Hey rock trivia buffs. Welcome to another edition of Rock Talk. This week – a potpourri of questions. That means it could be about anything in the rock genre. You’ve got three choices, so if you don’t have a clue as to the answer, you’ve got a 33 1/3 chance of getting it right. As usual, there are 10 questions, so score yourself 10 points for each correct answer – see how close you can come to 100%. Answers are below the final question – here we go.
1. Which British musician once played guitar on a Cheech &
Chong hit record? Was it:
a. Peter Frampton
b. Jeff Beck
c. George Harrison
2. Which Hollywood movie icon co-wrote a film for The Monkees?
Was it:
a. Jack Nicholson
b. Peter Fonda
c. Dennis Hopper
3. Which Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame member once was in the group Attila? (HINT: His
songs have been covered by such diverse performers as Frank Sinatra and Barry
White). Was he:
a. Elton John
b. Billy Joel
c. Stevie Wonder
4. Which guitar player once opened for The Supremes in front of 10,000 + people with his
then group when he was 13 years old? (HINT: He’s from the same state as The
Supremes and is still performing today). Is it:
a. Bob Seger
b. Ted Nugent
c. Stevie Wonder
5. Which legendary Canadian group was originally known as Chad Allen & The
Expressions? Was it:
a. The Guess Who
b. Rush
c. Loverboy
6. Which legendary singer/songwriter and member of a Rock’N’Roll Hall of Fame group
has a brother who won a Silver medal for swimming in the 1968 games in Mexico City?
(HINT: He’s also a producer and quite the guitar player). Is it:
a. Roger McGuinn of The Byrds
b. Pete Townshend of The Who
c. Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac
7. One of this groups’ members had a father who worked for the C.I.A. Was it:
a. Cheap Trick
b. The Eagles
c. The Police
8. This performer, who’d previously played with Little Richard, Ike & Tina Turner and
Joey Dee & The Starlighters, was the opening act for The Monkees in 1967. Was it:
a. Barry White
b. Jimi Hendrix
c. Marvin Gaye
9. This famous producer once played a drug dealer in a classic film from the 1960’s and
didn’t utter even one word? Was he:
a. Phil Spector
b. George Martin
c. Smokey Robinson
10. This superstar played guitar on recording sessions for The Rolling Stones, The
Kinks, Petula Clark, The Who, Brenda Lee, Joe Cocker and Them (with lead singer
Van Morrison). Is he:
a. Pete Townshend
b. Keith Richards
c. Jimmy Page
ANSWERS
1. c. George Harrison played guitar on Cheech & Chong’s hit record, “Basketball Jones”,
which reached # 15 on Billboards’ Hot 100 singles chart in the fall of 1973.
2. That would be a. Academy Award winner Jack Nicholson who co-wrote the script for
The Monkees 1968 movie “Head”. Jack also starred in 1969’s “Easy Rider” with Peter
Fonda and Dennis Hopper.
3. b. Billie Joel, born William Martin Joel, was in Attila, which was actually a duo
consisting of Billy and drummer Jon Small. Both had previously been in the band The
Hassles. Attila had one album released in July 1970 and they broke up 3 months later.
4. b. Detroit native Ted Nugent, who was born in December of 1948, has been performing
since 1958 when he was 10. His early success came with the group The Amboy
Dukes, who had the hit, “Journey To The Center of Your Mind” which made it as far as
# 16 on the charts in 1968. A longtime advocate for hunter’s rights. Ted almost
decided’ to run for Governor of Michigan in 2006.
5. a. The Guess Who were once known as Chad Allen & The Expressions and had the hit,
“Shakin’ All Over” in 1965. They had originally been called Chad Allen & The
Reflections, but changed their name to The Expressions after the U.S. group The
Reflections hit with “Just Like Romeo & Juliet”. After Chad Allen left, the group
recruited a new lead singer named Burton Cummings and the rest, as they say…is
rock’roll history.
6. c. Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac fame was also into athletics, but music was
a stronger draw. It was Lindsey’s brother Greg who won the Olympic Silver medal in
Mexico City in 1968.
7. Stewart Copeland, drummer with c. The Police, had a father who worked for the CIA.
Copeland, who was once ranked ‘the 5th greatest drummer of all time’ by Rolling Stone
Magazine, grew up in Cairo, Egypt and Beirut, Lebanon. Stewarts’ older brother, Miles
Copeland III, who managed Squeeze, The Police and later Sting, formed a record
company called I.R.S. Records and a company to book bands called F.B.I.
8. It was b. Jimi Hendrix, who was born in Seattle on November 27, 1942, who opened for
The Monkees on that 1967 tour. Jimi joined the tour, already in progress, on July 8th
in Jacksonville, Florida and left on July 16th after a concert in Forest Hills, New York. In
total, Jimi only played 7 tour dates with the Pre Fab 4.
9. a. Phil Spector was the legendary producer who played a non speaking drug dealer in
the landmark film “Easy Rider”. In the credits, Phil is listed as ‘Connection’.
10. That session guitar player would be c. Jimmy Page. Before launching Led Zeppelin,
Jimmy played guitar on hundreds of other peoples sessions. In that studio world,
Jimmy was known as ‘Little Jim’ as the other session guitar player was ‘Big Jim’
Sullivan.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
This week is not for the faint of heart – or for the casual music fan. The questions are all about specific song titles – days of the week, girls names, colours, love songs, you get the drift. If you know your music, you’ll be fine. I do suggest that you get a pen and paper and write your answers down, as it’ll be a whole lot easier that way. There are 10 questions, as usual, so score yourself 10 points for each correct answer – see how close you can come to 100%. Answers are below the questions, so let’s get rolling.
1. There are 7 hit songs that made the top twenty on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart with
‘Saturday’ in the title from 1963 until 1976. Elton John, Chicago and The Drifters had
three of them. How many of those 7 hits can you name? (You must name the song and
the performer – half points if you only get one or the other correct).
2. Now, let’s move to Sunday. 9 songs with ‘Sunday’ in the title made Billboard’s Hot 100
chart in the 1960’s, although two of those were the same song performed by two
different artists. All 9 songs made it into the top thirty. How many can you name?
3. Monday had the third most songs written about it. There were only 5 'Monday' songs
that made the Top Ten in Billboard’s Hot 100 chart from 1957 until 1986. Can you name
them all?
4. This one is about the late Michael Jackson. How many number one hits in the 1980’s
did Michael Jackson have with a girl’s name in the title? How many can you name?
5. Let’s get a little bit sweeter now. The word ‘Sugar’ shows up in the title of five Top 10
Billboard hits. The first one charted in 1958 and the last one in 1988 and they all made
it to the number one or number two position. Can you name all 5?
6. ‘The eyes are the window to the soul’ is a very famous quote. According to Billboard’s
Hot 100 chart, 9 songs with the word ‘eye’ or ’eyes’ in the title became top five hits
during the 1980’s. Female singers had 3 of those, male solo singers had 2, the rest
were sung by duos or groups. You’ll be considered a musical genius by your friends if
you can name them all. Good luck.
7. The most important muscle of the body is the heart. Literally, hundreds of hit songs
have the word ‘heart’ in the title, but this time, we’re looking for solo female artists who
made it into Billboards’ Top Ten with songs about the ‘heart’. There are 15 songs in
total from 1960 until 1998. How many can you name?
8. There are 6 songs about the colour blue that made it to Number One on Billboards’ Hot
100 singles chart from the late 1950’s through to the early 1970’s. How many of those 6
songs and their performers can you name?
9. How many of Elvis Presley’s seven top ten charted hits with the word ‘love’ in the title
can you name? (HINT: The first one charted in 1956 and the last in 1972. 1957’s
“Loving You” only made it to number 20, so that one obviously doesn’t count).
10. We couldn’t do a rock’n’roll trivia column about song titles without including
‘rock’n’roll’, or more specifically, the word ‘rock’. There are hundreds of songs with
‘rock’ in the title, but this time, we’re only looking for hits from the 1970’s with
either the words ‘rock’, ‘rockin’’ or rock’n’roll’ in their title and all of them made the Top
10, so how hard can it be? Do your best and come up with at least 7 out of 10 titles.
ANSWERS
1. “Another Saturday Night” Sam Cooke 1963 # 10
“Saturday Night At The Movies” The Drifters 1964 # 18
“Come Saturday Morning” The Sandpipers 1970 # 17
“Saturday In The Park” Chicago 1972 # 3
“Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” Elton John 1973 # 12
“Another Saturday Night” Cat Stevens 1974 # 6
“Saturday Night” The Bay City Rollers 1976 # 1
2. “Never On Sunday” Don Costa 1960 # 19
“Never On Sunday” The Chordettes 1961 # 13
“That Sunday, That Summer” Nat ‘King’ Cole 1963 # 12
“Sunday And Me” Jay & The Americans 1965 # 18
“Pleasant Valley Sunday” The Monkees 1967 # 3
“Sunday Will Never Be The Same” Spanky & Our Gang 1967 # 9
“Sunday Mornin’” Spanky & Our Gang 1968 # 30
“Sugar on Sunday” The Clique 1969 # 22
“Beautiful Sunday” Daniel Boone 1972 # 15
3. “Blue Monday” Fats Domino 1957 # 5
“Monday Monday” The Mamas & The Papas 1966 # 1
“Rainy Days And Mondays” Carpenters 1971 # 2
“New Moon On Monday” Duran Duran 1984 # 10
“Manic Monday” The Bangles 1986 # 2
4. Michael Jackson only had two number one hits with a girl’s
name in the title during the 1980’s. Those songs were “Billy
Jean” in 1983 and “Dirty Diana” in 1988.
5. “Sugartime” The McGuire Sisters 1958 # 1
“Sugar Shack” Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs 1963 # 1
“Sugar Sugar” The Archies 1969 # 1
“No Sugar Tonight” The Guess Who 1970 # 1 (This one was the flip side of The Guess
Who’s “American Woman” 45 which was a number one hit – so, this one counts as a
number one as well).
“Pour Some Sugar On Me” Def Leppard 1988 # 2
6. “Sexy Eyes” Dr. Hook 1980 # 5
“For Your Eyes Only” Sheena Easton 1981 # 4
“Private Eyes” Daryl Hall & John Oates 1981 # 1
“Bette Davis Eyes” Kim Carnes 1981 # 1
“Eye Of The Tiger” Survivor 1982 # 1
“Eye In The Sky’ The Alan Parsons Project 1982 # 3
“Eyes Without A Face” Billy Idol 1984 # 4
“Hungry Eyes” Eric Carmen 1988 # 4
“Lost In Your Eyes’ Debbie Gibson 1989 # 1
7. “My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own” Connie Francis 1960 # 1
“Don’t Break The Heart That Loves You” Connie Francis 1962 # 1
“My Heart Belongs To Me” Barbra Streisand 1977 # 4
“Heart Of Glass” Blondie 1979 # 1
“Total Eclipse Of The Heart” Bonnie Tyler 1981 # 1
“Queen Of Hearts” Juice Newton 1982 # 2
“Heart Attack” Olivia Newton-John 1982 # 3
“Two Of Hearts” Stacey Q 1986 # 3
“Change Of Heart” Cyndi Lauper 1987 # 3
“Open Your Heart” Madonna 1987 # 1
“Where Do Broken Hearts Go” Whitney Houston 1988 # 1
“Tell It To My Heart” Taylor Dayne 1988 # 7
“With Every Beat Of My Heart” Taylor Dayne 1989 # 5
“Where Does My Heart Beat Now” Celine Dion 1991 # 4
“My Heart Will Go On” Celine Dion 1998 # 1
8. “Mr. Blue” The Fleetwoods 1959 # 1
“Blue Moon” The Marcels 1961 # 1
“Blue Velvet” Bobby Vinton 1963 # 1
“Blue Christmas” Elvis Presley 1964 # 1
“Love Is Blue” Paul Mauriat 1968 # 1 (Instrumental)
“Song Sung Blue” Neil Diamond 1972 # 1
9. “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You’ 1956 # 1
“Love Me Tender” 1956 # 1
“Love Me” 1956 # 2
“I Need Your Love Tonight” 1959 # 4
“A Big Hunk O’ Love” 1959 # 1
“Can’t Help Falling In Love” 1961/62 # 2
“Burning Love” 1972 # 2
10. “Rockin’ Robin” Michael Jackson 1972 # 2
“Crocodile Rock” Elton John 1973 # 1
“Rockin’ Pneumonia – Boogie Woogie Flu” Johnny Rivers 1973 # 6
“Rock On” David Essex 1974 # 5
“Rock The Boat” The Hues Corporation 1974 # 1
“Rock Me Gently” Andy Kim 1974 # 1
“Rock’n Me” Steve Miller 1976 # 1
“Rock And Roll Music” The Beach Boys 1976 # 5
“That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll” Shaun Cassidy 1977 # 3
“We Will Rock You” Queen 1978 # 4
1. There are 7 hit songs that made the top twenty on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart with
‘Saturday’ in the title from 1963 until 1976. Elton John, Chicago and The Drifters had
three of them. How many of those 7 hits can you name? (You must name the song and
the performer – half points if you only get one or the other correct).
2. Now, let’s move to Sunday. 9 songs with ‘Sunday’ in the title made Billboard’s Hot 100
chart in the 1960’s, although two of those were the same song performed by two
different artists. All 9 songs made it into the top thirty. How many can you name?
3. Monday had the third most songs written about it. There were only 5 'Monday' songs
that made the Top Ten in Billboard’s Hot 100 chart from 1957 until 1986. Can you name
them all?
4. This one is about the late Michael Jackson. How many number one hits in the 1980’s
did Michael Jackson have with a girl’s name in the title? How many can you name?
5. Let’s get a little bit sweeter now. The word ‘Sugar’ shows up in the title of five Top 10
Billboard hits. The first one charted in 1958 and the last one in 1988 and they all made
it to the number one or number two position. Can you name all 5?
