Well, here we In April – tax time in North America. Americans file by April 15th. Canadians get two extra weeks until April 30. Everybody’s thinking about money right now, so that’s what this week’s edition is all about – songs that had something to do with the ‘long green’. ‘Money’ songs that made Billboards’ Hot 100 chart include “Moneytalks” by AC/DC in 1991; Cyndi Laupers’ 1985 Top 30 hit “Money Changes Everything”;”Money Honey” by Elvis Presley from 1956 (although that one only made it as far as # 76); and Abba’s 1977 hit “Money, Money, Money”. So start thinking about the ‘greenback dollar’ for our American readers or ‘multi coloured bills’ here in Canada. One note – not all the songs will have the word ‘Money’ in the title, but that’s a good start. Follow the clues.
QUESTIONS:
1. This song was all about ‘The Benjamins’. It was first written and recorded by a Motown singer/songwriter. Released in 1960, it just barely missed the Top 20, peaking at # 23. The Beatles covered this song on their first album, although it never hit the singles chart. Other cover versions that DID make the charts include The Kingsmen in 1964, fellow Motown artist Jr. Walker in ’66 and The Flying Lizards in 1980. Can you ‘give me’ the answer as to the name of this song?
2. In Canada in 2011, this song received a warning from the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council due to a complaint about the lyrics being ‘homophobic’, even though it had been played on radio around the world with no problems since it first was released in 1985. It went to # 1 on the singles chart that year and so far, is this groups’ only chart topper. These ‘Sultans of Swing’ came together in London, England and first hit the record charts in 1979. Who are they and what was their # 1 hit song?
3. Producers Mark Burnett and Donald Trump selected this song as the theme for the TV series, “The Apprentice” which has since morphed into “Celebrity Apprentice”, still using the same theme song. This group first hit the singles chart in 1963 (but just barely). Their first Top 5 hit happened in 1972, then they rode the ‘Love Train’ to number one in ‘73. The song we’re looking for made it to number four in 1974. What’s the name of the group and their ‘Money’ song?
4. There’s no ‘money’ in this songs’ title, but it’s all about how little we get to keep around this time of year. It was written by one of The Beatles and released on their 1966 album, “Revolver”. Two British politicians are mentioned in the lyrics. One was the current Prime Minister. The other became Prime Minister in 1970.
Although this Beatles song did not chart on the Hot 100, it was been played extensively on radio and continues to be played, especially around this time of year. So what’s the name of the song?
5. Alan Parsons was an engineer at EMI’s Abbey Road studios starting in the 1960’s. He assisted on several of The Beatles final albums’ and later worked as an full fledged engineer for Paul McCartney, The Hollies and another group that went on to amazing chart success. One of those albums, released in March of 1973, spent an astounding 741 weeks from ‘73 until 1988. This song was released as a single from that album and climbed to number thirteen on the Hot 100 singles chart. If you can’t guess this one, maybe you should quit now (oh wait, it’s the last question anyway). So what’s the name of this classic hit?
ANSWERS
1. That would be Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)”. Strong later went on to co-write Motown hits such as “Just My Imagination”, “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” and Ball of Confusion”.
2. Dire Straits is the band. “Money For Nothing” is the song.
3. Canton, Ohio’s The O’Jays charted their first hit, a song called “Lonely Drifter”, in 1963. Although they had other minor hits over the years, it wasn’t until 1972 that they cracked the Top 10 with “Back Stabbers”, which went to number three. The following year, The O’Jays hit the big time with their number one smash, “Love Train”. In 1974, the group hit the Top 10 twice – first with “Put Your Hands Together” which hit number ten, then the song we were looking for – “For The Love of Money”. The “Celebrity Apprentice” theme made it to number nine. Since then, The O’Jays have scored two more Top 5 hits – “I Love Music (Part 1)” which went to number five in 1976 and 1978’s “Used Ta Be My Girl” which climbed all the way to number four.
4. “Taxman” by The Beatles was George Harrison’s sole songwriting contribution to the ”Revolver” album, but it was a darned good one. In the lyrics, George sings about ‘Taxman Mr. Wilson” and “Taxman Mr. Heath”. Harold Wilson was Prime Minister of Great Britain at the time and Edward Heath was in the official opposition.
5. This one really wasn’t that difficult, was it? The song in question is the Pink Floyd classic, “Money” from the “Dark Side of the Moon” album.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
TIME KEEPS ON SLIPPIN’, SLIPPIN’, SLIPPIN’ INTO THE FUTURE
This past weekend most of North America pushed the clocks ahead by one hour to kick off Daylight Savings . That got me to thinking about time, and the fact that there are dozens of hit songs over the years that either were about time, or had time in the title. Examples include “Time Won’t Let Me”, a top 5 hit in 1966 for The Outsiders; “Time (Clock Of The Heart)”, a number 2 hit for Culture Club in 1983; “Give Me Just A Little More Time”, a number 3 song in 1970 for Chairmen Of The Board; “Time Is Tight” a number 6 instrumental hit in 1969 from Booker T & The MGs and “Time Of The Season, a number 3 song for The Zombies in 1969. So this time out, (see how cleverly I got the word time in there), our trivia blog is about time. And frankly, it is about time (oh, I’m getting good) we did one on this topic. To make this as a little easier, all of the ‘time’ songs in this quiz were Top 10 hits from the 60’s to the 90’s. So, take your time (I really have to stop that) and see how well you do. Also, there’s no...(wait for it, wait for it)...time limit.
QUESTIONS:
1. This ‘time’ song came from a Scottish singer who first entered the singles chart in 1976 with “Year of The Cat”. That one eventually made it to number 8 in 1977. The following year, his ‘Time’ song zoomed all the way up to number 7. Who’s the artist and what’s the name of this song?
2. This singer used to date “Desperate Housewives” actress Nicolette Sheridan. He also racked up 23 chart hits (which included two number ones) from 1983 through 1997. He took a 1966 Percy Sledge number one hit back to the top of the charts in 1991. His ‘Time’ song happened that same year. So, who’s the singer and what was his ‘Time’ hit?
