passages. Massive ensemble finale.
Lyrics
[DEEP MALE SPOKEN]
Laaaadies and gentlemen...
The Electric Meatball Telephone Exchange... is now open for business...
[SEXY FEMALE]
Business?
At this hour?
[DEEP MALE]
Especially at this hour...
[MALE CHORUS]
Uh-oh!
[FEMALE CHORUS]
Here we go!
[DEEP MALE SHOUT]
AWWWWWWWW!!
[VERSE 1]
[DEEP MALE]
I called a payphone made of peanut butter— it answered back in seventeen keys...
[LOW FEMALE]
Seventeen?
That's too many keys...
[DEEP MALE]
Not if you're calling Saturn collect!
[MALE CHORUS]
Collect!
Collect!
Collect!
[VERSE 2]
[SEXY FEMALE SINGING]
I saw a limousine full of flamingos— driving backward through the grocery line...
[SMOOTH MALE]
I sold them three invisible newspapers...
[SEXY FEMALE]
Did they pay?
[SMOOTH MALE]
Only in moon coupons...
[ALL]
AWWWWWW!!
[PRE-CHORUS]
[FEMALE CHORUS]
Round and round...
Nobody knows...
Where the jelly signal goes...
[MALE CHORUS]
Keep it moving...
Keep it moving...
[CHORUS]
[ALL VOCALS]
Electric Meatball! Call me tonight!
Electric Meatball! Everything's alright!
Electric Meatball! Spin me around!
Electric Meatball! Bring the funk downtown!
[DEEP MALE ADLIB]
Yaaaaoooowww!!
[VERSE 3]
[RASPY MALE]
A refrigerator entered a beauty contest— and won by unanimous decision...
[LOW FEMALE]
That's cold...
[RASPY MALE]
That's why it won!
[MALE CHORUS]
Ha! Ha! Ha!
[VERSE 4]
[SEXY FEMALE]
A telephone booth asked me to dance— so I tangoed for twelve city blocks...
[DEEP MALE INTERRUPTS]
Hold it!
Hold it!
Was the booth funky?
[SEXY FEMALE]
Baby... it was the mayor.
[ALL]
OOOOOOH!!
[BRIDGE 1]
LONG INSTRUMENTAL JAM
[DEEP MALE SPOKEN]
Can anybody hear me?
My shoes are negotiating with the sidewalk...
[LOW FEMALE]
Let them talk...
[DEEP MALE]
They're asking for vacation time...
[MALE CHORUS]
Give it to 'em!
[HORN BREAK]
[MINIMOOG SOLO]
[ARP ODYSSEY SOLO]
[WAH GUITAR SOLO]
[GROUP LAUGHTER]
[VERSE 5]
[SMOOTH MALE]
A giant diamond fish was teaching geometry— under a bridge made of saxophones...
[LOW FEMALE]
Did anybody graduate?
[SMOOTH MALE]
No...
But everybody got funky...
[ALL]
AWWWWWWWW!!
[PRE-CHORUS]
[FEMALE CHORUS]
Round and round...
Nobody knows...
Where the jelly signal goes...
[MALE CHORUS]
Keep it moving...
Keep it moving...
[CHORUS]
[ALL VOCALS]
Electric Meatball! Call me tonight!
Electric Meatball! Everything's alright!
Electric Meatball! Spin me around!
Electric Meatball! Bring the funk downtown!
[BRIDGE 2]
OPERA FUNK BREAKDOWN
[ALL MALE HARMONIES]
Meeeeatbaaaallllll...
Meeeeatbaaaallllll...
Electric Meeeeatbaaaallllll...
[SEXY FEMALE OPERA STYLE]
Can you hear the signal—
From the peanut butter moon?
[LOW FEMALE]
Can you feel the thunder—
Inside the silver spoon?
[ALL CHOIR]
OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH!!
[DEEP MALE]
WHO STOLE TUESDAY?!
[ALL]
NOT US!!
[DEEP MALE]
WHO TAUGHT THE PARKING METER TO SING?!
[ALL]
YOU DID!!
[DEEP MALE]
OH NO...
[VERSE 6]
[ALL VOCALS TRADING LINES]
The city kept dancing—
The moon kept laughing—
The fish kept teaching—
The phones kept talking—
The meatball kept spinning—
The people kept grinning—
And nobody cared—
Because the funk was winning!
[FINAL CHORUS]
[FULL ENSEMBLE]
Electric Meatball! Call me tonight!
Electric Meatball! Everything's alright!
Electric Meatball! Spin me around!
Electric Meatball! Bring the funk downtown!
Electric Meatball! Call me tonight!
Electric Meatball! Take me for a ride!
[DEEP MALE]
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!
[OUTRO]
[DEEP MALE SPOKEN]
The Electric Meatball Telephone Exchange... is now closed...
[SEXY FEMALE]
Closed?
[DEEP MALE]
For repairs...
[LOW FEMALE]
What broke?
[DEEP MALE]
Reality...
[ALL]
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
FADE OUT