AND THE GRAMMY AWARD FOR ’RECORD OF THE YEAR’ GOES TO...

The Grammy Awards are this Sunday, so this weeks’ quiz revolves around Grammy winners for one of the major awards – ‘Record of the Year’. 

The Grammy Awards were first awarded in 1958.  That years’ ‘Record of the Year’ winner was “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu” aka “Volare”.  “Volare” also won the Grammy for ‘Song of The Year’.  That years’ ‘Album of the Year’ was Henry Mancini’s “The Music From Peter Gunn”.    

In 1973, the Grammy for ‘Record of the Year’ went to Roberta Flask’s “Killing Me Softly With His Song”.  That also won ‘Song of the Year’ honours.  1983’s ‘Record of the Year’ Grammy was awarded to Michael Jackson and producer Quincy Jones for “Beat It”. 

Anybody remember what song won for ‘Record of the Year’ last year?  Yeah, I didn’t think so.  I couldn’t recall either.  It was “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye feat. Kimbra.  You remember it now, right?  Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Remember that the Grammy Awards honour songs, albums, artists, producers, engineers etc. for their work from the previous year.  Since we’re in 2014, our questions will be about Grammy Awards winners for 1964, ‘74, ‘84, ‘94 and 2004.  Pretty simple huh?  Let’s get started...may I have the envelope please.   

            

QUESTIONS

1.  In 1984, this ‘Record of the Year’ Grammy winner also won ‘Song of the Year’ and the singer won for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female’.  She had formerly worked with her-then husband, but left both the marriage and the act to take a solo shot.  She was extremely successful and everyone who saw her perform says she was ‘Simply The Best’ (HINT ALERT).  Who is she?                     

      

2.  This unlikely duo took home Grammy Awards for ‘Record of the Year’ and ‘Album of the Year’ in 1964.  One was a legendary American jazz saxophone player who helped introduce the South American bossa nova sound to North American audiences.  The other was a sultry voiced singer from northeastern Brazil.  Their 1963 album, which used both of their last names, also won a Grammy that year.  The opening lyrivcs to the song are:  “Tall and tan and young and lovely…”  What’s the name of the song?  Can you also name the duo who recorded it?          

                

3.  Academy award winning actress Gwnyeth Paltrow was justifiably proud of her husband at the 46th annual Grammy Awards in 2004 when his band took home the statue for ‘Record of the Year’.  This group has sold more than 60 million records and won numerous awards, including 8 Brit Awards, 5 MTV Video Music Awards and 7 Grammy Awards (from 25 nominations).  They first hit Billboards’ Hot 100 singles chart in 2001 with the song “Yellow”.  Can you name the group?  Can you also name their Grammy ‘Record of the Year’ award winning song from 2004?           

                 

4.  This singer first made Billboards’ Top Ten with the songs “Let Me Be There” and “If You Love Me (Let Me Know)”, but this 1974 Grammy Award winner was her first # 1.  It wouldn’t be her last though – she had 4 more chart toppers – 1975’s “Have You Never Been Mellow”, 1978’s “You’re The One That I Want”  (a duet with John Travolta), 1980’s “Magic” and 1981’s “Physical”.  ‘Honestly’ (HINT ALERT), can you name this singers’ ‘Record of the Year’ Grammy winning song from ’74?  While we’re at it, what’s her name?    

    

5.  Country legend Dolly Parton originally wrote this song and had a hit with it on the country charts, but it was another female singer who made it a # 1 smash on the pop charts.  The Grammies honoured it with the ‘Record of the Year’ award as well as ‘Album of the Year’.  This singer already had nine # 1 hits since her first one in 1985.  This song was her 10th chart topper.  She later married another famous singer and in February of 2012, passed away the very night a pre Grammy party was being held by her mentor and longtime record company executive Clive Davis.  What’s the name of this superstar singer and her incredibly successful # 1 hit?   

             

ANSWERS

1.  Tina Turner was a huge winner in 1984.  After leaving the allegedly abusive Ike and the Ike and Tina Turner Review for a solo career, Tina soared.  Her 1971 hit “Proud Mary” (written by Creedance Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty) had taken Tina close to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart (it reached # 4), but it was her 5th solo album, the 1984 album “Private Dancer” that finally got her to the top.  The former Anna Mae Bullock scored three Top Ten hits from “Private Dancer”.  “What’s Love Got To Do With It” (# 1), “Better Be Good To Me” (# 5) and “Private Dancer” (# 7).  As the performer, Tina shared the ‘Song of the Year’ Grammy with writers Terry Britten and Graham Lyle.  Terry Britten had produced the song.  That year, Tina also took home the Grammy statue for ‘Best Rock Performance, Female’ for “Better be Good To Me”.               

2.  At the Grammy Awards ceremony in Beverly Hills, New York, Nashville and Chicago on April 13, 1965, Stan Getz and Astrid Gilberto won ‘Record of the Year’ honours for their collaboration on “The Girl From Ipanema”.  The duo also took home the Grammy statue for ‘Album of the Year’ for “Getz/Gilberto”.  Stan Getz won another Grammy that year for ‘Best Instrumental Jazz Performance By A Small Group Or Soloist With A Small Group’ for the ‘”Getz/Gilberto” album.  That album’s engineer (and later multi Grammy Award winning producer) Phil Ramone grabbed the Grammy honours for ‘Best Engineered Recording’.  In 2008, Astrid Gilberto received the Latin Recording Academy’s ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Grammy Award.  Stan Getz passed away in June of 1991.                                      

    

3.  “Clocks” from Chris Martin and the boys of Coldplay won the ‘Record of the Year’ Grammy in 2004, even though it only got as high as # 29 on Billboards’ Hot 100 singles chart in 2003.  It wasn’t until 2008 and their hit “Viva La Vida” that Coldplay finally hit the # 1 spot on the singles chart.  “Viva La Vida” won the 2009 Grammy Award for ‘Song of the Year’.  It lost the ‘Record of the Year’ Grammy to Robert Plant and Allison Kraus and their song “Please Read The Letter”.                                              

    

4.  Olivia Newton-John took home two Grammy statues on March 1, 1975 for her ’74 song “I Honestly Love You”.  Livvy won ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female” and  shared the ‘Record of the Year’ Grammy with her producer, John Farrar.  “I Honestly Love You” beat out Elton John’s “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”, Roberta Flack’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love”, Jon Mitchell’s “Help Me” and Maria Muldaur’s “Midnight At The Oasis” to win ‘Record of the Year’.                             

5.  It was the 36th annual Grammy Awards for 1993 (held on March 1, 1994) and Whitney Houston owned it.  Her version of the Dolly Parton written song, “I Will Always Love You” was honoured with the ‘Record of the Year’ Grammy.  Whitney herself won for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female’ and the movie soundtrack that the song came from, “The Bodyguard”, won for ‘Album of the Year’.  David Foster won the Grammy as ‘Producer of the Year’ for his work on ‘I Will Always Love You’ (which was   # 1 for 14 weeks) as well as “The Bodyguard” soundtrack.