Tom Baker does 'Video Killed The Radiostar'
February 24, 2006 4:21 PM Subscribe
: > (it reminds me of the narrator in Rocky Horror)
posted by amberglow at 4:27 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by amberglow at 4:27 PM on February 24, 2006
He starts to sound like the old speech synthesis voice.
posted by stavrogin at 4:49 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by stavrogin at 4:49 PM on February 24, 2006
It is speech synthesis. Someone explain it.
posted by fire&wings at 4:53 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by fire&wings at 4:53 PM on February 24, 2006
Sorry, here's an explanation. "It took British Telecom engineers five months to record and process his voice. The actor spent a total of 11 days recording 11,593 phrases covering every single sound in the English language. BT says there is no limit to the words Baker's voice can say - even rude ones are included."
posted by feelinglistless at 4:57 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by feelinglistless at 4:57 PM on February 24, 2006
ok, quick explanation here - British Telecom offers an sms to speech service. you send an sms to a landline, and BT transfers your text into a voice message, which you receive as a telephone call.
so, BT started using tom baker recently as the new recorded voice. i can't even begin to imagine just how much work that is. but it's kinda neat, as tom baker is pretty famous in the UK.
finally, this crazy guy in the posted link put tom baker's voice, with music, to hilarious effect by adding it to an 80s classic pop song.
which, i think you'll agree, is cool. or at least it would be if you didn't need my explanation.
posted by triv at 4:58 PM on February 24, 2006
so, BT started using tom baker recently as the new recorded voice. i can't even begin to imagine just how much work that is. but it's kinda neat, as tom baker is pretty famous in the UK.
finally, this crazy guy in the posted link put tom baker's voice, with music, to hilarious effect by adding it to an 80s classic pop song.
which, i think you'll agree, is cool. or at least it would be if you didn't need my explanation.
posted by triv at 4:58 PM on February 24, 2006
... I didn't link to the BT site inline because I didn't want to draw attention to what's been done here.
posted by feelinglistless at 5:02 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by feelinglistless at 5:02 PM on February 24, 2006
... although that said, thanks HyperBlue.
posted by feelinglistless at 5:02 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by feelinglistless at 5:02 PM on February 24, 2006
Heh. Awesome!
posted by Smart Dalek at 5:10 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by Smart Dalek at 5:10 PM on February 24, 2006
I could imagine a Dalek using this to leave "exterminate" messages on Dr. Who's answering machine as a prank.
posted by furtive at 5:16 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by furtive at 5:16 PM on February 24, 2006
Where the heck is the link? I need my real Dr Who Goodness
posted by Elim at 5:30 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by Elim at 5:30 PM on February 24, 2006
Makes me want to grow a monkey's tail.
posted by Parlour Tricks at 5:35 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by Parlour Tricks at 5:35 PM on February 24, 2006
Where is the link so I can just type what I want Tom Baker to say?
posted by filmgeek at 5:57 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by filmgeek at 5:57 PM on February 24, 2006
Ah, but filmgeek, if you could just type something in on the web, BT couldn't charge you for it.
(no idea if BT charges per message/character/word...)
posted by oats at 6:28 PM on February 24, 2006
(no idea if BT charges per message/character/word...)
posted by oats at 6:28 PM on February 24, 2006
Much like "American" idol -- I can only expect this will come here and become at least sort of famous. I can only imagine who our "Tom Baker" will be though......?
Another, I think, useful British import is on it way....
Cool thread!
posted by skepticallypleased at 6:28 PM on February 24, 2006
Another, I think, useful British import is on it way....