6. ‘The eyes are the window to the soul’ is a very famous quote. According to Billboard’s
Hot 100 chart, 9 songs with the word ‘eye’ or ’eyes’ in the title became top five hits
during the 1980’s. Female singers had 3 of those, male solo singers had 2, the rest
were sung by duos or groups. You’ll be considered a musical genius by your friends if
you can name them all. Good luck.
7. The most important muscle of the body is the heart. Literally, hundreds of hit songs
have the word ‘heart’ in the title, but this time, we’re looking for solo female artists who
made it into Billboards’ Top Ten with songs about the ‘heart’. There are 15 songs in
total from 1960 until 1998. How many can you name?
8. There are 6 songs about the colour blue that made it to Number One on Billboards’ Hot
100 singles chart from the late 1950’s through to the early 1970’s. How many of those 6
songs and their performers can you name?
9. How many of Elvis Presley’s seven top ten charted hits with the word ‘love’ in the title
can you name? (HINT: The first one charted in 1956 and the last in 1972. 1957’s
“Loving You” only made it to number 20, so that one obviously doesn’t count).
10. We couldn’t do a rock’n’roll trivia column about song titles without including
‘rock’n’roll’, or more specifically, the word ‘rock’. There are hundreds of songs with
‘rock’ in the title, but this time, we’re only looking for hits from the 1970’s with
either the words ‘rock’, ‘rockin’’ or rock’n’roll’ in their title and all of them made the Top
10, so how hard can it be? Do your best and come up with at least 7 out of 10 titles.
ANSWERS
1. “Another Saturday Night” Sam Cooke 1963 # 10
“Saturday Night At The Movies” The Drifters 1964 # 18
“Come Saturday Morning” The Sandpipers 1970 # 17
“Saturday In The Park” Chicago 1972 # 3
“Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” Elton John 1973 # 12
“Another Saturday Night” Cat Stevens 1974 # 6
“Saturday Night” The Bay City Rollers 1976 # 1
2. “Never On Sunday” Don Costa 1960 # 19
“Never On Sunday” The Chordettes 1961 # 13
“That Sunday, That Summer” Nat ‘King’ Cole 1963 # 12
“Sunday And Me” Jay & The Americans 1965 # 18
“Pleasant Valley Sunday” The Monkees 1967 # 3
“Sunday Will Never Be The Same” Spanky & Our Gang 1967 # 9
“Sunday Mornin’” Spanky & Our Gang 1968 # 30
“Sugar on Sunday” The Clique 1969 # 22
“Beautiful Sunday” Daniel Boone 1972 # 15
3. “Blue Monday” Fats Domino 1957 # 5
“Monday Monday” The Mamas & The Papas 1966 # 1
“Rainy Days And Mondays” Carpenters 1971 # 2
“New Moon On Monday” Duran Duran 1984 # 10
“Manic Monday” The Bangles 1986 # 2
4. Michael Jackson only had two number one hits with a girl’s
name in the title during the 1980’s. Those songs were “Billy
Jean” in 1983 and “Dirty Diana” in 1988.
5. “Sugartime” The McGuire Sisters 1958 # 1
“Sugar Shack” Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs 1963 # 1
“Sugar Sugar” The Archies 1969 # 1
“No Sugar Tonight” The Guess Who 1970 # 1 (This one was the flip side of The Guess
Who’s “American Woman” 45 which was a number one hit – so, this one counts as a
number one as well).
“Pour Some Sugar On Me” Def Leppard 1988 # 2
6. “Sexy Eyes” Dr. Hook 1980 # 5
“For Your Eyes Only” Sheena Easton 1981 # 4
“Private Eyes” Daryl Hall & John Oates 1981 # 1
“Bette Davis Eyes” Kim Carnes 1981 # 1
“Eye Of The Tiger” Survivor 1982 # 1
“Eye In The Sky’ The Alan Parsons Project 1982 # 3
“Eyes Without A Face” Billy Idol 1984 # 4
“Hungry Eyes” Eric Carmen 1988 # 4
“Lost In Your Eyes’ Debbie Gibson 1989 # 1
7. “My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own” Connie Francis 1960 # 1
“Don’t Break The Heart That Loves You” Connie Francis 1962 # 1
“My Heart Belongs To Me” Barbra Streisand 1977 # 4
“Heart Of Glass” Blondie 1979 # 1
“Total Eclipse Of The Heart” Bonnie Tyler 1981 # 1
“Queen Of Hearts” Juice Newton 1982 # 2
“Heart Attack” Olivia Newton-John 1982 # 3
“Two Of Hearts” Stacey Q 1986 # 3
“Change Of Heart” Cyndi Lauper 1987 # 3
“Open Your Heart” Madonna 1987 # 1
“Where Do Broken Hearts Go” Whitney Houston 1988 # 1
“Tell It To My Heart” Taylor Dayne 1988 # 7
“With Every Beat Of My Heart” Taylor Dayne 1989 # 5
“Where Does My Heart Beat Now” Celine Dion 1991 # 4
“My Heart Will Go On” Celine Dion 1998 # 1
8. “Mr. Blue” The Fleetwoods 1959 # 1
“Blue Moon” The Marcels 1961 # 1
“Blue Velvet” Bobby Vinton 1963 # 1
“Blue Christmas” Elvis Presley 1964 # 1
“Love Is Blue” Paul Mauriat 1968 # 1 (Instrumental)
“Song Sung Blue” Neil Diamond 1972 # 1
9. “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You’ 1956 # 1
“Love Me Tender” 1956 # 1
“Love Me” 1956 # 2
“I Need Your Love Tonight” 1959 # 4
“A Big Hunk O’ Love” 1959 # 1
“Can’t Help Falling In Love” 1961/62 # 2
“Burning Love” 1972 # 2
10. “Rockin’ Robin” Michael Jackson 1972 # 2
“Crocodile Rock” Elton John 1973 # 1
“Rockin’ Pneumonia – Boogie Woogie Flu” Johnny Rivers 1973 # 6
“Rock On” David Essex 1974 # 5
“Rock The Boat” The Hues Corporation 1974 # 1
“Rock Me Gently” Andy Kim 1974 # 1
“Rock’n Me” Steve Miller 1976 # 1
“Rock And Roll Music” The Beach Boys 1976 # 5
“That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll” Shaun Cassidy 1977 # 3
“We Will Rock You” Queen 1978 # 4
Monday, August 9, 2010
They are the unsung heroes of the record business. The producer is the man who helps and guides the artist in the recording studio. Sometimes they are in complete control, but most producers work WITH the artist to get the best recording they can. This week, we’re asking questions about some of these producers. Many are household names, and all are certainly well known enough to not send you screaming from the room. This one may be a little tougher than usual, but if you know your music, you should do just fine. As always, there are 10 questions, so score yourself 10 points for each correct answer – see how close you can come to 100%. Answers are below the questions, so let’s have a go, shall we?
1. This producer, who is also a songwriter and performer, makes Miami his home
base, but he was born across the ocean from the U.S.A. His songs have been
recorded by everyone from Elvis Presley to Celine Dion. The list of artists he’s
produced includes Dolly Parton, Diana Ross, and Barbra Streisand. His
brothers were extremely helpful in his career. What is the name of this
producer?
2. A pioneering producer, this man almost single handedly changed the course of
contemporary music by recording many legendary performers. He loved the
blues and the ‘sun’ shone brightly on his career. His studio later became
a mecca for artists such as U2. He died in 2003 in his 80th year. Who is this
southern gentleman?
3. Although he’s not known primarily as a producer, this multi platinum selling
singer/songwriter has done quite well in that department. His productions
include several number hit singles as well as albums. He started out playing
the trumpet, but switched to left-handed guitar for a few years until he started
playing the instrument he’s most known for in the early 1960’s. He’s one of the
richest men in the music industry and holds the record for having the most
covers of one of his songs. Who is this sometimes producer?
4. This one should be easy. This pioneering producer created a hit making ‘wall
of sound’ in the 1960’s that many others tried to copy. He was born in the
Bronx, but started in the record industry with two school mates in Los Angeles.
The artists he’s produced include Canadian poet Leonard Cohen, Celine Dion,
Ike & Tina Turner and ‘60’s musical icon Dion and those aren’t even his most
famous clients. He’s known for being rather eccentric. These days, he’s not
producing anyone and has a lot of time on his hands. Can you name
this producer?
5. This artist/producer was born in Chicago but when his family moved to Seattle,
he met and became close friends with Ray Charles. He later played trumpet
with Lionel Hampton’s big band and became an accomplished musical
arranger. Some of the artists that he created arrangements for include Frank
Sinatra, Count Basie and Ray Charles. One of his most famous musical
compositions is the theme for the Austin Powers films. Lesley Gore, Michael
Jackson are two artists whose records he’s produced. His close friends call him
by the first initial of his first name. He’s scored dozens of movies and won
Academy Awards as well as a whole lot of Grammys. One of his daughters stars
on a hit NBC TV series. Who is this music business legend?
6. Before he met the group that would make him world famous, this British
producer was creating records for comedians Peter Sellers and Charlie Drake
(“My Boomerang Won’t Come Back”) as well as hits for British crooner Matt
Monroe. America, Jim Carrey, Celine Dion, Cilla Black, Jimmy Webb, Little
River Band and Neil Sedaka are just a few of the artists he’s produced, although
I have left out his most famous group. He’s been knighted by Queen Elizabeth
and has officially retired from producing. Can you name this producer?
7. AC/DC, Def Leppard, Bryan Adams, The Cars and Foreigner all owe a debt of
gratitude to this producer, whose skills have made them all millions of dollars.
He got very close to one of his artists and eventually married her. He lives
a reclusive life in Switzerland and hasn’t given an interview in several decades.
He lets his work speak for itself. His nickname is something you’d call a stray \
dog. Who is he?
8. This duo wrote and produced hits for The Drifters, The Coasters, Peggy Lee,
Ben E. King and Procol Harum. They turned the ‘hillbilly cat’ into a ‘hound dog’
and sentenced him to ‘rock’ in the ‘jailhouse’. They ‘stood by’ each other
throughout their decades long career. Both were inducted into the Rock ‘N’
Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Who is this dynamic duo?
9. Billy Joel and Paul Simon call this recording engineer/producer their secret
weapon. Other artists this South African born legend has recorded or produced
include Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Karen Carpenter, Julian
Lennon, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Liza Minnelli,
George Michael, Aretha Franklin and Clay Akin. He was one of the owners of
A&R Studios in New York (HINT: He’s not the ‘A’ part). Who is this 14 time
Grammy Award recipient?
10. This native New Yorker was the first to make Tiny Tim a chart success.
He ‘pointed’ a sister group to the top of the charts, made a solo ‘Starr’ out of
Ringo and made Burton Cummings “Stand Tall”. A cushion in his Los Angeles
office reads, “Rich. Richer. Richard”. I’ve given you his first name. Now all
you have to do is come up with his last.
ANSWERS
1. That would be Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees, who was born on the Isle of Man,
England. Although he didn’t produce his own group, he was responsible for
writing most of their hits, including “Stayin’ Alive”, “Jive Talkin’” and dozens
more. Barry wrote “Islands In The Stream”, a 1983 number one hit for Dolly
Parton & Kenny Rogers. He also wrote hits for, and produced his younger
brother Andy Gibb, who died in 1988.
2. Sam Phillips launched Memphis Recording Service in January, 1950. In 1954, a
young truck driver for the Crown Electric Company walked in to cut a record for
his mother. That truck driver was Elvis Presley. For his Sun Records label,
Phillips produced all of the early Elvis recordings, including “That’s All Right”,
“Blue Moon Of Kentucky”, “Good Rockin’ Tonight”, “Baby, Let’s Play House”
and “Midnight Train”. RCA bought Elvis’ contract from Sam in 1955 for
$35,000. Phillips invested some of that money in a new venture called Holiday
Inn and became very wealthy. Sam also produced Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison,
Rufus Thomas, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. He was inducted into the
Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of existence, 1986.
3. Sir Paul McCartney is that sometimes producer. As a member of The Beatles,
he worked with producer George Martin. On his own, he wrote and produced
Badfinger’s 1970 Top Ten hit, “Come And Get It”, Mary Hopkin’s “Those Were
The Days”, a number two hit in 1968. He also self produced the albums
“McCartney”, “Ram” and “McCartney 2”, plus 7 Wings albums, including, “Wild
Life”, “Red Rose Speedway”, “Band On The Run’, “Venus And Mars”, “Wings At
The Speed Of Sound” and “London Town”. McCartney’s song “Yesterday”,
originally recorded by The Beatles, has been covered by 2,200 artists.
4. If you’re looking for producer Phil Spector these days, you’ll find him in a
prison cell. Spector, who created that ‘wall of sound’ in the 1960’s and
produced hits for The Ronettes, The Crystals and The Righteous Brothers as
well as albums for John Lennon, George Harrison, The Beatles (“Let It Be”)
and The Ramones, was convicted in 2009 of the murder of actress Lana
Clarkson and is currently serving a 19 years to life sentence in California.
5. That would be Quincy Jones, whose friends call him ‘Q’. In the early 1960’s,
Quincy went to work for Mercury Records in their New York office. He
discovered Lesley Gore in 1963 and produced all of her ‘60’s hits, “It’s My
Party”, “Judy’s Turn To Cry”, “You Don’t Own Me”, “Maybe I Know”,
“Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows” and “She’s A Fool” among others. Quincy
has won over 40 Grammy Awards, including 3 in 1984 for Michael Jackson’s
“Thriller” album. 'Q' has released 40 albums under his own name and written
the scores for dozens of hit movies, including “In Cold Blood”, “In The Heat Of
The Night”, “The Wiz”, “The Pawnbroker”, “Enter Laughing”, “The Color
Purple”, “The Getaway” and “The Italian Job”. His composition, “Soul
Bossa Nova” is the recurring theme song for the 3 Austin Powers movies. In
1985, Quincy produced the charity song “We Are The World”. Rashida Jones,
Quincy’s daughter with TV actress Peggy Lipton (The Mod Squad), co-stars on
the hit TV series, “Parks And Recreation”.
