Blue Öyster Cult: The Golden Age of Leather Quiz

Answer: Winston Churchill

Churchill was talking about Italy during World War II. Blue Öyster Cult's dark and cryptic lyrics have something akin to Poe's macabre fiction. Poe is often lauded for his contribution to the development science fiction, a genre much-loved by B.Ö.C., especially Eric Bloom (vocals/guitar).

Answer: Allen Lanier (keyboards/guitar)

It is generally accepted that Lanier suggested using the umlaut, although B.Ö.C. associate and lyricist Richard Meltzer has laid claim to having thought of it. At that time Pearlman welcomed all kinds of gimmicks to draw attention to the band. Many heavy metal bands have since used the umlaut to give a Teutonic edge to their image, including Motörhead, Queensrÿche, The Accüsed and Deströyer 666.

Answer: A single, "What Is Quicksand?"

Elektra put out a promo single, "What Is Quicksand?" by Stalk Forrest Group, but dropped them as radio stations weren't plugging it. They went on to Columbia/CBS records, with the new name, Blue Öyster Cult, and released a string of fourteen albums. You can hear "What Is Quicksand" and "Donovan's Monkey" as demos for Columbia on the CD re-release of their debut album. For the other recordings, look out for "St. Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings" (2001).

Answer: Ross the Boss (Manowar/Dictators)

Brain Surgeons were together 1994-2006, and put out nine studio albums. The band's name proved unfortunate when guitarist Billy Hilfiger (fashion designer Tommy's brother) died of brain cancer. Dee Dee Ramone wasn't from New York, but moved there as a teenager.

He died of a drug overdose in 2002. Kane was born in the Bronx. Sadly, he died of leukemia in 2004. On a lighter note, fellow New Yorker Lenny Kaye was still performing in the early 2000s. B.Ö.C have a long association with The Patti Smith Group.

Answer: Bad Channels

The sci-fi movie wasn't a huge success and was mostly remembered by B.Ö.C. fans for the soundtrack. "Don't Fear the Reaper" featured in John Carpenter's 1978 horror film "Halloween". "Bram Stoker's Dracula" came out in 1992, as did Abel Ferrara's "Bad Lieutenant", which featured Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" on the original soundtrack.

The band said it hadn't been cleared, kicked up a fuss, and it was removed.

Answer: MC5

B.Ö.C. released MC5's "Kick Out The Jams" on live album "Some Enchanted Evening" in 1978. They also covered Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" and The Animals' "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place". They were greatly influenced by the Byrds' guitar sound, but never covered them. Hardcore punk band The Minutemen covered "The Red and the Black" on their final album, "3-Way Tie (For Last)", in 1985.

Answer: Michael Moorcock

English sci-fi/fantasy author Moorcock also co-wrote "Black Blade" on the album "Cultösaurus Erectus" and "The Great Sun Jester" on "Mirrors". "Veteran" was on "Fire Of Unknown Origin". The title comes from a Hawkwind song, "Standing At The Edge", also co-written by Moorcock. Patti Smith co-wrote a few B.Ö.C. lyrics, including "Baby Ice Dog" on "Tyranny And Mutation") and "Career of Evil" on "Secret Treaties".

Answer: Howard Stern (radio celebrity)

Although it's often claimed that Stern and Bloom are cousins, Bloom was in fact married to Stern's (distant) cousin. He read four lines, ending with "All hail the revolution!". Welles narrated lots of TV, and in music he appeared on Manowar's "Defender" and "Dark Avenger". Embarrassingly, his name was misspelt "Wells" on the cover. Price worked with Alice Cooper on his first album, "Welcome to My Nightmare" (1975), providing a creepy introduction to "The Black Widow".

Answer: Wolfman

"Nosferatu" was on 1977 album "Spectres", which also featured monster hit "Godzilla". "Tattoo Vampire" was on "Agents Of Fortune" (1976). "The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria" was on "Imaginos", one of rock's weirdest operas.

It also had a difficult birth, starting as a Sandy Pearlman project pre-B.Ö.C., developed by Albert Bouchard as a solo project, and released in 1988, without his consent or his drumming, as a B.Ö.C. album.

Answer: Donald Roeser (guitar/vocals)

Roeser started out in 1967. Bloom joined in 1969, when they were still Soft White Underbelly. Lanier joined in 1967, left in 1985, rejoined two years later and retired in 2006. Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot) joined B.Ö.C. as bassist in 2007.

Answer: "Buck Dharma"

Manager Sandy Pearlman gave each band member an esoteric stage name in the early days. However, all but Roeser dropped them immediately, but Buck Dharma/Donald Roeser became interchangeable. The famous B.Ö.C. symbol is that of Greek god Kronos. Crawdaddy was a very early American rock magazine featuring contributions by Sandy Pearlman and Richard Meltzer.

Answer: Hell's Angel trouble

Albert Bouchard had left and flown home the previous day, leaving roadie Rick Downey to fill in. Downey ended up joining and he appeared on "Extraterrestrial Live" and one studio album, "Revolution By Night". B.Ö.C. were then victim to British summer weather: rain and mud, which might have been why the sound was such a mess. Apparently it was miraculously sorted for when Whitesnake hit the stage after B.Ö.C. had left it, battered but not beaten.

The bill was More, Blackfoot, Slade, B.Ö.C., Whitesnake and AC/DC.

Answer: David Lucas (writer/producer)

Lucas wrote jingles and got involved with B.Ö.C. very early on, being credited as producer of their debut album. He came up with the notorious cowbell and claims he played it on the recording, albeit too sparingly according to some. Bloom also claims he played it, but Joe Bouchard says it was his brother, Albert. Whoever it was created one of the few songs people "air cowbell" to.

Answer: ME 262

Generally regarded as B.Ö.C.'s best work, "Secret Treaties" came out in 1974. The German Messerschmitt Me 262 also featured in the song, "ME 262". They also sang about "7 Screaming Diz-Busters" on previous album, "Tyranny And Mutation", but it's unclear what they were on about. The Zeppelin aviation motif was used by another rock band in the 1970s.

Answer: Tyranny and Mutation

Nobody seems to know why, so blame Sandy Pearlman. The album was split into the Black (side A) and The Red (side B). The song "The Red and the Black" refers to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Why? Nobody knows; that's the mystery of The Blue Öyster Cult.