Prayer in Songs Trivia

1. "My Prayer" entered the UK singles chart no fewer then three times in 1956 and 1957. Which American vocal group, who also had hits with "Twilight Time" and "The Great Pretender", recorded this version of the song?

From Quiz Prayer Made The Hit Parade

Answer: The Platters

"My Prayer" has been recorded by Glenn Miller, The Four Seasons and many other acts. The Platters' version of the song reached number four on the UK singles chart in 1957 and featured in the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" in 2008.

From Quiz A Song and a Prayer

Answer: Candle in the Wind

After songwriter Bernie Taupin heard Janis Joplin called a "candle in the wind", he and Elton John wrote "Candle in the Wind" for Marilyn Monroe (1973). Elton John had already lost a close friend in 1997, so he was doubly depressed by the death of his dear friend Diana, Princess of Wales. He revised and sang "Candle in the Wind" for her funeral, the only time he would sing it live. Released in 1997 it topped music charts around the world. Elton won a Grammy for "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" in 1998, and the release competes with "White Christmas" as the best selling single of all time. Diana's version begins: "Goodbye England's rose, May you ever grow in our hearts, You were the grace that placed itself where lives were torn apart..."

From Quiz The Rock Music Prayer Book

Answer: The Platters

Several musicians had a hit record with "My Prayer" but it was The Platters who finally took it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1956, where it stayed for four weeks. Among others who recorded it were Glenn Miller, The Inkspots, Ella Fitzgerald and Tom Jones.

From Quiz Some Rock Songs Need Prayer

Answer: Dionne Warwick

Dionne Warwick was the first to record "I Say A Little Prayer" and it reached number four on the charts in late 1967. Warwick was nominated for a Grammy Award for Female Solo Vocal Performance. Aretha Franklin did a cover in the fall of 1968, and it reached number ten on the Billboard Top 100 and number three on the R&B Charts. Anne Murray recorded a cover on a duet album with Glen Campbell in 1970, and her version reached number thirteen on the Adult Contemporary Charts. The song is just one of many hits written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. The song has appeared in many films and television shows since its release, perhaps most notably in the 1997 Julia Roberts comedy "My Best Friend's Wedding". It has also been recorded by the cast of "Glee".

From Quiz Songs with Prayer in the Title

Answer: Aretha Franklin

When Dionne Warwick released "(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls" and "I Say A Little Prayer" as a double-sided hit it became one of the biggest selling double-sided hits of the decade. Aretha Franklin recorded a version of "I Say a Little Prayer" on her 1968 "Aretha Now" which was originally released as the flip-side of her "The House that Jack Built" single. "I Say A Little Prayer" gained momentum, peaking at Number 10. Backing vocals for Aretha's version were provided by the Sweet Inspirations. The Sweet Inspirations provided backing vocals for many singers, most notably Elvis Presley. "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" was a 1968 Top Forty hit by Madeline Bell. Barbara Acklin reached Number 15 in 1968 with "Love Makes A Woman" and Etta James scored a US Top Forty single with "Security".

From Quiz Obscure Religious Mentions in Popular Music

Answer: Crown of Thorns

Mother Love Bone artists, Soundgarden artists, and the soon-to-be-Pearl Jam lead singer, Eddie Vedder made up the tribute album to the deceased lead singer. The album was called "Temple of the Dog".

From Quiz Prayer Made The Hit Parade

Answer: Scarlet ribbons for her hair

Having heard the girl's request, the parent scours the town but every shop is closed. The next morning scarlet ribbons have miraculously appeared on her pillow. The much-recorded song "Scarlet Ribbons", by Evelyn Danzig and Jack Segal, is reputed to have been written in 15 minutes. Harry Belafonte's version reached number 18 in the UK singles chart in 1957.

From Quiz A Song and a Prayer

Answer: Praise singer

Praise singing is a longtime tradition of Africa. The singer accompanies a "very important person" to introduce his good works and sing a tribute. Mandela's praise singer, Zolani Mkiva, sang when Mandela was released from prison (1990), when Mandela was inaugurated (1994), and at his funeral. He sang in Mandela's native language, Xhosa, and also in English. The local "Daily Dispatch" wrote that on the day Mandela died a praise singer at Mandela's home village (Qunu), shouted for everyone to wake up, "A great tree has fallen". Praise singing is known locally as ukubonga: "Well he is the son of the soil, a brother to the daughters of the land..." Rudaali are female weepers of India.

