“Cepp-dee-doo-duh-do-do-dooooo.” If you walk into my room at any given time, there is a high chance you will hear this melodic and slow tune from the song “Computer Love” by Zapp.
“Computer Love” is the only song I have ever shed a tear listening to. This song was way ahead of its time, revolving around a man using technology to find a special girl. Because of its unique beats and vocals, it has always stood out as my favorite Zapp song.
If you know me at all, you know that I am a diehard fan of Zapp, an old school funk band from the 1980s and 1990s that popularized the voice-altering talkbox, a predecessor to autotune that allows the user to bend the sound frequencies from the played instrument.
My obsession with Zapp started last April. In my sophomore English class, my friend junior Varun Meduri, asked me what my favorite rap song was. Although I don’t remember what I told him, I still remember him telling me that his was “California Love.”
I had heard of “California Love” before, but once I listened to it again, my life was never the same. I became so obsessed with its style of music and the genius of Zapp’s main vocal Roger Troutman, whose talkbox enables him to make sounds that are not vocally possible. The talkbox allows him to maintain an extremely high or low pitched sound for an extended period of time, as well as being able bend the pitch of the sound.
With these talkbox techniques, Zapp created extremely catchy and unique songs in almost every genre, from R&B to Funk to Rap. The talkbox was an extremely versatile device that allowed for many different types of styles to be played.
Fast-forward a couple months and I discovered Troutman’s other songs, such as “I Want To Be Your Man,” a slow romantic song about loving a girl that managed to reach No. 3 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1987.
Knowing that songs like this exist I wonder why most of my peers today are listening to the latest “turn up” rap songs. I am busy listening to the slow, romantic, R&B tunes, Troutman has to offer.
Sadly, no one will never get to hear a new song from him, since Troutman’s career ended in 1999 when he was shot and killed by his brother over financial disputes. Even today, his death brings me sadness and emptiness, the feeling of never being able to replace a unique talent.
To Roger Troutman, I’d like to say a huge thank you for making my life that much better; I’ll never forget the bliss I experienced while listening to your unique music. I hope people realize how much you have influenced the music industry and pop artists, from Kendrick Lamar to Bruno Mars. I hope that his music lives on and continues to capture people’s imaginations. He will always be my favorite musician.
