name that sound!

January 10, 2008 5:42 PM

What did they use to make that fuzzy, rattly percussion sound in the Sanford & Son theme?

You can hear it here, and it's sampled and repeated in MIA's song U.R.A.Q.T. (click the audio symbol next to the title to hear a sample), and it's also used briefly in Simon & Garfunkel's The Boxer, but I can't find a sound file of that.

What is making that sound??

posted by Koko to media & arts (11 comments total)

Sounds to me like one of these.
posted by shadow vector at 5:47 PM on January 10

I believe that's a bass harmonica. You can hear The Boxer here.
posted by iconomy at 5:50 PM on January 10

That's it! Thanks!
posted by Koko at 5:55 PM on January 10

You mean the percussion sound at the very end of that wav file? Isn't that a vibraslap?
posted by mr_roboto at 5:59 PM on January 10

No, the vibraslap is too rattly, and has no range. I do think it's a bass harmonica, or something similar. It's heavily distorted, so it's kind of hard to tell.
posted by Koko at 6:09 PM on January 10

Ah, you meant the sound that wasn't percussion? (That's OK, it's certainly the most distinctive sound in the song, and the one I was wondering about too...)
posted by xil at 6:14 PM on January 10

Was it on MeFi that someone posted their made-up lyrics to that theme? I think of them everytime I hear the theme...

Fred Sanford had some junk!
And he had a son Lamont, and he drove the truck!

Try singing it sometime, you know the tune...
posted by GaelFC at 6:19 PM on January 10

I have no clue but thanks reminding me of the Sanford and Son theme. That song is a work of art, love the Hammond organ.
posted by smoothhickory at 6:29 PM on January 10

Why didn't you ask your friend, that Australian, who is an audio engineer, girl? He would have known. In fact he does know, and he's wearing a sad face.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 12:18 AM on January 11

FYI - the Sanford and Son theme is a Quincy Jones tune called The Streetbeater.
posted by Pollomacho at 5:44 AM on January 11 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I said percussion, but I guess what I meant was rhythm. Or something.
posted by Koko at 6:36 AM on January 11