Nina Simone Cover Songs Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Association

Nina Simone was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933. Terry Kirkman of the Association wrote "Cherish". The song was a huge hit for the group in 1966, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in September of that year. It remained in the top position for three weeks. Among the many other artists who covered the song are Petula Clark, The Four Tops and The Lettermen in 1967.

In 1972 David Cassidy recorded a rendition. More recently it has been done by Jodeci in 1992 and Michael Michael Chapdelaine in 1995.

The Turtles' biggest selling record was "Happy Together". Spanky and the Gang recorded "Sunday Morning" and The Grassroots had several sixties hits including "Let's Live for Today".

Answer: Dusty Springfield

Although Nina was nominated for fifteen Grammy Awards, this Burt Bachrach composition was not one of them. The song was sung by Dusty Springfield for the soundtrack to the 1967 movie "Casino Royale". Her version was nominated for an Oscar. Many other artists have done versions of the song. Andy Williams and his future girlfriend Claudine Longet both recorded their own renditions of the song in 1967. Over 50 recordings of the song have been made by singers and instrumental groups. Recent recordings have been done by Trijntje Oosterhuis & Metropole Orchestra in 2006 and Tina Arena in 2007.

Answer: The Five Stairsteps

The Five Stairsteps enjoyed success with "O-o-h Child". They are a Chicago-based soul group made up five of Betty and Clarence Burke Sr.'s six children: Alohe, Jean, Clarence Jr., James, Dennis, and Kenneth "Keni" and Cubie. The group won a talent contest and were signed to Curtis Mayfield's Windy City label.

In the spring of 1970 the group released their only million-seller, "Ooh Child". It was written by Stan Vincent. "O-o-h Child" reached number 14 on the pop charts. The falsetto bridge and ending ad-libs of the song are sung by the Stairsteps' cousin, Charles Simmons.

The flip side of the single is a cover of Lennon/McCartney's "Dear Prudence". Nina had an appreciation of George Harrison's compositions. In addition to "Here Comes the Sun" she also recorded versions of Harrison's "Isn't it a Pity" and "My Sweet Lord". Hall and Oates met at a Battle of the Bands competition featuring the Five Stairsteps.

They did a remake of "O-o-h Child" on their "Our Kind of Soul" disc in 2004 as a tribute to the group that likely started their career together.

Answer: Rich Girl

The Daryl Hall and John Oates song "Rich Girl" was also recorded by "Me First and the Gimme Gimmes" in 2000. On March 26th, 1977, "Rich Girl" became the duo's first number one single on the Billboard's Hot 100 chart. The single is a release from their 1976 album "Bigger Than Both of Us". "My father" is a Judy Collins song which was included on Nina's "Baltimore" album.

The song "Baltimore" was originally penned by Randy Newman in 1977. Simone's take on it includes a powerful rhythm section and soulful vocal delivery. "Everything Must Change" is a Quincy Jones song that was also on the "Baltimore" album. "Maneater" was recorded by Hall & Oates on their 1982 album "H2O".

It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on December 18, 1982. Nina did not cover "Maneater".

Answer: Evie Sands

Written and composed by New York-born songwriter Chip Taylor, "Angel of the Morning" was originally recorded by Evie Sands for Cameo-Parkway Records in 1967. April-Blackwood Publishers pitched the song to Memphis producer Chips Moman and Merrilee Rush. Merrilee Rush and The Turnabouts recorded a top ten version of the song in 1989. Dolly's version came out in 1989 and Bonnie did her cover of the song in 1998.

The highest charting and largest selling version was released in 1981 by Juice Newton. It hit number one on the Billboard chart for four weeks. Recently Swedish singer Jill Johnson released "Angel of the Morning" on her cover album "Music Row".

The Merrilee Rush version of the song is in the soundtrack of the movie "Girl, Interrupted" and the song is also on the "Charlie's Angels" movie soundtrack.

