You're No Rock 'n Roll Fun Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Rolling Stones

The Altamont Free Concert, headlined by the Rolling Stones, remains a cultural turning point and has been called "rock and roll's darkest day." Many articles, interviews and the 1970 documentary "Gimme Shelter" have explored the infamous circumstances which resulted in tragedy.

Accounts of who was actually responsible for "hiring" the Hells Angels to provide security remain sketchy and contradictory, depending on the source.

What is known for certain is that Altamont Speedway was not a concert venue. A hastily built stage, a mere 39 inches off the ground (some accounts give the height as four feet), provided a major security concern as it could easily be rushed by fans. Additionally, a lack of proper emergency medical facilities also contributed the disastrous outcome.

The combination of drugs, alcohol and violence resulted in four deaths: two accidental hit and runs, one accidental drug induced drowning and the murder of eighteen year old Meredith Hunter.

Answer: The Beatles

Impressed by the Beatles' performance at The Cavern Club, Decca A&R executive Mike Smith arranged for Brian Epstein to have them test in Decca's London recording studios. The Beatles performed 15 tracks. They were confident enough to include three Lennon/McCartney originals. Coincidentally, on the same day Decca also auditioned Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, a London band with a sound, at the time, considered similar to the Beatles.

When the choice came down to one of the two, Decca exec Dick Rowe decided to go with the local band mainly to save on traveling expenses. In Brian Epstein's autobiography "A Cellarful of Noise" he quotes Rowe as stating. "Guitar groups are on their way out". Rowe insisted that he never said that, although Epstein's version was later corroborated by George Harrison.

Epstein persisted and presented the tapes to other record companies, eventually meeting with George Martin of Parlophone Records which led to their recording contract. And, as we say "...the rest is history..."

Answer: Blood Sweat & Tears

In 1970 the US State Department tapped the band to tour Romania, Poland and the former Yugoslavia. At the time they were enjoying huge success with "Spinning Wheel," "And When I Die," and "You've Made Me So Very Happy". Richard Nixon was president, the Vietnam War was raging and the general climate was not helping to thaw the "Cold War". The band was criticized for being "government pawns" while also being called "peaceniks playing Rock'n Roll for commies." Talk about being between a rock and hard place!

Over fifty years later, the 2023 documentary "What the Hell Happened to Blood Sweat & Tears" sheds new light on how the controversial tour contributed to the band's decline.

The strains of the tour and the adversity resulted in tensions amid band members. Unfortunately, by the end of 1971, four of the original nine musicians left the band.

Answer: Steve Van Zandt

In his 2021 memoir "Unrequited Infatuations" Van Zandt said he "liked being the underboss in the E Street Band" because it "kept me out of the spotlight but allowed me to make a significant enough contribution to justify my own existence in my own mind." Eventually he started to feel his relationship with "The Boss" lost its balance. Van Zandt further explained, "I felt I'd earned an official position in the decision-making process. He disagreed. So I quit."

Some good did come of that decision though. Van Zandt developed other artistic projects, including his solo band and an acting career. He became active in politics, especially as a leading voice against South Africa's apartheid.

When the opportunity arose he jumped at the chance to rejoin. He did admit, "I shouldn't have left in the first place. It didn't matter how justified it might have felt at the time, or what I had learned and accomplished since."

Answer: Metallica

With the filing of Metallica v. Napster Inc in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California the internet and music industry had a very public showdown.

Driven by Napster's sharing of their leaked 2000 song "I Disappear" before they were ready to release it and sharing their entire catalog for free, one might agree their lawsuit was justified. But fans felt Metallica went too far when they presented the names of over 30,000 users and asked that platform ban them from service, with which Napster complied. Fans saw it as a personal attack against them and a move resulting from greed rather than principle.

Answer: Kanye West

Apparently West thought it was necessary to rush the stage and remind Taylor Swift (and everyone else) that Beyoncé still had "one of the best videos of all time". The highly publicized, bombastic "faux pas" was witnessed by the nine million 2009 VMA viewers. Memes, tweets and videos were put out ad nauseam.

Later on in the show, when Beyoncé was announced as the winner of Best Video of the Year she graciously invited Swift to return to the stage and finish her acceptance speech.

Answer: Spin Doctors

After the success of the Spin Doctors' "Pocketful of Kryptonite" their career looked very promising.

That is until their 1994 follow up album "Turn it Upside Down". "Cleopatra's Cat" was deemed "a lifeless jazz-funk" by critics.

Chris Barron's vocals referenced centurions, Brutus and Marc Antony which went over the collective heads of their teenage audience. MTV stopped airing the video within 48 hours.

On the 28th anniversary of the album's release Barron Tweeted: "Honestly. I think it was the wrong move. I was uneasy about it at the time. Our management thought it would be sort of a slow burn and we would get more mileage out of the record."

Answer: Leonard Cohen

Cohen and Spector were both experiencing somewhat of a decline in their careers. Spector's drinking and erratic behavior combined with Cohen's personal struggle through his divorce did not make for an ideal partnership.

In the book "Various Positions: A Life of Leonard Cohen" by Ira Nadel, Cohen reflected, "He [Spector] really is a magnificent eccentric. And to work with him just by himself is a real delight. But when he got into the studio he moved into a different gear, he became very exhibitionist and very mad." Spector could be seen holding a bottle in one hand and a gun in the other during recording sessions. Spector had a habit of disappearing with the "scratch tapes" (which Cohen recorded strictly as guides for the musicians) and mixing them on his own.

The completed "Spector versions" damaged the musical integrity that was indicative of Leonard Cohen. Critics said Cohen's delicate poetry was "drowned by sound". In the 2005 documentary, "I'm Your Man" Cohen admitted his disappointment in the record and felt that the songs "got away" from him.

Answer: Roger Waters

With creative differences on the rise Waters left Pink Floyd. He felt that he was the driving creative force behind the group and without him the band would disappear into oblivion. That theory proved to be remarkably wrong! Pink Floyd continued packing stadiums and writing new hit songs (albeit, with the help of an occasional outside writer or two) while Waters found himself facing empty seats. It was in excess of ten years before he would successfully tour as a headliner.

In a 2013 BBC interview Waters said he regretted the lawsuit and had "failed to appreciate that the Pink Floyd name had commercial value independent of the band members."

Answer: Elton John

After receiving mixed reviews for "A Single Man" and "Blue Moves" John decided to team up with producer Pete Bellotte and released the disco album "Victim of Love". To critics and fans alike his choice of genre was almost as puzzling as his song choices. Critics have agreed that the Elton John album wasn't much of Elton John at all.

John only wanted to appear as the singer and left the assembling of songs and backing tracks to Bellotte. He recorded his vocals in a single, eight-hour session. He didn't participate in the album's promotion and there were no live tracks included. The album, with its tracks designed mainly as dance music, was exclusive to one certain listening environment and wasn't very marketable.

In his book "Captain Fantastic: Elton John's Stellar Trip Through the '70s" Tom Doyle quotes John as saying, "I can understand why it wasn't successful. I enjoyed it, [but] it was self-indulgent. I'm not ashamed of it. I'm not going to hide that record in the cupboard."