6. It’s The Beatles’ producer George Martin. A classically trained musician, Sir
George was the head of the Parlophone label for EMI in England when he signed
those four lads from Liverpool. During the time he was recording all of the Fab
Four’s material, (Martin didn’t produce “Let it Be”, that was Phil Spector),
George also produced Cilla Black, Gerry & The Pacemakers and Billy J. Kramer.
The group America hired him to produce 7 of their albums. After The Beatles
broke up, George produced the “Pipes Of Peace” and “Tug Of War”albums for
Paul McCartney. He was named a ‘knight bachelor’ in 1996.
7. Robert John ’Mutt’ Lange is the name we’re looking for. His production credits
include “Highway To Hell”, “Back In Black” and “For Those About To Rock” for
AC/DC; Def Leppard’s “High ‘n’ Dry” and “Pyromania” albums plus
Foreigner’s “4”. ‘Mutt’ was born in Northern Rhodesia, now known as Zambia
and moved to England in 1970. His work with Canadian singer Shania Twain
resulted in their marriage, the birth of their son, many successful albums
(including 1997’s “Come On Over” album, which became the best selling album
by a female of all time), and their divorce.
8. That duo is Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller. The two met in school in Los Angeles
and discovered they both had a deep seeded love for the blues. For The
Coasters, they wrote 24 songs that made Billboards’ singles chart, including
“Yakety Yak”, “Youngblood”, “Searchin’”, “Along Came Jones”, “Poison Ivy” and
“Charlie Brown”. Elvis Presley took their song “Hound Dog” to the top of the
charts. For ‘The King’, they wrote classics like “Don’t”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “King
Creole” and “Loving You”. Ben E. King recorded Jerry & Mike’s song “Stand By
Me” which made it to number four on the Hot 100 and later was the title song
for the 1986 movie “Stand By Me” starring River Phoenix, COrey Feldman and
Keifer Sutherland. In 1959, Wilbert Harrison’s version of “Kansas City”, a song
Leiber & Stoller had originally called ‘K.C. Lovin’”, went to number one. Other
classic Leiber & Stoller written songs include: “Tell Him” (The Exciters), “She
Cried” (Jay & The Americans), “Love Potion # 9” (The Clovers/The Searchers,
“Is That All There Is?” (Peggy Lee). The Stealers Wheel song, “Stuck In The
Middle With You” was produced by the duo. The Broadway Play, “Smokey Joe’s
Café” features the songs of Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller.
9. He’s Phil Ramone. A&R Studios in Manhattan was once his home base. He
recently finished producing Canadian singer Nikki Yanofsky’s new album. You
might remember her from the opening ceremony of the Vancouver 2010
Olympics. Ramone was born in South Africa and was playing violin from the
age of 3. He played for Queen Elizabeth when he was 10 years old. Phil was a
longtime engineer producer for both Billy Joel and Paul Simon, producing such
classic albums as “52nd Street” and “The Stranger” for Joel – “There Goes
Rhymin’ Simon” and “Graceland” for Simon. Phil Ramone has also produced
music for many television specials and motion pictures, including “A Star is
Born”, “Flashdance” and “Midnight Cowboy” and “Yentl”.
10. Richard Perry is the man who produced Tiny Tim’s “Tip Toe Through The
Tulips” and his “God Bless Tiny Tim” album. Other artists Perry has worked
with include The Pointer Sisters, Burton Cummings, Ringo Starr, Carly Simon,
Harry Nillson, Barbra Streisand, Rod Stewart and Art Garfunkel. For the 1978
movie, “American Hot Wax”, based on the life of pioneering disc jockey Alan
Freed, Perry played a New York record producer. He produced the first three
albums for Rod Stewart’s “Great American Songbook” series.
1. This producer, who is also a songwriter and performer, makes Miami his home
base, but he was born across the ocean from the U.S.A. His songs have been
recorded by everyone from Elvis Presley to Celine Dion. The list of artists he’s
produced includes Dolly Parton, Diana Ross, and Barbra Streisand. His
brothers were extremely helpful in his career. What is the name of this
producer?
2. A pioneering producer, this man almost single handedly changed the course of
contemporary music by recording many legendary performers. He loved the
blues and the ‘sun’ shone brightly on his career. His studio later became
a mecca for artists such as U2. He died in 2003 in his 80th year. Who is this
southern gentleman?
3. Although he’s not known primarily as a producer, this multi platinum selling
singer/songwriter has done quite well in that department. His productions
include several number hit singles as well as albums. He started out playing
the trumpet, but switched to left-handed guitar for a few years until he started
playing the instrument he’s most known for in the early 1960’s. He’s one of the
richest men in the music industry and holds the record for having the most
covers of one of his songs. Who is this sometimes producer?
4. This one should be easy. This pioneering producer created a hit making ‘wall
of sound’ in the 1960’s that many others tried to copy. He was born in the
Bronx, but started in the record industry with two school mates in Los Angeles.
The artists he’s produced include Canadian poet Leonard Cohen, Celine Dion,
Ike & Tina Turner and ‘60’s musical icon Dion and those aren’t even his most
famous clients. He’s known for being rather eccentric. These days, he’s not
producing anyone and has a lot of time on his hands. Can you name
this producer?
5. This artist/producer was born in Chicago but when his family moved to Seattle,
he met and became close friends with Ray Charles. He later played trumpet
with Lionel Hampton’s big band and became an accomplished musical
arranger. Some of the artists that he created arrangements for include Frank
Sinatra, Count Basie and Ray Charles. One of his most famous musical
compositions is the theme for the Austin Powers films. Lesley Gore, Michael
Jackson are two artists whose records he’s produced. His close friends call him
by the first initial of his first name. He’s scored dozens of movies and won
Academy Awards as well as a whole lot of Grammys. One of his daughters stars
on a hit NBC TV series. Who is this music business legend?
6. Before he met the group that would make him world famous, this British
producer was creating records for comedians Peter Sellers and Charlie Drake
(“My Boomerang Won’t Come Back”) as well as hits for British crooner Matt
Monroe. America, Jim Carrey, Celine Dion, Cilla Black, Jimmy Webb, Little
River Band and Neil Sedaka are just a few of the artists he’s produced, although
I have left out his most famous group. He’s been knighted by Queen Elizabeth
and has officially retired from producing. Can you name this producer?
7. AC/DC, Def Leppard, Bryan Adams, The Cars and Foreigner all owe a debt of
gratitude to this producer, whose skills have made them all millions of dollars.
He got very close to one of his artists and eventually married her. He lives
a reclusive life in Switzerland and hasn’t given an interview in several decades.
He lets his work speak for itself. His nickname is something you’d call a stray \
dog. Who is he?
8. This duo wrote and produced hits for The Drifters, The Coasters, Peggy Lee,
Ben E. King and Procol Harum. They turned the ‘hillbilly cat’ into a ‘hound dog’
and sentenced him to ‘rock’ in the ‘jailhouse’. They ‘stood by’ each other
throughout their decades long career. Both were inducted into the Rock ‘N’
Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Who is this dynamic duo?
9. Billy Joel and Paul Simon call this recording engineer/producer their secret
weapon. Other artists this South African born legend has recorded or produced
include Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Karen Carpenter, Julian
Lennon, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Liza Minnelli,
George Michael, Aretha Franklin and Clay Akin. He was one of the owners of
A&R Studios in New York (HINT: He’s not the ‘A’ part). Who is this 14 time
Grammy Award recipient?
10. This native New Yorker was the first to make Tiny Tim a chart success.
He ‘pointed’ a sister group to the top of the charts, made a solo ‘Starr’ out of
Ringo and made Burton Cummings “Stand Tall”. A cushion in his Los Angeles
office reads, “Rich. Richer. Richard”. I’ve given you his first name. Now all
you have to do is come up with his last.
ANSWERS
1. That would be Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees, who was born on the Isle of Man,
England. Although he didn’t produce his own group, he was responsible for
writing most of their hits, including “Stayin’ Alive”, “Jive Talkin’” and dozens
more. Barry wrote “Islands In The Stream”, a 1983 number one hit for Dolly
Parton & Kenny Rogers. He also wrote hits for, and produced his younger
brother Andy Gibb, who died in 1988.
2. Sam Phillips launched Memphis Recording Service in January, 1950. In 1954, a
young truck driver for the Crown Electric Company walked in to cut a record for
his mother. That truck driver was Elvis Presley. For his Sun Records label,
Phillips produced all of the early Elvis recordings, including “That’s All Right”,
“Blue Moon Of Kentucky”, “Good Rockin’ Tonight”, “Baby, Let’s Play House”
and “Midnight Train”. RCA bought Elvis’ contract from Sam in 1955 for
$35,000. Phillips invested some of that money in a new venture called Holiday
Inn and became very wealthy. Sam also produced Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison,
Rufus Thomas, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. He was inducted into the
Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of existence, 1986.
3. Sir Paul McCartney is that sometimes producer. As a member of The Beatles,
he worked with producer George Martin. On his own, he wrote and produced
Badfinger’s 1970 Top Ten hit, “Come And Get It”, Mary Hopkin’s “Those Were
The Days”, a number two hit in 1968. He also self produced the albums
“McCartney”, “Ram” and “McCartney 2”, plus 7 Wings albums, including, “Wild
Life”, “Red Rose Speedway”, “Band On The Run’, “Venus And Mars”, “Wings At
The Speed Of Sound” and “London Town”. McCartney’s song “Yesterday”,
originally recorded by The Beatles, has been covered by 2,200 artists.
4. If you’re looking for producer Phil Spector these days, you’ll find him in a
prison cell. Spector, who created that ‘wall of sound’ in the 1960’s and
produced hits for The Ronettes, The Crystals and The Righteous Brothers as
well as albums for John Lennon, George Harrison, The Beatles (“Let It Be”)
and The Ramones, was convicted in 2009 of the murder of actress Lana
Clarkson and is currently serving a 19 years to life sentence in California.
5. That would be Quincy Jones, whose friends call him ‘Q’. In the early 1960’s,
Quincy went to work for Mercury Records in their New York office. He
discovered Lesley Gore in 1963 and produced all of her ‘60’s hits, “It’s My
Party”, “Judy’s Turn To Cry”, “You Don’t Own Me”, “Maybe I Know”,
“Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows” and “She’s A Fool” among others. Quincy
has won over 40 Grammy Awards, including 3 in 1984 for Michael Jackson’s
“Thriller” album. 'Q' has released 40 albums under his own name and written
the scores for dozens of hit movies, including “In Cold Blood”, “In The Heat Of
The Night”, “The Wiz”, “The Pawnbroker”, “Enter Laughing”, “The Color
Purple”, “The Getaway” and “The Italian Job”. His composition, “Soul
Bossa Nova” is the recurring theme song for the 3 Austin Powers movies. In
1985, Quincy produced the charity song “We Are The World”. Rashida Jones,
Quincy’s daughter with TV actress Peggy Lipton (The Mod Squad), co-stars on
the hit TV series, “Parks And Recreation”.
6. It’s The Beatles’ producer George Martin. A classically trained musician, Sir
George was the head of the Parlophone label for EMI in England when he signed
those four lads from Liverpool. During the time he was recording all of the Fab
Four’s material, (Martin didn’t produce “Let it Be”, that was Phil Spector),
George also produced Cilla Black, Gerry & The Pacemakers and Billy J. Kramer.
The group America hired him to produce 7 of their albums. After The Beatles
broke up, George produced the “Pipes Of Peace” and “Tug Of War”albums for
Paul McCartney. He was named a ‘knight bachelor’ in 1996.
7. Robert John ’Mutt’ Lange is the name we’re looking for. His production credits
include “Highway To Hell”, “Back In Black” and “For Those About To Rock” for
AC/DC; Def Leppard’s “High ‘n’ Dry” and “Pyromania” albums plus
Foreigner’s “4”. ‘Mutt’ was born in Northern Rhodesia, now known as Zambia
and moved to England in 1970. His work with Canadian singer Shania Twain
resulted in their marriage, the birth of their son, many successful albums
(including 1997’s “Come On Over” album, which became the best selling album
by a female of all time), and their divorce.
8. That duo is Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller. The two met in school in Los Angeles
and discovered they both had a deep seeded love for the blues. For The
Coasters, they wrote 24 songs that made Billboards’ singles chart, including
“Yakety Yak”, “Youngblood”, “Searchin’”, “Along Came Jones”, “Poison Ivy” and
“Charlie Brown”. Elvis Presley took their song “Hound Dog” to the top of the
charts. For ‘The King’, they wrote classics like “Don’t”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “King
Creole” and “Loving You”. Ben E. King recorded Jerry & Mike’s song “Stand By
Me” which made it to number four on the Hot 100 and later was the title song
for the 1986 movie “Stand By Me” starring River Phoenix, COrey Feldman and
Keifer Sutherland. In 1959, Wilbert Harrison’s version of “Kansas City”, a song
Leiber & Stoller had originally called ‘K.C. Lovin’”, went to number one. Other
classic Leiber & Stoller written songs include: “Tell Him” (The Exciters), “She
Cried” (Jay & The Americans), “Love Potion # 9” (The Clovers/The Searchers,
“Is That All There Is?” (Peggy Lee). The Stealers Wheel song, “Stuck In The
Middle With You” was produced by the duo. The Broadway Play, “Smokey Joe’s
Café” features the songs of Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller.
