2014 YEAR END QUIZ

2014 is toast.  A brand new year is upon us.  So let’s see how well you do with albums and artists from the past.  The questions are self explanatory, so let’s dive into it shall we?

QUESTIONS

1.  For the entire month of December 1964, these ‘Boys of the Beach’ had the # 1 album on Billboard Magazine’s album chart.  What’s the name of that album?  Is it:      a. All Summer Long  b. The Beach Boys Christmas Album  c. The Beach Boys Concert              

2.  From the week of August 4, 1984 until the week of January 12^th, 1985, this one-name artist had the # 1 album on Billboards’ album chart.  That’s 24 weeks at the top of the chart.  An amazing feat for this Minneapolis born performer.  It was the ‘colourful’ soundtrack to his first movie, in which he also starred.  You get a point if you can name either the artist or the title of the album.  So can you?  

3.  During the final week of December in 1994, this holiday album was an instrumental performer was # 1. His real last name is Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, but he only uses an abbreviation of his first name and the initial of his last name.  For the actual title of the album, you’ll need to think of a Motown group that had Smokey Robinson as its lead singer.  OK, enough hints, what’s the name of this holiday # 1 album?   

4.  This artists’ # 1 album began its run for the week of November 30^th, 1974 and continued at the top of the charts for the next 10 weeks.  Reginald Kenneth Dwight is his given name, but he changed it to a more ’show biz’ name, using two first names from members of the group he was in at the time.  This was a compilation of some of his hits to that point.  Can you name the album?  (HINT: The name of this artist is in the title).    

5.  This album was # 1 for 10 weeks starting in the Fall of 1985 and continuing into January of ’86.  It was another soundtrack, only this time, for a successful television series starring Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as hip cops.  The series aired from September of 1984 until July of 1989.  Can you name this # 1 soundtrack album?    

         

ANSWERS

1.  c. “The Beach Boys Concert” is the correct answer.  That album was # 1 from the week of December 5, 1964 until the week of December 26.  The soundtrack to the Elvis Presley movie “Roustabout” replaced it at # 1 in January of ’65.  “The Beach Boys Concert” had been recorded at the Civic Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, California, partially in December of ‘63 and also from their August 1, 1964 concert.  The entire album was only 32 minutes long with 13 songs, including non-Brian Wilson written hits like “Monster Mash” (Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett), ”The Little Old Lady From Pasadena” (Jan & Dean), “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” (The Rivingtons) and “The Wanderer” (Dion).  “The Beach Boys Christmas Album” was released on November 9, 1964 and went to # 6 on Billboards’ Christmas album chart that year, but wasn’t certified by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) as a gold record, meaning it had sold 500,000 copies, until 1982.  “All Summer Long” was released in 1963 and                      

    

2.  The artist is Prince.  The album was “Purple Rain”.  It was the Princely one’s first # 1 album, but it wouldn’t be his last.  In 1985, Prince’s “Around The World In A Day” was # 1 for 3 weeks and in the fall of ‘89, the Prince soundtrack for the movie “Batman” went to    # 1 for 6 weeks.            

3.  “Miracles – The Holiday Album” from saxophonist Kenny G is the answer we were looking for.  It was Kenny G’s only # 1 album on Billboards Top Pop Albums chart and sold 13 million copies worldwide, making it the most successful Christmas album to date.  In 1999, Kenny released “Faith – A Holiday Album” which did go to # 1 on Billboards’ Christmas album chart.  It also climbed to # 6 on the Pop Album chart.  Kenny was born in Seattle, Washington although his mother was originally from Saskatchewan.   While still in high school, Kenny (age 17) was a member of Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra.  He signed with Arista Records in 1982 as a solo artist and although he achieved platinum status with his second and third albums, “G Force” and “Gravity”, his 4^th album, “Duotones” sold over 5 million copies in the U.S. alone.  But it was his 6^th album, “Breathless” that went through the roof, becoming the most successful instrumental album ever with 15 million copies sold.             

                  

4.  The answer is “Elton John – Greatest Hits” which replaced John Lennon’s “It’s Only Rock and Roll” album at # 1 for the week of November 30^th.  Ten weeks later, it was replaced by the Ohio Players album “Fire”.              

5.  The soundtrack to the hit TV series, “Miami Vice” was # 1 for 10 weeks from November 2^nd, 1985 to the first two weeks of January ’86.  The theme music for the series “Miami Vice” was composed by Jan Hammer and the original soundtrack album featured songs by Glenn Frey, Phil Collins, Tina Turner, Chaka Khan and Grandmaster Melle Mel, plus various instrumentals by Jan Hammer.          

