Manly Melodies Trivia Quiz

Answer: Neil Young

It is often thought that the members of Lynryd Skynryd felt quite angry about the release of "Southern Man". It is true that if the lyrics of "Southern Man" are explored, they show that Neil Young was very explicit and very critical of the racism that had existed for so long in the American South. (Neil Young is a Canadian.) Much later, Young said he did not like the lyrics to "Southern Man" any more because they were too open to interpretation.

The "feud" that supposedly existed between Lynryd Skynryd and Neil Young was largely imaginary. In fact, a fairly good-natured camaraderie existed between them; Ronnie Van Zant is wearing a Neil Young T-shirt on a Lynryd Skynryd album cover, and in fact Neil Young himself played "Sweet Home Alabama" at a memorial concert after the plane crash that killed three members of the other band.

Answer: I Need a Man To Love

Although "I Need A Man To Love" may not be one of the better-known songs on "Cheap Thrills" (the album has only seven songs) it is classic Janis Joplin, with blues structure and almost agonized vocal delivery. The lyrics are very explicit about the singer's essential loneliness; "I Need A Man To Love" comes across as a very sad song.

Answer: Spencer Davis Group

"I'm A Man" was written by singer Steve Winwood and producer Jim Miller, and released by the Spencer Davis Group in 1967. It went to Number nine on the UK charts and Number ten in the US. A successful cover version was done a little later by Chicago.

Answer: Muddy Waters

"Hoochie Coochie Man" signalled a change in Muddy Water's style, from the gentler 12-bar blues of the Mississippi Delta to the gritty urban sound of the Chicago blues. The song is rife with references to sex, virility and gypsy folklore.

Muddy Waters subsequently released a string of hits along the same themes, but one critic said it was "Hoochie Coochie Man" that confirmed Muddy's status as "the testosterone king of the blues."

Answer: Mongo Santamaria

"Watermelon Man" was written by Herbie Hancock and appeared on his first album, "Taking Off" in 1962. The title refers to the watermelon sellers who were common on the streets of Chicago around that time. Hancock was filling in with Mongo Santamaria's jazz band on a club date, and introduced the tune; the dancers on the floor loved it, and it has become known as one of the first, if not the first, songs with a Latin dance beat known as Latin boogaloo.

The song later was put to words by lyricist Jon Hendricks, and many artists covered it. The Santamaria version of "Watermelon Man" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Answer: Leonard Cohen

"I'm Your Man" is the title song of an album released in 1988; many songs on this album (though not "I'm Your Man") had a modern "synthpop" sound that was popular at that time. Cohen had been brought back into the public mind by Jennifer Warnes' best-selling release "Famous Blue Raincoat", a whole album of covers of Leonard Cohen songs.

In the witty lyrics to "I'm Your Man", Leonard Cohen offers to be a lover, a brother, a boxer, a doctor and so on, whatever the woman needs!

Answer: Doug Kershaw

Doug Kershaw and his brothers and sisters grew up surrounded by Cajun (Acadian) accordion and fiddle music. He and his brother Rusty were in the Army from 1959-1962, and they wrote and recorded this song together when they were discharged. They then went their separate ways in entertainment.

Doug Kershaw was known as 'The Ragin' Cajun". The record of "Louisiana Man" sold in the millions, and Doug went on to have some other big regional hits. "Louisiana Man" has been covered by some 800 artists!

Answer: Elton John

"Rocket Man" was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and appeared on the album "Honky Chateau". Many listeners have compared it to David Bowie's "Space Oddity" (1967). The singer of "Rocket Man" is bound for Mars; this is revealed in the lyrics.

Elton John performed "Rocket Man" at the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998.

Answer: Billie Holiday

"Lover Man" has been recorded by artists literally too numerous to mention. In 1989, Billie Holiday's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Answer: ZZ Top

"Sharp-Dressed Man" proved to be irresistible to other musicians and bands. What a hook is the memorable "Every girl crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man!" Many covers have been done, but one needing special mention is that done by the Canadian group Nickelback.

They performed the song at the VH-1 Rock Honors in 2007, and it is assumed that this was a nod to Billy Gibbons, who appeared on Nickelback's recording of their song "Rockstar".