Best wordless chorus (aside from a Cocteau Twins record)?

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I think "Hiawatha" by Look Blue Go Purple has a stellar example of such a chorus. It consists merely of layered vocals that I suppose could be described as imitating cliched Native American calls in Westerns...it delights me to dizziness. Any other candidates?

― Ian Beverly (Eastern Mantra), Friday, 11 June 2004 17:39 (twenty-two years ago)

katy song, red house painters

― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 11 June 2004 17:41 (twenty-two years ago)

My Bloody Valentine - "To Here Knows When"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 11 June 2004 17:43 (twenty-two years ago)

and "Come in Alone" and "Blown a Wish"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 11 June 2004 17:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh yes, those are brilliant...

― Ian Beverly (Eastern Mantra), Friday, 11 June 2004 17:47 (twenty-two years ago)

The Clean's Billy Two could maybe qualify, if an exception is made for the inclusion of the name Billy in the chorus. I'm sure The Clean have a few others up for candidacy. And the Misfits also, what with their endless WHOOAAAs and all.

― Fr4ncis W4tlingt0n (Francis Watlington), Friday, 11 June 2004 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

there's that part in Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother where they do that grunting chanting thing.

― JaXoN (JasonD), Friday, 11 June 2004 18:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Mogwai -- Hunted By a Freak
and hopefully I don't have to duck after suggesting :
James -- Laid

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Friday, 11 June 2004 18:23 (twenty-two years ago)

S: "Headmaster Ritual"

D: "Horse With No Name"

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Friday, 11 June 2004 18:32 (twenty-two years ago)

James -- Laid

Booth is very obviously uttering the word "laid," no?

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Friday, 11 June 2004 18:39 (twenty-two years ago)

When Doves Cry

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Friday, 11 June 2004 18:40 (twenty-two years ago)

"Walk On The Wild Side", obv.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Friday, 11 June 2004 18:40 (twenty-two years ago)

the headmaster ritual, the smiths

― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 11 June 2004 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)

"Sha la la la lee" by the Small Faces is great. So's "Pin" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

― Jpersse, Friday, 11 June 2004 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

galaxie 500 - tell me

― kickitcricket (kickitcricket), Friday, 11 June 2004 19:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"When Doves Cry" isn't a very good answer for this thread considering the chorus is chock-full of words.

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 11 June 2004 19:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm going with "Na-nanna-na-nanna-na-nanna-Na!" (which is "Hush" by Deep Purple).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 11 June 2004 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Murmur and half of Reckoning to thread.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Saturday, 12 June 2004 04:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Goddam right, Alex.

― jim wentworth (wench), Saturday, 12 June 2004 04:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Rod Stewart - "The Killing of Georgie"

and a weirdly honorable mention to Martin Page, "The House of Stone and Light"

― Joseph McCombs, Saturday, 12 June 2004 04:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I believe we can all agree on the *worst* wordless chorus of all time... which would be the Crash Test Dummies' "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm."

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Saturday, 12 June 2004 04:31 (twenty-two years ago)

"When Doves Cry" isn't a very good answer for this thread considering the chorus is chock-full of words.

Thank you for reassuring me of my sanity, Dan. I thought maybe I just had a really bad memory for a moment, there.

Does "La" count as a word? I've been listening to Les Rita Mitsouko's "C'est Comme Ca" lately...

― Bimble (bimble), Saturday, 12 June 2004 07:07 (twenty-two years ago)

REM "Stand" - consists of Mick Mills yodelling and Stripe noodling away incomprehensibly in the background (and to all intents and purposes wordlessly) through his megaphone.

― darren (darren), Saturday, 12 June 2004 13:21 (twenty-two years ago)

And I think we could include the delectable "Avenue" from the makers of my mail address - though you can just make out the words 'young hearts'.

― darren (darren), Saturday, 12 June 2004 13:23 (twenty-two years ago)

"Lazurus" kthxby

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Saturday, 12 June 2004 13:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Would help if I could type/spell, eh?