3. She was a fun loving singer who first hit the charts in 1983. Her second single in ’84 became her first number one. She was known for having colourful hair and for her ‘unique’ speaking voice. She won the 1984 Grammy for ‘Best New Artist’. She also play Marianne Lugasso in several episodes of Paul Riser’s TV series ”Mad About You” from 1993 until 1999. Can you guess who this performer is as well as her 1984 number one ‘Time’ hit?
4. A plane crash in 1973 cut short this singer/songwriters career. but what a success he was up to that point. He first hit the singles chart in 1972 with a Top Ten hit, then the following year, hit number one TWICE. One of those was his ‘Time’ song. Now, there’s no ‘messing around’ with this ‘bad, bad’ performer. So, who is he and what was his ‘Time’ hit?
5. For our final question, we’re looking for a British band that first ‘rolled’ onto the charts in 1964. This group was marketed as ‘bad boys’ of rock. Some critics have called them ‘The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band’. Their ‘time’ song hit the charts in 1964. Have you got the ‘stones’ to name the song and the group?
ANSWERS
1. It was Glasgow born Al Stewart with his song “Time Passages”. By the way, both of Stewarts’ Top Ten hits, “Year Of The Cat” and ”Time Passages” were produced by Alan Parsons, who had his own time hit called “Time” in 1981. That one went to number 15 on the singles chart.
2. Michael Bolton took “Time, Love And Tenderness” to number 7 on the singles chart in 1991. His two number ones were 1990’s “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You” and “When A Man Loves A Woman” in ‘91.
3. Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper is the singer. You know her better as Cyndi Lauper. Her first hit, “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” went to number 2 on the singles chart. In 1984, Ms.Lauper, who grew up in Queens, New York, hit the top of the charts for the first time with “Time After Time”, a song she co-wrote with Rob Hyman. Cindy repeated that number one success in 1986 with the song “True Colors”.
4. In 1973, the late Jim Croce had two number one hits. The first was “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” which was number one for two weeks in July. Then in December, came “Time In A Bottle”. Croce and 5 other people, including his lead guitarist Maury Muehleisen, died in a plane crash in Natchitoches, Louisiana on September 20, 1973. At the time of his death, Croce was just 30 years old.
5. The song is 1964’s “Time Is On My Side” by The Rolling Stones. The Stones first charted that year with their version of Buddy Holly & The Crickets, “Don’t Fade Away” which got as high as number 48. They next charted with “Tell Me (You’re Coming Back”) which went to number 24, and the follow up, “It’s All Over Now” made it to number 26. Then came “Time Is On My Side” which went to number six...and the rest is rock and roll history. The Stones hit number one 8 times and charted 57 songs on Billboards’ Hot 100...at least so far.
QUESTIONS:
1. This ‘time’ song came from a Scottish singer who first entered the singles chart in 1976 with “Year of The Cat”. That one eventually made it to number 8 in 1977. The following year, his ‘Time’ song zoomed all the way up to number 7. Who’s the artist and what’s the name of this song?
2. This singer used to date “Desperate Housewives” actress Nicolette Sheridan. He also racked up 23 chart hits (which included two number ones) from 1983 through 1997. He took a 1966 Percy Sledge number one hit back to the top of the charts in 1991. His ‘Time’ song happened that same year. So, who’s the singer and what was his ‘Time’ hit?
3. She was a fun loving singer who first hit the charts in 1983. Her second single in ’84 became her first number one. She was known for having colourful hair and for her ‘unique’ speaking voice. She won the 1984 Grammy for ‘Best New Artist’. She also play Marianne Lugasso in several episodes of Paul Riser’s TV series ”Mad About You” from 1993 until 1999. Can you guess who this performer is as well as her 1984 number one ‘Time’ hit?
4. A plane crash in 1973 cut short this singer/songwriters career. but what a success he was up to that point. He first hit the singles chart in 1972 with a Top Ten hit, then the following year, hit number one TWICE. One of those was his ‘Time’ song. Now, there’s no ‘messing around’ with this ‘bad, bad’ performer. So, who is he and what was his ‘Time’ hit?
5. For our final question, we’re looking for a British band that first ‘rolled’ onto the charts in 1964. This group was marketed as ‘bad boys’ of rock. Some critics have called them ‘The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band’. Their ‘time’ song hit the charts in 1964. Have you got the ‘stones’ to name the song and the group?
ANSWERS
1. It was Glasgow born Al Stewart with his song “Time Passages”. By the way, both of Stewarts’ Top Ten hits, “Year Of The Cat” and ”Time Passages” were produced by Alan Parsons, who had his own time hit called “Time” in 1981. That one went to number 15 on the singles chart.
2. Michael Bolton took “Time, Love And Tenderness” to number 7 on the singles chart in 1991. His two number ones were 1990’s “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You” and “When A Man Loves A Woman” in ‘91.
3. Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper is the singer. You know her better as Cyndi Lauper. Her first hit, “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” went to number 2 on the singles chart. In 1984, Ms.Lauper, who grew up in Queens, New York, hit the top of the charts for the first time with “Time After Time”, a song she co-wrote with Rob Hyman. Cindy repeated that number one success in 1986 with the song “True Colors”.
4. In 1973, the late Jim Croce had two number one hits. The first was “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” which was number one for two weeks in July. Then in December, came “Time In A Bottle”. Croce and 5 other people, including his lead guitarist Maury Muehleisen, died in a plane crash in Natchitoches, Louisiana on September 20, 1973. At the time of his death, Croce was just 30 years old.
5. The song is 1964’s “Time Is On My Side” by The Rolling Stones. The Stones first charted that year with their version of Buddy Holly & The Crickets, “Don’t Fade Away” which got as high as number 48. They next charted with “Tell Me (You’re Coming Back”) which went to number 24, and the follow up, “It’s All Over Now” made it to number 26. Then came “Time Is On My Side” which went to number six...and the rest is rock and roll history. The Stones hit number one 8 times and charted 57 songs on Billboards’ Hot 100...at least so far.
Monday, February 27, 2012
OSCAR, OSCAR, WHO WON THE OSCAR?