From Quiz Prayer in Popular Song Lyrics

Answer: Bon Jovi

"Livin' on a Prayer" was released in 1986 on Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" album. It tells the story of a (fictional) couple, Tommy and Gina, who are having financial troubles. Lead singer Jon Bon Jovi wasn't happy with the original cut of the song, so it was reworked with a new bass line before release.

From Quiz Some Rock Songs Need Prayer

Answer: The Doors

"An American Prayer" was released in 1978, seven years after the death of Jim Morrison. The album consists of spoken word poems by Morrison which are backed musically by the three surviving members of The Doors: Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore. While the album received mixed reviews from critics, it did sell enough copies to be labeled platinum in the USA. The album only made it to number fifty-four on the Pop Albums chart.

From Quiz I Say a Little Prayer

Answer: 11/4

The other three times are common, but 11/4 is unusual! In this case, each bar can actually be broken down into three sections, with time values of 4/4, 3/4 and 4/4. The verses also are a mixture of 4/4 and 10/4 measures. Bacharach's music contains many examples of such unusual time signatures, as well as frequent changes of key, and quirky chord progressions.

From Quiz Songs with Prayer in the Title

Answer: Seventies

Australian Roman Catholic nun Sister Janet Mead recorded a Rock version of "The Lord's Prayer" in 1974. While still in her teens she formed a group called The Rock Band to provide music for weekly masses. After learning piano she became a member of the Sisters of Mercy order with the intent of becoming a music teacher in Catholic schools. In 1973 she began making recordings of her Rock Masses. After signing with Festival Records the label wanted her to record a version of Donovan's "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" with her arrangement of "The Lord's Prayer" as the flip-side. "The Lord's Prayer" became a hit reaching Number Three on the Australian Singles Chart and topping out at Number Four on the US Billboard Hot 100, earning Sister Mead a Grammy Award nomination.

From Quiz Obscure Religious Mentions in Popular Music

Answer: Wooden Jesus

The title "Temple of the Dog" comes from a Mother Love Bone song that says "...seems I've been livin' in the temple of the dog".

From Quiz Prayer Made The Hit Parade

Answer: Bobby Darin

"Dream Lover" spent 19 weeks in the UK chart. Bobby Darin's follow-up single, "Mack The Knife", also reached number one and stayed in the chart for 16 weeks.

From Quiz A Song and a Prayer

Answer: John Lennon

Beatle John Lennon wrote "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" for Sean, his second son and his first with Yoko Ono. Sean was born in 1975 after Yoko had several miscarriages. This loving prayer was released in 1980, just three weeks before Lennon was murdered. It has been covered by actor Richard Dreyfuss and a number of musicians, including Celine Dion (2004). "Close your eyes, Have no fear, The monster's gone, He's on the run and your daddy's here, Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful Boy..."

From Quiz Some Rock Songs Need Prayer

Answer: Sri Lanka

"Save a Prayer" was the third track on the album "Rio". The video was shot in Sri Lanka, with the band members riding on elephants. Much of the video was shot along the Indian Ocean. The giant ruins the band is standing on are in the town of Polonnaruwa. which has been named a World Heritage Site. Simon LeBon dedicated the song to Marvin Gaye in 1984. "Hungry Like The Wolf" was also shot in Sri Lanka. "Rio" was shot in the Caribbean, on the island of Antigua. "Save a Prayer" only reached number sixteen on the US Charts, but went as high as number two in England.

From Quiz Songs with Prayer in the Title

Answer: The Platters

The Platters scored a chart-topper when they released "My Prayer" in 1956. The song had been a hit for The Ink Spots and The Glenn Miller band in 1939. The Platters formed in Los Angeles two years before releasing "My Prayer". They released minor local hits on the Federal label before signing with Mercury Records. The Platters were encouraged to release their version of an Ink Spots released title "Only You (and You Alone)". The single became a national hit and The Platters performed the song in the 1956 film "Rock Around the Clock". The group followed with several more hits including "Twilight Time", "My Prayer" and "Harbor Lights". The Dominoes had a 1951 hit with "Sixty-Minute Man". In 1955 The Penguins had an early Rock era hit in 1955 with "Earth Angel". Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters charted "Money Honey" in 1953.

From Quiz Obscure Religious Mentions in Popular Music

Answer: Hail Mary

The song was the theme song for "Stigmata", a film that dealt with the forbidden writings of St. Thomas Aquinas.

From Quiz Prayer Made The Hit Parade

Answer: Shirley Bassey

Shirley Bassey first hit the UK charts in 1957 with "The Banana Boat Song". Her 40 year chart career famously included the theme songs for the James Bond films "Goldfinger" and "Diamonds Are Forever". "Ave Maria" spent four weeks in the UK chart, rising to number 31.