9. He’s Phil Ramone. A&R Studios in Manhattan was once his home base. He
recently finished producing Canadian singer Nikki Yanofsky’s new album. You
might remember her from the opening ceremony of the Vancouver 2010
Olympics. Ramone was born in South Africa and was playing violin from the
age of 3. He played for Queen Elizabeth when he was 10 years old. Phil was a
longtime engineer producer for both Billy Joel and Paul Simon, producing such
classic albums as “52nd Street” and “The Stranger” for Joel – “There Goes
Rhymin’ Simon” and “Graceland” for Simon. Phil Ramone has also produced
music for many television specials and motion pictures, including “A Star is
Born”, “Flashdance” and “Midnight Cowboy” and “Yentl”.
10. Richard Perry is the man who produced Tiny Tim’s “Tip Toe Through The
Tulips” and his “God Bless Tiny Tim” album. Other artists Perry has worked
with include The Pointer Sisters, Burton Cummings, Ringo Starr, Carly Simon,
Harry Nillson, Barbra Streisand, Rod Stewart and Art Garfunkel. For the 1978
movie, “American Hot Wax”, based on the life of pioneering disc jockey Alan
Freed, Perry played a New York record producer. He produced the first three
albums for Rod Stewart’s “Great American Songbook” series.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
“Rock’n’Roll is here to stay…it will never die”. Those lyrics from the Danny & The Juniors 1958 hit are still true today. Rock’n’roll is still going strong. Unfortunately, rock’n’rollers do die….some tragically. This week, we’re looking at some of those souls who passed way before their time. As always, there are 10 questions, so score yourself 10 points for each correct answer – see how close you can come to 100%. Answers are below the questions, so let’s have a go, shall we?
1. This female singer was a member of The Mugmumps before joining the group that made her
world famous. She died in London, England. If it helps, her real name was Ellen Naomi
Cohen, but she hit the top of the charts under a different name. Who is this talented singer?
2. This singer made the successful transition from gospel to pop. He was the son of a Baptist
minister and sang in the church choir from the age of 6. His first number one hit
happened in 1957. Although he never hit the top of the Billboard singles chart again, he did
have 28 Top 40 hits. He was killed in 1964 under mysterious circumstances. Can you name
this singer?
3. His life ended just as his career was ‘taking off’. He was born in the Los Angeles area, but
died tragically in the midwestern United States. He may be the youngest performer to die in
rock history. He was a singer/songwriter who also played guitar. His nickname was ‘The
Little Richard of The Valley’. Who can this be?
4. She was a singer who also played an instrument not usually associated with females at that
time. She worked with a member of her family for most of her successful career and
won two Grammy Awards. She and her sibling had many charted hits which included four
number ones. This one should be easy if you love soft pop ballads. She was born in
New Haven Connecticut and died in Downey, California. She’s also the subject of a brand new
biography currently in stores by author Randy L. Schmidt. Can you name this
sensational singer?
5. He was a country singer who made the pop charts several times in the early 1960’s, usually
with songs about historical events. His only Billboard charted pop number one was
about a famous British/American skirmish in 1814, which won a Grammy Award in 1960 for
‘Best Country & Western Recording’. He’s a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
1960 was also the year of his death from a car crash. Who is this country/pop hitmaker?
6. This LA born singer met one of his future bandmates at film school. In fact, he’d planned to
become a filmmaker, but never got around to it after his groups’ musical career took off. He
was born in 1943 in Florida, but he later became a poster boy for the California lifestyle. His
career was steeped in controversy as drugs and alcohol played a large part in his life. He was
only 27 when he died. Can you name this singer?
7. This singer/songwriter practically grew up on television. His family had a hit TV show. His
first name was Eric, but he became world famous using a nickname for his real one. He
became a singer to impress a girlfriend and his career spanned several decades. He had two
number ones and over two dozen Top Twenty charted records. A ‘party’ at Madison Square
Garden gave him one of his biggest hits in the 1970’s. He died the age of 45 on New Years
Eve, 1985. Who is this TV star and recording legend?
8. This soul singer had his only number one hit after he died. He was born in Georgia and wrote
hits for other performers including Sam & Dave and Aretha Franklin. He was known as
‘The King Of Soul’ and became an international sensation after his tour-de-force performance
at the Monterey Ray Pop Festival in 1967. Sadly he died in December that same year. Can
you name him?
9. She was a hard drinking, hard livin’ sassy Texan who died at at the age of 27. Her ‘big
brothers’ helped her succeed in the music biz. She was a staple on rock album radio stations
This performer only had one number one hit, and, like Otis Redding, it came after her death.
Who is she?
10. This British musician was also 27 years old when he died. He was a member of one of the
worlds’ most famous rock groups, although he’d been kicked out of the group he helped
create. He could play practically any instrument, but got caught up in the world of drugs and
was found drowned in his swimming pool. Can you name this famous musician?
ANSWERS
1. Mama Cass Elliott was born Ellen Naomi Cohen in Baltimore,
Maryland on September 19, 1941. She was a member of The
Mugwumps, which also featured Canadians Zal Yanovsky,
who later joined The Lovin’ Spoonful and Denny Doherty who
was one of her bandmates in The Mamas And Papas. After
the group disbanded, she became a successful solo
performer, racking up her own Top Ten hits and starring in TV
specials. Cass died on a heart attack on July 29, 1974 after
performing several weeks of sold out concerts at the London
Palladium. She was only 32 years old at the time of her
death.
2. That would be Sam Cooke, who was a member of the gospel
group The Soul Stirrers before embarking on a successful
pop career. Sam’s only number one was 1957’s “You Send
Me”. Some of his other hits included “Chain Gang”, “Tiwstin’
The Night Away”, “Cupid”, “Only Sixteen” and “Shake”. Sam
was shot and killed by a Los Angeles motel owner on
December 11, 1964 under mysterious circumstances that
have not been fully explained to this day. Same Cooke was
33 when he died.
3. Ritchie Valens, real name Ricardo Esteban Valenzuela, was
only 17 years and 9 months old when he died in the plane
crash that also killed The Big Bopper and Buddy Holly as well
as the pilot Roger Peterson on February 3, 1959. After a
concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, Holly
chartered a plane to take the trio to their next gig in Fargo,
North Dakota when their plane went down. The 1987 movie
“La Bamba” was the story of Ritchie Valens life. It starred
Lou Diamond Phillips. Ritchie was inducted into the
Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame posthumously in 2001.
4. Karen Carpenter is the singer we’re looking for. She was a
drummer, which she learned to play in high school. Karen
and her brother Richard, along with college friend Wes
Jacobs formed The Richard Carpenter Trio which played jazz
in various nightclubs around the Los Angeles area. In 1969,
A&M Records signed Karen and Richard to a recording
contract with almost instant success. Their hits included
“(They Long To Be) Close To You”, “Rainy Days And
Mondays”, “Top Of The World”, “Please Mr. Postman” and
“We’ve Only Just Begun”, which is still a song many couples
use as their wedding song. Karen had Anorexia Nervosa.
She died from heart failure on February 4, 1983 at the age of
32.
5. John Gale Horton, better known as Johnny Horton had hits
on the country charts as well as the pop charts. His songs
included his only number one, “The Battle Of New Orleans”,
“North To Alaska” and “Sink The Bismark”. Johnny loved to
fish and in his early years was known as ‘The Singing
Fisherman’. In 1953, he married country legend Hank
Williams widow, Bilie Jean. Horton died on November 5, 1960
after his car was struck by a drunk drive in Milano, Texas.
6. James Douglas Morrison, aka Jim Morrison was the singer
we’re looking for. Jim was attending UCLA film school when
a fellow student, Ray Manzarek, read some of his poetry
and though they’d make great songs. Ray was right. The
Doors became hugely successful around Los Angeles,
playing clubs like The Whiskey A-Go-Go. Elektra Records
signed the group and massive hits like “Light My Fire”,
“People Are Strange”, Hello, I Love You”, “Touch Me” and
“Love Her madly” followed. He achieved world wide
adulation with The Doors, but had several run ins with the
law. To escape his problems and get away from fans, Jim
and his wife Pamela moved to Paris, France where he died on
July 3rd, 1971 of a heart attack, although an autopsy was
never performed. He’s buried in Pere-lachaisse cemetery,
where, even today, his gravesite is one of the most visited
tourist attractions in all of Paris.
7. Ricky Nelson was born Eric Hilliard Nelson in 1940. He was a
cast member on his family’s TV show, “The Adventures of
Ozzie & Harriet”. His music career took off in 1957, thanks to
great songs and the fact that his father had Ricky sing many
of them on the TV series. His two number one hits were
“Poor Little Fool” in 1958 and “Travelin’ Man” in 1961,
although he charted 25 songs in the Top Twenty. Ricky
eventually got fed up with being a ‘teen idol’ and dropped the
‘y’ from his first name becoming Rick Nelson. His musical
styles changed to include country and a Rock Revival concert
at Madison Square Garden in New York that he performed on,
gave him his biggest hit of the 1970’s. “Garden Party” went
to number six in 1972 and gave his career a new boost. He
died in a plane crash in DeKalb, Texas on New Years Eve,
1985. Rick Nelson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame in 1987.
8. Otis Redding was ‘The King Of Soul’. His hits included “I’ve
Been Lovin’ You Too Long” and “Try A Little Tenderness”.
He wrote “Respect”, which became a number one for Aretha
Franklin. He co-wrote “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay with
guitar player Steve Cropper, who was a member of Booker T
& The MG’s and one of Stax Records session musicians. Otis
and four members of his back up group The Bar Kays, were
killed when their Beechcraft plane crashed into Lake Monona
in Madison, Wisconsin on December 10, 1967. Three months
later, in March of ’68, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” was
number one on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart. It remained there
for four weeks.
9. Janis Joplin was the lead singer for Big Brother & The
Holding Company. Their biggest charted hit was “Piece Of
My Heart” in 1968 which made it to number twelve on
Billboard. Janis died of a drug overdose in Los Angeles on
October 4, 1970. Her solo hit, “Me And Bobby McGee”,
written by Kris Kristofferson hit number one for two weeks on
March 20th, 1971. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine gave
Janis the rank of 46th on their ‘100 Greatest Artists of All
Time” list.
10. Brian Jones helped create The Rolling Stones and was a founding member. He had un-rock like instruments like marimbas, flutes and sitars to the Stones records. Brian left the group in 1969 (although he was asked to leave by the other members of The Stones). Mick Taylor replaced him in the band. Brian’s body was found floating in his swimming pool in July of ’69. The official cause of death was listed as ‘death by misadventure’. There were claims that Brian was murdered, but no one was ever charged.
1. This female singer was a member of The Mugmumps before joining the group that made her
world famous. She died in London, England. If it helps, her real name was Ellen Naomi
Cohen, but she hit the top of the charts under a different name. Who is this talented singer?
2. This singer made the successful transition from gospel to pop. He was the son of a Baptist
minister and sang in the church choir from the age of 6. His first number one hit
happened in 1957. Although he never hit the top of the Billboard singles chart again, he did
have 28 Top 40 hits. He was killed in 1964 under mysterious circumstances. Can you name
this singer?
3. His life ended just as his career was ‘taking off’. He was born in the Los Angeles area, but
died tragically in the midwestern United States. He may be the youngest performer to die in
rock history. He was a singer/songwriter who also played guitar. His nickname was ‘The
Little Richard of The Valley’. Who can this be?
4. She was a singer who also played an instrument not usually associated with females at that
time. She worked with a member of her family for most of her successful career and
won two Grammy Awards. She and her sibling had many charted hits which included four
number ones. This one should be easy if you love soft pop ballads. She was born in
New Haven Connecticut and died in Downey, California. She’s also the subject of a brand new
biography currently in stores by author Randy L. Schmidt. Can you name this
sensational singer?
5. He was a country singer who made the pop charts several times in the early 1960’s, usually
with songs about historical events. His only Billboard charted pop number one was
about a famous British/American skirmish in 1814, which won a Grammy Award in 1960 for
‘Best Country & Western Recording’. He’s a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
1960 was also the year of his death from a car crash. Who is this country/pop hitmaker?
6. This LA born singer met one of his future bandmates at film school. In fact, he’d planned to
become a filmmaker, but never got around to it after his groups’ musical career took off. He
was born in 1943 in Florida, but he later became a poster boy for the California lifestyle. His
career was steeped in controversy as drugs and alcohol played a large part in his life. He was
only 27 when he died. Can you name this singer?
7. This singer/songwriter practically grew up on television. His family had a hit TV show. His
first name was Eric, but he became world famous using a nickname for his real one. He
became a singer to impress a girlfriend and his career spanned several decades. He had two
number ones and over two dozen Top Twenty charted records. A ‘party’ at Madison Square
Garden gave him one of his biggest hits in the 1970’s. He died the age of 45 on New Years
Eve, 1985. Who is this TV star and recording legend?
8. This soul singer had his only number one hit after he died. He was born in Georgia and wrote
hits for other performers including Sam & Dave and Aretha Franklin. He was known as
‘The King Of Soul’ and became an international sensation after his tour-de-force performance
at the Monterey Ray Pop Festival in 1967. Sadly he died in December that same year. Can
you name him?
9. She was a hard drinking, hard livin’ sassy Texan who died at at the age of 27. Her ‘big
brothers’ helped her succeed in the music biz. She was a staple on rock album radio stations
This performer only had one number one hit, and, like Otis Redding, it came after her death.
Who is she?
10. This British musician was also 27 years old when he died. He was a member of one of the
worlds’ most famous rock groups, although he’d been kicked out of the group he helped
create. He could play practically any instrument, but got caught up in the world of drugs and
was found drowned in his swimming pool. Can you name this famous musician?