So “The Actor” won most of the major Academy Awards this year (as expected). And there were no real upsets, save for Meryl Streep winning over Viola Davis in the ‘Best Actress’ category. But enough reviewing, there are plenty of other blogs that do that – let’s get to the trivia questions – after all that’s what this site is all about. This time, the questions deal with Academy Award winning SONGS. Let me repeat that for those hard of reading. It’s about Academy Award winning SONGS. Not movies, not actors or actresses...SONGS. Every song was an Oscar winner and every song went Top 20 on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart. So, how good is your knowledge of Academy Award winning songs? Let’s find out right now!
QUESTIONS:
1. This Academy Award winning song for 1961 was co-written by a man who won 4 Oscars and was nominated 18 times. He also won 20 Grammy Awards along with many other accolades. This song was an important part of the ‘61 Audrey Hepburn film, “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” and went to # 11 on the singles chart TWICE that year One of the hits versions was by Jerry Butler, the other by the co-composer. Can you name the song and the award winning co-writer?
2. This Academy Award winning writer had co-written dozens of chart hits long before he won his only Oscar in 1971. Those hits included: “Hold On I’m Comin’” and “Soul Man”, both hits for Sam and Dave in the 1960’s. He then had his own successful solo career, culminating with his Academy Award win for ‘Best Original Song’ for the theme from this film about a black private eye. Can you dig it? What’s the song and who’s the artist?
3. At the 1984 Academy Awards, the 5 hit movie songs competed for the coveted Oscar statuette were: a. Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) with music and lyrics by Phil Collins; b. “Footloose” – music and lyrics by Kenny Loggins; c. “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” (also from the movie “Footloose”) – music and lyrics by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford (as sung by Denise Williams); d. “I Just Called To Say I Love You” with words and music by Stevie Wonder from the movie “Lady In Red”; and e. Ghostbusters” with music and lyrics by Ray Parker Jr. Every one of those 5 hits went to # 1. So which song won the Oscar that year?
4. This artist is originally from New Jersey, but the title of his 1993 Academy Award winning song focused on a city in a neighbouring state. The film it came from starred Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. There was very little ‘brotherly love’ in this movie between Tom Hanks’ character and the company he used to work for. Can you name the song and the writer/performer?
5. This one’s only 10 years old, so it should be a snap to answer. The Academy Award winning ‘Best Original Song’ in 2002 came from a Detroit native who also made his acting debut in the film, which was loosely based on his real life growing up in the Motor City. His real name is Marshall Mathers III, but he goes by one name. Can you guess who the artist is and what was his Academy Award winning song?
ANSWERS
1. “Moon River” was the song we’re looking for. The music was written by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Mancini’s version went to # 11 on Billboard in 1961 as did Jerry Butler’s rendition. Mancini and Mercer won the Oscar the following year as well for their theme song from the Jack Lemmon film, “The Days Of Wine And Roses”.
2. Isaac Hayes and “Theme From Shaft” are the correct answers. Along with co-writer Dave Porter, Isaac was an in house writer/producer at Stax records in Memphis during the 1960’s. He started having hits of his own in the late ‘60’s and ‘70’s. His first major chart hit was a 1969 Christmas song called “The Mistletoe And Me” which made it to # 5 on the Christmas singles chart. “Theme From Shaft” was Isaac’s only # 1 hit and his only Oscar win. He was the voice of Chef in “South Park” for several years and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Isaac Hayes died on August 10, 2008.
3. Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called To Say I Love You” was the Oscar winner for 1984.
4. Bruce Springsteen was the New Jersey native we were looking for. His 1993 Academy Award winning song was “Streets of Philadelphia” from the Jonathan Demme directed film, “Philadelphia” beat out Neil Young’s title song from the same movie as well as songs from “Sleepless In Seattle”, “Poetic Justice” and “Beethoven’s 2nd”.
5. Marshall Mathers is better known as Eminem. His 2002 film, “8 Mile” won the Oscar for ‘Best original Song’ the following year for “Lose Yourself”.
QUESTIONS:
1. This Academy Award winning song for 1961 was co-written by a man who won 4 Oscars and was nominated 18 times. He also won 20 Grammy Awards along with many other accolades. This song was an important part of the ‘61 Audrey Hepburn film, “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” and went to # 11 on the singles chart TWICE that year One of the hits versions was by Jerry Butler, the other by the co-composer. Can you name the song and the award winning co-writer?
2. This Academy Award winning writer had co-written dozens of chart hits long before he won his only Oscar in 1971. Those hits included: “Hold On I’m Comin’” and “Soul Man”, both hits for Sam and Dave in the 1960’s. He then had his own successful solo career, culminating with his Academy Award win for ‘Best Original Song’ for the theme from this film about a black private eye. Can you dig it? What’s the song and who’s the artist?
3. At the 1984 Academy Awards, the 5 hit movie songs competed for the coveted Oscar statuette were: a. Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) with music and lyrics by Phil Collins; b. “Footloose” – music and lyrics by Kenny Loggins; c. “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” (also from the movie “Footloose”) – music and lyrics by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford (as sung by Denise Williams); d. “I Just Called To Say I Love You” with words and music by Stevie Wonder from the movie “Lady In Red”; and e. Ghostbusters” with music and lyrics by Ray Parker Jr. Every one of those 5 hits went to # 1. So which song won the Oscar that year?
4. This artist is originally from New Jersey, but the title of his 1993 Academy Award winning song focused on a city in a neighbouring state. The film it came from starred Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. There was very little ‘brotherly love’ in this movie between Tom Hanks’ character and the company he used to work for. Can you name the song and the writer/performer?
5. This one’s only 10 years old, so it should be a snap to answer. The Academy Award winning ‘Best Original Song’ in 2002 came from a Detroit native who also made his acting debut in the film, which was loosely based on his real life growing up in the Motor City. His real name is Marshall Mathers III, but he goes by one name. Can you guess who the artist is and what was his Academy Award winning song?
ANSWERS
1. “Moon River” was the song we’re looking for. The music was written by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Mancini’s version went to # 11 on Billboard in 1961 as did Jerry Butler’s rendition. Mancini and Mercer won the Oscar the following year as well for their theme song from the Jack Lemmon film, “The Days Of Wine And Roses”.
2. Isaac Hayes and “Theme From Shaft” are the correct answers. Along with co-writer Dave Porter, Isaac was an in house writer/producer at Stax records in Memphis during the 1960’s. He started having hits of his own in the late ‘60’s and ‘70’s. His first major chart hit was a 1969 Christmas song called “The Mistletoe And Me” which made it to # 5 on the Christmas singles chart. “Theme From Shaft” was Isaac’s only # 1 hit and his only Oscar win. He was the voice of Chef in “South Park” for several years and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Isaac Hayes died on August 10, 2008.
3. Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called To Say I Love You” was the Oscar winner for 1984.
4. Bruce Springsteen was the New Jersey native we were looking for. His 1993 Academy Award winning song was “Streets of Philadelphia” from the Jonathan Demme directed film, “Philadelphia” beat out Neil Young’s title song from the same movie as well as songs from “Sleepless In Seattle”, “Poetic Justice” and “Beethoven’s 2nd”.
5. Marshall Mathers is better known as Eminem. His 2002 film, “8 Mile” won the Oscar for ‘Best original Song’ the following year for “Lose Yourself”.
Monday, February 20, 2012
MORE FROM THE GRAMMY AWARDS
The Grammy Awards may be over, but as we promised, we’re still asking questions about Grammy Award winners. This time out, we’ll see how you do with lyrics. It’s pretty basic – name the song from a selected portion of the lyrics. Every song was a national number one hit. C’mon, you can do it. So let’s go!
QUESTIONS:
1. Some of the lyrics of this song from a 3 time Grammy Award winning album are: “It’s wonderful to be here. It’s certainly a thrill. You’re such a lovely audience, We’d like to take you home with us. We’d love to take you home.” It comes from a legendary ‘60’s group from England. What’s the song?
2. Can you name the 1981 song that these lyrics come from: “And she’ll tease you, she’ll unease you. All the best just to please you. She’s precocious. And she knows just what it takes to make a pro blush.” It was number one for 9 weeks and won several Grammy Awards. So, what’s the title of the song?
3. This song was number one in 1976 for a former New York City jingle singer and musical director for Bette Midler. Some of the lyrics are: “I put the words and the melodies together. I am music and I write the songs.” It can’t get much easier than this. So, what’s the title of this song?
4. At the second annual Grammy Awards in 1959 this song was honoured as ‘Record of The Year’. Some of the lyrics are: “Now, did you hear about Louie Miller. He disappeared babe, after drawin’ out all his cash. And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor. Could it be our boy’s done somethin’ rash.” What’s the name of this classic song that’s been recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Louis Armstrong?
5. This multiple Grammy Award winning song from 1984 has lyrics that begin: “You must understand that the touch of your hand makes my pulse react. That it’s only the thrill of boy meeting girl. Opposites attract.” Can you name the song and the legendary singer?
ANSWERS
1. That would be the title song from The Beatles 1967 album, “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, which won Grammy Awards for ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Best Contemporary Album’, ‘Best Engineered Recording’ for Geoff Emerick as well as ‘Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts’ for Peter Blake and Jann Hawarth.
2. Kim Carnes took the song “Bette Davis Eyes” all the way to number one in 1981. The song was co-written by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon. It won 1981 Grammy Awards for ‘Record of the Year’ and ‘Song of the Year’.
3. Barry Manilow recorded it, but although he wrote quite a few of his hits, he DIDN’T write “I Write The Songs”. That was written by Bruce Johnston who joined The Beach Boys in 1965 and will be part of the 2012 Beach Boys 50th anniversary tour. Manilow’s version made it to number one on Billboards Hot 100 chart for the week of January 17th, 1976. “I Write The Songs” had first been recorded by Captain & Tennille’s on their debut album, but was never released as a single. Johnston produced the song with David Cassidy in 1975 for RCA Records in Britain. It rose to # 11 on the British charts. Clive Davis, who was President of Manilow’s label, Arista Records, heard the song while on a trip to England and thought it would be perfect for Barry. Clive was right. It won the 1976 Grammy Award for ‘Song of the Year’ for writer Bruce Johnston.
4. We were looking for the 1959 Bobby Darin number one hit “Mack The Knife”. Darin’s version won the Grammy for ‘Record of the Year’ beating out Elvis Presley’s “A Fool Such As I”, Frank Sinatra’s “High Hopes”, Andre Previn’s “Like Young” and The Browns’ “The Three Bells”. Bobby Darin also won ‘Best New Artist’ that year.
5. At the 1984 Grammy Awards, Tina Turner’s # 1 hit,“What’s Love Got To Do With It” took home the award for ‘Record of the Year’, ‘Song of the Year’ (for writers Graham Lyle and Terry Britten) as well as ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female” for Tina who also won ‘Best Rock Performance, Female’ for “Better Be Good To Me”. All in all, an amazing night for the former Anna Mae Bullock of Nutbush, Tennessee.
QUESTIONS:
1. Some of the lyrics of this song from a 3 time Grammy Award winning album are: “It’s wonderful to be here. It’s certainly a thrill. You’re such a lovely audience, We’d like to take you home with us. We’d love to take you home.” It comes from a legendary ‘60’s group from England. What’s the song?
2. Can you name the 1981 song that these lyrics come from: “And she’ll tease you, she’ll unease you. All the best just to please you. She’s precocious. And she knows just what it takes to make a pro blush.” It was number one for 9 weeks and won several Grammy Awards. So, what’s the title of the song?
3. This song was number one in 1976 for a former New York City jingle singer and musical director for Bette Midler. Some of the lyrics are: “I put the words and the melodies together. I am music and I write the songs.” It can’t get much easier than this. So, what’s the title of this song?
4. At the second annual Grammy Awards in 1959 this song was honoured as ‘Record of The Year’. Some of the lyrics are: “Now, did you hear about Louie Miller. He disappeared babe, after drawin’ out all his cash. And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor. Could it be our boy’s done somethin’ rash.” What’s the name of this classic song that’s been recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Louis Armstrong?
5. This multiple Grammy Award winning song from 1984 has lyrics that begin: “You must understand that the touch of your hand makes my pulse react. That it’s only the thrill of boy meeting girl. Opposites attract.” Can you name the song and the legendary singer?
ANSWERS
1. That would be the title song from The Beatles 1967 album, “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, which won Grammy Awards for ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Best Contemporary Album’, ‘Best Engineered Recording’ for Geoff Emerick as well as ‘Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts’ for Peter Blake and Jann Hawarth.
2. Kim Carnes took the song “Bette Davis Eyes” all the way to number one in 1981. The song was co-written by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon. It won 1981 Grammy Awards for ‘Record of the Year’ and ‘Song of the Year’.
3. Barry Manilow recorded it, but although he wrote quite a few of his hits, he DIDN’T write “I Write The Songs”. That was written by Bruce Johnston who joined The Beach Boys in 1965 and will be part of the 2012 Beach Boys 50th anniversary tour. Manilow’s version made it to number one on Billboards Hot 100 chart for the week of January 17th, 1976. “I Write The Songs” had first been recorded by Captain & Tennille’s on their debut album, but was never released as a single. Johnston produced the song with David Cassidy in 1975 for RCA Records in Britain. It rose to # 11 on the British charts. Clive Davis, who was President of Manilow’s label, Arista Records, heard the song while on a trip to England and thought it would be perfect for Barry. Clive was right. It won the 1976 Grammy Award for ‘Song of the Year’ for writer Bruce Johnston.
4. We were looking for the 1959 Bobby Darin number one hit “Mack The Knife”. Darin’s version won the Grammy for ‘Record of the Year’ beating out Elvis Presley’s “A Fool Such As I”, Frank Sinatra’s “High Hopes”, Andre Previn’s “Like Young” and The Browns’ “The Three Bells”. Bobby Darin also won ‘Best New Artist’ that year.
5. At the 1984 Grammy Awards, Tina Turner’s # 1 hit,“What’s Love Got To Do With It” took home the award for ‘Record of the Year’, ‘Song of the Year’ (for writers Graham Lyle and Terry Britten) as well as ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female” for Tina who also won ‘Best Rock Performance, Female’ for “Better Be Good To Me”. All in all, an amazing night for the former Anna Mae Bullock of Nutbush, Tennessee.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
‘LOVE’ FROM THE GRAMMY AWARDS
The Grammy Awards have all been given out for another year. The awards sweep of Adele, performances by The Beach Boys (with Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, both of whom haven’t performed together in many years), Bruce Springsteen, Glen Campbell and the double performances from Paul McCartney plus the poignant tributes to the late Whitney Houston are now history. For the next couple of weeks, we’ll be looking back at previous Grammy Award winners...and since this week also has Valentine’s Day in it, all of our questions have to do with Grammy Award winning ‘Love’ songs. So put on your tux, rent a super stretch limousine and let’s go to the Grammies.
QUESTIONS:
1. The 1982 Grammy Award for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male’ went to a singer/ songwriter who had LOST 7 times the previous year. He almost didn’t attend the ceremony as he didn’t want to face another loss. After his first solo Grammy win in ‘82, he was truly dancing on the ceiling. This singer/songwriter was one of Motown’s top stars of the 1980’s as well as a former member of a ‘70’s Motown hit machine. Can you name this performer?
2. It was a move theme ‘love’ song that won the 1977 Grammy Award for ‘Song Of The Year’. It was number one on the Billboard singles chart for 3 weeks and was co-written by Paul Williams, the man who also co-wrote “We’ve Only Just Begun”, “Rainy Days & Mondays” that The Carpenters recorded as well as Three Dog Night’s Top 5 hit, “An Old Fashioned Love Song”. The co-author was the female star of this movie – which is also part of the title of the Grammy Award winning number one hit. What’s the name of the song?
3. In 1975, a song written (and originally recorded) by one of the most successful singer/songwriters of the 1960’s and ‘70’s, who liked to sing about calendar girls, breaking up being hard to do and stairways to heaven long before Led Zeppelin ever did, went to number one and stayed there for 4 weeks. This song won the Grammy for ‘Record Of The Year’ and was nominated for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group or Chorus’, but lost out to The Eagles song “Lyin’ Eyes”. The duo who had the Grammy Award winning song also recorded a Spanish language version of this same number one and released it a few months after the English language version first came out, although that one didn’t fare as well on the charts. Can you name this duo and their first number one hit?
4. The Beatles are no stranger to winning Grammy Awards. They won ‘Best New Artist’ in 1964 and their number one hit, “A Hard Day’s Night’ took the Grammy that year for ‘Best Performance By A Vocal Group”, but lost to Petula Clark’s “Downtown” for ‘Best Rock & Roll Recording’. Can you believe that? At the 1966 Grammy Awards, John Lennon & Paul McCartney (as songwriters) took home the ‘Song Of The Year’ statuette. It was a true Beatles love song. In fact the phrase ‘I love you, I love you, I love you’ is sung fairly early on in the lyrics. Can you name this Grammy Award winning Beatles ‘love’ song?
5. By the early 1990’s, this performer had already had a handful of chart hits, including one number one. He was the former lead singer of a group called Blackjack in the 1970’s and received a lot of comments about his hair. For many years, he dated one of the actresses on the hit TV series “Desperate Housewives”. Several of his ‘love’ songs made the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10, including “Time, Love & Tenderness”, ”Love Is A Wonderful Thing” and “Said I Love You...But I Lied”. In 1991, he had a number one hit with a remake of a previous number one from 1966 that won the Grammy Award for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male’. Can you name this ‘man’ and his song?
ANSWERS
1. Lionel Richie took home the 1982 Grammy for his love song “Truly”, beating out nominees Donald Fagen, Joe Jackson, Elton John, Michael McDonald and Rick Springfield. It was Lionel’s second solo number one after his 1981 duet with Diana Ross, “Endless Love”, which was nominated for 3 Grammy Awards, but did not win.
2. The song was “Love Theme From A Star Is Born (Evergreen)”, co-written by Barbra Streisand and Paul Williams. It won “Song Of The Year” and ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female’ for Barbra at the 20th annual Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles on February 23, 1978
3. Captain & Tennille was the duo we were looking for. The song, written by ‘60’s pop icon Neil Sedaka, was “Love Will Keep Us Together”.
4. The Grammy Award for ‘Song Of The Year’ for 1966 went to John Lennon and Paul McCartney for “Michelle”. It beat out “Born Free”, “The Impossible Dream”, “Somewhere My Love” and “Strangers In The Night”. Ironically, “Michelle” never charted as a single but was included on The Beatles December 1965 album release, “Rubber Soul”.
