BS: Music on answering machines?

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 05:32 AM

I had a friend who had a bit of melodeon music, then the message, If you recognise this music, you'll know why I'm not answering. If you don't recognise it, I don't want to speak to you!

He even got people asking what the tune was.....

(One of the Napoleon's Farewells, probably to his liver).

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Genie
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 04:30 AM

Another one I use from time to time is this one (tune: "I'll Be Seeing You"):

"I'll be dialing you,
If you will only leave your number.
Leave a message, and remember,
Missing calls is such a bummer!
Leave a message at the tone,
And, very soon, it's true,
I'll be picking up the phone
And I'll be dialing you."

Another (tune: "At The Hop") is:

"Well, you can talk or you can whistle,
You can leave a brief epistle
At the beep.
I'm asleep, on line or out,
So kindly say what you're about
At the beep.

I'll be getting right back to all ya, If you tell me how to call ya At the beep. [answering machine beep}"

Genie

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 11 Sep 02 - 12:42 PM

Amos: in the UK STD stood for Standard Trunk Dialling long before it stood for Sexually Transmitted Disease

Nigel

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Jim Krause
Date: 11 Sep 02 - 11:46 AM

For a while I had this on my answering machine:

The Phone Machine Song Sung to the tune of Admiral Benbow You have reached the Old Sod Shanty phone machine, phone machine
You have reached the Old Sod Shanty phone machine
And the Krause residence
But alas, in our defence
We can't come to the phone
So leave your message at the tone.
And the Krause residence
But alas, in our defence
We can't come to the phone
So leave your message at the tone.

Jim

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Melani
Date: 11 Sep 02 - 02:49 AM

A friend, shortly after her divorce, recorded,

Girls up at Cripple Creek 'bout half grown
Jump on a man like a dog on a bone.
If you want me to know you've phoned,
Leave your message at the sound of the tone.

Another friend got his girlfriend's assistance. It went:
GF:"Hello?"
Silence for a few seconds
GF:"Bruce isn't here right now."
Silence for a few seconds
GF: "If you'd like to leave a message, wait for the tone."

They had it spaced out exactly right for the caller to say, "Hi, is Bruce there?" and then start to say, "Will you ask him to call..." before being cut off by the final line and realizing it was a recording.

Then there's Heather Alexander, who demonstrated her phone message on a live concert tape, to the tune of "Heather on the Moor":

And it's Heather on the phone, always Heather,
Try to talk to Phil and you still get Heather;
You know the game, please leave your name,
And a mesage here for Phil or Heather,
And it's Heather on the phone.

I just include all family members, including any pets we happen to have. You never know who's going to call.

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Genie
Date: 11 Sep 02 - 02:06 AM

Some are also posted in this thread.

Genie

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Amos
Date: 09 Sep 02 - 12:23 AM

To answer your quesation, it depends on the system -- often hitting the # key will do it, or *, sometimes pressing 1.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Amos
Date: 09 Sep 02 - 12:09 AM

Tony:

I wouldn't let on I was calling from an STD, if I were you. Probably cut down on your dinner invitations...


A

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 10:13 PM

When I first started getting divorced and moved out into an apartment the first message on my answering machine was a voiceover to playing "hard times come again no more" slowly on the banjo.
later I went with the seasons, starting in summer with (reasonably enough) Summertime, then Autumn Leaves, then Winter Wonderland, and finally Springtime for Hitler. NOBODY ever recognized the last (it does sound a little different when played on the banjo) PETE

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Yorkshire Tony
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 08:30 PM

Could someone tell me how to skip the message and get to the beep? I hate long AM messages - especially when I am calling from a mobile or STD.

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Mudlark
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 07:36 PM

Amos...Let me know when you are NOT at home so I can call and hear that!

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: kendall
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 07:19 PM

The worst is some rug rat, barely able to talk who has over indulgent parents who think it's cute. Especially if it's a toll call.