ANSWERS
1. Mama Cass Elliott was born Ellen Naomi Cohen in Baltimore,
Maryland on September 19, 1941. She was a member of The
Mugwumps, which also featured Canadians Zal Yanovsky,
who later joined The Lovin’ Spoonful and Denny Doherty who
was one of her bandmates in The Mamas And Papas. After
the group disbanded, she became a successful solo
performer, racking up her own Top Ten hits and starring in TV
specials. Cass died on a heart attack on July 29, 1974 after
performing several weeks of sold out concerts at the London
Palladium. She was only 32 years old at the time of her
death.
2. That would be Sam Cooke, who was a member of the gospel
group The Soul Stirrers before embarking on a successful
pop career. Sam’s only number one was 1957’s “You Send
Me”. Some of his other hits included “Chain Gang”, “Tiwstin’
The Night Away”, “Cupid”, “Only Sixteen” and “Shake”. Sam
was shot and killed by a Los Angeles motel owner on
December 11, 1964 under mysterious circumstances that
have not been fully explained to this day. Same Cooke was
33 when he died.
3. Ritchie Valens, real name Ricardo Esteban Valenzuela, was
only 17 years and 9 months old when he died in the plane
crash that also killed The Big Bopper and Buddy Holly as well
as the pilot Roger Peterson on February 3, 1959. After a
concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, Holly
chartered a plane to take the trio to their next gig in Fargo,
North Dakota when their plane went down. The 1987 movie
“La Bamba” was the story of Ritchie Valens life. It starred
Lou Diamond Phillips. Ritchie was inducted into the
Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame posthumously in 2001.
4. Karen Carpenter is the singer we’re looking for. She was a
drummer, which she learned to play in high school. Karen
and her brother Richard, along with college friend Wes
Jacobs formed The Richard Carpenter Trio which played jazz
in various nightclubs around the Los Angeles area. In 1969,
A&M Records signed Karen and Richard to a recording
contract with almost instant success. Their hits included
“(They Long To Be) Close To You”, “Rainy Days And
Mondays”, “Top Of The World”, “Please Mr. Postman” and
“We’ve Only Just Begun”, which is still a song many couples
use as their wedding song. Karen had Anorexia Nervosa.
She died from heart failure on February 4, 1983 at the age of
32.
5. John Gale Horton, better known as Johnny Horton had hits
on the country charts as well as the pop charts. His songs
included his only number one, “The Battle Of New Orleans”,
“North To Alaska” and “Sink The Bismark”. Johnny loved to
fish and in his early years was known as ‘The Singing
Fisherman’. In 1953, he married country legend Hank
Williams widow, Bilie Jean. Horton died on November 5, 1960
after his car was struck by a drunk drive in Milano, Texas.
6. James Douglas Morrison, aka Jim Morrison was the singer
we’re looking for. Jim was attending UCLA film school when
a fellow student, Ray Manzarek, read some of his poetry
and though they’d make great songs. Ray was right. The
Doors became hugely successful around Los Angeles,
playing clubs like The Whiskey A-Go-Go. Elektra Records
signed the group and massive hits like “Light My Fire”,
“People Are Strange”, Hello, I Love You”, “Touch Me” and
“Love Her madly” followed. He achieved world wide
adulation with The Doors, but had several run ins with the
law. To escape his problems and get away from fans, Jim
and his wife Pamela moved to Paris, France where he died on
July 3rd, 1971 of a heart attack, although an autopsy was
never performed. He’s buried in Pere-lachaisse cemetery,
where, even today, his gravesite is one of the most visited
tourist attractions in all of Paris.
7. Ricky Nelson was born Eric Hilliard Nelson in 1940. He was a
cast member on his family’s TV show, “The Adventures of
Ozzie & Harriet”. His music career took off in 1957, thanks to
great songs and the fact that his father had Ricky sing many
of them on the TV series. His two number one hits were
“Poor Little Fool” in 1958 and “Travelin’ Man” in 1961,
although he charted 25 songs in the Top Twenty. Ricky
eventually got fed up with being a ‘teen idol’ and dropped the
‘y’ from his first name becoming Rick Nelson. His musical
styles changed to include country and a Rock Revival concert
at Madison Square Garden in New York that he performed on,
gave him his biggest hit of the 1970’s. “Garden Party” went
to number six in 1972 and gave his career a new boost. He
died in a plane crash in DeKalb, Texas on New Years Eve,
1985. Rick Nelson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame in 1987.
8. Otis Redding was ‘The King Of Soul’. His hits included “I’ve
Been Lovin’ You Too Long” and “Try A Little Tenderness”.
He wrote “Respect”, which became a number one for Aretha
Franklin. He co-wrote “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay with
guitar player Steve Cropper, who was a member of Booker T
& The MG’s and one of Stax Records session musicians. Otis
and four members of his back up group The Bar Kays, were
killed when their Beechcraft plane crashed into Lake Monona
in Madison, Wisconsin on December 10, 1967. Three months
later, in March of ’68, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” was
number one on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart. It remained there
for four weeks.
9. Janis Joplin was the lead singer for Big Brother & The
Holding Company. Their biggest charted hit was “Piece Of
My Heart” in 1968 which made it to number twelve on
Billboard. Janis died of a drug overdose in Los Angeles on
October 4, 1970. Her solo hit, “Me And Bobby McGee”,
written by Kris Kristofferson hit number one for two weeks on
March 20th, 1971. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine gave
Janis the rank of 46th on their ‘100 Greatest Artists of All
Time” list.
10. Brian Jones helped create The Rolling Stones and was a founding member. He had un-rock like instruments like marimbas, flutes and sitars to the Stones records. Brian left the group in 1969 (although he was asked to leave by the other members of The Stones). Mick Taylor replaced him in the band. Brian’s body was found floating in his swimming pool in July of ’69. The official cause of death was listed as ‘death by misadventure’. There were claims that Brian was murdered, but no one was ever charged.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
It’s Rock’n’Roll trivia time again and this week, we’re looking back at number one songs from the 1980’s. Remember the 80’s? It was the decade of Live Aid, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, John Lennon was tragically murdered, the TV series “Mash” set a new viewership record with its final episode, the space shuttle Challenger exploded and the Berlin Wall came tumbling down. If you think you know ‘80’s rock’n’roll, then most of these should be easy peasy pardner. As usual, there are 10 questions, so score yourself 10 points for each correct answer – see how close you can come to 100%. There are no prizes, just the inner satisfaction of knowing that you know your stuff. Answers are below the questions, so let’s have a go, shall we?
1. This song wasn’t the first TV show theme to make it to number one and it
wouldn’t be the last. It was an uptempo instrumental created for an ‘80’s
weekly TV series about cops. Can you name this famous theme?
2. This female singer became the first artist born during the 1970’s to have a
number one hit. She went by her first name, like Cher, but this isn’t Cher. Who
is she and what was the name of her first number one? (HINT: It was a remake
of a Top Ten hit from 1967)
3. This group started in San Francisco during the ‘flower power’ days of the
1960’s. They were contemporaries of and played many gigs with The Grateful
Dead. Their original female lead singer left the band early on and she was
replaced by a ‘slick’ performer with an incredible vocal range. Over the years,
they changed their name several times until finally sticking with the name they
used when this song reached number one in 1984. Can you guess the group as
well as their hit song?
4. This group had a lead singer named Frederick Bulsara who was born in
Zanzibar, South Africa. He joined up with two former members of a British
group called Smile, added a bass player and in 1971, started the new band. In
1974, they became rock ‘royalty’ when a poll in the British music magazine
Melody Maker named them ‘Band of The year’. Although they had many hits
from 1974, this song was their very first number one. Can you name this group
and their 1980 chart topping hit?
5. There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of songs written and sung about
love. In 1981, when this particular song went to number one, there were 4
songs that reached the top spot that had the world ‘Love’, or a variation, in the
title. This hit went on to become Motown’s most successful single of all
time. It was also the most successful soundtrack single of all time as well as
the most successful duet of all time. The two performers were huge Motown
stars, although the ‘lady’ singer had left the label by this time. Can you name
the song and both of the artists?
6. This Queens, New York born female singer/songriter recently appeared on
Donald Trumps’ TV series, “Celebrity Apprentice”. When she was 17, she quit
school and hitchhiked through Canada with her dog. After returning to the
States, she studied art, sold karate lessons, worked as a secretary and walked
horses at Belmont Park. She won the Grammy Award for ‘Best New Artist of
1984’ (no fair looking it up). She had a lot of ‘fun’ in the recording studio but
this was the first ‘time’ she had a number one hit. What’s the name of this song
and who’s the singer?
7. Tommy James of Tommy James & The Shondells had many hits during his
career, including “Hanky Panky”, “Crystal Blue Persuasion”, “Mirage”,
“Crimson and Clover” and “Draggin’ The Line” to name a few. Several of his
songs went on to become huge hits for other artists. This particular Tommy
James co-written song, leaped to number one in 1987 for a British pop
‘idol’. I think I just gave it away just now, but can you name the singer and the
song?
8. This singers’ first charted hit, back in 1960, had the word ‘Love’ in the title. In
1984, she had her first number one single which also had the word “Love” in its
title. She first became famous as part of a performing duo, but later went on to
solo success. In the movies and on records, she was a ‘Queen’. Can you name
this leggy singer as well as her only number one hit (although she’s come close
a couple of other times)?
9. It’s the only number one hit (so far) sung by more than 40 performers. Even
though some of the artists didn’t think it was rock’n’roll enough, it went on to
sell over seven million copies around the ‘world’. What’s the name of this 1985
number one smash?
10. This British female trio had a rather ‘fruity’ sounding name. One of them
worked for the BBC, while the other two were students at the London School of
Fashion. Their first single was sung in Swahili, but this hit, sung in English,
went to number one in the fall of 1986. It had already been at the top of the
charts once before in 1970. Can you name the song and the group?
ANSWERS
1. Composer Jan Hammer wrote and performed the “Miami Vice Theme” that
went to number one for one week in November 1985. Hammer, who was born in
Czechoslovakia, came to America just before the Russians invaded his
homeland in 1968. Prior to writing original music for every episode of “Miami
Vice”, Jan had composed the soundtrack for the film “A Night In Heaven” in
1983. The next year, Hammer met with producer/director Michael Mann to
discuss Mann’s new TV project about two Miami/Dade cops. The“Miami Vice”
soundtrack album/CD from the NBC series also went to number one on
Billboards’ Album chart where it remained for 11 weeks, making it the most
successful TV soundtrack of all time.
2. That would be Tiffany, who in November of 1987, took the Tommy James and
The Shondells 1967 hit, “I Think We’re Alone Now” to number one I n
November of 1987. Tiffany Darwisch began performing at 9 years of age. She
was 12 when she met producer George Tobin who suggested she record “I Think
We’re Alone Now”. Tiffany didn't really know the original version, but at 13,
she walked into a studio with Tobin and recorded the song. When Tiffany
signed with MCA Records, the label came up with a unique way of promoting
her by having er perform in shopping malls in 14 different cities across the
U.S. to sing for free. In 1988, Tiffany again went to number one with another
George Tobin produced single, “Could’ve Been”.
3. Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” was the group and the song we were
looking for. The band began in the 1960’s as Jefferson Airplane. By the mid
‘70’s, they’d become Jefferson Starship and in 1985, due to legal problems, they
dropped Jefferson and became Starship. Signe Anderson had been Jefferson
Airplane’s original lead singer. She was replaced by Grace Slick, who was the
only ‘original’ member left by the time the band became Starship. Mickey
Thomas, the other lead singer on this hit had formerly been a member of the
Elvin Biship Band and had sung their only Top Ten hit, “Fooled Around And
Fell In Love” in 1976.
4. Remember “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen? Queen’s lead singer,
Freddie Mercury (the former Frederick Bulsara) had written the song while
soaking in his bathtub. Previous hits such as “Killer Queen”, Bohemian
Rhapsody”, “Somebody To Love”, “We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions”,
“You’re My Best Friends” were all Top Twenty hits, but “Crazy Little Thing
Called Love” was Queen’s first number one. Later that same year (1980), Queen
did it again, topping the singles chart a second time with “Another One Bites
The Dust”. Sadly, Freddie Mercury died of complications from AIDS in
November 1991. The Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame inducted Queen in 2001.
5. Diana Ross and Lionel Richie are the two performers and “Endless Love” is the
song. Richie wrote it for the movie, which starred a young Brooke Shields.
Lionel, who, at the time, was still a member of The Commodores, was
recording an album with the group in Los Angeles. Diana Ross was performing
at a casino in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and didn’t have time to fly to LA to record
the duet, so Lionel found a studio in Reno, Nevada (about an hours by car from
Lake Tahoe). Richie flew into Reno from LA; Diana drove there from Tahoe
after her concert and they met in the studio at 3AM. They began recording by
3:30 in the morning and had ‘the final take’ by 5AM. “Endless Love” stayed
number one for 9 weeks in the summer of 1981.
6. She’s Cyndi Lauper and her number one hit was “Time After Time”, a song
Cyndi co-wrote while in the recording studio with keyboard player Rob
Hyman. Before her success as a solo performer, Cyndi had been singing with
the group Blue Angel, who’d had an album released on the Polydor label in
1980. Her debut album, on Portrait Records, “She’s So Unusual”, and the
singles from it set new records on the music charts. Up to that time, ‘60’s
singer Petula Clark (“Downtown”, “Don’t Sleep In The Subway”, “Colour My
World”, “I Know A Place”, “My Love” etc.) was the only female artist of the
rock/pop era to have her first two chart entries make top three on the singles
chart. Cyndi beat that by one with “Girls Just Want To have Fun” going to
number two, “Time After Time” at number one and the follow up hit, “She Bop”
going to number three. When her next single, “All Through The Night” went
top five, Cyndi Lauper became the first artist in the rock/pop era to have four
Top Ten singles from a debut album. And by the way, she didn’t win
“Celebrity Appentice”, Brett Michaels did.
