Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. "Blue moon, you saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I really could care for"
"Blue Moon" was written 25 years before it became a smash hit for a group of guys from Pennsylvania. Their version contained a lot of "bomp-baba-bomps" and "dip-da-dips", unlike the beautiful ballad version written in 1934.
Can you recall the do-woppers who took the Rock & Roll version of "Blue Moon" to number one in 1961?
Hint: They also had a hit with "Heartaches" (1961), which reached number seven on the Billboard chart.
2. "Gone" (1957) was the plaintive love song of a man whose girl had just left him, and who's blaming himself for her vamoosing. Between 1953 and 1975, the artist recorded over 50 songs, and 35 albums. Twenty of his singles made it into the Top 20 on the Billboard Country charts. From 1948-1953, he sang under the sobriquet of Terry Preston. When he was went into into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010, under what better known name was he inducted?
See if these lyrics help jog your memory:
"Since you've gone
The moon, the sun, the stars in the sky
Know the reason why I cry
Love divine once was mine
Now you've gone
Since you've gone
My heart, my lips, my tear dimmed eyes
A lonely soul within me cries
I acted smart, broke your heart
Now you've gone"
3. "Oh what a night
(To love you dear)
Oh what a night
(To hold you near)
Oh what a night
(To squeeze you dear)
That's why I love you so"
And so began, "Oh, What a Night", a 1956 tune, that when originally released in 1956, got to number four on the "Billboard R&B" chart. When the song was re-released 13 years later, it was a "Billboard R&B" chart topper, and also reached number 10 on the "Billboard Hot 100" list. The group who scored with "Oh, What a Night", had begun singing together in high school, and before their big hit they had been known as "The El-Rays". Under what name did they enter the Vocal Group Hall of Fame?
4. Sing along and see if you remember these lyrics from 1960:
"Let the little girl dance, let the little girl dance
She never danced before so let her on the floor
Let the little girl dance, let the little girl dance
She wants to give it a try, so let the little girl by".
"Let the Little Girl Dance", was a hit for an artist who began his singing career as a member of The Four Bees, before going out on his own in 1955. Recorded on the Old Town Records label, the bouncy tune peaked at number seven on the "Billboard Hot 100" (1960). Who was the mildly successful singer who recorded, "Let the Little Girl Dance"?
5. In 1961, an all-girl group took "Please Mr. Postman" to the Number One spot on the "Billboard Hot 100" list. It went like this:
"Please Mr. Postman, look and see
If there's a letter in your bag for me
Why's it takin' a mighty long time?
For me to hear from this boyfriend of mine
There must be some word today
From my boyfriend, so far away
Please Mister Postman, look and see
If there's a letter, a letter for me"
The group became one of Motown's success stories, giving the label its first chart topper. Originating in Michigan, they performed together for 10 years and were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004. Can you recall the name of these lovely lasses?
6. Back in the do-wop era of the mid-1950s, a group recorded the following lyrics:
"Church bells may ring and surely, darling
The angels will sing, I'll tell you, darling
You're the queen of my throne
You should have known, sweetheart
Ling a ling a ling a ling a ling, ding, dong
I love you, darling and I want you for my own
I'll give you any, anything that I own
You should have known, sweetheart"
The group originally founded in the Harlem section of New York City had begun performing as The Dovers, but when "Church Bells May Ring" landed on the "Billboard" chart, they had changed their moniker. Under what name did these one hit wonders record their signature song?
7. Regardless of one's age, most folks like to think back warmly about, "the good old days". In 1968, a teenage lass from the U.K. rekindled fond memories of times past, when she recorded, "Those Were the Days". The song reached the top of the charts in the U.K, and climbed to the number two spot on the "Billboard Hot 100" list. Can you name the artist whose recording of "Those Were the Days" has sold over eight million copies?
Sample some of the nostalgic lyrics:
"Once upon a time there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
And dreamed of all the great things we would do
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way"
8. "These Eyes" is a woefully sad song about lost love. It was recorded by a Canadian group in 1969, and landed on both Canadian and American best seller lists. One of the members of the group, Randy Bachman, later would become part of Bachman-Turner Overdrive. When he was strummin' his gee-tar for "These Eyes" in what band was he playing?
See if these lyrics give you a clue:
"These eyes cry every night for you
these arms long to hold you again
The hurtin's on me, yeah
but I will never be free, no, my baby no, no
you gave a promise to me yeah
you broke it, you broke it"
9. "Oh, my love, my darling,
I've hungered for your touch a long, lonely time,
Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much.
Are you still mine?
I need your love, I need your love, God speed your love to me".
Thus begins the haunting, "Unchained Melody", a song written by lyricist Hy Zaret and composer Alex North. The song was written for a prison film titled, "Unchained", and in fact it received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song*. It is best known however, for being sung by a blind singer who took it onto both the pop and R&B charts. Who was the man with the beautiful baritone voice?
10. Back in 1961, a quartet of Brooklyn high school buddies released a doo-woppin' tune titled, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". The bouncy song reached the Number One spot on the "Billboard Hot 100", on December 18, where it would remain for three weeks. After you check out the following lyrics, does the name of the group come to mind?
"Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the quiet jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the village, the quiet village
The lion sleeps tonight"
Source: Author
paulmallon
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
ralzzz before going online.
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