A vocoder is a synthesizer with a microphone attached to it that routes a vocalist's voice through the

synth to give shape to the tones it produces.

I'd also say that among the many ways one might try turning oneself into a robot, the vocoder is among the least invasive.

Welcome to Strong Songs a Podcast About Music. I'm your host Kirk Hamilton and as always

I'm so glad that you've joined me to talk about music made with vocoders, music made

without vocoders, and music made by robots trying to sound like vocoders.

Strong songs is proudly listener supported and all of my wonderful listeners make it possible for me to spend weeks learning about the vocoding process so that I can make episodes like the one you're about to listen to.

If you want to support me making this show, go to Patreon.com slash Strong Songs to find out more. On this episode we have a widely... on this

episode we have a widely requested song that is commonly associated with the

vocoder even though it doesn't actually use one. It does use similar

technology and boy does it sound cool.

All right, that's enough preamble for me.

Let's plug in our robot voices, turn up the reverb,

and do this thing. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, When you say the words the four chords most musicians immediately know what you're talking about.

They know that you're not just talking about any four chords, some random group of four chords,

you're talking about the four chords, one major to five major to 6 minor to 4 major a chord progression so ubiquitous in

popular music that it can just be called by the shorthand of the 4 chords and

pretty much everyone will know what you're talking about.

It's turned up in songs from artists ranging from Journey.

To the Great John Denver, to the Beatles who made a wonderful use of it.

To Lady Gaga, Gaga,

Gaga, multiple times.

...