Sunday, May 26, 2013

THE STONES KEEP ON ROLLING ALONG



The Rolling Stones, those ‘bad old grandpas’ of rock and roll played Toronto this past Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre as part of their 50th Anniversary tour.  The Stones used to rehearse as well as launch their tours in Toronto for many years.  They also played the SARS concert at the Downsview Air Force Base in July of 2003.  The Stones charted nearly 60 songs and had eight # 1’s.  This week, a Stones ‘stravaganza.    Five true or false questions.  If you know your Stones, this won’t pose any problems.  If you don’t, take a guess – chances are 50/50 you’ll get it right.  I hope you get some ‘Satisfaction’ out of this quiz.  If not, don’t have a “19th Nervous Breakdown”.   

QUESTIONS:

1.  The real name of former Stones bass player Bill Wyman is William Perks.  True or False?                                                                                       
2.  The Rolling Stones took their name from a Chuck Berry song.  True or False?   

3.  The last # 1 hit that the Rolling Stones had was “Start Me Up” in 1981.  True or False?        

4.  Legendary conceptual artist Salvador Dali designed the famous Rolling Stones, lips and tongue logo.  True or False?       

5.  The Rolling Stones occasionally wrote songs using the name Nanker Phelge.  True or False?       

ANSWERS

1.  That is true.  William George Perks, aka Bill Wyman, was The Rolling Stones bass player from December 1962 until his retirement was announced in December of 1992 (Bill actually left after the ‘Urban Jungle Tour’ at the end of 1990).  Wyman was actually the last name of a pal who’d been in the Royal Air Force with Perks in the 1950’s.          

2.  It is False.  They took their name from a Muddy Waters song, “Rollin’ Stones Blues”.  They added a ‘g’ to ‘Rollin’ and never stopped rockin’ and rollin’.  The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.  Muddy Waters had been inducted two years earlier in 1987.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland has a brand new Stones exhibit called “The Rolling Stones: 50 years of Satisfaction” that debuted on the U.S. Memorial Day weekend.  The exhibit will be on display until March 2014. 

3.  False.  The Rolling Stones last hit the # 1 spot on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart for the week of August 5th, 1978 with “Miss You”.  “Start Me Up” did make it to # 2 for three weeks starting with the week of October 31st, 1981.      

4.  Oh so false.  It was actually ‘pop artist’ Andy Warhol who designed that famous Rolling Stones ‘lips and tongue’ logo.  Warhol also ‘conceptualized’ and/or ‘designed’ several Rolling Stones album covers, including 1971’s “Sticky Fingers” (which on the original vinyl release, featured a working zipper), 1977’s “Love You Live” and 1980’s “Some Girls”.      
 
5.  Another true answer.  Some Stones material, songs the entire band wrote together, were credited to Nanker Phelge.  The name was suggested by Brian Jones.  Nanker was the name they gave to the ‘disgusting’ faces the band would occasionally make on stage and the Phelge part, according to Bill Wyman’s 2002 book “Rolling With The Stones”, came from former flatmate (roommate) Jimmy Phelge.     

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

IS IT TRUE OR IS IT FALSE?



It’s a relatively easy quiz this week.  Five true or false questions.  Your chances are 50/50 that’ll you’ll be right.  Not much else to say, except --- good luck and have fun!   

QUESTIONS:

1.  Olivia Newton-John is the granddaughter of a Nobel Prize winner?  True or False?  

                                                                                      
2.  Richard M. Nixon, the former President of the United States, was once nominated for a Grammy Award.  True or False?        

3.  Telma Hopkins, who was one third of Tony Orlando and Dawn (“Tie A Yellow Ribbon ‘Round The Ole Oak Tree”), also sang back up on several Elvis Presley recordings.  True or False?        

4.  Former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and guitar legend Eric Clapton were once married to the same woman (although obviously not at the same time).  True or False?       

5.  After lead guitar player Randy Bachman left The Guess Who, but before he launched Bachman-Turner Overdrive with Fred Turner, he had a band called Brass Belt.  True or False?    

ANSWERS

1.  It is absolutely true.  Olivia’s grandfather, Max Born, won the Novel Prize for Physics (specifically Quantum Mechanics) in 1954.  Born had two daughters and one son.  His daughter Irene, is the mother of Olivia Newton-John, who may not have won a Nobel Prize, but she did see 5 of her hits make it to # 1.  ON-J’s # 1’s are: “I Honestly Love You” (1974), “Have You Never been Mellow” (1975), “You’re The One That I Want” [with John Travolta] (1979), “Magic” (1980” and “Physical” (1981).       

2.  Oh yes, that is most definitely true.  Richard Nixon’s interview with British journalist David Frost was nominated for a 1978 Grammy Award in the ‘Spoken Word’ category.  Nixon/Frost didn’t win.  That Grammy went to actress Julie Harris with “The Belle of Amherst”.    

3.  False.  Telma may not have sung backup for Elvis, but she did sing behind some Motown greats such as Marvin Gaye and The Four Tops in Detroit.  In 1971, Telma was recruited to join Dawn (along with Joyce Wilson) and never looked back.  Tony Orlando & Dawn hit a hit TV variety show from 1974 until 1976.  After Dawn turned to dusk, Telma turned to acting (which she still does today) and has starred in such hit TV shows as “Bosom Buddies” (1980-82), “Gimme A Break” (1984-87), “Family Matters” (1989-93) “The Hughley’s” and “Are We There Yet?” (2010-present). 