From Quiz A Song and a Prayer

Answer: Earth

"Concert for the Earth" (1985) by The Paul Winter Consort was recorded live at the United Nations, and represents Winter's experiments in "living music". Throughout his career this American saxophonist took his consort of oboe, cello, piano, flute or drums out of the recording studio and into living arenas, where they played as partners with wind, water, animals or the echoes of a canyon. The result is exquisitely beautiful and rare. In 1971 the Apollo 15 astronauts named two craters on the moon after the Grammy Award winner's songs, "Ghost Beads" and "Icarus".

From Quiz The Rock Music Prayer Book

Answer: Dionne Warwick

"I Say a Little Prayer" was first sung by Dionne Warwick. Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote it for her in 1967. In the song she made it clear that the first thing she thought of when she woke up in the morning was her boyfriend; the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning is coffee!

From Quiz Prayer in Popular Song Lyrics

Answer: I Say a Little Prayer

Warwick took "I Say a Little Prayer" to the US top 10 in 1967, and this feat was repeated by Aretha Franklin when she covered the song less than 12 months later. Franklin's version was quite different to the original, adding piano and substantial backing vocals.

From Quiz Some Rock Songs Need Prayer

Answer: Tommy and Gina

"Livin' on a Prayer" was the second number one hit for Bon Jovi in the US. It was released on their "Slippery When Wet" album in August 1986 and hit the charts in February of 1987. It tells the story of a down on their luck couple named Tommy and Gina, whose faith in the power of love sees them through. It was chosen as the number one rock song of the 1980s by VH-1 Viewers. The song was by far the band's biggest hit, going triple platinum. Naturally, it has been recorded by the cast of "Glee".

From Quiz I Say a Little Prayer

Answer: Sweet Inspirations

The recording arose from byplay between takes during the recording of the album 'Aretha Now', when it was decided to add the song to the planned list for the album. The song was originally going to be the B side of the single release of 'The House That Jack Built', but it achieved nearly as good rankings in the US, and in the UK it became Aretha's highest-ranked single to that time. The Sweet Inspirations were a female backup group founded by Cissy Houston, mother of Whitney Houston and aunt of Dionne Warwick, who was a member of the group before her solo career took off in 1963. They can be heard on Dionne Warwick's hit 'Don't Make Me Over', as well as on Van Morrison's classic song 'Brown Eyed Girl'.

From Quiz Songs with Prayer in the Title

Answer: She worked in a diner.

According to the lyrics of the song Gina was at a diner "workin' for her man". "Livin' on A Prayer" was the second single release from the band's "Slippery When Wet" album and quickly became a fan favorite. "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" were other hit singles from the album. Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora composed the song with songwriter Desmond Child. Jon was not happy with the original recording of the song but Richie Sambora insisted the song had hit potential so a different arrangement was done with another bass line. The results paid off when the song stayed at the top of the US charts for four weeks.

From Quiz Obscure Religious Mentions in Popular Music

Answer: Krishna

A lot of Christians were singing along until they realized the backup vocalists were chanting "Hare, Hare. Krishna, Krishna" in the background. Not what they were expecting!

From Quiz Prayer Made The Hit Parade

Answer: Bacharach and David

"I Say A Little Prayer" was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick, who was long associated with Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Aretha Franklin's version reached number four on the UK chart. Her duet with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)", topped the chart in 1987.

From Quiz A Song and a Prayer

Answer: Songs of Innocence

"Songs of Innocence" is a 1789 collection of lyrical poems illustrated and written by the visionary William Blake. It is a companion to "Songs of Experience", published a few years later, as Blake considered innocence and experience to be "contrary states of the human soul". The poems in "Songs of Innocence" are about children, or written from the point of view of children. The poet Allen Ginsberg composed an album of Blake's innocence and experience poems, as did composer Victoria Poleva and many, many others.

From Quiz The Rock Music Prayer Book

Answer: Like a Prayer

From the album of the same name, "Like a Prayer" became Madonna's seventh number one record in the U.S. Adding a choir and organ gave it the feel of a hymn, if you overlook the drums and electric bass. The Vatican condemned the music video and religious groups protested its broadcast. Pepsi Cola had used the song in a commercial but cancelled it and terminated its contract with her as a spokesperson because of the negative feedback.

From Quiz Prayer in Popular Song Lyrics

Answer: Andrea Bocelli

Bocelli and Dion originally recorded solo versions of the song (he in Italian, she in English). They agreed to record a duet version which uses both languages, and it was released as a promotional single in 1999. Dion later also recorded the song as a duet with Josh Groban.

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