Answer: Bee Gees

Nina is known primarily as a jazz singer, but she said many times she did not liked being labeled. She recorded songs in many genres. The Bee Gees wrote and recorded "Please Read Me". "I Can't See Nobody" and "To Love Somebody" are other Bee Gees songs recorded by Nina. Nina did a version of Steppenwolf's "The Pusher" on her 1974 "It Is Finished" LP.

The song is from the "Easy Rider" soundtrack. The Nina Simone LP "To Love Somebody" was released in 1969 and included Pete Seeger's "Turn Turn Turn", which was a hit for the Byrds. "Feeling' Good" was included on Nina's 1965 release "I Put a Spell on You". Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse wrote the song which has been recorded by several artists including Traffic and more recently Michael Bublé and The Quantic Soul Orchestra in 2005 and Randy Crawford & Joe Sample in 2006.

Answer: Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Screamin' Jay Hawkins wrote and recorded the song in 1958 with the Leroy Kirkland Orchestra. Jay Hawkins was a blues singer prior to recording the song. The song was originally written as a blues standard but during the recording the producer brought in some chicken and beer and before long the musicians were drunk.

They included an outrageous screaming section and Deejay Alan Freed suggested that Hawkins create a stage act out of the persona created by the song. He donned a cape, cane and high hat then screamed his way through the song during stage appearances.

The theatrical act was one of the first shock rock performances. It was the inspiration of the genre and has been covered by Alice Cooper, Screaming Lord Sutch, Warren Zevon, Arthur Brown, Black Sabbath, Ted Nugent, George Clinton, The Butthole Surfers and Marilyn Manson to name a few.

The Crazy World of Arthur Brown did a version of the song in 1968. Gianni Pettenati and The Juniors did their rendition in 1967. John Lennon cited Simone's version of "I Put a Spell on You" as a source of inspiration for the Beatles song "Michelle".

Answer: Cass Elliot

Ellen Cohen was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She adopted the name Cass in high school. She assumed the surname Elliot sometime later in memory of a friend who had died. In 1970 she included the Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil composition "New World Coming" among the songs she recorded after going solo.

The song reached number 42 on the Billboard Pop charts. "New World Coming" was also done by Esther Satterfield in 1976. At age 17 Nina Simone moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she taught piano and accompanied singers to fund her own studying as a classical music pianist at New York City's Juilliard School of Music. Nina applied to the Curtis Institute but was not accepted. Musicians who have cited her as inspirational for their own musical influence include Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys and Jeff Buckley. Simone's music has featured in soundtracks of various motion pictures and video games.

Answer: Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin co-wrote "Save Me" with King Curtis and her younger sister Carolyn Franklin. The song is a cut from her 1967 debut album "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You". The album includes her hit "Respect". Fontella Bass sang "Rescue Me". Freda Charcelia Payne is best known for her 1970 hit "Band of Gold". Kitty White originally recorded Nina's recording "Plain Gold Ring". On "Human Kindness Day" 1974 in Washington, DC, more than 10,000 people paid tribute to Simone.

She received two honorary degrees in music and humanities from the University of Massachusetts and Malcolm X College.

She preferred to be called "Dr. Nina Simone" after receiving these honors. Two days before her death Simone was awarded an honorary diploma by the Curtis Institute, the school that had turned her down early in her career.

Answer: Love's been Good to Me

"A Single Woman", "Lonesome Cities" and "Love's Been Good To Me" are songs on the LP written by Rod McKuen. Rod released "Love's Been Good To Me" in 1969 on Reprise Records. Nina is one of numerous artists to record the song. Others include Frank Sinatra and Johnny Cash. "The Folks Who Live On The Hill" is dedicated to a Prime Minister of Barbados with whom Nina was linked in the late seventies and early eighties. "Marry Me" was written by Nina. "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" is an a 1983 Academy Award nominated song composed by Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman that was performed by Barbra Streisand for the film "Yentl".

The photograph of Nina inside the album's booklet was used for her obituary when she died in 2003 at age 70. It depicts Nina wearing a golden turban sitting on a chair with a pink Dior-dress spread out all around her.