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Amos
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 07:05 PM

Yippee Ki-yi-yi Leave a Message

G~~~~~~~~~~~G~~~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~~~~D~~~~~~~~G
You've reached our phone number, but we aren't gonna answer
G~~~~~~~~~~~~~~G~~~~~~C~~~~~~~D~~~G
We've got this machine here, to do it instead!
G~~~~~~~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~~~~~D~~~~~~~~~~G
A beep will come soon, and then you leave a message
G~~~~~~~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~~~~D~~~~~~~~G
Feel free to say whatever you've got in your head!

G~~F~~~~F~~~~C~~~~~~~~~~~~G
Yippee, ki, yi! Go on, leave a message
G~~~F~~~F~~~~!~~~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~~D
'Cuz that's how we'll know that it really is you!
G~~~~~~~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~~D~~~~~~~~G
If you're too damn lazy, misguided or crazy,
G~~~~~~~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~~~~D~~~~~~~~G We'll figure you ain't worth the getting back to!

(Mandolin solo fades into beep.....)

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 06:18 PM

I HATE songs on the AM!

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Mr Red
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 07:42 AM

Yea
Did a thread on this a while back
I sing "If I was here, I'd talk to you. Or sing a little song. But as I'm not, this is all you've got, so leave you message short or long"
A minor hit with friends who actually tell me that when I pick-up the phone in the middle of it they would prefer it to finish first"
When sceptics spout (there are those) I usually tell them they knew it was not a wrong number and they have nowhere to progress their cynism!
So win win.

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: kendall
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 06:28 AM

Mine says: If I owe you money, press one. If you are selling something, press two. Otherwise leave a message and I'll call you back.

It used to say: I'm around here somewhere, but, I'm avoiding someone I dont like. So, leave a message, and if I don't call you back...It's YOU.

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 05:56 AM

Danny Spooner usually sings a short welcome song on his answering machine as a prelude to his message, and he changes it with reasonable frequency to match seasons/circumstances.

Wouldn't be game, myself.

:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 07 Sep 02 - 11:45 PM

suxy wysiwyg we...NEVER understand what you mean.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Sep 02 - 11:35 PM

Enjoy the typos BTW-- you know what I mean! *G*

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Sep 02 - 11:30 PM

We had a good one from a Steve Gillete and Cindy Mangsen CD, about being off on an adventure, but I can;t recall the name. As it was about two minutes in length, it really cut done on nuiscance messages left! *G* We DID put a warning at the beginining of the song that the beep would be a long time coming, and smart callers figured out that they could bypass the song by hitting numbers on the keypad to get to the beep faster. People who complained were deemed to be dyed-in-the-wool compainers and they always got called back last. Plus I carried a beeper in those days so people who needed us for a Red Cross or pastoral care emergency could always get us quick.

A friend long ago simply put his phone in the pseudonym of "Mr. Ringo Alibi," and whenever a telemarketer called asking for "Mr. Ah-LEE-bee," he'd know it was a nuisance call and curse them in a non-existant language and then hang up loudly.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Music on answering machines?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 07 Sep 02 - 09:50 PM

RENO AND SMILEY!!?? Nathan, I don't know who you are, but I'll call you anytime!!

I used to put funny things on the machine every week, but sadly, far too many folks just didn't get it. Had too many messages with people saying "uhhhhh, is this Rick?.....uhhh, maybe I've called the wrong number....uhhh....this is your Aunt Jean.....uhhhh...is that you??....uhhhhh...

Now I just have a dull one.

Cheers

Rick

Subject: Music on answering machines?
From: Nathan in Texas
Date: 07 Sep 02 - 09:42 PM

Wondered how many have creative answering machine messages using songs. I've used one that answers with Reno and Smiley singing, "Mother's not dead, she's only a'sleeping. . ." music fades and voice-over says, Yes, mother's asleep right now, but if you'll leave a message, she'll call you back when she wakes up.

Have one you want to share?

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