Cool thread!
posted by skepticallypleased at 6:28 PM on February 24, 2006
So how long until somebody records him saying "Space--the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise", etc.?
posted by arto at 6:44 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by arto at 6:44 PM on February 24, 2006
That song is almost cool with Tom Baker "reading" the lyrics.
posted by eustacescrubb at 6:50 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by eustacescrubb at 6:50 PM on February 24, 2006
Firmly in the category of "Makes you want to hear the original again. Instead."
posted by longsleeves at 7:00 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by longsleeves at 7:00 PM on February 24, 2006
the original? you mean the Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club version or the first video on Mtv version by the Buggles?
posted by inthe80s at 7:29 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by inthe80s at 7:29 PM on February 24, 2006
idontwanttotalktoyounomoreyouemptyheadedanimal
foodtroughwiperyourmotherwasahampsterandyour
fathersmeltofelderberries
posted by yhbc at 8:58 PM on February 24, 2006
foodtroughwiperyourmotherwasahampsterandyour
fathersmeltofelderberries
posted by yhbc at 8:58 PM on February 24, 2006
Anyboody have this available as an MP3?
posted by stinkycheese at 9:14 PM on February 24, 2006
posted by stinkycheese at 9:14 PM on February 24, 2006
The whole thing has really been the best of the web this week; other people are posting their compositions as well and they're all awesome. The main "Tom Baker Says" site also has awesome (and awesomely bad) DW jokes, like "what goes bang thud?" Must be heard to be believed.
I heard about the BT thing a few weeks ago and was hoping people would play with it and put results online; I can't use the service here, drats.
posted by livii at 9:48 PM on February 24, 2006
I heard about the BT thing a few weeks ago and was hoping people would play with it and put results online; I can't use the service here, drats.
posted by livii at 9:48 PM on February 24, 2006
If anyone hasn't read it yet, I loved his autobiography, Who on Earth is Tom Baker? review, and here's a page of quotes from the book.
Gloriously barking
posted by quarsan at 10:23 PM on February 24, 2006
Gloriously barking
posted by quarsan at 10:23 PM on February 24, 2006
Loved it. Massive geek factor. Must share. Now, to track down the MP3...
posted by Samizdata at 1:02 AM on February 25, 2006
posted by Samizdata at 1:02 AM on February 25, 2006
I can only imagine that Brian Blessed was pipped into second place.
I would love it if this spread to other industries that use pre-recorded voices - "please mind the gap", "this trains terminates at neeeeeeeeeas-den", "this vehicle is reversing", etc. It would make it seem as if I was living in Little Britain.
Now all I need is for someone to reverse engineer it into the Dr Sbaitso software and I need never talk to anyone else again.
Also, William Shatner would be a great American equivalent.
posted by greycap at 1:25 AM on February 25, 2006
I would love it if this spread to other industries that use pre-recorded voices - "please mind the gap", "this trains terminates at neeeeeeeeeas-den", "this vehicle is reversing", etc. It would make it seem as if I was living in Little Britain.
Now all I need is for someone to reverse engineer it into the Dr Sbaitso software and I need never talk to anyone else again.
Also, William Shatner would be a great American equivalent.
posted by greycap at 1:25 AM on February 25, 2006
I can only imagine who our "Tom Baker" will be though......?
My guesses: Morgan Freeman or James Earl Jones.
posted by piratebowling at 1:34 AM on February 25, 2006
My guesses: Morgan Freeman or James Earl Jones.
posted by piratebowling at 1:34 AM on February 25, 2006
I am ashamed to admit that the "What goes bang-thud...?" joke has just had me laughing for the last 5 minutes. Is there some sort of treatment I can get?
posted by AndrewStephens at 1:37 AM on February 25, 2006
posted by AndrewStephens at 1:37 AM on February 25, 2006
Strange that no one has mentioned Dictionaraoke yet, who did the same with samples from speaking dictionaries a few years ago. And yes, they also did Video Killed The Radio Star...
posted by Herr Fahrstuhl at 2:40 AM on February 25, 2006
posted by Herr Fahrstuhl at 2:40 AM on February 25, 2006
Oh, 'we can't rewind we've gone too far'. I've wondered about that for twenty years, I thought it was 'contrywine'; probably some crazy dance or sexual deviation or ... dunno really.
posted by StephenB at 3:37 AM on February 25, 2006
posted by StephenB at 3:37 AM on February 25, 2006
Both versions get the lyric wrong - its put your faith in VTR (video tape replay), not VCR.
posted by A189Nut at 4:49 AM on February 25, 2006
posted by A189Nut at 4:49 AM on February 25, 2006
I'm having a bad day - put the blame, not the faith.
posted by A189Nut at 4:49 AM on February 25, 2006
posted by A189Nut at 4:49 AM on February 25, 2006
Oh, 'we can't rewind we've gone too far'. I've wondered about that for twenty years, I thought it was 'contrywine'; probably some crazy dance or sexual deviation or ... dunno really.
posted by StephenB
At least now I don't feel so foolish. I've thought the same, that the lyric was "we've countrywined, we've gone too far", meaning some allusion to having fallen into an irreversible, idyllic, intoxicating love with each other (that is, with video technology).
