Watch Sound Imitator Michael Winslow’s Jaw-Dropping Recreation of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’
We've seen plenty of interesting covers of Led Zeppelin songs over the years, but sound effects creator Michael Winslow has put his stamp on the Led Zeppelin classic "Whole Lotta Love" in a manner that's sure to wow you. During an older appearance on a Norwegian talk show, Winslow displayed his impressive talents mimicking just about every instrument and vocal in Led Zeppelin's arsenal.
Winslow is likely best know to audiences for his work in the '80s Police Academy comedies where he portrayed officer Larvell Jones. His unique ability to recreate just about any noise known to man has earned him the title of "The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects." And during this talk show visit, he pretty much dumbfounded the host while putting fellow guest, folk-pop artist Odd Nordstoga, to use for some acoustic guitar accompaniment.
You can immediately sense Winslow's beatboxing ability as he mimics a drum check prior to deciding on a song. He then consults with Nordstoga before choosing "Whole Lotta Love," the 1969 classic that became the band's first major hit. Nordstoga pretty much just plays a fairly steady guitar line laying the base for the performance, leaving Winslow to do the rest.
Winslow opens with the cymbal hits giving the guitarist his entry point, adds in his vocal percussion mirroring John Bonham's heavy hitting style, then tosses in some fuzzed out Jimmy Page guitar riffage …. all while using only his mouth. And while we know Winslow can pull off just about any sound effect, it gets even more impressive when he actually sings Robert Plant's parts, giving it plenty of grit, rasp and soul which earns a priceless look from the Senkveld med Thomas og Harald host.
Finishing out with some of Page's sick riffing and a massive amount of mouth-generated feedback, the audience cheers on the amazing vocal feat.
While his film career may not be as prominent as it once was, Winslow has continued to pursue comedy, has appeared in commercials and worked with game developers to create sound effects. His saw a bit of a career resurgence in recent months appearing as a competitor on the most recent season of NBC's America's Got Talent, where he made it all the way to the semi-finals.
Learn more about the "voicetramentalist" Michael Winslow and keep up with his performances at his website.