Sang Like A Canary Trivia Quiz

Answer: Counting Crows

Originally recorded by Joni Mitchell, the Counting Crows covered it for the soundtrack to the 2002 movie "Two Weeks Notice" and then attached it as a hidden track on their album "Hard Candy" in the same year. Vanessa Carlton, whose best known single is "A Thousand Miles", provided the delicate backing vocals.

Despite various versions of the song reaching the top twenty in a number of international charts, including the UK and Australia, it has struggled for success in the US. Its best performance was the Crows' version which reached number 42 on Billboard's Hot 100. (Note: The Billboard Hot 100 has been used as the sole measure of success in the US, other charts such as "Mainstream, Adult Contemporary etc, have been ignored).

Answer: The Beatles

"Yellow Submarine" was a 1966 Beatles' song that was included on the "Revolver" album and released as a single with "Eleanor Rigby" on the B-side. It went to number one in the UK but only managed number two in the US Hot 100. Still it was the highest charting Beatles' song featuring Ringo as the lead vocalist in the US. The song was made into an animated movie in 1968.

Answer: The Sex Pistols

This was the band's fourth single (1977) and the one to precede the launch of their first (and only) studio album "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols". Inspired by the band's attempts to enjoy a break in the Channel Islands it would reach number eight on the UK charts and would be notable for being the last single recorded by the band with John Lydon at the helm.

The band's final single, "No One is Innocent" gained notoriety for featuring former "Great Train Robber" Ronnie Biggs.

Answer: The Foundations

The Foundations had a hit with "Build Me Up Buttercup" in 1968. It has been featured in many films since then, such as "Something About Mary", and "Mallrats".

The singer for the Foundations, Clem Young, re-recorded a version backed by the Surrey Police Choir in 2003, in honour of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

Answer: Donovan

"Mellow Yellow" reached number two on the US Hot 100 in 1966 and number eight in the UK in 1967. The hit followed Donovan's US chart topping "Sunshine Superman" in 1966. He had one further top five in both countries "Hurdy Gurdy Man" in 1968.

Although urban legend says the song is about getting high from smoking dried banana skins, this has never been confirmed. It is also not possible to get high this way.

Answer: Ernie

Rubber Duckie is one of Ernie's favourite songs. Ernie is a muppet from the children's television series, "Sesame Street". He plays with a rubber duckie in his bath and he is very attached to it. The Rubber Duckie song was first featured in an episode way back in 1970 and is one of many enduring "Sesame Street" songs.

Answer: The Police

"Canary in a Coal Mine" was the fourth track on The Police's 1980 album "Zenyatta Mondatta". The two UK Singles Charts' hits from this album, "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" went to number one and five respectively. "Canary in a Coal Mine" was never released as a single but it was one the most popular tracks of the album.

It was a typical Police character study of a neurotic person. The dark lyrics contrasted sharply with the upbeat tempo of the music, causing the whole song to take only 2.24 to tell the whole story.

Answer: The Waterboys

The Waterboys were formed by Mike Scott and Anthony Thistlewaite in 1981 in London. "The Whole of the Moon", which appeared on their 1985 album "This is the Sea", would become their first song to reach the Top Forty in the UK charts. Despite only reaching number 26 on these charts it soon became their signature song. Reissued in 1991 it gained a new audience and, this time, surfaced at number 3 in the UK.

Answer: The Dickies

The Dickies are an American punk rock outfit whose style leans more toward being camp-punk, certainly their version of this song is exactly that. The band had more success in the UK than in their native Los Angeles and gained their early fame through a series of cover songs.

The most notable of these was the "Banana Splits" which was originally released as the theme song to the children's television programme "The Banana Splits Adventure Hour" (1968-70). At that time it was known simply as the "Tra La La Song".

The Dickies would reach number seven on the UK charts with it in 1979.

Answer: Yello

Yello are a Swedish band from the 1980s. This track is taken from their album 'Stella' It was used to good effect in the film 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'. The almost lustful quality of the track perfectly matching Matthew Broderick's face as he slid into the driving seat of a Ferrari. It has been used in an number of films and TV show's since then.