7. He was born William Broad, but it was as Billy Idol that the world first noticed
this British born singer. “Mony Mony” had been a number three hit for Tommy
James in 1968. Billy had been in the band Generation X which didn’t have any
North American hits, although “Dancing With Myself” was highly popular in
dance clubs. In the ‘80’s as a solo artist, Billy hit the Billboard singles chart
with “Hot In The City”, “White Wedding”, “Rebel Yell” and “Eyes Without A
Face”, which went to number 4 in July of 1984. On November 21st, 1987,
“Mony Mony” became Billy Idol’s only number one hit (although 1990’s “Cradle
Of Love” came close at number two).
8. Tina Turner, the former Anna Mae Bullock from Nutbush, Tennessee was the
performer. 1986’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It” was the hit. Tina’s
manager Roger Davies disliked the song, but Terry Britten, the co-writer and
producer, convinced Davies to let Tina record it. And wow, what a hit it
became. Not only was it number one for three weeks, it also won Grammy
Awards for ‘Record of The Year’, ‘Song of the Year’, ‘Pop Vocal Performance –
Female’ and ‘Rock Vocal Performance – Female’.
9. That would be “We Are The World” by USA For Africa, recorded at the A&M
Records studios in Los Angeles on January 29th, 1985 immediately following
the American Music Awards. Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie had written
the song and Quincy Jones had produced it. Gathered around the various
microphones in the studio was a literal who's who of the music biz, from all
genres of music – Harry Belafonte, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Lindsay
Buckingham, Ray Charles, Bob Geldof, most of the Jackson clan – LaToya,
Marlon, Jackie, Randy and Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan,
Willie Nelson, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Waylon Jennings, Smokey Robinson,
Billy Joel, Bette Midler, The Pointer Sisters, Paul Simon, Kenny Loggins,
Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Daryl Hall & John Oates and Dionne Warwick,
just to name 28. The song was number one for four weeks beginning on the
chart of April 13, 1985. It went on to sell over seven million singles and over 4
million albums. Total sales of various “We Are The World” merchandise had
sold over 40 million dollars. Later that summer, the Live Aid concert from
London and Philadelphia would bring in millions more for African Famine
Relief.
10. Siobahn Fahey, Sarah Dallin and Keren Wood formed the group Bananarama
in 1979 and had early hits in England such as “Shy Boy” and “Robert DeNiro’s
Waiting”, but it wasn’t until their song, “Cruel Summer” was featured on the
soundtrack of the movie “The Karate Kid” (the original movie, by the way, not
the recent re-make) that Bananaram had their first North American Top Ten
hit in the fall of 1984. They followed that success with “Venus” which went to
number one on September 6, 1986. It only lasted one week at the top.
“Venus” had been at number one once before, back in 1970 for the Dutch group
Shocking Blue.
1. This song wasn’t the first TV show theme to make it to number one and it
wouldn’t be the last. It was an uptempo instrumental created for an ‘80’s
weekly TV series about cops. Can you name this famous theme?
2. This female singer became the first artist born during the 1970’s to have a
number one hit. She went by her first name, like Cher, but this isn’t Cher. Who
is she and what was the name of her first number one? (HINT: It was a remake
of a Top Ten hit from 1967)
3. This group started in San Francisco during the ‘flower power’ days of the
1960’s. They were contemporaries of and played many gigs with The Grateful
Dead. Their original female lead singer left the band early on and she was
replaced by a ‘slick’ performer with an incredible vocal range. Over the years,
they changed their name several times until finally sticking with the name they
used when this song reached number one in 1984. Can you guess the group as
well as their hit song?
4. This group had a lead singer named Frederick Bulsara who was born in
Zanzibar, South Africa. He joined up with two former members of a British
group called Smile, added a bass player and in 1971, started the new band. In
1974, they became rock ‘royalty’ when a poll in the British music magazine
Melody Maker named them ‘Band of The year’. Although they had many hits
from 1974, this song was their very first number one. Can you name this group
and their 1980 chart topping hit?
5. There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of songs written and sung about
love. In 1981, when this particular song went to number one, there were 4
songs that reached the top spot that had the world ‘Love’, or a variation, in the
title. This hit went on to become Motown’s most successful single of all
time. It was also the most successful soundtrack single of all time as well as
the most successful duet of all time. The two performers were huge Motown
stars, although the ‘lady’ singer had left the label by this time. Can you name
the song and both of the artists?
6. This Queens, New York born female singer/songriter recently appeared on
Donald Trumps’ TV series, “Celebrity Apprentice”. When she was 17, she quit
school and hitchhiked through Canada with her dog. After returning to the
States, she studied art, sold karate lessons, worked as a secretary and walked
horses at Belmont Park. She won the Grammy Award for ‘Best New Artist of
1984’ (no fair looking it up). She had a lot of ‘fun’ in the recording studio but
this was the first ‘time’ she had a number one hit. What’s the name of this song
and who’s the singer?
7. Tommy James of Tommy James & The Shondells had many hits during his
career, including “Hanky Panky”, “Crystal Blue Persuasion”, “Mirage”,
“Crimson and Clover” and “Draggin’ The Line” to name a few. Several of his
songs went on to become huge hits for other artists. This particular Tommy
James co-written song, leaped to number one in 1987 for a British pop
‘idol’. I think I just gave it away just now, but can you name the singer and the
song?
8. This singers’ first charted hit, back in 1960, had the word ‘Love’ in the title. In
1984, she had her first number one single which also had the word “Love” in its
title. She first became famous as part of a performing duo, but later went on to
solo success. In the movies and on records, she was a ‘Queen’. Can you name
this leggy singer as well as her only number one hit (although she’s come close
a couple of other times)?
9. It’s the only number one hit (so far) sung by more than 40 performers. Even
though some of the artists didn’t think it was rock’n’roll enough, it went on to
sell over seven million copies around the ‘world’. What’s the name of this 1985
number one smash?
10. This British female trio had a rather ‘fruity’ sounding name. One of them
worked for the BBC, while the other two were students at the London School of
Fashion. Their first single was sung in Swahili, but this hit, sung in English,
went to number one in the fall of 1986. It had already been at the top of the
charts once before in 1970. Can you name the song and the group?
ANSWERS
1. Composer Jan Hammer wrote and performed the “Miami Vice Theme” that
went to number one for one week in November 1985. Hammer, who was born in
Czechoslovakia, came to America just before the Russians invaded his
homeland in 1968. Prior to writing original music for every episode of “Miami
Vice”, Jan had composed the soundtrack for the film “A Night In Heaven” in
1983. The next year, Hammer met with producer/director Michael Mann to
discuss Mann’s new TV project about two Miami/Dade cops. The“Miami Vice”
soundtrack album/CD from the NBC series also went to number one on
Billboards’ Album chart where it remained for 11 weeks, making it the most
successful TV soundtrack of all time.
2. That would be Tiffany, who in November of 1987, took the Tommy James and
The Shondells 1967 hit, “I Think We’re Alone Now” to number one I n
November of 1987. Tiffany Darwisch began performing at 9 years of age. She
was 12 when she met producer George Tobin who suggested she record “I Think
We’re Alone Now”. Tiffany didn't really know the original version, but at 13,
she walked into a studio with Tobin and recorded the song. When Tiffany
signed with MCA Records, the label came up with a unique way of promoting
her by having er perform in shopping malls in 14 different cities across the
U.S. to sing for free. In 1988, Tiffany again went to number one with another
George Tobin produced single, “Could’ve Been”.
3. Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” was the group and the song we were
looking for. The band began in the 1960’s as Jefferson Airplane. By the mid
‘70’s, they’d become Jefferson Starship and in 1985, due to legal problems, they
dropped Jefferson and became Starship. Signe Anderson had been Jefferson
Airplane’s original lead singer. She was replaced by Grace Slick, who was the
only ‘original’ member left by the time the band became Starship. Mickey
Thomas, the other lead singer on this hit had formerly been a member of the
Elvin Biship Band and had sung their only Top Ten hit, “Fooled Around And
Fell In Love” in 1976.
4. Remember “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen? Queen’s lead singer,
Freddie Mercury (the former Frederick Bulsara) had written the song while
soaking in his bathtub. Previous hits such as “Killer Queen”, Bohemian
Rhapsody”, “Somebody To Love”, “We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions”,
“You’re My Best Friends” were all Top Twenty hits, but “Crazy Little Thing
Called Love” was Queen’s first number one. Later that same year (1980), Queen
did it again, topping the singles chart a second time with “Another One Bites
The Dust”. Sadly, Freddie Mercury died of complications from AIDS in
November 1991. The Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame inducted Queen in 2001.
5. Diana Ross and Lionel Richie are the two performers and “Endless Love” is the
song. Richie wrote it for the movie, which starred a young Brooke Shields.
Lionel, who, at the time, was still a member of The Commodores, was
recording an album with the group in Los Angeles. Diana Ross was performing
at a casino in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and didn’t have time to fly to LA to record
the duet, so Lionel found a studio in Reno, Nevada (about an hours by car from
Lake Tahoe). Richie flew into Reno from LA; Diana drove there from Tahoe
after her concert and they met in the studio at 3AM. They began recording by
3:30 in the morning and had ‘the final take’ by 5AM. “Endless Love” stayed
number one for 9 weeks in the summer of 1981.
6. She’s Cyndi Lauper and her number one hit was “Time After Time”, a song
Cyndi co-wrote while in the recording studio with keyboard player Rob
Hyman. Before her success as a solo performer, Cyndi had been singing with
the group Blue Angel, who’d had an album released on the Polydor label in
1980. Her debut album, on Portrait Records, “She’s So Unusual”, and the
singles from it set new records on the music charts. Up to that time, ‘60’s
singer Petula Clark (“Downtown”, “Don’t Sleep In The Subway”, “Colour My
World”, “I Know A Place”, “My Love” etc.) was the only female artist of the
rock/pop era to have her first two chart entries make top three on the singles
chart. Cyndi beat that by one with “Girls Just Want To have Fun” going to
number two, “Time After Time” at number one and the follow up hit, “She Bop”
going to number three. When her next single, “All Through The Night” went
top five, Cyndi Lauper became the first artist in the rock/pop era to have four
Top Ten singles from a debut album. And by the way, she didn’t win
“Celebrity Appentice”, Brett Michaels did.
7. He was born William Broad, but it was as Billy Idol that the world first noticed
this British born singer. “Mony Mony” had been a number three hit for Tommy
James in 1968. Billy had been in the band Generation X which didn’t have any
North American hits, although “Dancing With Myself” was highly popular in
dance clubs. In the ‘80’s as a solo artist, Billy hit the Billboard singles chart
with “Hot In The City”, “White Wedding”, “Rebel Yell” and “Eyes Without A
Face”, which went to number 4 in July of 1984. On November 21st, 1987,
“Mony Mony” became Billy Idol’s only number one hit (although 1990’s “Cradle
Of Love” came close at number two).
8. Tina Turner, the former Anna Mae Bullock from Nutbush, Tennessee was the
performer. 1986’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It” was the hit. Tina’s
manager Roger Davies disliked the song, but Terry Britten, the co-writer and
producer, convinced Davies to let Tina record it. And wow, what a hit it
became. Not only was it number one for three weeks, it also won Grammy
Awards for ‘Record of The Year’, ‘Song of the Year’, ‘Pop Vocal Performance –
Female’ and ‘Rock Vocal Performance – Female’.
9. That would be “We Are The World” by USA For Africa, recorded at the A&M
Records studios in Los Angeles on January 29th, 1985 immediately following
the American Music Awards. Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie had written
the song and Quincy Jones had produced it. Gathered around the various
microphones in the studio was a literal who's who of the music biz, from all
genres of music – Harry Belafonte, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Lindsay
Buckingham, Ray Charles, Bob Geldof, most of the Jackson clan – LaToya,
Marlon, Jackie, Randy and Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan,
Willie Nelson, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Waylon Jennings, Smokey Robinson,
Billy Joel, Bette Midler, The Pointer Sisters, Paul Simon, Kenny Loggins,
Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Daryl Hall & John Oates and Dionne Warwick,
just to name 28. The song was number one for four weeks beginning on the
chart of April 13, 1985. It went on to sell over seven million singles and over 4
million albums. Total sales of various “We Are The World” merchandise had
sold over 40 million dollars. Later that summer, the Live Aid concert from
London and Philadelphia would bring in millions more for African Famine
Relief.
10. Siobahn Fahey, Sarah Dallin and Keren Wood formed the group Bananarama
in 1979 and had early hits in England such as “Shy Boy” and “Robert DeNiro’s
Waiting”, but it wasn’t until their song, “Cruel Summer” was featured on the
soundtrack of the movie “The Karate Kid” (the original movie, by the way, not
the recent re-make) that Bananaram had their first North American Top Ten
hit in the fall of 1984. They followed that success with “Venus” which went to
number one on September 6, 1986. It only lasted one week at the top.
“Venus” had been at number one once before, back in 1970 for the Dutch group
Shocking Blue.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
It’s time for more rock’n’roll trivia gang. This week, we’re going back to the British Invasion, which was launched when The Beatles first came to North America to appear on CBS TV’s Ed Sullivan Show on February 9th, 1964. The floodgates then opened and dozens of British musical acts became international super stars. If you know rock’n’roll, then most of these should be fairly easy. As usual, there are 10 questions, so give yourself 10 points for each correct answer – see how close you can come to 100%. Answers are below the questions. Have fun.
1. Which British performers, after The Beatles, were next to have a ‘world wide’ number one hit
on Billboards’ Hot 100 singles chart?
2. Horror film actors Boris Karloff, Bela Lagosi and Vincent Price would have been right at home
in this British band. There’s ‘no telling’ how big this group could have been had they not
broken up in 1967. What's the name of this group?
3. This legendary guitar player was nicknamed ‘Slowhand’ and played in several successful
British groups before striking out on his own. His only North American number one hit,
‘shot’ up the charts in 1974. Can you name him?
