The Voice Goes Electric
March 15, 2021 10:47 PM Subscribe
Michael Winslow impersonates Jimi Hendrix playing “Purple Haze” at Montreal’s “Juste Pour Rire” festival using his mouth as an electric guitar.
Previously -but postdating this recording- we had posts about Winslow performing “Whole Lotta Love” and “The History of the Typewriter”
A short clip from Viceland of Winslow and a DJ playing together
Previously -but postdating this recording- we had posts about Winslow performing “Whole Lotta Love” and “The History of the Typewriter”
A short clip from Viceland of Winslow and a DJ playing together
man it's hard enough to figure out how Jimi made those noises with his guitar without also wondering how the f Winslow makes them with his dang mouth
posted by entropone at 5:11 AM on March 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by entropone at 5:11 AM on March 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
Not to take away from his talent, but his microphone is plugged into some guitar effects pedals, including a distortion pedal, which makes it a lot easier to sound like Jimi Hendrix.
That history fo the typewriter clip is hilarious (and super weird, which makes it even funnier).
posted by jonathanhughes at 5:17 AM on March 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
That history fo the typewriter clip is hilarious (and super weird, which makes it even funnier).
posted by jonathanhughes at 5:17 AM on March 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
Grab yourself a pad and pencil, because THE LOVE DOCTOR IS ABOUT TO SPEAK.
posted by hearthpig at 5:38 AM on March 16, 2021
posted by hearthpig at 5:38 AM on March 16, 2021
The best part of Police Academy.
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:15 AM on March 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:15 AM on March 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
So I am at my office. Small suite of 3 offices with doors and a main room. I played the James Marshall Hendrix clip. I thought I had it turned down low enough. After 2 minutes, the guy in the next office comes by. I stop the video. He asks me if I heard that weird sound. He thinks a dog got hit by a car on the street outside our office. I had to tell him it was Winslow. He had grabbed his mask, a roll of paper towels (not sure why) and a bottle of water and was prepared to help this dog.
I will watch the others when I get home.
posted by AugustWest at 8:24 AM on March 16, 2021 [8 favorites]
I will watch the others when I get home.
posted by AugustWest at 8:24 AM on March 16, 2021 [8 favorites]
I was in Boy Scouts with Mr. Winslow. He had entire routines worked out at that age. Remarkable.
posted by ecorrocio at 8:34 AM on March 16, 2021 [18 favorites]
posted by ecorrocio at 8:34 AM on March 16, 2021 [18 favorites]
You know, I've never heard any guitarist play the rhythm guitar to this quite like Hendrix. Usually they pound on the E7#9 chord like it owes them money. Hendrix, if you listen to just the little part right in the first measure of the first verse, plays the chord figure with this wonderful laid-back feel.
posted by thelonius at 8:47 AM on March 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by thelonius at 8:47 AM on March 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
This is why I've been trying to clone Michael Winslow for the last few decades. He's going to make one hell of a doom metal and power noise band, and it'll save a ton of money on broken guitar strings and synthesizers.
posted by loquacious at 8:54 AM on March 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by loquacious at 8:54 AM on March 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
Yeah, if you look at Hendrix's live performance he's just casually strumming eighth notes during that figure. He must have learned that technique from Bob Dylan's grandmother, who was his bass player at the time (that was one of his running gags)
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:05 AM on March 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:05 AM on March 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
Almost as impressive as his vocal work was his complete transformation into Jimi Hendrix. It’s not just the wig, clothes, banter and mannerisms. I swear he even changes his face.
posted by sjswitzer at 9:44 AM on March 16, 2021
posted by sjswitzer at 9:44 AM on March 16, 2021
You know, I've never heard any guitarist play the rhythm guitar to this quite like Hendrix
The difference between Jimi Hendrix and the millions of imitators who followed him is his touch, especially the lightness in his picking hand. That kind of subtlety is near impossible to replicate. Unless you’re Michael Winslow, apparently.
posted by wabbittwax at 10:31 AM on March 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
The difference between Jimi Hendrix and the millions of imitators who followed him is his touch, especially the lightness in his picking hand. That kind of subtlety is near impossible to replicate. Unless you’re Michael Winslow, apparently.
posted by wabbittwax at 10:31 AM on March 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
I've always felt that Winslow is a truly remarkable talent who never quite fulfilled his potential. He's an extraordinary mimic, he can sound like anything, but for whatever reason he never applied that to being a great actor or comedian or musician or... something. (Or maybe he's done a bunch of great acting performances that I never saw, but he was never able to gain much traction because he got typecast as the guy who can imitate household appliances.) He's so good at his weird novelty act, it seems a shame he's not doing more. But what would that "more" even be? He's like the Mozart of mouth noises, but unfortunately mouth noises will only take you as far as Vegas and occasional guest spots on talk shows.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:21 PM on March 16, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:21 PM on March 16, 2021 [2 favorites]
He's so good at his weird novelty act, it seems a shame he's not doing more. But what would that "more" even be?
Thus, the re-birth of Le Pétomane.
posted by hanov3r at 2:49 PM on March 16, 2021 [2 favorites]
Thus, the re-birth of Le Pétomane.
posted by hanov3r at 2:49 PM on March 16, 2021 [2 favorites]
The best part of Police Academy.
The one part of that movie that sticks with me all these years later is him sitting on the bench next to Steve Guttenberg in a police station. He gets hold of a bullhorn and makes some machine gun noises, causing everyone to panic and hit the floor.
When he stops, the desk sergeant pops back up, and in a voice that tells you that this is not the first time this has happened and he has had quite enough, says "God damn it, STOP THAT!".
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 3:55 PM on March 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
The one part of that movie that sticks with me all these years later is him sitting on the bench next to Steve Guttenberg in a police station. He gets hold of a bullhorn and makes some machine gun noises, causing everyone to panic and hit the floor.
When he stops, the desk sergeant pops back up, and in a voice that tells you that this is not the first time this has happened and he has had quite enough, says "God damn it, STOP THAT!".
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 3:55 PM on March 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
But what would that "more" even be?
Not quite the same, but Reggie Watts has synthesized his unusual collection of sonic and linguistic talents into a basically one of a kind boutique art form. Perhaps Winslow was born just that little bit too early.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:59 PM on March 16, 2021
Not quite the same, but Reggie Watts has synthesized his unusual collection of sonic and linguistic talents into a basically one of a kind boutique art form. Perhaps Winslow was born just that little bit too early.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:59 PM on March 16, 2021
I can't imagine how enjoyable it would be to watch Michael Winslow and Mel Blanc improvising together.
posted by Homer42 at 5:44 AM on March 17, 2021
posted by Homer42 at 5:44 AM on March 17, 2021
Always loved Winslow...saw him perform live in Illinois back in the 90s. However, he was not the first to incorporate vocal sound impressions. One of the best-known (and unfortunately less remembered) guys was Wes Harrison. He and Michael knew each other and even appeared together on this Dick Clark special in 1988. The fun starts at the :43 second mark.
posted by Quasimike at 11:58 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Quasimike at 11:58 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
I was there! I mean, I saw Michael Winslow at Just pour Rire the summer of 1996, I have no idea when this recording is from. But what hilarity! It blew our 18 year-old minds.
posted by Snowishberlin at 12:03 PM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Snowishberlin at 12:03 PM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by Narrative_Historian at 12:42 AM on March 16, 2021 [2 favorites]