Roses in Songs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Horse Racing

"Run for the Roses" was released as a single from Fogelberg's 1981 "The Innocent Age" LP. The single reached number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100. "Run for the Roses" has since become an unofficial theme for the Kentucky Derby.
Peoria native Daniel Grayling Fogelberg first hit the US Billboard Top Ten in 1979 with "Longer". "Run for the Roses" was his fifth US Top Twenty single.
Dan's first instrument was the slide guitar. By 14 he began playing in cover bands while he took up painting and theater. In the early seventies he relocated to Nashville and opened for Van Morrison. In 1974 Joe Walsh produced Dan's second album, "Souvenirs". In 1981 his song, "Times Like These" was included on the "Urban Cowboy" (1980) film soundtrack. The following year the "Innocent Age" album produced four hit singles including "Run for the Roses", "Leader of the Band", "Same Old Lang Syne" and "Hard to Say".

Answer: Lynn Anderson

Billy Joe Royal (1967) and Dobie Gray (1969) had both recorded versions of Joe South's composition "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden" before Lynn Anderson had a huge hit with the song in 1970. Anderson's label was reluctant to release the song because they didn't believe it suited a female singer. Anderson's mother, Liz, was a successful Nashville songwriter and Lynn sang on her demos. In 1966 she released the Number Five single "If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)" for Chart Records. She began appearing on "The Lawrence Welk Show" (1951) and scored ten Top Forty Country hits before reaching Number One with "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden".
Atlanta native Joe South was nominated for "Song of the Year" award in 1972 for "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden". He did receive the award in 1969 for his single "Games People Play". South was also a studio sideman for many artists including the notable tremolo intro on Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" (1967).
Loretta Lynn had a hit with "Coal Miner's Daughter" in 1970. "I Never Once Stopped Loving You" was a 1970 release from Connie Smith and Jeannie C. Riley released "Country Girl" the same year.

Answer: Kathy Mattea

"Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", written by Paul Nelson and Gene Nelson, was was from Kathy Mattea's fourth album, "Untasted Honey". It was her second US Country Number One following 1987's "Goin' Gone". Kathy sang at church and in high school growing up in West Virginia.

She was part of a Bluegrass band in college before relocating to Nashville where she was a demo singer until she signed with Mercury Records in 1983. The following year she released her eponymous debut album. Roseanne Cash released "Tennessee Flat Top Box" in 1988, "Love Will Find Its Way to You" was a 1988 release from Reba McEntire and Tanya Tucker released "Strong Enough to Bend" the same year.

Answer: Red Roses for a Blue Lady

Vaughn Monroe and Guy Lombardo both had Top Ten hits with "Red Roses for a Blue Lady" in 1949. In 1965 Vic Dana made it to Number Ten on the US Billboard Chart with the song. An Instrumental version by Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra made it to Number 11 while Wayne Newton's single reached Number 23. Andy Williams also recorded a version for the flip side to his single "...and Roses and Roses".

The song was composed by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett and originally a minor release by John Laurenz. "La Vie en rose" was made popular by French singer Edith Piaf in the forties. "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose?" was a 1973 release from Tony Orlando and Dawn. "Honeysuckle Rose" was written by Fats Waller and Andy Razaf in 1929.

Answer: True

Fanny Brice received critical acclaim when she performed the song "Second Hand Rose" as part of the Ziegfeld Follies of 1921 at the Globe Theater. Fanny also performed the song in the 1928 film, "My Man". Known as either Fanny Brice or Fannie Brice she was a multi-talented performer who began working for Florenz Ziegfeld in 1910. She also worked in radio, television and made several recordings for RCA Victor. She passed in 1951 and 13 years later Barbra Streisand played her in "Funny Girl" (1964).
New York native Barbra Streisand can count ten Grammy awards, two Academy Awards and a Tony among her many awards. "Funny Girl" was up against "Hello Dolly" and didn't take home any of the eight awards it was nominated for.
"Funny Girl" producer Ray Stark was Fanny's son-in-law.
Barbra's reprisal of "Second Hand Rose" reached Number 32. Fanny's original version reached Number Six in 1922.

