Boomers-The Formative Years (B-TFY)5 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In 1958 Berry Gordy, Roquel "Billy" Davis and Gwendolyn Gordy wrote this song. Jackie Wilson "Mr. Excitement" recorded it and it reached Number one on the Rhythm and Blues (R&B) chart and Number seven on the BillBoard Hot 100 chart. Which is it? "Come home, come home Just say you will, say you will (Say you will) say you will, (say you will) Hey, hey (say you will) My heart is crying, crying"

Answer: Lonely Teardrops

Jackie's nickname came from his onstage persona which included dynamic dance moves that foreshadowed successive artists like James Brown, Michael Jackson and Bob Newhart. Yes, a little known fact that during the recording of the "Buttoned Down Mind" comedian's driving instructor bit, he was doing splits and a precursor to the moonwalk which he called the Plutowalk since it was far out. Far out was a term beatniks used for "cool". Beatniks were people who got their name from beating up department store Santa Claus impersonators. They were a rogue offshoot of the ASPCA concerned with the maltreatment of reindeer. They were beret, beret far out. Bob Newhart was an AS CPA before becoming a comedian.

Getting back to reality, the song was rated Number 315 on the Rolling Stones List of the Greatest Songs of All Time. It was in the very weird movie, "Leaving Las Vegas" and also in "La Bamba".

2. The Carmen McRae version of this Gershwin song (from the album, "The Best Jazz Tunes of the 1950s" on the "AllMusic site) was not the only one recorded that year. Ella Fitzgerald also recorded it. You can get this one, right? "But now whenever you`re away Can`t sleep nights and suffer all the day I just sit and wonder If love isn't one big blunder"

Answer: I Was Doing All Right

Written in 1937, this song never went out of style, it stayed in the jazz repertoire. I'm a big McRae fan so she got top billing. This song was not rated in the Rolling Stones List of the Greatest Songs of All Time. Nor has it or the Gershwins been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A pox on both their houses. I am doing all right now that I sleep in the Faraday cage. I credit "Person of Interest" for this.

3. This was a 1945 song written by Joseph Kosma with French lyrics by Jacques Pr�vert. In 1947 Johnny Mercer added English lyrics. It was recorded in 1955 as a piano instrumental and it hit Number one on the BB chart. Which pianist recorded this version? Some lyrics as an amuse bouche: "C'est une chanson Qui nous resemble Toi tu m'aimais Et je t'aimais" et en Anglais: "The falling leaves drift by the window The autumn leaves of red and gold I see your lips, the summer kisses The sun-burned hands I used to hold"

Answer: Roger Williams

The answer is Roger Williams who was also a theologian and founder of Rhode Island. He found it next to Connecticut. The English version of the lyric fragment from "Autumn Leaves" was not a translation of the French fragment. That translation roughly would be: "No it can't! An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition."

Surprisingly, no tubaists seem to have recorded it.

4. This Bronislau Kaper and Helen Deutsch song was written in 1952 and was featured in a 1953 movie. Can you name it? "On every tree there sits a bird, singing a song of love On every tree there sits a bird, and ev'ryone I ever heard Could break my heart without a word singing a song of love"

Answer: Hi Lili, Hi Lo

What quiz on 1950s music would be complete without a song by Leslie Caron and Mel Ferrer? And who doesn't like puppets? Well, except for that one in the "Twilight Zone" episode. My motto is, "Never cross a puppet." They can be meaner than clowns. They can! Did you ever hear of Punch and Judy? Froggy? Lamb Chop? Can you ever forget when Punch would whack other puppets with his stick. And what child wasn't frozen with terror when they heard, "Plunk your magic twanger Froggy!" Okay, Lamb Chop wasn't too violent just passive aggressive in a cute cuddly, warm milk sort of way.

5. This song was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and recorded by The Coasters in 1958. Haven't a clue? Me neither. The song is... "Take out the papers and the trash Or you don't get no spendin' cash If you don't scrub that kitchen floor You ain't gonna rock and roll no more"

Answer: Yakety Yak

And my favorite line, "Just tell your hoodlum friend outside, You ain't got time to take a ride." The song was used in the movie "Stand by Me" which was directed by Meathead based on a story by Stephen King which precipitated teenagers also over the country smashing mailboxes with baseball bats that went a little too far when some tried doing it in the post office which by the way is a federal offense except on national holidays because the postman doesn't work on those days nor ring twice. Deep breath.

