More Memorable Lyrics Trivia Quiz

Answer: molasses

"Black Velvet" from this Canadian songstress' debut album was her tribute to Elvis Presley. It was a huge hit for her on both sides of the Atlantic in 1989, but sadly she has never quite been able to obtain the same success since.

Answer: White Room

Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker made up Cream, rock's first supergroup. Formed in 1966, they were together for just three years and released three studio albums, but in that time made some superb music and set the standard for rock music of the early seventies with classics such as "Sunshine of Your Love", "Strange Brew" and "White Room". "Blue Hotel" was a hit for Chris Isaak, "Yellow Submarine" was of course by The Beatles, and "Red House" was a blues standard made famous by the late James Marshall Hendrix.

Answer: INXS

Formed in Sydney in the late seventies, they were originally known as The Fariss Brothers, after three members of the band. Sadly, enigmatic lead singer Michael Hutchence committed suicide in a hotel room on the eve of the start of their 20th anniversary tour in November 1997.

The remainder of the band toured with Terence Trent D'Arby on vocals for a while, and then in 2000, former Noiseworks lead singer Jon Stevens joined the band as Hutchence's replacement. I had the pleasure of seeing INXS in one of their last concerts while Michael Hutchence was still alive and this line is from my favourite song of theirs, the soulful "Never Tear Us Apart" off their 1987 album "Kick".

Answer: What I Am

Apparently, it's also 'a light in the fog', while philosophy is 'a walk on the slippery rocks'. These great lyrics are from "What I Am" by Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians from the excellent 1988 album "Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars". Edie has since dropped the New Bohemians and added Paul Simon to her life, marrying him in 1994.

Answer: Night Boat to Cairo

Quite unintentionally this quiz seems to include a lot of debut tracks or albums and this is another one. "Night Boat to Cairo" was a hit for Madness off their 1979 debut album "One Step Beyond" which peaked at #2 in the UK. Never a band to take themselves too seriously, their fun, infectious brand of music was a welcome alternative to disco or punk in the late seventies/early eighties.

Despite being immensely popular in their home country, they only had one hit in the US - "Our House" - in 1983, and after the departure of main songwriter Mike Barson they were never able to capture the success of earlier in the decade. Isn't about time for another Ska revival?

Answer: Depeche Mode

Early pioneers of the British New Wave scene, Depeche Mode were formed in Dagenham in 1976 and are one of the most successful UK bands of the genre. Originally exponents of commercially-orientated synth-pop, their 1990 release "Violator" hinted at a change in direction, yet was their most successful album in the States.

This was followed up in 1993 by "Songs of Faith and Devotion". A far heavier, more bass driven album, and a real departure from earlier releases, yet it yielded four hit singles in the UK.

This line is from the first of these, the powerful, almost grunge-like "I Feel You".

Answer: Fall at Your Feet

Crowded House's third album "Woodface" was a huge success in the UK and their native Australia & New Zealand, but failed in the States due mainly to their American-bashing on opening track "Chocolate Cake". They expanded from a trio to a four-piece with the addition of Neil Finn's older brother Tim for this 1991 release, and had three further hits from this album, "Weather With You", "It's Only Natural" and "Four Seasons in One Day". "Fall at Your Feet" was not a hit single, but is nevertheless an excellent track and remains one of my favourites.

Answer: The Battle of Evermore

Known variously as 'The Untitled Album', 'The Runes Album', 'Led Zeppelin IV' or simply 'The Stairway to Heaven Album', Zep's fourth, Untitled album released in 1971 is a masterpiece and an absolute rock classic. Although best known for "Stairway to Heaven", the remainder of the album is no less powerful and dramatic, from the raw blues-rock of "Black Dog" through the hippy-inspired "Going to California" to the acoustic, Arthurianesque "The Battle of Evermore". "The Battle of Tyr" is by Black Sabbath, "The Battle of Epping Forest" is by Genesis and "The Battle of the Bands" is by The Turtles.

Answer: Blue Oyster Cult

Long before Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones were battling extra terrestrials in "Men In Black", Eric Bloom and Blue Oyster Cult were singing about alien abduction in "Take Me Away". Although their 1972 hit "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" from the album "Agents of Fortune" propelled them to stardom, they never really achieved much commercial success thereafter. Case in point their 1983 album "The Revolution By Night" from which this track is taken, which I personally rate as one of their best, barely entered the US Billboard 100.

Answer: December

Rumour has it that Ed Roland was sleeping in his car when Collective Soul's first single "Breathe" started receiving extensive airplay on a Florida radio station that prompted a record deal and the release of "Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid". "Shine" and "Sister Don't Cry" were also hits from the same album, but it was the release of their self-titled second album the following year that shot this quintet from Georgia into the spotlight. Apart from "December", they had three further hit singles from this album: "The World We Know", "Gel" and "Where the River Flows". "September" is by Earth, Wind & Fire; "October" is by U2 and "November Rain" is by Guns 'n Roses.

Answer: A Forest

Formed in 1976 in Crawley by then schoolboy Robert Smith as The Easy Cure, they dropped the 'Easy' and released their first album "Three Imaginary Boys" in 1979. "A Forest" was their first UK hit single from their second album "Seventeen Seconds" in 1980.

Answer: The Cult

From "Coming Down (Drug Tongue)" off the Cult's eponymous sixth album released in 1994. Although there have been several changes in line-up since their first album "Dreamtime" in 1984, The Cult have always revolved around lead singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy.

Answer: Tasmin Archer

Tasmin Archer shot to the top of the UK charts with her excellent debut single of social commentary "Sleeping Satellite" in 1992 from her platinum selling album "Great Expectations". Sadly for this hugely talented artist that title seems to have been all too prophetic as she has never been able to repeat that early success.

Answer: Arrested for Driving While Blind

Formed near Houston in 1970, three decades and over a dozen albums later "That li'l ol' band from Texas" are still together with the same original line-up. Best known for raunchy blues-rock and suggestive lyrics, "Arrested for Driving While Blind" (and of course for 'blind' read 'blind drunk'!) is from their fifth album "Tejas".

Answer: Shawn Phillips

The first four tracks from Shawn Phillips' album "Second Contribution" are generally collectively known as "Woman" and which together make up one of his best-known works. This line is from the first part of this incredible piece of music and goes by the name of "She Was Waiting For Her Mother at the Station in Torino and You Know I Love You Baby But it's Getting Too Heavy to Laugh". (I once used that title in a game of charades!). Son of a spy novelist, one time room-mate of Bill Cosby and original singer for "Jesus Christ Superstar", Shawn Phillips was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from Universal Music in 2002 for 40 years of recording and touring.

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