Answer: British

Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel was born in Paddington, London, to a Afro-Brazilian father and a Nigerian mother. He initially studied architecture and performed in local pubs before joining a band called Push. After touring for a while he relocated to England and signed with ZTT Records, releasing a self-titled album in 1991.

The single "Crazy" reached Number Seven in the US. In 1994 "Kiss from a Rose" topped the US charts and the US Number Ten "Fly Like an Eagle" would be his final US Top Ten single. Seal wed German model Heidi Klum in 2005.

Answer: Sally

"Sally Go 'Round the Roses" was originally a regional hit in the San Francisco area. Grace Slick sang a cover version of the song with The Great Society before joining Jefferson Airplane. In 1963 Abner Spector of Tuff Records put together a group of girls from the Bronx in New York to cut a record.

His wife Lona paired with Zell Sanders to compose "Sally Go 'Round the Roses". When the song broke nationally in September of 1963 it reached the US Number Two slot, held there by Bobby Vinton's "Blue Velvet".

The flip side was an instrumental version of the song. Tuff Records followed up with an album titled "Sally Go 'Round the Roses" even though the group had several members come and go. When the follow up single, "Keep an Eye on Her", failed to hit the Top Forty the Jaynetts became a one-hit wonder.

Answer: Mitch Miller

From 1961 to 1964 Mitch Miller hosted "Sing Along with Mitch" on NBC. New York native Mitchell William Miller enjoyed a career as a musician, record producer, A&R man and television show host. After graduating from Eastman School of Music he was a classical musician who also began conducting choirs.

He became the A&R man for Mercury and later Columbia Records, producing stars such as Doris Day, Johnny Mathis, Johnny Ray and many more. In the fifties he used the Columbia orchestra to release recordings as "Mitchell Miller and His Orchestra" which evolved into a television show. "The Yellow Rose of Texas" was his only Number One release of the five singles released as "Mitchell Miller and His Orchestra". Miller's version of the old standard was in the soundtrack for the 1956 movie "Giant". "The Lawrence Welk Show" aired in Los Angeles from 1951 to 1955 then went national from 1955 to 1971.

The George Gobel Show aired on NBC from 1954 to 1959 then on CBS from 1959 to 1960. Perry Como hosted the "Kraft Music Hall" from 1959-1967.

Answer: 18 Yellow Roses

"18 Yellow Roses" was a hit single by Bobby Darin from a 1963 album of the same name. It was Darin's ninth US Top Ten single. Bobby was born Walden Robert Cassotto in East Harlem. He began his music career as a songwriter for other artists and was signed by Atco Records where he began releasing singles under the name Bobby Darin. In 1956 he wrote "Splish Splash" with DJ Murray Kaufman which went to Number Three, launching his career.
Darin composed "18 Yellow Roses" for Sandra Dee's mother. Darin fell in love with Sandra Dee while they were filming a movie in Italy and sent her mother 18 yellow roses every day while they were filming. Glen Campbell and Tommy Tedesco were among the session players on the recording.
"Painted, Tainted Rose" was a 1963 release from Al Martino. "Ramblin' Rose" was popularized by Nat King Cole in 1962. "Roses Are Red (My Love)" was a 1962 hit from Bobby Vinton.

Answer: Days of Wine and Roses

"Days of Wine and Roses" featured a soundtrack composed by Henry Mancini and a theme song featuring lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Cleveland native Henry Mancini has written themes for television shows including "Peter Gunn" (1959) as well as films "Moon River" (1961) and "The Pink Panther" (1963). In 1969 his recording of "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" topped the US Billboard charts.
Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick starred in the 1962 film about an average couple slowly becoming alcoholics.
"The Rose" was written by Amanda McBroom and recorded by Bette Midler for the 1979 film "The Rose". "Abilene Rose" was recorded by Marty Robbins. "Rose Marie" was from a 1954 film of the same name starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy.