Signature Songs of Singers and Groups-Part 8 Quiz

Answer: Patti Page

Born Clara Ann Fowler, she was known throughout her six decade spanning career as "The Singin' Rage, Miss Patti Page". "The Tennessee Waltz" was recorded in 1950 and was at the top of The Billboard Best Seller list for an amazing 13 weeks (December 16, 1950-March 2, 1951). Patti Page was regarded as the best-selling female singer of the 1950s. In that decade she had other Number One hits. They were: "With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming" (1950), "All My Love" (1950), and "I Went to Your Wedding" (1952). She also had several top five songs such as "Allegheny Moon" (1956), and "Old Cape Cod" (1956). In 1953 Ms. Page put out one of the most popular, best-selling novelty songs, "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window", which topped the Cash Box and Billboard charts and sold over two million copies. Patti Page released more than 60 albums and over 150 singles.
In 2013 she was the recipient of a posthumous Lifetime Grammy Award.
Patti Page has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (HWOF), if you'd like to see it just waltz on over to 6760 Hollywood Blvd.

Interesting fact: Patti Page made just a few movies, but one of them was "Elmer Gantry" (1960), a film about a con-man/preacher-man. Burt Lancaster won the Academy Award for his portrayal as the flim-flam man, and Patti Page was Sister Rachel.

Answer: Gilbert O'Sullivan

"Alone Again (Naturally)" became an international hit for the young Irish singer-songwriter, and it was his first million copy seller. It sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 (BBH100) charts for six weeks, and was number three on the UK charts in 1972. The noted American D.J. Casey Kasem named it the fifth most popular song of the 1970s. Raymond Edward O'Sullivan was born in the unofficial fine crystal capital of Europe, Waterford, Ireland, on December 1, 1946. He has recorded over 40 albums and more than 45 singles. Two of his other songs which sold more than a million copies were "Clair" (1972) and "Get Down" (1973). Gilbert O'Sullivan was named 1972's Male Singer of the Year by "Record" magazine.

Interesting fact: Gilbert O'Sullivan, while in college, was a drummer in Rick's Blues, a band which was headed by Rick Davis who would later go on to start Supertramp.

Answer: The Teenagers

The Teenagers struck gold with their very first release in 1956. Prior to then they had performed as The Ermines and The Premiers. The song reached Number One on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues (BBR&B) chart and stayed there for over a month. It also climbed as high as number six on Billboard's Pop Singles list. With the release of their second hit later that same year, "I Want You to Be My Girl", they once again changer their moniker, as they officially became known as "Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers".

The group was broken up when Lymon decided that he wanted to try a solo career. That proved unsuccessful, and neither he nor the group ever had another top ten hit. After being dishonorably discharged from the Army, due to numerous AWOLs, the thrice married Frankie Lymon died at the age of 25 from a cocaine overdose.

Despite their short time together, Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1990, and the doors for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (R&RHOF) opened for them in 1993.

Answer: Laura Branigan

Don't you just want to jump up and dance when you recall these lyrics from "Gloria":

"Gloria
I think they got your number
I think they got the alias
That you've been livin' under
(Gloria)
But you really don't remember
Was it something that they said?
All the voices in your head
Calling Gloria".

Laura Ann Branigan first released the song as track two on her Gold Certified album "Branigan", before releasing it as a single later that year. She was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Performer, but lost out to Melissa Manchester's, "You Should Hear How She Talks About You". On December 31, 1983, Laura Branigan helped ring-in the new year by singing "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You", on Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve. She recorded it earlier that year, and it became a Number One hit on the U.S. Adult Contemporary list and reached number 12 on the BBH100 chart.
Laura Branigan died August 26, 2004, of a cerebral aneurysm. She was just 47 years old.

Answer: Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John is truly an international super-star. She was born in England, moved to Australia when she was just six, and came to America in the mid-1970s. "I Honestly Love You" won the 1974 Grammy for Record of the Year. Her career began in 1963 and has spanned over 50 years. In that time in addition to "I Honestly Love You", she has also had three other songs reach the top of the BBH100 list: "Have You Never Been Mellow?" (1975), "Magic" (1980), and the mega-hit "Physical" (1981-1982), which was numero uno for over two months. O.N.J. has recorded over 35 albums and released more than 70 singles. She won the People's Choice Best Actress award for her role in the iconic movie "Grease" (1978), in which she starred with John Travolta. The soundtrack album was number one for 12 weeks, and "Grease" was the highest grossing flick of the year (over $180 million). In 1992 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and has been a tireless fund-raiser for research efforts. She is also a strong supporter of Animal Rights and her continuous good deeds consummated in Queen Elizabeth II bestowing her with the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (1992). In 1999, Olivia Newton-John was named The Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year. Back on the music side, she has twice been named "Billboard" magazine's Top Female Artist (1975 and 1982). She has a star on the HWOF and in 2002 she was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association's Hall of Fame. I am not ashamed to admit that I honestly love Olivia Newton-John.