5. That man is Michael Bolton. His cover version of the 1966 Percy Sledge hit, “When A Man Loves A Woman” won the 1991 Grammy for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male’. That was the same year that Natalie Cole won a handful of Grammy Awards for her “Unforgettable” duet with her late father, Nat Cole.
QUESTIONS:
1. The 1982 Grammy Award for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male’ went to a singer/ songwriter who had LOST 7 times the previous year. He almost didn’t attend the ceremony as he didn’t want to face another loss. After his first solo Grammy win in ‘82, he was truly dancing on the ceiling. This singer/songwriter was one of Motown’s top stars of the 1980’s as well as a former member of a ‘70’s Motown hit machine. Can you name this performer?
2. It was a move theme ‘love’ song that won the 1977 Grammy Award for ‘Song Of The Year’. It was number one on the Billboard singles chart for 3 weeks and was co-written by Paul Williams, the man who also co-wrote “We’ve Only Just Begun”, “Rainy Days & Mondays” that The Carpenters recorded as well as Three Dog Night’s Top 5 hit, “An Old Fashioned Love Song”. The co-author was the female star of this movie – which is also part of the title of the Grammy Award winning number one hit. What’s the name of the song?
3. In 1975, a song written (and originally recorded) by one of the most successful singer/songwriters of the 1960’s and ‘70’s, who liked to sing about calendar girls, breaking up being hard to do and stairways to heaven long before Led Zeppelin ever did, went to number one and stayed there for 4 weeks. This song won the Grammy for ‘Record Of The Year’ and was nominated for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group or Chorus’, but lost out to The Eagles song “Lyin’ Eyes”. The duo who had the Grammy Award winning song also recorded a Spanish language version of this same number one and released it a few months after the English language version first came out, although that one didn’t fare as well on the charts. Can you name this duo and their first number one hit?
4. The Beatles are no stranger to winning Grammy Awards. They won ‘Best New Artist’ in 1964 and their number one hit, “A Hard Day’s Night’ took the Grammy that year for ‘Best Performance By A Vocal Group”, but lost to Petula Clark’s “Downtown” for ‘Best Rock & Roll Recording’. Can you believe that? At the 1966 Grammy Awards, John Lennon & Paul McCartney (as songwriters) took home the ‘Song Of The Year’ statuette. It was a true Beatles love song. In fact the phrase ‘I love you, I love you, I love you’ is sung fairly early on in the lyrics. Can you name this Grammy Award winning Beatles ‘love’ song?
5. By the early 1990’s, this performer had already had a handful of chart hits, including one number one. He was the former lead singer of a group called Blackjack in the 1970’s and received a lot of comments about his hair. For many years, he dated one of the actresses on the hit TV series “Desperate Housewives”. Several of his ‘love’ songs made the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10, including “Time, Love & Tenderness”, ”Love Is A Wonderful Thing” and “Said I Love You...But I Lied”. In 1991, he had a number one hit with a remake of a previous number one from 1966 that won the Grammy Award for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male’. Can you name this ‘man’ and his song?
ANSWERS
1. Lionel Richie took home the 1982 Grammy for his love song “Truly”, beating out nominees Donald Fagen, Joe Jackson, Elton John, Michael McDonald and Rick Springfield. It was Lionel’s second solo number one after his 1981 duet with Diana Ross, “Endless Love”, which was nominated for 3 Grammy Awards, but did not win.
2. The song was “Love Theme From A Star Is Born (Evergreen)”, co-written by Barbra Streisand and Paul Williams. It won “Song Of The Year” and ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female’ for Barbra at the 20th annual Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles on February 23, 1978
3. Captain & Tennille was the duo we were looking for. The song, written by ‘60’s pop icon Neil Sedaka, was “Love Will Keep Us Together”.
4. The Grammy Award for ‘Song Of The Year’ for 1966 went to John Lennon and Paul McCartney for “Michelle”. It beat out “Born Free”, “The Impossible Dream”, “Somewhere My Love” and “Strangers In The Night”. Ironically, “Michelle” never charted as a single but was included on The Beatles December 1965 album release, “Rubber Soul”.
5. That man is Michael Bolton. His cover version of the 1966 Percy Sledge hit, “When A Man Loves A Woman” won the 1991 Grammy for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male’. That was the same year that Natalie Cole won a handful of Grammy Awards for her “Unforgettable” duet with her late father, Nat Cole.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
LOVE IS IN THE AIR
Valentine’s Day is nearly here and in keeping with the mushy sentiments of the season, all of our questions this week have to do with love – either the word ‘love’ is in the song title or it’s in the song lyrics. As usual, there are 5 questions but each one is from a different decade. There’s a 50’s questions, a 60’s questions, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s AND each song in question was a number one hit. One warning though – the questions might not be sequential decade order, so pay close attention to the question.
This week, love will make you happy, especially if you answer all the questions correctly. so let’s give it a go!
QUESTIONS:
1. By 1956, the King of Rock’N’Roll had scored five number one hits. His fifth chart topper had the word ‘love’ in its title and it’s not “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” – that was his second number one in ’56. So what’s the title of this song?
2. Back at the end of May 1966, a singer from Alabama took a certain ‘love’ song to number one on the singles chart for 2 weeks. Thirty years later, the song was number one again, courtesy of another singer/songwriter who also became famous for his mane of long hair. By the time he re-recorded this hit, this singer had already had 8 Top Twenty hits, including one number one. A previous hit for this artist was a re-recording of Otis Reddings’ only number one. Can you name the song and the singer?
3. In 1975, a song written (and originally recorded) by one of the most successful singer/songwriters of the 1960’s, went to number one and stayed there for 4 weeks. The song was recorded by a husband and wife duo that later went on to have a weekly TV variety show and 6 more Top 5 hits. They even made the charts with a Spanish language version of this same number one, although that one didn’t fare as well on the charts. Can you name the duo and their first number one hit?
4. You don’t need to be def to know this ‘love’ song from 1988. It was the only number one single for this ‘hard rock’ British band, but they had many other hit albums and singles, including “Hysteria” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me”. The question is – what’s the name of the band and their number one ‘love’ hit?