I've always liked the song. Of course, "can't rewind" makes more sense in the context. But I maintain that our misperceived lyric is more...well...lyrical than the original.
Oh, and, just so it's been said: Tom Baker is THE Dr. Who, y'all.
posted by darkstar at 7:35 AM on February 25, 2006
posted by StephenB
At least now I don't feel so foolish. I've thought the same, that the lyric was "we've countrywined, we've gone too far", meaning some allusion to having fallen into an irreversible, idyllic, intoxicating love with each other (that is, with video technology).
I've always liked the song. Of course, "can't rewind" makes more sense in the context. But I maintain that our misperceived lyric is more...well...lyrical than the original.
Oh, and, just so it's been said: Tom Baker is THE Dr. Who, y'all.
posted by darkstar at 7:35 AM on February 25, 2006
This is k-rad!
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:49 AM on February 25, 2006
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:49 AM on February 25, 2006
arto, I just did that. It sounds great, but he says enter prise as two words. I can't record my k-cool dial phone, sorry.
posted by bonaldi at 10:17 AM on February 25, 2006
posted by bonaldi at 10:17 AM on February 25, 2006
Genius. I bumped in to Tom Baker once in Soho. He's barking.
posted by MrMustard at 2:15 PM on February 25, 2006
posted by MrMustard at 2:15 PM on February 25, 2006
Did you ever see the "Five Doctors" special, where they reunited all the guys who'd played Doctor Who up to that point - except Tom Baker wouldn't do it, so they had his Doctor get caught in a time loop, and he spent the whole show sticking a barge pole in the river?
Of course, it would've been better if he'd actually been on the special, but still, that was pretty funny.
posted by stinkycheese at 7:03 PM on February 25, 2006
Of course, it would've been better if he'd actually been on the special, but still, that was pretty funny.
posted by stinkycheese at 7:03 PM on February 25, 2006
From most fan accounts, TB is actually kind of a dick about the whole Dr. Who-thing. The beeb ended up using clips from the Douglas Adams-penned episode Shada to fill in TB's part.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:07 PM on February 25, 2006
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:07 PM on February 25, 2006
stinky & civil: recently he's actually mellowed and is on record as saying that regrets his attitude at the time.
posted by feelinglistless at 8:27 AM on February 26, 2006
posted by feelinglistless at 8:27 AM on February 26, 2006
Yes, amberglow, he is the narrator of "Little Britain".
The person who made that site obviously has far too much time on his hands, not to mention a sizeable texting bill. Very, very silly, but definitely fun to listen to.
posted by Incharitable Dog at 4:23 PM on February 26, 2006
The person who made that site obviously has far too much time on his hands, not to mention a sizeable texting bill. Very, very silly, but definitely fun to listen to.
posted by Incharitable Dog at 4:23 PM on February 26, 2006
thanks, Inch--i had been told, but didn't believe it---i'll have to pay more attention next time i get to see it (i've been trying to educate myself on the old Who stuff, and am watching Season 13 as i type) : >
posted by amberglow at 7:37 PM on February 27, 2006
posted by amberglow at 7:37 PM on February 27, 2006
The person who made that site obviously has far too much time on his hands, not to mention a sizeable texting bill.
Unless he has one of those mobile plans with 3000 inclusive texts!!! OMG!!!
posted by grouse at 11:50 PM on February 27, 2006
Unless he has one of those mobile plans with 3000 inclusive texts!!! OMG!!!
posted by grouse at 11:50 PM on February 27, 2006
« Older The Hype Machine - audio blog aggregator | 1s and 0s are for computers Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Gator at 4:24 PM on February 24, 2006