Hard Covers UK Quiz / Test | Covers & Rereleases Remakes

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Avid Merrion, Davina McCall and Patsy Kensit, under the moniker of Bo Selecta, scored a Christmas 2004 hit with a cover of "I Got You Babe". Who originally took the song to #1 back in 1965?

Answer: Sonny and Cher

The trio of Avid, Davina and actress/singer Patsy Kensit performed the song in a humourous manner, with plenty of fooling around for the video of course. "I Got You Babe" first charted as a UK#1 for Sonny and Cher in 1965, and then topped the charts for UB40 and Chrissie Hynde in 1985. According to my calculations, this means it is due to be a hit again around 2025!

2. Which old Cat Stevens song did Ronan Keating take back into the charts along with Yusef Islam in December 2004?

Answer: Father And Son

"Father and Son" was originally a track on the Cat Stevens 1971 "Tea For The Tillerman" album. It then became a 1995 #2 hit for Boyzone, which, of course, featured Ronan Keating as the lead singer. Cat Stevens converted to Islam in 1977, and adopted the name Yusef Islam. He rarely records these days, but agreed to join Ronan on this remake.

3. The Skandi Girls took their version of the old party favorite "The Can Can" into the UK top 40 just in time for Christmas 2004, but who previously had a #3 hit with this evergreen song in 1981?

Answer: Bad Manners

Fronted by singer Buster Bloodvessel (surprisingly not his real name), the Ska band Bad Manners also charted with "Special Brew", "Lorraine" and "My Girl Lollipop". I have to confess that I had not actually heard of The Skandi Girls before "Do The Can Can"!

4. Who had a hit with a cover of Queen's "Radio Ga-Ga" in December 2004?

Answer: Electric Six

It's almost impossible to say anything about Queen that has not already been said, suffice to say that "Radio Ga-Ga" was a #2 hit for the band in 1984. That same chart position was reached by Electrix Six with their first UK hit "Danger! High Voltage" in January 2003.

5. "The X Factor" 2004 winner Steve Brookstein earned himself a #1 hit with a cover of which Phil Collins song?

Answer: Against All Odds

A 1984 #2 hit for ex-Genesis drummer and singer Phil Collins, the song then went one place higher in 2000 when the unholy alliance of Mariah Carey and Westlife recorded it. Twenty years after it first charted, Mr Brookstein again took the song to the top of the UK charts.

6. Another old song that found itself revived in early 2005 was "Shine" by the Love Freaks. Originally called "Shine A Little Love", it was previously a hit for the Electric Light Orchestra.

Answer: True

A #6 hit in 1979, "Shine A Little Love" was the 10th top ten hit for the Jeff Lynne led ELO. The band had several chart entries, starting in 1972 and including a #1 with Olivia Newton-John, "Xanadu".

7. "Like Toy Soldiers" became another #1 hit for Eminem in February 2005. It sampled "Toy Soldiers" originally a 1989 hit for which female singer?

Answer: Martika

A UK #5, "Toy Soldiers" was the first hit single for Martika. Her other hits include "I Feel The Earth Move" and "Love...Thy Will Be Done". Eminem, of course, has had several #1 hits, including "Stan", a song which sampled the vocal from the Dido song "Thank You".

8. The Groove Cutters entered the UK top 40 in February 2005 with a new version of "We Close Our Eyes". Who originally charted with this song?

Answer: Go West

"We Close Our Eyes" was the first hit in 1985 for the duo of Peter Cox and Richard Drummie, and reached a credible #5 for them. Late 2004 and early 2005 saw a rise in recycled 80s hits such as Eric Prydz and "Call On Me" and the Uniting Nations cover of "Out Of Touch". London duo the Groove Cutters were not to be outdone, and took the old Go West hit back into the charts 20 years after its first visit.

9. In February 2005, The Futureheads took which former Kate Bush hit into the UK top 40?

Answer: Hounds Of Love

A #18 hit in 1986, Kate Bush is probably best remembered for her first #1, the memorable "Wuthering Heights" back in 1978. The Futureheads first visited the UK charts in 2003, when "First Day" scraped the lower end of the charts at #58.

10. On 6th March 2005 another 80s remake entered the top 10 of the UK charts. The Cabin Crew covered "Waiting For A Star To Fall", a former hit for which duo?

Answer: Boy Meets Girl

"Waiting For A Star To Fall" became the latest 80s hit to get the remix treatment in 2005 - do we detect a pattern here? Boy Meets Girl took the song to #9 in December 1988. The duo, Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill, apparently approved of the remix by Cabin Crew, which charted at #4.

The song was also revived by the Sunset Strippers, this time under the title "Falling Stars", but was issued a week after the Cabin Crew version.

Source: Author Popsicle01

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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Covers UK Trivia Quiz

Late 2004 and early 2005 saw a few more remakes and cover versions enter the UK charts. See if you can remember some of those original hits.

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