4.  Yep, it’s true.  The woman in question is Patti Boyd, who’d met Harrison on the set of “A Hard Day’s Night”.  Patti was a successful model and the filmmakers needed a couple of young, beautiful models to play school girls for a train sequence in which ‘The Boys” aka The Beatles, flirt with said girls.  Patti and George Harrison married in January of 1966.  Harrison wrote the song “Something” about Patti.  Harrison and Boyd separated in 1974 and divorced in ’77.  She married Eric Clapton in 1979 and they divorced a decade later.  Patti was the inspiration for two Clapton classics: “Layla” and “Wonderful Tonight”.  In 2007, Patti’s autobiography, “Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me” was published and went on to make the New York Times bestseller list.  Patti is an amazing photographer and her photographs sell for thousands of dollars.  Keeping it all in the rock & roll family, Patti’s younger sister Jenny married Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood in 1970.  They were divorced, later re-married each other, then divorced one last time.     

5.  That is false.  Between The Guess Who years and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Randy did have a band that also featured original Guess Who lead singer Chad Allan, but it was called Brave Belt, not Brass Belt.  Brave Belt had a minor hit in Canada in 1971 with the song, “Crazy Arms, Crazy Eyes” and released two albums during their short time together (“Brave Belt I” and “Brave Belt II”).  Fred Turner was brought in to play bass and he became the lead singer for “Brave Belt II”.  Not long after, Brave Belt evolved into BTO.     


Telma Hopkins, one of the two female members of Tony Orlando and Dawn sang backup on Isaac Hayes 1971 number one hit “The Theme From Shaft”.  True or False? (Very true.  Telma was a part of Hayes’ backing group Hot Buttered Soul)

Thursday, May 2, 2013

THOSE PESKY APRIL SHOWERS HAVE GONE AWAY



Now that we’re finally in May, let the warmth of the sun begin.  To celebrate the merry month of May, our quiz this time out is about # 1 songs that happened during May.  The decades we’re looking for are – the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.  Remember, these songs were all HUGE hits, so it should be easy right.  Yah I know, you say that every time.  But maybe this time, you’ll be correct.   

QUESTIONS:

1. The year was 1985.  This # 1 song had been at the top of the chart since the week of April 13th.  It was still # 1 during the first week in May and featured dozens of world famous musicians singing for charity.  Some of the performers included Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers, Cyndi Lauper, Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, The Pointer Sisters, Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson.  The last two names on that list also co-wrote the song.  It was a massive hit around ‘the world’ (HINT ALERT).  So what’s the name of this charitable # 1?                                                                                       

2.   During the first week in May, 1969 this song was # 1.  In fact, it had been sitting at the top of the charts since the week of April 12th and continued in the # 1 spot for several more weeks. It came from a successful Broadway play and since this was the ‘60’s, it was ‘the dawning of the age of...?’  What’s the name of this May 1969 masterpiece that was actually two songs combined.        

3.  Let’s check out the 1990’s shall we?  This 1997 # 1 song came from a trio of brothers who hail from Tulsa, Oklahoma – first names Isaac, Taylor and Zac.  The # 1 song we’re looking for was their first chart hit and their only # 1, although they did chart several other songs.  Isaac was 16 when this song went to the top of the charts – brother Taylor was 14 and the third sibling, Zac was 11. (HINT ALERT) Mmmm, I wonder, what the title of this song could be?        

4.  This classic hit was # 1 for only one week, but remains a regular staple on Classic Rock radio today.  It’s from a group that were formerly Linda Ronstadt’s back up band, but went on to bigger chart success on their own.  The drummer of the group sang this hit and also co-wrote the lyrics.  A famous lyric from the song is:  “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave”.  What’s the name of this # 1 May hit?  

5.  In 1980, this song was # 1 for six weeks during April and May.  The band came from New York’s new wave and punk scene of the mid 1970’s.  This song was the second of four # 1 hits the group would have.  The female lead singer was a former waitress and Playboy Club bunny and went on to have a successful solo career with several mid to lower chart single hits.  She also acted in a bunch of movies and a few episodes of “Wiseguys” TV series.  Her ‘heart’ was not definitely not made ‘of glass’ (HINT ALERT), so can you re ‘call’ the title of this song?    

ANSWERS

1.  If you interpreted that clue correctly, you knew the song was “We Are The World”.  Quincy Jones conducted the session (collectively called U.S.A. For Africa) on January 28th, 1985 at A&M recording studios in Los Angeles.  Proceeds from the sale of the song went to help end hunger and AIDS in Africa.   
     
2.  The 5th Dimension took “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In” to  # 1 for six weeks during April and May of 1969.  The Beatles “Get Back” replaced it at the top of the charts for the week of May 24th.  The two songs, combined in the studio by record producer Bones Howe, came from the Broadway play “Hair”.

3.  “MMMBop” was # 1 for Hanson on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart for three weeks (the final two weeks of May 1997 and the first week of June), then it stuck around at # 2 for an additional four weeks.  “MMMBop” came from Hanson’s debut album, “The Middle of Nowhere”.  The three Hanson brothers are still recording and touring.

4.  It was The Eagles # 1 smash from 1977, “Hotel California”.  Drummer Don Henley sang lead and also co-wrote the song with Don Felder and Glenn Frey.  The following year, The Eagles won a Grammy Award for ‘Record of the Year’ for “Hotel California”.  In Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, “Hotel California was ranked at # 49 while the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lists “Hotel California” as one of the ‘500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll’.             

5.  Blondie was the group.  Debbie Harry was the lead singer.  The song in question was “Call Me”, which won a Grammy Award for ‘Best Rock Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal’ in 1981.  Blondie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 alongside Black Sabbeth, Miles Davis, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Sex Pistols.  Blondie’s first # 1 hit was “Heart of Glass” in 1979.  “Call Me” was their second in ‘80.  “The Tide Is High” was their third chart topper in 1981 with “Rapture”, also in ’81, as their fourth and final # 1.