5. 1967 is often described as ‘The Summer of Love’. By then, The Beatles had over a dozen hits with three other number ones that had ‘love in the title’. In ’67, they had one only ‘love’ number one. It was a song John Lennon had written that was broadcast live around the world to hundreds of millions of viewers. All you need to do is guess the name of this Beatles ’67 number one.
ANSWERS
1. Elvis took the title song from his first Hollywood movie, “Love Me Tender” to the top of the singles chart for 5 weeks starting on November 3, 1956.
2. In 1991, Michael Bolton, who’d already had a number 11 song with Otis Reddings’ “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay“ took Percy Sledges’ 1966 number one, “When A Man Loves A Woman” back to the top of the charts for one week.
3. That would be The Captain & Tennille who recorded Neil Sedaka’s song, “Love Will Keep Us Together” and put it on their debut album. The song first hit Billboard’s Hot 100 chart at number 98 in April of 1975. Nine weeks later, it was number one. The Captain (real name: Daryl Dragon) and (Toni) Tennille then re-recorded their self titled debut album in Spanish and the Spanish language version of “Love Will keep Us Together”, called “Por Amor Iviremos”, also hit the Hot 100 chart, which only made it as high as number 49.
4. Def Leppard had their only number one single in 1988 with “Love Bites”.
5. The June 1967 TV broadcast was called “Our World”. It was the first global television satellite broadcast, and was watched by 400 million people in 26 countries. John Lennon wrote “All You Need Is Love” and The Beatles performed it live from Abbey Road Studio One, accompanied by a small studio orchestra and surrounded by friends and family, including Mick Jagger, Graham Nash, Donovan, Keith Moon and others. The single that was released a few weeks later featured a new lead vocal by John Lennon. It became number one on Billboard’s single chart the week of August 19.
This week, love will make you happy, especially if you answer all the questions correctly. so let’s give it a go!
QUESTIONS:
1. By 1956, the King of Rock’N’Roll had scored five number one hits. His fifth chart topper had the word ‘love’ in its title and it’s not “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” – that was his second number one in ’56. So what’s the title of this song?
2. Back at the end of May 1966, a singer from Alabama took a certain ‘love’ song to number one on the singles chart for 2 weeks. Thirty years later, the song was number one again, courtesy of another singer/songwriter who also became famous for his mane of long hair. By the time he re-recorded this hit, this singer had already had 8 Top Twenty hits, including one number one. A previous hit for this artist was a re-recording of Otis Reddings’ only number one. Can you name the song and the singer?
3. In 1975, a song written (and originally recorded) by one of the most successful singer/songwriters of the 1960’s, went to number one and stayed there for 4 weeks. The song was recorded by a husband and wife duo that later went on to have a weekly TV variety show and 6 more Top 5 hits. They even made the charts with a Spanish language version of this same number one, although that one didn’t fare as well on the charts. Can you name the duo and their first number one hit?
4. You don’t need to be def to know this ‘love’ song from 1988. It was the only number one single for this ‘hard rock’ British band, but they had many other hit albums and singles, including “Hysteria” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me”. The question is – what’s the name of the band and their number one ‘love’ hit?
5. 1967 is often described as ‘The Summer of Love’. By then, The Beatles had over a dozen hits with three other number ones that had ‘love in the title’. In ’67, they had one only ‘love’ number one. It was a song John Lennon had written that was broadcast live around the world to hundreds of millions of viewers. All you need to do is guess the name of this Beatles ’67 number one.
ANSWERS
1. Elvis took the title song from his first Hollywood movie, “Love Me Tender” to the top of the singles chart for 5 weeks starting on November 3, 1956.
2. In 1991, Michael Bolton, who’d already had a number 11 song with Otis Reddings’ “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay“ took Percy Sledges’ 1966 number one, “When A Man Loves A Woman” back to the top of the charts for one week.
3. That would be The Captain & Tennille who recorded Neil Sedaka’s song, “Love Will Keep Us Together” and put it on their debut album. The song first hit Billboard’s Hot 100 chart at number 98 in April of 1975. Nine weeks later, it was number one. The Captain (real name: Daryl Dragon) and (Toni) Tennille then re-recorded their self titled debut album in Spanish and the Spanish language version of “Love Will keep Us Together”, called “Por Amor Iviremos”, also hit the Hot 100 chart, which only made it as high as number 49.
4. Def Leppard had their only number one single in 1988 with “Love Bites”.
5. The June 1967 TV broadcast was called “Our World”. It was the first global television satellite broadcast, and was watched by 400 million people in 26 countries. John Lennon wrote “All You Need Is Love” and The Beatles performed it live from Abbey Road Studio One, accompanied by a small studio orchestra and surrounded by friends and family, including Mick Jagger, Graham Nash, Donovan, Keith Moon and others. The single that was released a few weeks later featured a new lead vocal by John Lennon. It became number one on Billboard’s single chart the week of August 19.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
2012 IS HERE
Since we're just a couple of weeks into the new year, I thought we'd travel back three decades and see how well you remember the album charts from 30 years ago. For the 52 weeks of 1982, only 10 albums made it to # 1...but which 10? These questions are all about those # 1 albums from '82...so here we go.
QUESTIONS
1. This was the first # 1 album in 1982. It was the week of January 9th and this album by Australian rockers AC/DC had also been the last # 1 album in 1981. It was produced by Mutt Lange, the former husband of Shania Twain. It took nearly a year for this album to make # 1. Can you name this AC/DC classic?
2. A soundtrack album took the # 1 spot for 4 weeks starting the week of April 17th, 1982. This movie won 4 Academy Awards, including "Best Picture". It also spawned a # 1 single. One of the most famous scenes showed a group of runners in slow motion running on a beach near the surf. Can you name this # 1 soundtrack album?
3. Nine weeks is a long time to remain in the # 1 album spot, but this American performer from Indiana did it starting on the week of September 11, 1982. David Bowie's manager gave him a catchy stage name, which this performer, who was no fool (HINT! HINT! HINT!) really didn't like it and eventually reverted to his real name, but for this # 1 album he was still going by his stage name. What's the name of the 1982 # 1 album by this famous Indiana native?
