IT’S THE END OF THE YEAR AS WE KNOW IT

It’s a wrap for 2013.  For the final few days of the year and the first few of 2014, we’re giving you lyrics from songs that were # 1 during the final weeks of various years.  All you have to do is guess the song.  We might even give you the name of the artist to help you along, ‘cause that’s the kind of holiday elves we are. 

Happy New Year to all...and to all, a good night.     

      

QUESTIONS

1.  This song was the ‘King of Rock and Roll’s’ 15^th # 1 hit.  Part of the song was spoken and the rest was sung.  These are some of the lyrics: “Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny day.  When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?  Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?  Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?  Is your heart filled with pain?  Shall I come back again?”  Can you name this song?              

      

2.  Some of the lyrics for this Michael Jackson 1991/92 # 1 hit are: “They print my message in the Saturday Sun.  I had to tell them I ain’t second to none.  And I told about equality.  And it’s true.  Either you’re wrong, or you’re right.”  It was a colorful song (HINT ALERT).  So what’s the name of this MJ # 1?                           

                

3.  The year was 1972.  This song was this singers’ ONLY # 1 hit.  He charted 3 more times after this one, but never cracked the Top Ten again.  A portion of the lyrics are: “We meet ev’ry day at the same café.  Six thirty, I know she’ll be there.  Holding hands, making all kinds of plans.  While the jukebox plays our favorite song.”  Michael Buble later released his version of this song which featured Emily Blunt.  Can you name this # 1 hit from ‘72?   

                  

4.  Prior to this # 1 hit, Mariah Carey had nine previous chart toppers.  This song was one of two # 1’s for Mariah in 1995.  The first one was “Fantasy” which spent 8 weeks in the top spot on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart.  This hit, which featured Boyz II Men,  came a few months later and lasted at # 1 much longer than “Fantasy”.  The opening lyrics are:  “Sorry I never told you.  All I wanted to say.  And now it’s too late to hold you.  ‘Cause you’ve flown away.  So far away.”  Can you name Mariah’s ‘Sweet’ hit? (HINT ALERT)        

    

5.  She was Sandy in the original movie version of “Grease”, but for this 1981 # 1 hit, Olivia Newton-John transformed herself into a workout queen, complete with white headband and teal and purple workout outfit.  Based on the lyric section we’re giving you, this one should be easier than any question ever.  “Let’s get physical, physical.  I wanna get physical.  Let’s get into physical.  Let me hear your body talk, your body talk.  Let me hear your body talk.”  Any ideas on the title of this smash hit?  Hmmmmmm?                   

             

ANSWERS

1.  Elvis Presley’s “Are You Lonesome Tonight” was the # 1 song for the last 6 weeks of 1960.  It was written in 1926 and first published in ’27.  Over the years, many performers  covered the song, but Elvis’ version was the most successful.  Often during live performances, he would change the words to the spoken part to amuse himself and the audience.  This hit version peaked at # 3 on Billboards’ R&B chart in 1960 as well.                   

2.  “Black Or White” from Michael Jackson is the song in question.  It was Billboard Magazines’ Hot 100 # 1 for the last three weeks of 1991 and the first three of ’92.                      

    

3.  Rounding out the last three weeks of 1972 at # 1 was Billy Paul’s smash hit, “Me And Mrs. Jones”, written by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame songwriters/producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff (along with a third writer, Cary Gilbert).  Billy Paul’s version was released on Gamble & Huff’s record label, Philadelphia International.  Besides Billboards’ Hot 100, “Me And Mrs. Jones” climbed to # 1 on that magazine’s R&B singles chart as well, where it remained for 4 weeks.                                 

   

4.  Holy cow!  Sixteen weeks at # 1, spanning both the last weeks of 1995 and the first 11 weeks of ’96, the song was “One Sweet Day”.  Mariah, Boyz II Men and producer Walter Afanasieff wrote that hit.  Mariah has said that the original idea was to pay tribute to her former collaborator, David Cole and other friends and family that had passed away.  Mariah and Boyz II Men performed “One Sweet Day” on the 38^th Grammy Awards ceremony in February of 96.  Although the song was nominated for 6 awards that year, it didn’t win any.                     

5.  Yes indeed, it was “Physical”.  For the final 6 weeks of 1981 and the first 3 weeks of ‘82, Olivia Newton-John’s smash “Physical” held onto the # 1 spot on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart.  The song had been written by John Kipner and Terry Shaddick, who had originally intended it for Rod Stewart.  Olivia beat Rod to it and “Physical” became her 5^th and final # 1 hit on Billboard.       

ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE...

It’s Christmas week.  Here’s hoping everyone has a safe, happy and warm holiday... especially the people of Toronto and the GTA, many of whom went without heat or power for several days (including your humble quizmaster – that would be me).  If you know your Christmas songs even only slightly, then you won’t have ANY problems this week.  They’re well known lyrics from Christmas songs you hear every year.  Guess which song....and slice yourself another piece of fruitcake.  Your brain won’t get too much of a workout this week since all the questions are quite simple and besides, we’re all busy celebrating the holidays.     

      

QUESTIONS

1.  “Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful.  And since we’ve no place to go…”.  The next line is the title of this song.  What is it?

      

2.  Here’s the lyric – what’s the song?  “There must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found.  For when they placed it on his head, he began to dance around.”                          

                

3.  “Just hear those sleigh bells jingling.  Ring Ting Tingling too.  Come on it’s lovely weather for a _____ _____ together with you.”  If you know the two words missing in these lyrics, you know the title of the song, so what is it?

                   

4.  Burl Ives made had a hit with this Christmas song: “Have a _____ ______ ______.  It’s the best time of the year.  I don’t know if there’ll be snow, but have a cup of cheer.”  Do you name the name of this song?              

    

5.  “Sleigh bells ring – are you listening?  In the lane, snow is glistening.  A beautiful sight, We’re happy tonight, walking in a _____ ________.”  What’s the name of this Christmas classic?

             

ANSWERS

1.  It’s “Let It Snow!  Let It Snow!  Let it Snow!”.  This song was written in 1945 by legendary songwriters Sammy Cahn and Julie Styne, the duo who also wrote “Three Coins In The Fountain”.                   

2.  “Frosty The Snowman” is the song in question.  In 1950, cowboy singing star Gene Autry had a huge hit with “Frosty” that followed his success with “Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer”.

3.  You got it!  It’s “Sleigh Ride”.  Leroy Anderson wrote the lyrics in 1946 with the lyrics being added by Mitchell Parish in 1960.  According to ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) “Sleigh Ride” is one of the ten most performed songs written by ASCAP members during the holiday season.                                 

    

4.  “A Holly Jolly Christmas” is the name of that song.  One of the most famous versions is sung by Burl Ives.  That one has been played on the radio every year since it was first released in 1965.  Johnny Marks, the man who wrote “Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer” also penned this one.  Marks is also responsible for writing Brenda Lee’s Christmas classic, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.”       

5.  “Winter Wonderland”.  This Holiday standard has been recorded by well over 150 performers including Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, Radiohead, Selena Gomez, Lionel Richie, Demo Lovato, Blake Shelton, Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross.

IT’S A MARSHMALLOW WORLD IN THE WINTER...

Well, ho ho ho.  Another Christmas/Holiday season (take your pick) is upon us once again.  Since Christmas is so close, our quiz this week is about classic Christmas songs.  There’s really not much more to say.  These songs all made Billboard Magazine’s Christmas chart. Some even made it to Billboards’ Hot 100 (and since it’s the holiday season, the questions are not really very hard).  Grab yourself a glass of eggnog, curl up by the firplace and have at it.        

   

QUESTIONS

1.  “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…”.  Those classic Christmas lyrics are from “The Christmas Song”, written in 1944 and has been recorded by the likes of Nat ‘King’ Cole, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Frank Sinatra, The Partridge Family, Carpenters, Tony Bennett, Diana Ross, Herb Alpert and James Brown.  Bob Wells was one of the two writers of the song.  The other is a singer whose nickname is ‘The Velvet Fog’.  This singer became an obsession for the character of Judge Harry Stone on TV’s “Night Court”.  Judge Stone kept a photo of this singer on his desk and the singer appeared on the show many times throughout its TV run (1986-1992).  Can you name this singer/songwriter?              