4. ‘Britain’s answer to Bob Dylan’ was actually a Scottish born folksinger who was anything but
‘mellow’. He first hit the Billboard singles chart in 1965 with a couple of folkie songs, but 1966
was by far his biggest year with both a number one and a number two to his credit. Can you
name this hit maker?
5. The Beatles were known for their ‘Liverpool Sound’ and the ‘Mersey Beat’. This group was
labeled by the media as the ‘Tottenham Sound’, named for the area in England that they were
from. There were ‘five’ guys in this band. Their leader (the group was named after him) was
a former movie stunt man. Can you name the group?
6. This band came from Newscastle, in the north of England. Their debut world wide hit was
recorded on the first take and went straight to number one. They were never a ‘burden’ on
their record company, as they racked up hit after hit. What’s the name of this band?
7. Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien charted 21 songs on Billboards Hot 100, and that
includes seven Top Twenty hits. Of course, those hits were under her stage name. Can you
name this British beauty?
8. This Scottish chart topper also has a name that would choke a horse. It’s Marie McDonald
McLaughlin Lawrie, but she later shortened it to just one word. Led Zeppelins’ Jimmy Page
played guitar (as a session musician) on several of her songs. She made her acting debut in a
1967 film and sang the title song, She later married one of The Bee Gees. Who is she?
9. This legendary club was located on Wardour Street in the heart of London. Just about every
major British group has played there (although The Beatles never did). Can you name this
famous club?
10. 1967 was this groups’ biggest chart year. They’d had several hits previously on the British
charts that had been written by a Jamaican songwriter. But in 67, they climbed into the Top
Ten chart twice. The group was named after the Swansea, Wales born guitar player. What’s
the name of this ‘group’?
ANSWERS
1. The Beatles hit number one on February 1st, 1964. The song that took them there, “I Want
To Hold Your Hand” stayed at number one for 7 weeks. The Beatles replaced themselves
at the top of the charts with “She Loves You” on March 21, 1964. Three weeks later, they
replaced themselves again with “Can’t Buy Me Love” which remained in the top spot for 5
more weeks. The next British group to top the charts was Peter & Gordon’s “A World
Without Love” on June 27. The duo (Peter Asher and Gordon Waller) had several
connections to The Beatles. “A World Without Love” had, in fact, been written by Paul
McCartney and John Lennon and at the time, Paul was dating Peter’s sister Jane Asher. It is
a small world after all.
2. Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, Paul Atkinson , Chris White and Hugh Grundy were The
Zombies. Their first hit, “She’s Not There” made it to number two on December 12th, 1964.
The next year, “Tell Her No” climbed to number six. The group disbanded in 1967. Rod
Argent later formed the group Argent. Nearly two years after they broke up, The Zombies
were back in the Top Ten singles chart (at number three) with “Time Of The Season”, a song
recorded before the boys in the band went their separate ways.
3. Eric Clapton is the man we're looking for. He was in The Yardbirds, Blind Faith with Steve
Winwood and co-founded the group Cream with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. His first
charted hit as a solo artist came in 1970 with “After Midnight”, a top 3 song. Eric's signature
song, “Layla” only made it to number 51 when it was first released in 1971. The following
year, it zoomed up to the number 10 spot. In 1992, Eric’s acoustic version of “Layla” again
climbed the charts all the way to number two. But Eric’s ONLY number one hit (at
least so far) was his version of the Bob Marley written song, “I Shot The Sheriff” in the
summer of ’74.
4. That would be Scottish born Donovan Leitch, who came into the world in Glasgow, Scotland
on May 10th, 1946. His first Billboard charted hits were “ Catch The Wind” (# 23),
“Colours” (# 61) and “Universal Soldier” (# 53). In 1966 he scored his only number one to
date with “Sunshine Superman”. A few months later, he followed with “Mellow Yellow”,
which went to number two. His other Top Ten hits include “Hurdy Gurdy Man” (#5) in 1968
and “Atlantis” (# 7). In 1968. His daughter, Ione Skye and son Donovan Leitch Jr. are both
actors. You may have seen Ione Skye in TV series such as the new “Twilight Zone” in 2002,
an episode of “Arrested Development” in 2005 and “The Dead Zone” in 2003. She was also
in the 1986 film, “The Rivers Edge” which starred Dennis Hopper, Crispin Glover and Keanu
Reeves. In that movie, she’s credited as Ione Skye Leitch.
5. Dave Clark was the leader and drummer for The Dave Clark Five. A few weeks after The
Beatles performed on CBS TV’s Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964, The Dave Clark Five
had a Top 10 hit (# 6 actually) with “Glad All Over”. In April, they struck gold again with
“Bits And Pieces”, a number four hit. Other chart successes include “Do You Love Me”,
“Can’t You See That She’s Mine”, “Because”, “Catch Us If You Can” and The Dave Clark
Five’s ONLY number one, “Over And Over”.
6. The Animals is the name of this band and their first hit, “The House Of The Rising
Sun” (recorded in one take) was number one for 3 weeks beginning on September 5th, 1964.
The Animals other hits include: “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”, “We Gotta Get Out Of
This Place”, “It’s My Life” and “Don’t Bring Me Down”.
7. Mary took the name of Dusty Springfield and started having hits with a group called The
Springfields, which included her brother Tom. She had solo success with “I Only want To Be
With You”, “Wishin’ And Hopin’”, “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” and “Son Of A
Preacher Man”. Her last hit, “What Have I Done To Deserve This?” came in late 1987 with
Pet Shop Boys. Dusty died of cancer in 1999 at the age of 59. She was inducted into the Rock
And Roll Hall Of Fame that same year.
8. Mary McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie became Lulu and her biggest hit, “To Sir With Love” was
the title song from the movie starring Sydney Poitier. In 1969, she married Maurice
Gibb of The Bee Gees, but they were divorced in 1973. She’s since remarried a couple of
times and these days officially goes by the name Lulu Kennedy-Cairns. Lulu went on to a
successful TV career in England. Her autobiography, “I Don’t Want To Fight” was published
in 2002.
9. That would be the Marquee Club, which was originally on Oxford Street, but in 1964, moved
to its more famous location at 90 Wardour Street. The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink
Floyd, The Who, Yes, Jethro Tull, The Moody Blues, The Jimi Hendrix Experience are just
some of the legendary bands who've played there on a regular basis in the 1960’s. Later,
groups such as The Police, The Cure, Joy Division, Dire Straits, Iron Maiden, and Def Leppard
performed at The Marquee. The club was sold and moved several times. It no longer exists,
but remains a fond memory for all who either played there or went as music fans.
10. The Spencer Davis Group is the correct answer. Reggae musician Jackie Edwards had
written their first British hits, “Keep on Running” and “Somebody Help Me”, but it was lead
singer and organist Steve Winwood, who co-wrote both of their 1967 Top 10 hits, “Gimme
Some Lovin’” and “I’m A Man”, a song that charted in 1971 by the Chicago Transit
Authority, who then shortened their name to Chicago.
1. Which British performers, after The Beatles, were next to have a ‘world wide’ number one hit
on Billboards’ Hot 100 singles chart?
2. Horror film actors Boris Karloff, Bela Lagosi and Vincent Price would have been right at home
in this British band. There’s ‘no telling’ how big this group could have been had they not
broken up in 1967. What's the name of this group?
3. This legendary guitar player was nicknamed ‘Slowhand’ and played in several successful
British groups before striking out on his own. His only North American number one hit,
‘shot’ up the charts in 1974. Can you name him?
4. ‘Britain’s answer to Bob Dylan’ was actually a Scottish born folksinger who was anything but
‘mellow’. He first hit the Billboard singles chart in 1965 with a couple of folkie songs, but 1966
was by far his biggest year with both a number one and a number two to his credit. Can you
name this hit maker?
5. The Beatles were known for their ‘Liverpool Sound’ and the ‘Mersey Beat’. This group was
labeled by the media as the ‘Tottenham Sound’, named for the area in England that they were
from. There were ‘five’ guys in this band. Their leader (the group was named after him) was
a former movie stunt man. Can you name the group?
6. This band came from Newscastle, in the north of England. Their debut world wide hit was
recorded on the first take and went straight to number one. They were never a ‘burden’ on
their record company, as they racked up hit after hit. What’s the name of this band?
7. Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien charted 21 songs on Billboards Hot 100, and that
includes seven Top Twenty hits. Of course, those hits were under her stage name. Can you
name this British beauty?
8. This Scottish chart topper also has a name that would choke a horse. It’s Marie McDonald
McLaughlin Lawrie, but she later shortened it to just one word. Led Zeppelins’ Jimmy Page
played guitar (as a session musician) on several of her songs. She made her acting debut in a
1967 film and sang the title song, She later married one of The Bee Gees. Who is she?
9. This legendary club was located on Wardour Street in the heart of London. Just about every
major British group has played there (although The Beatles never did). Can you name this
famous club?
10. 1967 was this groups’ biggest chart year. They’d had several hits previously on the British
charts that had been written by a Jamaican songwriter. But in 67, they climbed into the Top
Ten chart twice. The group was named after the Swansea, Wales born guitar player. What’s
the name of this ‘group’?
ANSWERS
1. The Beatles hit number one on February 1st, 1964. The song that took them there, “I Want
To Hold Your Hand” stayed at number one for 7 weeks. The Beatles replaced themselves
at the top of the charts with “She Loves You” on March 21, 1964. Three weeks later, they
replaced themselves again with “Can’t Buy Me Love” which remained in the top spot for 5
more weeks. The next British group to top the charts was Peter & Gordon’s “A World
Without Love” on June 27. The duo (Peter Asher and Gordon Waller) had several
connections to The Beatles. “A World Without Love” had, in fact, been written by Paul
McCartney and John Lennon and at the time, Paul was dating Peter’s sister Jane Asher. It is
a small world after all.
2. Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, Paul Atkinson , Chris White and Hugh Grundy were The
Zombies. Their first hit, “She’s Not There” made it to number two on December 12th, 1964.
The next year, “Tell Her No” climbed to number six. The group disbanded in 1967. Rod
Argent later formed the group Argent. Nearly two years after they broke up, The Zombies
were back in the Top Ten singles chart (at number three) with “Time Of The Season”, a song
recorded before the boys in the band went their separate ways.
3. Eric Clapton is the man we're looking for. He was in The Yardbirds, Blind Faith with Steve
Winwood and co-founded the group Cream with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. His first
charted hit as a solo artist came in 1970 with “After Midnight”, a top 3 song. Eric's signature
song, “Layla” only made it to number 51 when it was first released in 1971. The following
year, it zoomed up to the number 10 spot. In 1992, Eric’s acoustic version of “Layla” again
climbed the charts all the way to number two. But Eric’s ONLY number one hit (at
least so far) was his version of the Bob Marley written song, “I Shot The Sheriff” in the
summer of ’74.
4. That would be Scottish born Donovan Leitch, who came into the world in Glasgow, Scotland
on May 10th, 1946. His first Billboard charted hits were “ Catch The Wind” (# 23),
“Colours” (# 61) and “Universal Soldier” (# 53). In 1966 he scored his only number one to
date with “Sunshine Superman”. A few months later, he followed with “Mellow Yellow”,
which went to number two. His other Top Ten hits include “Hurdy Gurdy Man” (#5) in 1968
and “Atlantis” (# 7). In 1968. His daughter, Ione Skye and son Donovan Leitch Jr. are both
actors. You may have seen Ione Skye in TV series such as the new “Twilight Zone” in 2002,
an episode of “Arrested Development” in 2005 and “The Dead Zone” in 2003. She was also
in the 1986 film, “The Rivers Edge” which starred Dennis Hopper, Crispin Glover and Keanu
Reeves. In that movie, she’s credited as Ione Skye Leitch.
5. Dave Clark was the leader and drummer for The Dave Clark Five. A few weeks after The
Beatles performed on CBS TV’s Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964, The Dave Clark Five
had a Top 10 hit (# 6 actually) with “Glad All Over”. In April, they struck gold again with
“Bits And Pieces”, a number four hit. Other chart successes include “Do You Love Me”,
“Can’t You See That She’s Mine”, “Because”, “Catch Us If You Can” and The Dave Clark
Five’s ONLY number one, “Over And Over”.
6. The Animals is the name of this band and their first hit, “The House Of The Rising
Sun” (recorded in one take) was number one for 3 weeks beginning on September 5th, 1964.
The Animals other hits include: “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”, “We Gotta Get Out Of
This Place”, “It’s My Life” and “Don’t Bring Me Down”.
7. Mary took the name of Dusty Springfield and started having hits with a group called The
Springfields, which included her brother Tom. She had solo success with “I Only want To Be
With You”, “Wishin’ And Hopin’”, “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” and “Son Of A
Preacher Man”. Her last hit, “What Have I Done To Deserve This?” came in late 1987 with
Pet Shop Boys. Dusty died of cancer in 1999 at the age of 59. She was inducted into the Rock
And Roll Hall Of Fame that same year.
8. Mary McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie became Lulu and her biggest hit, “To Sir With Love” was
the title song from the movie starring Sydney Poitier. In 1969, she married Maurice
Gibb of The Bee Gees, but they were divorced in 1973. She’s since remarried a couple of
times and these days officially goes by the name Lulu Kennedy-Cairns. Lulu went on to a
successful TV career in England. Her autobiography, “I Don’t Want To Fight” was published
in 2002.
9. That would be the Marquee Club, which was originally on Oxford Street, but in 1964, moved
to its more famous location at 90 Wardour Street. The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink
Floyd, The Who, Yes, Jethro Tull, The Moody Blues, The Jimi Hendrix Experience are just
some of the legendary bands who've played there on a regular basis in the 1960’s. Later,
groups such as The Police, The Cure, Joy Division, Dire Straits, Iron Maiden, and Def Leppard
performed at The Marquee. The club was sold and moved several times. It no longer exists,
but remains a fond memory for all who either played there or went as music fans.