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Saturday, 12 June 2004 13:28 (twenty-two years ago)

REM "Stand" - consists of Mick Mills yodelling and Stripe noodling away incomprehensibly in the background (and to all intents and purposes wordlessly) through his megaphone.

That would, by all appearances, be "Orange Crush." Also by REM -- "Belong," "Lightnin' Hopkins."

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Saturday, 12 June 2004 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

> I believe we can all agree on the *worst* wordless chorus of all time...

No, we can't. I for one am very fond of Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm.

― Palomino (Palomino), Saturday, 12 June 2004 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

That Crash Test Dummies song sounds likes an advert for Campbell's.

― Ian (Moraine) (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 12 June 2004 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Not Too Soon, Throwing Muses. Part sex kitten, part actual kitten, all catchy.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Saturday, 12 June 2004 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

That Crash Test Dummies song roxx

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 12 June 2004 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Dare I suggest their name, but doesn't "Born of Frustration" by James also features a chorus comprised solely of "whoo-whoo-whooo-whoo's" and "La-la-la-la's". This isn't to suggest it's great, or anything, but rather that it fits the bill here.

(that said, James do have some songs I quite like).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 12 June 2004 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

"New Adam New Eve" by Embrace rips the "Walk On The Wild Side" do-do do-do thing and makes it eastern-psycho-metal.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Saturday, 12 June 2004 17:19 (twenty-two years ago)

holst - "neptune, the mystic" (from the planets)

― you will be shot (you will be shot), Saturday, 12 June 2004 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)

And let's not forget Grandaddy's AM180?

― scotstvo (scotstvo), Sunday, 13 June 2004 09:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I despise the Crash Test Dummies as much as anybody, but at least give 'em credit for creating the only hit song (as far as I know) with a title that you can pronounce without opening your mouth!

Best wordless refrain: Fleetwood Mac, "Second Hand News".

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Sunday, 13 June 2004 09:35 (twenty-two years ago)

The Teardrop Explodes, Passionate Friend.

― Andrew Norman, Sunday, 13 June 2004 10:38 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm quite fond of the chorus to "Mary" by Supergrass.

― umop apisdn (umop apisdn), Sunday, 13 June 2004 10:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Airto Moreira has several of these, but my favourites are "Hot Sand", "Tombo in 7/4" and "Papa Furado".

Other Brasilian songs with great wordless choruses: "Tostao" and "Raça" by Milton Nascimento, "Filho" by Baden Powell, "Fui Fuio" by Nana Vasconcelos and "San Francisco River" by Flora Purim.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Sunday, 13 June 2004 11:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Not that it even has lyrics elsewhere, but the "na na na, na na na" chorus of "Templehead" by Transglobal Underground is k-great.

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 13 June 2004 12:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Lynskey and Andrew Norman: spot on...both of you...

― Ian (Moraine) (Eastern Mantra), Sunday, 13 June 2004 23:40 (twenty-two years ago)

The Cure - "Lovecats": Ba pa da pa pa da pa da pa pa pa pa pa da!

― Seb (Seb), Monday, 14 June 2004 17:29 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cardigans - 'My Favourite Game'

Andrew Norman - that's a familiar name...

― Crickets Dance On Tequila Booty (Barima), Monday, 14 June 2004 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

seven years pass...

My Bloody Valentine - "To Here Knows When"

i love wordless choruses, and Loveless also has another good one in "When You Sleep". but their very best wordless choruses (imo) are on Isn't Anything, with "Feed Me With Your Kiss" and especially "(When You Wake) You're Still in a Dream", which is, when played at maximum possible volume, the best wordless chorus I've ever heard.

― Captain of the S.S. NoFun (Z S), Sunday, 23 October 2011 01:55 (fourteen years ago)

Kylie - Can't Get You Out Of My Head
Cibo Matto - Sugar Water
M.I.A. - Galang (the last bit)

― The Sunspots In Your Eyes Are Actually Cataracts, Mr. Rudich (AWALL), Sunday, 23 October 2011 03:04 (fourteen years ago)

Still Lazarus.

― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Sunday, 23 October 2011 05:40 (fourteen years ago)

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