QUESTIONS ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE

We’re just a few days away from the big event that children look forward to all year.  That’s right, the one time of year when Uncle George belches “Jingle Bells” at the Christmas dinner table.  OK, maybe it’s Aunt Helen who does it at your house. 

This week, more Christmas holiday questions.   One or two will be multiple choice and the rest will be regular old questions.  So, let’s start rockin’ around the Christmas tree...”

QUESTIONS

1.  This Christmas record went to # 1 on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart in 1958.  Was it:  a. White Christmas  b. The Chipmunk Song  c. The Christmas Song               

2.  This Christmas hit comes back every year since it was first released in 1957.  It climbed to # 6 on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart by a singer who also made the Top Ten a few months earlier with “My Special Angel”.  His Christmas tune was featured in the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, “Jingle All The Way”.  Can you name this annual holiday hit?  There’ll be extra nog in your egg nog if you know the name of the singer too.    

3.  In 1955, Bing Crosby’s version of “White Christmas” that he recorded for the movie “Holiday Inn”, zoomed up the charts, finally landing at # 7 on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart.  There was another version of “White Christmas” that went a little higher.  In fact, it was # 1 on Billboards’ Christmas chart in 1963.  The singer charted nearly 50 hits on the Hot 100, including his only other # 1, “Butterfly” in 1957.  He had his own weekly TV variety show for nearly 10 years.  His unofficial theme song was “Moon River”, although surprisingly, his vocal version was never released as a single.  Can you name this singer?           

4.  This Christmas song made it all the way to # 1 on Billboards’ Christmas chart in 1967.  It did better than any of this group’s previous hits.  The song was inspired by one of the characters from the “Peanuts” comic strip.  A fanciful little dog who liked to imagine he could do all sorts of things.  Do you know the name of this # 1 Christmas hit?  Is it: a. Snoopy versus the Red Baron  b. Snoopy’s Christmas Caper  c. Snoopy’s Christmas    

5.  There have been several hit songs recorded about Santa Claus.  “Santa Claus And His Old Lady” by Cheech and Chong got to # 3 on Billboard magazine’s Christmas chart in 1971.  James Brown took “Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto” to # 4 in 1968 on the same holiday chart.  The hardest working man in show biz (James Brown again) had another Santa hit in 1970 with “Santa Claus Is Definitely Here To Stay”.  That one made it to # 7 on the Christmas chart.  The ‘Santa’ song we’re looking for first charted by The Four Seasons in 1962, but only climbed as high as # 23.  Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band took it to # 1 on the Christmas chart in 1985, but Bruce and the boys weren’t the first ones to do it.  15 years earlier, a Motown group made up of 5 brothers took this song to # 1 on the Christmas chart for the first time.  What’s the name of this ‘Santa’ song?     

            

ANSWERS

1.  b. “The Chipmunk Song” is the correct answer.  Ross Bagdasarian, who went by the stage name of David Seville, had created a sped-up voice on his previous 1958 # 1 hit, “Witch Doctor” and decided to create three chipmunk characters to sing a Christmas song.  Simon, Alvin and Theodore were all named for Liberty Records executives, which was the label that Seville recorded for.  Simon was for Liberty Records founder Si Waronker, Alvin was named for Liberty Records President Al Bennett and Theodore for Liberty’s chief engineer Ted Keep.  “The Chipmunk Song” by The Chipmunks with David Seville was # 1 on the pop charts for 4 weeks and sold 4 ½ million copies in just seven weeks.  Ross Bagdasarian died in 1972 and the Chipmunk tradition has been kept alive by his son, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. and wife Janice Karman who co-produced several new chipmunk CDs, an animated TV series and the films “Alvin and The Chipmunks” (2007), “Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” (2009) plus “Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” (2011).  There’s also a new Alvin, Simon and Theodore movie scheduled for release in December of 2016, “Alvin and The Chipmunks: Road Trip”.                  

