Desert Island Discs Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Pearl Fishers

"Les Pecheurs de Perles (The Pearl Fishers)" is an opera in three acts. The first performance of this opera was on 30 September 1863 in Paris. Bizet was only 25 years old when this opera was premiered.

Zurga has been chosen as chief of the village when his friend Nadir returns to the village after a long absence. They talk about their rivalry some time ago for the hand of a beautiful priestess, Leila, but sing about their vow of friendship in the song "Au Fond du Temple Saint" (In the Depths of the Temple). However, a mysterious veiled woman arrives by boat, who has come to pray for the fishermen whilst they are at sea. Of course she is none other than the priestess Leila, and Zurga and Nadir become rivals once again.

Question supplied by wenray.

Answer: When Will I Be Loved

"When Will I Be Loved" gave the Everly Brothers a number eight hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. It reached number four on the UK singles chart the same year. The Everly Brothers were the top duo of the Rock and Roll era and one of my favourites. I had to include at least one of their records to take with me to my desert island.

They had sixteen Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1957 and 1962, which included four number one hits. In the UK they had 21 Top 20 hits between 1957 and 1965, which also included four number one hits.

As you can see from these statistics, although they had a few more minor hits in the US their Top 20 hits stopped well before the "British Invasion" of 1964. The strange thing is that their UK Top 20 hits continued well into 1965 with "The Price Of Love" which reached number two, and "Love Is Strange" which reached number 11, both in 1965.

The duo broke up for the first time in 1973. Question supplied by shipyardbernie.

Answer: Beware of Darkness

All of these tracks are excellent in my opinion, but only "Beware of Darkness" is on "All Things Must Pass". What I like is its warning about depression, con artists and illusion (this is my take on it, for what it's worth). "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" is from "Living in the Material World" (another masterpiece in my opinion). "Blow Away" is from his self-titled 1979 LP. "Cheer Down" is from the movie soundtrack of "Lethal Weapon 2".
Question supplied by rebelyank.

Answer: Jamaica

Jimmy Cliff was born in St. James, Jamaica, in 1948 and by the age of fourteen was already having hits, one of which was "Miss Jamaica" which came out in 1962. He rose to prominence in the late sixties and even garnered accolades from big-names such as Bob Dylan, but never really entered the mainstream until he got the lead acting role in the groundbreaking Jamaican film "The Harder They Come". He also sang the soundtrack, probably his biggest claim to international fame. The track "Miss Jamaica" has all the irresistible charm of early ska; the blatant American rhythm and blues tropes, wicked sax breaks, the drawling vocals, and the cheeky, sly humour of something akin to calypso.

It'll be a surefire hit on the desert island jukebox when we've worked out how to brew a coconut beverage and caught some fish to barbecue. All the red herrings are genuine awards.

Question supplied by thula2.

Answer: Passing Strangers

Billy Eckstine (born 1914) was instrumental (pun intended!) in giving such greats as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie their start in a band that played the new music of its time - bebop. Sarah Vaughan, quite rightly nicknamed 'The Divine One' for her amazing voice, was born in 1924 and her singing career spanned more than 60 years. Sarah died in 1990, her funeral being held at Mount Zion Baptist Church, Newark NJ, where she had first started singing in the choir at the age of six.
Question supplied by Waitakere.

Answer: Summer Rain

John Rivers (John Henry Ramistella) was born November 7, 1942 in New York City. He mostly recorded folk and blues songs. His song "Secret Agent Man" became the theme song to the American version of the TV series "Secret Agent Man" (known in the the UK as "Danger Man") starring Patrick McGoohan. Rivers also owned and operated a nightclub called the "Whisky a Go Go" on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, and released an album called "Johnny Rivers Live At The Whisky A Go Go." "Summer Rain" was released in the US in 1967 as a single, and was included in his album "Realization" released in 1968 on the Soul City label. Question supplied by kennell.

Answer: Mony Mony

Unable to think of a title for this song, Tommy James noticed the sign for the Mutual of New York insurance company which had its initials lit up in red and that, as they say, was that! Billy Idol first released "Mony Mony" in 1981 but it only had minimal success. However, the live version which was released in 1987 shot straight to the top of the Billboard charts and also reached number seven in the UK charts.
Question supplied by scotsbluebell.

Answer: The Prisoner

The quotation from the TV show that inspired the song was, "I'm not a prisoner, I'm a free man!". I came to love this Iron Maiden classic after hearing Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson declare it to be a joyful testament to the spirit of metal music and the human soul: "My life is my own!". "Run to the Hills" is another hit from "The Number of the Beast." "Aces High" is from Maiden's 1984 "Powerslave", whereas "...And Justice for All" is by Metallica.
Question supplied by megamaiden.

Answer: Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Cafe

This was also made into a very popular movie titled "Fried Green Tomatoes" starring Jessica Tandy and Kathy Bates. WARNING: the movie has a completely different ending to the book! The book was published on August 12, 1987 in the USA and spent 36 weeks on the "New York Times Bestseller List." Great reading!
Question supplied by kennell.

Answer: A straight razor

Although razors have been around since the Bronze age in some form or other, the straight razor, which is a straight blade that folds into a protective sheath known as "scales" and often used as a handle, is first mentioned as a product on a listing of a Sheffield manufacturer in 1680. The straight razor grew in popularity and was the most common type of razor used for shaving until the development of the safety razor in the 19th century. Then came the disposable razor and the art of shaving lost all its charm.

Sheffield has long been associated with the production of cutlery, in fact the first recorded use of the word "cutler" (in the 13th century) was on a document hailing from the city. When steel production became easier in the 17th century, Sheffield grew as an industrial town, which led to its nickname "steel city". The nickname is honoured by local sports teams such as ice hockey team Sheffield Steelers. The football derby between Sheffield "The Blades" United and Sheffield "The Owls" Wednesday is known as the "Steel City Derby". One of the city's theatres is called The Crucible in reference to the development of Crucible steel in the city.

I'd take a razor as there is nothing quite as refreshing as a good quality shave, and since I'm going a bit thin on top, I've opted for the shiny pate. I'm sure some of the ladies would also like to get rid of unsightly hair, although our team captain sports a beard and may want to use the blade for peeling the fruit I hope is in abundance on the island.

Question supplied by thula2.