      

2.  “Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose.  And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glowed”.  Those lyrics come from the Christmas classic “Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer”.  Many performers have recorded “Rudolph” but the first (and possibly the most famous) version was recorded by a singing cowboy star.  But which one?  Was it:  a. Roy Rogers  b. Gene Autry  c. Tex Ritter                       

                

3.  “So this is Christmas and what have you done?  Another year over and a new one just begun.”  The lyrics to this Christmas song was written and recorded by a former member of The Beatles, but which one?  Was it:  a. George Harrison  b. Paul McCartney  c. John Lennon   

                   

4.  The singer’s real name is Ross Bagdasarian, but that’s not the name he used on the record label for his 1958 Billboard Magazine Hot 100 # 1 single.  There are only 4 singers on the record and all four are Bagdasarian, better known under his show buiz name David Seville.  Three of the voices were sped up to sound like, well, chipmunks.  What is the name of this million selling # 1 Christmas hit?  Is it:  a. Alvin’s Harmonica  b. The Chipmunk Song  c. The Chanukah Song     

    

5.  Bing Crosby’s version of “White Christmas” is the most successful Christmas single of all time, having sold over 50 million copies (although the 2009 Guinness Book of World Records says over 100 million copies have been sold, but that would include vinyl albums, cassettes and CD’s and I assume now, downloads).  It was originally written by composer Irving Berlin for what Academy Award winning motion picture?  Was it:  a. The Road to Morocco  b. White Christmas  c. Holiday Inn.            

 ANSWERS

1.  That would be Mel Torme.  The hero of Harry Anderson’s character on the TV series “Night Court”, Torme co- wrote “The Christmas Song” in the middle of a blistering summer.  Torme is credited with writing or co-writing over 250 songs, many of which have become jazz standards.  Herb Alpert’s instrumental version with the Tijuana Brass took “The Christmas Song” to # 1 on Billboards Christmas chart in 1968.               

2.  Gene Autry is that singing cowboy.  His version of “Rudolph, the Red Nosed sold 2 and a half million copies its first year (1949) and went on to sell 25 million copies in total.  Rudolph had his start as a colouring book for the U.S. department store chain Montgomery Ward in 1939.  Robert May created Rudolph and it was his brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, who wrote the song.                  

3.  The song is “Happy Christmas (War is Over)” and was co-written by former Beatle John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono.  It was recorded at the Record Plant in New York City in late October 1971 and released (in the U.S.) on December 1^st that year on green 45 rpm vinyl singles.  On the label, it’s listed as John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir.  Phil Spector (the legendary record producer now serving a life sentence for murder) produced the original recording session.  Most radio stations usually cut this part out, but at the beginning (before the singing), Yoko whispers “”Happy Christmas Kyoko” to her daughter and John whispers “Happy Christmas Julian” to his son (second son Sean wouldn’t be born for 4 more years).  In 1974, George Harrison wrote and recorded “Ding Dong, Ding Dong” (actually more for New Years than Christmas).  Paul McCartney’s annual musical contribution to the Yuletide season is 1979’s “Wonderful Christmastime” and in 1999, Ringo Starr recorded an entire album of Christmas songs entitled “I Wanna Be Santa Claus”                             

    

4.  It’s b. The Chipmunk Song.  Ross Bagdasarian, using the name David Seville, had experimented with a sped up voice on his previous 1958 # 1 hit, “Witch Doctor”.  For “The Chipmunk Song”, he created The Chipmunks – Alvin, Simon and Theodore, all named for executives at his record label, Liberty in Los Angeles.  Alvin was named for Al Bennett (then President of Liberty), Simon for Si Waronker (a co-founder of Liberty records) and Theodore for engineer Ted Keep.  The voices were created by playing the musical background at half speed while Ross Bagdasarian/David Seville sang the three parts (separately of course) at normal speed.  When the music was played back at its normal speed, the voices sounded like chipmunks.  “The Chipmunk Song” sold 4 million copies in the first seven weeks of release and remained in the # 1 spot for 4 weeks (Dec 22^nd and December 29^th, 1958 as well as January 5^th and January 12^th, 1959).  The following year, at the very first  Grammy Awards, “The Chipmunk Song” took home 3 statues for ‘Best Recording For Children’, ‘Best Comedy Performance’ and ‘Best Engineered Record – Non Classical’.  Ross Bagdasarian aka David Seville passed away in 1972, but The Chipmunks have continued under the direction of son Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and his wife Janis Karman.              

5.  It’s c. Holiday Inn, a 1942 Paramount Picture that starred Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.  The movie “White Christmas” came along 12 years later and starred Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney (George’s aunt).  “The Road To Morocco” was released the same year as “Holiday Inn” in 1942 and starred the comedy duo of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, who then went on to film several more ‘The Road To’ pictures.