4. This album was # 1 for two weeks starting the week of May 15, 1982. It was replaced at the top of the chart by Paul McCartney's "Tug Of War". The group took back the top spot two weeks later where it remained for an additional 7 weeks. The album title was named for the group who recorded it. It's a one word name. If you know what continent China is in. then you know the name of the group as well as the # 1 album title. So, what is it already?
5. The final # 1 album of 1982 was sitting at the top of the album chart for 14 weeks, 7 of them at the end of 1982. Their success continued well into February 1983, when it was finally replaced at the top of the album chart by Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album. They are Australian (sort of) and had two # 1 single hits in '82 as well. This band won the 1983 Grammy Award for 'Best New Artist'. They come from the land down under and their name is...??? While you're at it, what's the name of their 1982 # 1 album?
ANSWERS
1. AC/DC was formed in 1973 and since then has sold nearly 71 million albums in the U.S. alone. The album, "For Those About To Rock We Salute You" was initially released in January 1981 and took almost a full year to make it to the top of the Billboard album chart, which it did for the week of December 26, 1981. It was the bands' 8th Australian album and 7th international studio release and was recorded in a rehearsal space on the outskirts of Paris, France. Not long after the album came out, AC/DC embarked on their first North American arena tour. You can check out the bands website at acdc.com.
2. "Chariots Of Fire" was the true story of two British athletes who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics. One, a devout Scottish missionary who ran for God. The other, a Jewish student who ran for fame and to escape prejudice. The film starred Ben Cross, Ian Holm and Ian Charleson. Vangelis wrote the music and had a # 1 Hit with the title theme as well as winning an Oscar for "Best original Score".
3. That would be John 'Cougar' Mellencamp's hot hit album, "American Fool". The name Johnny Cougar was given to him by David Bowie's manager Tony deFries. "American Fool" was the last album released still using that name before he reverted to his real name John Mellencamp. Mellencamp scored two Top 5 hits in 1982 from the "American Fool" album - "Hurts So Good", which made it to # 2, and Mellencamps' first # 1 single, "Jack & Diane".
4. It's "Asia" which was formed in 1981 from various other bands, including Yes, King Crimson, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. John Wetton, Geoff Downes, Steve Howe and Carl Palmer were the original members of Asia. The debut self-titled"Asia" album sold 10 million copies worldwide and featured two hit singles, "Heat Of The Moment", which went to # 4 on the singles chart, and "Only Time Will Tell", which only made it to # 17.
5. The Australian group Men At Work (although lead singer/songwriter Colin Hay is actually Scottish) had the final # 1 album of 1982 with "Business As Usual". In 1982, their two # 1 hit singles were "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under". Men At Work performed "Down Under" during the closing ceremonies of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
QUESTIONS
1. This was the first # 1 album in 1982. It was the week of January 9th and this album by Australian rockers AC/DC had also been the last # 1 album in 1981. It was produced by Mutt Lange, the former husband of Shania Twain. It took nearly a year for this album to make # 1. Can you name this AC/DC classic?
2. A soundtrack album took the # 1 spot for 4 weeks starting the week of April 17th, 1982. This movie won 4 Academy Awards, including "Best Picture". It also spawned a # 1 single. One of the most famous scenes showed a group of runners in slow motion running on a beach near the surf. Can you name this # 1 soundtrack album?
3. Nine weeks is a long time to remain in the # 1 album spot, but this American performer from Indiana did it starting on the week of September 11, 1982. David Bowie's manager gave him a catchy stage name, which this performer, who was no fool (HINT! HINT! HINT!) really didn't like it and eventually reverted to his real name, but for this # 1 album he was still going by his stage name. What's the name of the 1982 # 1 album by this famous Indiana native?
4. This album was # 1 for two weeks starting the week of May 15, 1982. It was replaced at the top of the chart by Paul McCartney's "Tug Of War". The group took back the top spot two weeks later where it remained for an additional 7 weeks. The album title was named for the group who recorded it. It's a one word name. If you know what continent China is in. then you know the name of the group as well as the # 1 album title. So, what is it already?
5. The final # 1 album of 1982 was sitting at the top of the album chart for 14 weeks, 7 of them at the end of 1982. Their success continued well into February 1983, when it was finally replaced at the top of the album chart by Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album. They are Australian (sort of) and had two # 1 single hits in '82 as well. This band won the 1983 Grammy Award for 'Best New Artist'. They come from the land down under and their name is...??? While you're at it, what's the name of their 1982 # 1 album?
ANSWERS
1. AC/DC was formed in 1973 and since then has sold nearly 71 million albums in the U.S. alone. The album, "For Those About To Rock We Salute You" was initially released in January 1981 and took almost a full year to make it to the top of the Billboard album chart, which it did for the week of December 26, 1981. It was the bands' 8th Australian album and 7th international studio release and was recorded in a rehearsal space on the outskirts of Paris, France. Not long after the album came out, AC/DC embarked on their first North American arena tour. You can check out the bands website at acdc.com.
2. "Chariots Of Fire" was the true story of two British athletes who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics. One, a devout Scottish missionary who ran for God. The other, a Jewish student who ran for fame and to escape prejudice. The film starred Ben Cross, Ian Holm and Ian Charleson. Vangelis wrote the music and had a # 1 Hit with the title theme as well as winning an Oscar for "Best original Score".
3. That would be John 'Cougar' Mellencamp's hot hit album, "American Fool". The name Johnny Cougar was given to him by David Bowie's manager Tony deFries. "American Fool" was the last album released still using that name before he reverted to his real name John Mellencamp. Mellencamp scored two Top 5 hits in 1982 from the "American Fool" album - "Hurts So Good", which made it to # 2, and Mellencamps' first # 1 single, "Jack & Diane".
4. It's "Asia" which was formed in 1981 from various other bands, including Yes, King Crimson, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. John Wetton, Geoff Downes, Steve Howe and Carl Palmer were the original members of Asia. The debut self-titled"Asia" album sold 10 million copies worldwide and featured two hit singles, "Heat Of The Moment", which went to # 4 on the singles chart, and "Only Time Will Tell", which only made it to # 17.
5. The Australian group Men At Work (although lead singer/songwriter Colin Hay is actually Scottish) had the final # 1 album of 1982 with "Business As Usual". In 1982, their two # 1 hit singles were "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under". Men At Work performed "Down Under" during the closing ceremonies of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
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