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
INTRO
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