Boomers-The Formative Years (B-TFY) 3 Quiz

Answer: The Cattle Call

Eddy Arnold released a re-recorded version of the song in 1955. I didn't get to hear Eddy Arnold until some ten years later. This is my favorite yodeling song, next up is "The Lonely Goatherd". His version was used in the movie, "My Private Idaho". Slim Whitman's version made it into "Mars Attacks" and his yodel helped save the earth, no thanks to Jack Nicholson.

When you grew up in the Northeast in the '50s you knew cowboys and you had a horse. Our horses were kept in the cellar next to the coal bin. They got a bit dusty. When we moved to our next house we didn't have a cellar we had a basement and oil heat. In the city, we did see live horses pulling the junk and vegetable carts. And we saw dirigibles going south along the shore in the summer, presumably to Lakehurst. That was surreal. This was before the Snoopy blimp camo was developed. A little non-fact is a much smaller dirigible prototype was used in the movie "Babes in Toyland". A monkey in a Mickey Mouse costume dropped bombs on the bogiemen before having to bail-out. And they say LSD didn't surface until the 60s? Just exactly what was in the Wheaties?

Answer: Goodnight Irene

I've noticed that lyrics for a lot of songs are fluid, performers make changes, for example The Weavers' version of this song. So my quoted lyrics may not always be suitable for purists. To date I have not made my own modifications to a lyric. I reserve the right to do so if I get a recording contract.

The other common issue with songs are getting the songwriting credits. Purportedly, Leadbelly used a prior version of the song to come up with his version. It not only made him popular but also had that get out of jail free benefit. Finally, the song starts out, "Irene, goodnight, Irene, goodnight" so why isn't the title "Irene, Good Night"? Or for that matter, why not "Jump in the River and Drown" or "Sometimes I Take a Great Notion"? It might be too late for the latter now, Ken Kesey has already used it. Say goodnight, Gracie.

Answer: Folsom State Prison

This live version in 1968 recorded in Folsom Prison reached number one on Country Music charts. As we all know the US Senate hasn't had a hit in decades. He did know how to get to Carnegie Hall. Cash appeared at Carnegie Hall twice but that wasn't in 1968. Do you know how to get to Carnegie Hall?* We are all going to Graceland, but Johnny hadn't been there yet.

The song was in his autobiographical movie "Walk the Line" but it was Joaquin Phoenix's version. It would have made a good song for "Cool Hand Luke" too. Or "Birdman of Alcatraz" if the underwater Pacific Railroad had been opened by the time of the filming.

*Answer "Practice." or "Practice, Practice, Practice." depending on which version of the joke you heard.

Answer: A Day in the Life of a Fool

"Black Orpheus" was a Brazilian film and it was based on the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. A quick synopsis: Orpheus was in love with the nymph Eurydice. One of the lesser Greek gods was after her and in her haste to escape she stepped on a snake and died from the bite. Orpheus followed her to the Underworld (Believe it was in New Jersey, check before publishing:) He played some music for the Underworld Don, the predecessor to Tony Soprano, who agreed to let her return to life on one condition, he could not look back at Eurydice until she left the entrance to the Underworld, otherwise known as the Lincoln Tunnel. According to my sources Loki, who was on loan from Odin, sets off a firecracker and Orpheus turns around and Eurydice is gone back to the dead. I've taken license to update it to be more contemporary. Rumor has it Orpheus afterwards played backup guitar on a Rolling Stones' album.

The original song became a Bossa Nova classic, sort of like "As Time Goes By" is to American culture. Some say that the original Bossa Nova was Carl "Billions" Sagan but I have saved you some time checking this out, Carl was actually the Bossa Cosmos.

Answer: Stranger in Paradise

Richard Kiley and Doretta Morrow starred on Broadway. I don't recall who played Sancho Panza. No wait, that was the other musical Richard Kiley starred in. Bonus question: What was the name of that musical?* My favorite line from it is "Whether the stone hits the pitcher or the pitcher hits the stone it's going to be bad for the pitcher." As to Prince Igor, he was eventually deposed and found himself in Germany collecting body parts.

Getting back on topic, another notable recording was by Johnny Mathis whose version includes the intro:

"Oh why do the leaves
Of the Mulberry tree
Whisper differently now
And why is the nightingale singing
At noon on the Mulberry bough
For some most mysterious reason
This isn't the garden I know
No it's paradise now
That was only a garden
A moment ago"

*Answer: Man of La Mancha is the musical. Bennett. Tony Bennett.

Answer: Shout

If you didn't say you will, did you say "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah"?

Surprisingly, the song did not show up on the R&B Top 100 Songs that year. What an energetic song, to perform and to dance to. Speaking of which, do you recall the television show "Sing Along with Mitch"'s version of "Shout"? The choreography for the all male chorus was spectacular, their arms and legs going every which way. Without technique and discipline, somebody could have put out an eye. Perhaps this recollection was a stretch, but there was a Mitch Miller and an all male chorus and it was a TV show that encouraged the home audiences to sing along. "Shout" made its way into wedding culture but as yet has not been heard in an elevator. It did knock "The Hokey Pokey" off the top ten list of songs played at wedding receptions. It does not appear to be performed frequently in church.

The song was used in "Animal House" but not the Isley Brothers' version. It did not make the charts for the Isley Brothers, but it did make Rolling Stones magazine's list, "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" at Number 118. The Wikipedia anecdote about the song and Tickle Me Elmo provides a funny visual image. Elmo might not agree.

Answer: I've Got you Under My Skin

The Four Seasons recorded it in 1966 and it chartered a boat to US BB number nine position. Ironically, that year Sinatra hit the charts with a number one for "Strangers in the Night" and a number four for "That's Life". And to add insult to injury to the Seasons, Nancy Sinatra hit number one with "These Boots Are Made for Walking" and number five for "Sugar Town". Frank Jr.showed them some mercy. Notably it was also recorded by Louis Prima and Keely Smith.

Answer: Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody

For this 1956 release Louis Prima combined an Americanized version of the German song "Just a Gigolo" with the 1915 Roger Graham and Williams tune "I Ain't Got Nobody". Prima added some words and jive.

There are a couple of unanswered questions about Louis Prima. First as the King of the Apes, why did he want to have fire and be like the man cub and why didn't he show up at the Primo and Secondo's restaurant?

David Lee Roth did a version of it in 1985.

Answer: Natalie Cole

Nat King Cole passed away in 1965. The recording with his daughter was done editing his earlier version and mixed it with Natalie's vocal. He had a great career with songs like " Mona Lisa", "Nature Boy", "Stardust", "It's only a Paper Moon", "That Sunday, That Summer", "The Christmas Song", "Somewhere Along the Way", "The Very Thought of You", "Autumn Leaves", "Walkin' My Baby Back Home","Smile", "Pretend", "Too Young", "A Blossom Fell", "Route 66", "Straighten up and Fly Right". It's hard to pick a favorite but "Lush Life" is in the mix.

He also appeared in a few movies, most notably with Stubby Kaye in "Cat Ballou" The song was used in the movie "Finding Dory" as performed by Sia.

Answer: The Penguins

The Penguins' version made it to number ten on the BB Pop chart and number one on the R&B chart. The Crew Cuts' version made it to number three on pop charts in 1955. The version played in our area was by the Penguins not the Crew Cuts. There were quite a few guys sporting crew cuts back then but not many had penguins.