    

2.  The song was “Jingle Bell Rock”.  The singer – Bobby Helms.  Helms was born in Bloomington, Indiana in 1933.  He was a country singer who’s first charted pop hit was “Fraulein” in 1957.  It made it to # 36.  “My Special Angel” came a few months later and climbed to # 7.  Both “Fraulein” and “My Special Angel” went to # 1 on the Country charts.  Then just two days before Christmas of ’57 came “Jingle Bell Rock”.  Helms continued to tour and record for the next four decades until his death from emphysema and asthma in 1997 at the age of 63.  His musical accomplishments were honoured with his induction in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.  Bobby Helms died

    

3.  Andy Williams is the singer’s name we were looking for.  During his career, Andy recorded 44 albums, 17 of which were certified Gold and 3 went Platinum.  His TV show, “The Andy Williams Show”, aired from 1962 until 1971.  Andy also hosted the Grammy Awards several times.  He formed Barnaby Records at the end of the 1960’s, a label that had hits with Ray Stevens (“Everything Is Beautiful” in 1970 and “The Streak” in ’74).  Andy Williams passed away in 2012.            

                  

4.  The answer is c. “Snoopy’s Christmas” recorded by The Royal Guardsmen, a group from Ocala, Florida who’s first hit was “Snoopy vs The Red Baron”.  “Snoopy’s Christmas” did make # 1 in Australia and New Zealand in 1967.  It re-charted in 1987, ’88, ’89 and 2003.  On the flip side of all that chart action, the song was voted as ‘the worst Christmas song of all time’ by the readers of the New Zealand Herald newspaper in 2007.            

5.  It was “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town”, a # 1 in 1970 by The Jackson 5, featuring a 12 year old Michael Jackson.  Altough it only went to # 1 on Billboards’ Christmas chart, it was their 5^th # 1 hit and they all happened in 1970.  The first was ”I Want You back”, followed by “ABC’.  Then came “The Love You Save”.  “I’ll Be There” was next after which came “Sant a Claus Is Comin’ To Town”.  In 1975, they dropped the name The Jackson 5 and became The Jacksons.  Michael went on to a superstar solo career and the rest is music history.    

JINGLE BELL, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE ALL THE WAY

Even if you wanted to, you can’t ignore the fact that the Christmas holiday season was upon us.  Just about every business you enter, whether it’s a drug store or grocery store or department store, they all have Christmas music playing on their PA systems.  Radio stations started playing Christmas music a few weeks ago.  Since we can’t escape it, I figured we might as well embrace it, so this week’s quiz is all about lyrics from contemporary Christmas songs – that is, songs written within the past 60 years.  In other words, there won’t be questions about “Good King Wenceslas” or “O’Come All Ye Faithful” or “Mary Boy Child”.  It’ll be more like:  What Christmas song do these lyrics come from?  “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.  Jack frost nipping at your nose..”  And of course, you would answer “The Christmas Song” by Bob Wells and Mel Torme (OK, you might not have guessed the name of the other writer besides Mel, but you get the point). So here we ho ho go! 

                    

QUESTIONS

1.  This Christmas classic has been recorded by many performers including Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Jessica Simpson.  A portion of the lyrics are:  “Santa came down the chimney, half past three.  With lots of nice little presents for my baby and me.  (THE SONG’S TITLE IS SUNG HERE), you surely treat me nice.  And I feel like I’m living, just living in paradise.”  Do you know the name of this holiday hit?              

2.  Johnny Mathis, Johnny Cash, Celine Dion, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr and Michael Buble have all recorded this Christmas favourite, but the most popular version belongs to Elvis Presley.  Some of the lyrics are: “Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree.  Won’t be the same dear, if you’re not here with me.  And when those blue snowflakes start falling.  That’s when those blue memories start calling.”  Can you name that tune?   

3.  David Letterman features Darlene Love singing this song every Christmas using a string section and a huge vocal choir along with the Late Show Band (I assume, with this being Dave’s last holiday show before he retires next spring, that this will be the last late night TV performance by Ms. Love of this song), but then again, you never can tell.  Here’s a portion of the lyrics:  “(Christmas) The snows coming down (Christmas) I’m watching it fall (Christmas) Lot’s of people around (Christmas) THE SONG’S TITLE IS SUNG HERE”.  The bracketed word (Christmas) is sung by a choir.  What’s the name of this wonderful Christmas song?   

4.  We’ve already mentioned this performer in questions # 1 and # 2, so this might be a bit easier (then again, maybe not).  Some of the lyrics are:  “He sees you when you’re sleeping.  He knows when you’re awake.  He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.”  This one should be easy.  What’s the title of this Christmas  classic? 