The sounds of your parents' music echoed through the house while you walked around hands over your ears saying, "Make it stop! It hurts. It hurts! Make it stop!" When you got your chance at the stereo in the wooden cabinet, you played the good music. Your parents sat silently by. If you were telepathic you'd be hearing, "Make it stop! It hurts!" and "When is he/she moving out of the house.". As you got older you got more subtle so when they played their music you would say, "Third floor, please." smile and walk away.

6. This 1952 song was written by Fred Rose and Edward Nelson. Hank Williams recorded it in 1952. It made it to Number two on US Country chart. Which is it? "We'll take in all the honky tonks, tonight we're having fun We'll show the folks a brand new dance that never has been done I don't care who thinks we're silly, you be daffy and I'll be dilly We'll order up two bowls of chili,"

Answer: Settin' the Woods on Fire

Who can resist a lyric that includes the line "We'll put aside a little time to fix a flat or two My tires and tubes are doin' fine but the air is showin' through"? I have the same problem with my head sometimes but I keep patching it and re inflating it.

7. Written by Bobby Troup in 1946, it was originally recorded and released in 1946 by King Cole Trio and it reappeared on the album, "The Best Jazz Tunes of the 1950s". Did you get it? Did you have good intentions? "Now you go through Saint Louis Joplin, Missouri, And Oklahoma City is mighty pretty. You'll see Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico, Flagstaff, Arizona, Don't forget Winona"

Answer: Route 66

The song also sort of inspired a television series of the same name starring George Maharis and Martin Milner. The show lasted about five years; to me, it seemed like each episode lasted that long. It was like "Seinfeld" without humor. Milner went on to star in "Adam12" aka "Dragnet-The Next Generation".

8. Paul Anka wrote this song with Joe Sherman and recorded it in 1957. It made Number two on BB Composite chart and Number one on R&B chart. Do you have it? "I'm so young and you're so old This, my darling I've been told I don't care just what they say 'Cause forever I will pray You and I will be as free As the birds up in the trees"

Answer: Diana

Artemis was probably his first choice for the song's name but it didn't flow with music. Anka wrote songs for Buddy Holly, Frank Sinatra and Tom Jones. Can you name them? No one knows for sure who inspired the song, my money is on Mrs. Peel. He wrote the main theme for the film "The Longest Day" which he also acted in, plus he wrote the theme song with/for Johnny Carson for "The Tonight Show". He's still out there plugging along.

Answer: "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", "My Way" and "She's a Lady" respectively.

9. This song was written by Buck Ram, recorded and released by the Platters in 1955. It hit Number one on the Pop and the R&B charts. If you do this when you're blue you can get the name. "Too real is this feeling of make-believe Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal"

Answer: The Great Pretender

It made the National Public Radio top 100 musical works of the 20th century and made number 351 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs list. It is also in "American Graffiti" when Curt meets the Pharaohs. The Pharaohs were the JDs of the town. The politically correct "JDs" replaced "hoodlums" as the as the nom du jour for teens that were misunderstood. Or was it that deep down inside they were no good?

10. This song was written by Maurice Williams and recorded by The Gladiolas. The 1957 Diamonds version did better on the charts. Get this one? "My dear-a I-I was wrong-a To-oo try To lo-ove two A-hoopa, a-hoopa, hoopa Know well-a That my love-a Wa-as just for you Ooooonly yoooooooooooou"

Answer: Little Darlin'

It reached Number two on BB Hot 100 and was the Number three song-a for 1957. This is like a doo wop palette. The song was in "American Graffiti". It played during one of the scenes at the drive-in when Toad-a is ordering while some guy tries to pick up Debbie. Afterwards Toad and Debbie drove off to neck-a, lost Steve's car and eluded the Goat Killer. Ahoopa, ahoopa, hoopa.

Source: Author gfitz47

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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Here are more inspirational songs and little known facts from the 1950s. Disclaimer: These facts may not inspire you nor have any relation to your interpretation of reality, but hey, it's not about you.

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