10. The Spencer Davis Group is the correct answer. Reggae musician Jackie Edwards had
written their first British hits, “Keep on Running” and “Somebody Help Me”, but it was lead
singer and organist Steve Winwood, who co-wrote both of their 1967 Top 10 hits, “Gimme
Some Lovin’” and “I’m A Man”, a song that charted in 1971 by the Chicago Transit
Authority, who then shortened their name to Chicago.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Hey...we’re back once again with more rock’n’roll trivia.time once. Glad you’re having fun with it. This week, we’re looking at famous places in rock’n’roll. See if you can guess who or what was located at the addresses below. If you know rock’n’roll, then most of these should be fairly easy. We have 10 questions, so give yourself 10 points for each correct answer – see how close you can come to 100%. Answers, as always, are below the questions. Good luck.
1. What famous record company was and is still located at 706 Union Street in Memphis,
Tennessee?
2. Another equally famous record company was also located in Memphis on East McLemore
Avenue. Originally, it had been a movie theatre that was converted into offices and a
recording studio. Can you name this company that ‘souled’ millions of hit records?
3. This midtown Manhattan venue at 881 7th Avenue has been home to thousands of classical,
jazz and rock’n’roll concerts. The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles and The Beatles have all
performed there. There was even a 1947 movie named after this world famous
institution. Can you name it?
4. This recording studio is located on this world famous street in London and was originally built
by EMI. The Hollies, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Gerry & The Pacemakers are but a few
of the hundreds of hitmakers who recorded here. A year after a 1969 album that sold millions
of copies EMI changed the name of the studio complex from EMI Studios to what?
5. This famous recording studio was located in this tiny, out-of-the-way town in New Mexico.
Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, The Fireballs were just some of the artists whp traveled to this
hit-making mecca. Can you name the town and the studio?
6. In the heart of Hollywood, California sits a building built in 1956 by a record company that
once had Nat ‘King’ Cole, The Beach Boys, Judy Garland, Buck Owens, Frank Sinatra, Tex
Ritter, Anne Murray, Dean Martin, Bob Seger and The Beatles under contract. Many
famous celebrities have their stars located in front of world famous landmark. This is almost
too easy, but I'll ask the question anyhow - What is this building?
7. These days, it’s a museum, but back in the 1960’s this was a hit making factory located at
2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. What record company was located there?
8. This Hollywood hot spot, located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, was home to many legendary
performances during the 1960’s, ‘70’s, ''80's and '90's. Can you name this famous club?
9. This legendary venue is also located in Hollywood. Paul McCartney recently performed there
after an absence of over 40 years. You can come enjoy a concert and have a catered
meal ‘under the stars’ at the same time. What’s the name of this famous Hollywood musical
landmark?
10. The city of Chicago was a hotbed for rhythm & blues. This legendary ‘Windy City’ record
label was founded by 2 Polish brothers who cornered the Chicago R&B market and along the
way, discovered artists such as Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters. Can you name this record
label?
ANSWERS
1. That would be Sun Records, originally owned by Sam Phillips. Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis,
Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison all recorded there at one time or another. These days, it’s a
highly popular Memphis tourist attraction as well as a still-active recording studio. U2 is just
one of the contemporary acts who have recorded there in recent years.
2. Stax Records was located on East McLemore Avenue in Memphis. Rufus Thomas, Otis
Redding, Carla Thomas (daughter of Rufus), The Mar-Keys, Booker T & The M.G.’s
Eddy Floyd, Isaac Hayes (also one of the main writer/producers at Stax) and Sam & Dave all
recorded for Stax (although some of these came out on Atlantic Records or one of its’
subsidiaries as Stax had a releasing deal with Atlantic. The name Stax comes from the names
of founding partners (as well as brother and sister) Jim STewart and Estelle AXton (Axton
was Estelles’ married name).
3. The legendary venue at 881 7th Avenue is Carnegie Hall, which was built in 1891 and
financed by wealthy industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The main Hall (there
are several smaller halls in the building) seats 2,804. Carnegie Hall was designated a national
historic landmark in 1962. Bill Haley & The Comets, Harry Belafonte, The Beatles, Judy
Garland, The Rolling Stones, Ike & Tina Turner, Pink Floyd, Count Basie, The Beach Boys,
Ray Charles and Chicago have all performed concerts at Carnegie Hall over the years.
4. That would be the world famous Abbey Road Studios located at 3 Abbey Road, St. John’s
Wood, City of Westminster, London. It was originally a 9 bedroom Georgian townhouse,
but was converted to recording studios by The Gramophone Company in 1931. That
company eventually became EMI.
5. The studio, located in Clovis, New Mexico was owned by Norman Petty. Petty became
famous after producing many of Buddy Holly’s early hits. Norman Petty died from Leukemia
in 1984 at the age of 57. His studio is still open for tours, but is no longer a working recording
studio.
6. The Capitol Records tower was completed in 1956. It’s a 13 story, earthquake proof
building located at 1750 North Vine Street, just north of the corner of Hollywood and Vine in
the heart of Hollywood. In 2006, the building was sold to developers by owner EMI. Beatle
John Lennon’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located on the sidewalk in front of
the Capitol tower.
7. That would be the Motown Studios. Founder Berry Gordy lived upstairs in the company’s
early days. Gordy bought several houses beside the studios, which he used for various
aspects of Motown. The studios at 2548 West Grand Boulevard were known as “Hitsville
USA”. Motown artists like Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Four Tops, The
Jackson 5, Martha & The Vandellas, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye all recorded in these
studios. “Standing In The Shadow of Motown”, a documentary tribute to the Motown
session musicians known as The Funk Brothers, was released in 2002 and is currently
available on DVD.
8. The Whiskey A Go-Go is the club we’re talking about. The Byrds, The Doors, Led Zeppelin,
Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Guns ‘N’ Roses and The Police are just a few of the artists that
have performed at the Whiskey. Johnny Rivers’ 1964 album, “Johnny Rivers At The
Whiskey A Go-Go” contained the hit, “Memphis”. Later that same year, Johnny released
“Here We Go-Go Again”, again recorded at The Whiskey A Go-Go. The following year
(1965), Johnny returned to record the album, “Meanwhile (Back At The Whiskey A Go Go)”.
9. That’s The Hollywood Bowl, located at 2301 North Highland Avenue. The distinctive
‘bandshell’ Bowl, which opened in July of 1922, can seat just under 18,000 patrons. Artists
who’ve performed there read like a ‘who’s who’ of the music business and include The Beach
Boys, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Al Jolson, Billie Holiday, Judy Garland
and Monty Python. The Beatles recorded their 1964 and ’65 concerts at The Hollywood
Bowl, but those performances didn’t see the light of day until 1977 when “The Beatles
At The Hollywood Bowl” was released.
10. Chess Records is the name we were looking for. Brothers Leonard and Phil Chess bought
Aristocrat Records in 1949, renaming it Chess Records in 1950. They not only owned the
label, they also produced the music and handled the business side as well. Artists signed and
recorded to Chess Records includes Bo Diddley, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry,
John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed and Little Walter just to name a
few. The Rolling Stones, who took their name from the 1950 Muddy Waters song, “Rollin’
Stone” (also known as “Catfish Blues”), so loved the Chess sound that they insisted on
recording there early on in their career. Much of that material was released as “The Rolling
Stones Now” album.
1. What famous record company was and is still located at 706 Union Street in Memphis,
Tennessee?
2. Another equally famous record company was also located in Memphis on East McLemore
Avenue. Originally, it had been a movie theatre that was converted into offices and a
recording studio. Can you name this company that ‘souled’ millions of hit records?
3. This midtown Manhattan venue at 881 7th Avenue has been home to thousands of classical,
jazz and rock’n’roll concerts. The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles and The Beatles have all
performed there. There was even a 1947 movie named after this world famous
institution. Can you name it?
4. This recording studio is located on this world famous street in London and was originally built
by EMI. The Hollies, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Gerry & The Pacemakers are but a few
of the hundreds of hitmakers who recorded here. A year after a 1969 album that sold millions
of copies EMI changed the name of the studio complex from EMI Studios to what?
5. This famous recording studio was located in this tiny, out-of-the-way town in New Mexico.
Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, The Fireballs were just some of the artists whp traveled to this
hit-making mecca. Can you name the town and the studio?
6. In the heart of Hollywood, California sits a building built in 1956 by a record company that
once had Nat ‘King’ Cole, The Beach Boys, Judy Garland, Buck Owens, Frank Sinatra, Tex
Ritter, Anne Murray, Dean Martin, Bob Seger and The Beatles under contract. Many
famous celebrities have their stars located in front of world famous landmark. This is almost
too easy, but I'll ask the question anyhow - What is this building?
7. These days, it’s a museum, but back in the 1960’s this was a hit making factory located at
2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. What record company was located there?
8. This Hollywood hot spot, located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, was home to many legendary
performances during the 1960’s, ‘70’s, ''80's and '90's. Can you name this famous club?
9. This legendary venue is also located in Hollywood. Paul McCartney recently performed there
after an absence of over 40 years. You can come enjoy a concert and have a catered
meal ‘under the stars’ at the same time. What’s the name of this famous Hollywood musical
landmark?
10. The city of Chicago was a hotbed for rhythm & blues. This legendary ‘Windy City’ record
label was founded by 2 Polish brothers who cornered the Chicago R&B market and along the
way, discovered artists such as Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters. Can you name this record
label?
ANSWERS
1. That would be Sun Records, originally owned by Sam Phillips. Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis,
Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison all recorded there at one time or another. These days, it’s a
highly popular Memphis tourist attraction as well as a still-active recording studio. U2 is just
one of the contemporary acts who have recorded there in recent years.
2. Stax Records was located on East McLemore Avenue in Memphis. Rufus Thomas, Otis
Redding, Carla Thomas (daughter of Rufus), The Mar-Keys, Booker T & The M.G.’s
Eddy Floyd, Isaac Hayes (also one of the main writer/producers at Stax) and Sam & Dave all
recorded for Stax (although some of these came out on Atlantic Records or one of its’
subsidiaries as Stax had a releasing deal with Atlantic. The name Stax comes from the names
of founding partners (as well as brother and sister) Jim STewart and Estelle AXton (Axton
was Estelles’ married name).
3. The legendary venue at 881 7th Avenue is Carnegie Hall, which was built in 1891 and
financed by wealthy industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The main Hall (there
are several smaller halls in the building) seats 2,804. Carnegie Hall was designated a national
historic landmark in 1962. Bill Haley & The Comets, Harry Belafonte, The Beatles, Judy
Garland, The Rolling Stones, Ike & Tina Turner, Pink Floyd, Count Basie, The Beach Boys,
Ray Charles and Chicago have all performed concerts at Carnegie Hall over the years.
4. That would be the world famous Abbey Road Studios located at 3 Abbey Road, St. John’s
Wood, City of Westminster, London. It was originally a 9 bedroom Georgian townhouse,
but was converted to recording studios by The Gramophone Company in 1931. That
company eventually became EMI.
5. The studio, located in Clovis, New Mexico was owned by Norman Petty. Petty became
famous after producing many of Buddy Holly’s early hits. Norman Petty died from Leukemia
in 1984 at the age of 57. His studio is still open for tours, but is no longer a working recording
studio.
6. The Capitol Records tower was completed in 1956. It’s a 13 story, earthquake proof
building located at 1750 North Vine Street, just north of the corner of Hollywood and Vine in
the heart of Hollywood. In 2006, the building was sold to developers by owner EMI. Beatle
John Lennon’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located on the sidewalk in front of
the Capitol tower.
7. That would be the Motown Studios. Founder Berry Gordy lived upstairs in the company’s
early days. Gordy bought several houses beside the studios, which he used for various
aspects of Motown. The studios at 2548 West Grand Boulevard were known as “Hitsville
USA”. Motown artists like Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Four Tops, The
Jackson 5, Martha & The Vandellas, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye all recorded in these
studios. “Standing In The Shadow of Motown”, a documentary tribute to the Motown
session musicians known as The Funk Brothers, was released in 2002 and is currently
available on DVD.
8. The Whiskey A Go-Go is the club we’re talking about. The Byrds, The Doors, Led Zeppelin,
Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Guns ‘N’ Roses and The Police are just a few of the artists that
have performed at the Whiskey. Johnny Rivers’ 1964 album, “Johnny Rivers At The
Whiskey A Go-Go” contained the hit, “Memphis”. Later that same year, Johnny released
“Here We Go-Go Again”, again recorded at The Whiskey A Go-Go. The following year
(1965), Johnny returned to record the album, “Meanwhile (Back At The Whiskey A Go Go)”.
9. That’s The Hollywood Bowl, located at 2301 North Highland Avenue. The distinctive
‘bandshell’ Bowl, which opened in July of 1922, can seat just under 18,000 patrons. Artists
who’ve performed there read like a ‘who’s who’ of the music business and include The Beach
Boys, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Al Jolson, Billie Holiday, Judy Garland
and Monty Python. The Beatles recorded their 1964 and ’65 concerts at The Hollywood
Bowl, but those performances didn’t see the light of day until 1977 when “The Beatles
At The Hollywood Bowl” was released.
10. Chess Records is the name we were looking for. Brothers Leonard and Phil Chess bought
Aristocrat Records in 1949, renaming it Chess Records in 1950. They not only owned the
label, they also produced the music and handled the business side as well. Artists signed and
recorded to Chess Records includes Bo Diddley, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry,
John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed and Little Walter just to name a
few. The Rolling Stones, who took their name from the 1950 Muddy Waters song, “Rollin’
Stone” (also known as “Catfish Blues”), so loved the Chess sound that they insisted on
recording there early on in their career. Much of that material was released as “The Rolling
Stones Now” album.
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