5.  This Christmas hit raised millions of dollars for African famine relief in 1984 and subsequent years.  Sir Bob Geldof (although he wasn’t knighted yet) came up with the idea and gathered dozens of British pop stars together to record it.  The opening lyrics are:  “It’s Christmas time; there’s no need to be afraid.  At Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade.  And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy.  Throw your arms around the world at Christmastime.”  So what say you?  Can you name this Christmas charity song that when it was first released in 1984?         

ANSWERS

1.  “Merry Christmas Baby” is the correct answer.  It was written in the late 1940’s by Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore.  Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers recorded the original version in 1947.  It went to # 3 on Billboard Magazine’s Juke Box chart that year.  Since then, it’s also been recorded by B. B. King, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Chuck Berry, Otis Redding, Booker T and The MG’s (instrumental version) and even the original vamp herself, Mae West.  Bruce Springsteen’s version (recorded at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York) may be the one that gets the most airplay at this time of year.  Bruce performed this song on Conan O’Brien’s network TV show.  Conan’s even playing rhythm guitar on it.  Check it out on youtube.  www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi9kvO2zL2E               

    

2.  Christmas just wouldn’t be complete without Elvis Presley’s version of “Blue Christmas“.  Written by Billy Hayes and Jay Johnson, it’s the sad tale of Christmas without love.  It was first recorded by Doye O’Dell in 1948.  The following year, country star Ernest Tubb, orchestra leader Hugo Winterhalter and bandleader/singer Russ Morgan all recorded their own versions of “Blue Christmas”.  Tubb’s went to # 1 on Billboard magazine’s ‘Most Played Juke Box (Country and Western) Records’ chart in January 1950.

Winterhalter’s version peaked at # 9 on Billboards’ chart for ‘Records Most Played By Disc Jockeys’ and Morgan’s got to # 11 on Billboards’ ‘Best Selling Pop Singles’ chart.  Elvis recorded his version on September 5th, 1957 and was one of the songs on “Elvis’ Christmas Album” that year.  RCA Victor Records didn’t release “Blue Christmas” as a 45rpm single until 1964.      

    

3.  “Christmas Baby, Please Come Home”, written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector, was originally recorded by Darlene Love in 1963 for the album, “A Christmas Gift To You From Philles Records”.  The album was released on November 22, 1963 but with the assassination of U.S President John F. Kennedy in Dallas that same day, it obviously did not sell well.  However, over the years, it has become a continuing Christmas classic.  In 2010, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the song # 1 on its list of ‘Greatest Rock and Roll Christmas Songs’.  Watch for Darlene Love singing “Christmas Baby, Please Come Home” one last time on “The Late Show with David Letterman” a few days before Christmas.            

                  

4.  Bruce Springsteen recorded a live version of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” in 1975, but wasn’t released until 1982 as one of the songs on the Sesame Street compilation album, “In Harmony 2”.  Columbia Records finally released it in 1985 on the ‘B’ side of Bruce Springsteen’s 45rpm single from the “Born In The U.S.A.” album, “My Hometown”.  The song was written by John Frederick Cootes and Haven Gillespie.  It was first performed in November of 1934 on singer Eddie Cantor’s radio show.  A plethora of performers have recorded “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town”, including Alvin and The Chipmunks (1961, The Ronettes (1963), The Four Seasons (1963), The Beach Boys (1964), Carpenters (1978), Neil Diamond (1992), Mariah Carey (1994), Miley Cyrus (2008) and three Canadian singers: Justin Bieber, Michael Buble, and the late Cory Monteith from ”Glee”.  All three of those recordings were from 2011.  Two versions of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” made it all the way to # 1 on Billboard Magazine’s Christmas singles chart – The Jackson 5 in 1970 and Bruce Springsteen in 1985.      

5.  There’s a new version just released this year featuring many new performers, but the classic “Do They Know It’s Christmas”, recorded in 1984, remains the best version (at least in my humble opinion).  Midge Ure (Ultravox) and Bob Geldof (The Boomtown Rats) wrote the song and Geldof corralled as many British pop stars as they could into a recording studio to sing it with Ure producing.  Performers included members of Duran Duran,Status Quo, Bananarama, Big Country and Spandau Ballet along with solo performers Phil Collins, Boy George, George Michael, Sting, Bono and Adam Clayton from U2, David Bowie, Paul McCartney and many others.  Geldof revised the lyrics for the 2014 version.

Watch the 1984 original video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjQzJAKxTrE or the 2014 version:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w7jyVHocTk.