Interesting fact: When she played the role of high school co-ed, Sandy Olson in Grease", Olivia Newton-John was a year away from turning 30 years old.

Answer: Toto

The album was "Toto IV", and among the Grammy Awards it won were Album of the Year and Song of the Year ("Rosanna"). "Africa" was co-written by lead singer David Paich and drummer Jeff Porcaro. It was Toto's only single to reach Number One on the BBH100 chart, ("Rosanna" made it to the runner-up spot). "Africa" was also the top listed song on the Canadian RPM Top Singles Chart, and made it to number three on the UK charts as well. "Africa" has sold over 800,000 copies.
Toto has recorded over 15 albums and more than 45 singles. Sales of their albums are estimated at over 35 million.

Interesting fact: Toto's lead singer David Paich played piano on Michael Jackson's best-selling 1982 album, "Thriller".

Answer: Jeannie C. Riley

Jeannie C. Riley took "HVPTA" to the top spot on the BBH100 for two weeks in September, 1968. The single from her album of the same name sold over six million copies, and the album was number one for a month in November, 1968. "HVPTA" was also atop the BBHot Country Singles list, The Canadian RPM Country Tracks and Top Singles list, as well as the Australian Singles chart.
"Harper Valley PTA" was written by Grammy winning songwriter Tom T. Hall, who wrote more than ten number one songs including "I Like Beer" (1975) and "(Old Dogs, Children And) Watermelon Wine" (1972). Ms. Reilly pulled off quite a double-play when she became the first female artist to have a number one tune on both the BBH100 and US Country Singles lists with the same song. That distinction would remain hers exclusively for 13 years until "9 to 5", by Dolly Parton did the same in 1981.

Here are some lyrics about the note from the pretentious prudes:
Well, the note says, "Mrs. Johnson
You're wearing your dresses way too high
It's reported you've been drinkin'
And a runnin' 'round with men and goin' wild"

"And we don't believe you ought to be
A bringin' up your little girl this way"
And it was signed by the secretary
Harper Valley PTA."
But an unexpected response came that very afternoon when "Mrs. Johnson" walked in on the board meeting and gave them whatfor:

She said, "I'd like to address this meeting
Of the Harper Valley PTA".

"Well, there's Bobby Taylor sittin' there
And seven times he asked me for a date
And Mrs. Taylor sure seems to use a lotta ice
Whenever he's away"

"And Mr. Baker, can you tell us
Why your secretary had to leave this town?
And shouldn't widow Jones be told
To keep her window shades all pulled completely down?"

"Well, Mr. Harper couldn't be here
'Cause he stayed too long at Kelly's Bar again
And if you'll smell Shirley Thompson's breath
You'll find she's had a little nip of gin"

"And then you have the nerve to tell me
You think that as a mother I'm not fit
Well, this is just a little Peyton Place
And you're all Harper Valley hypocrites".

Interesting fact: The song, "Harper Valley PTA" spawned both a movie and a TV series of the same name. Barbara Eden played Stella Johnson each time.

Answer: Bread

Bread was founded in the Los Angeles area in 1968 by David Gates, Robb Royer and Jimmie Griffin. "Make It With You" was the band's only number one hit, but they had a number of very successful singles. In the 1970s, Bread spread over a dozen tunes on the BBH100 chart, including "It Don't Matter To Me" (1970), which reached number ten, "Baby I'm -a Want You", which reached number three in 1971, and "Everything I Own", which in 1972 got to the fifth spot on the list. "Make it with You" was also covered by, among others, Dusty Springfield, Andy Williams, Earth, Wind & Fire and The Supremes.

For a little trip back down memory lane, here are a few lyrics from Bread's biggest hit:
"Hey have you ever tried
Really reaching out for the other side?
I may be climbing on rainbows
But, baby here goes

Dreams they're for those who sleep
Life is for us to keep
And if you're wondering
What this song is leading to

I want to make it with you
I really think that we could make it girl"

Answer: Queen

"Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975), was written by Queen's vocalist and lyricist better known as Freddie Mercury. It was originally track four, side two of just their fourth album, "A Night at the Opera". Queen has sold an estimated 150-300 million albums. In 2004 "Bohemian Rhapsody" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Some of their most popular singles include "We Are the Champions"/"We Will Rock You" (1977), "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (1979), and "Another One Bites the Dust" (1980). The last two reached Number One on the BBH100 list. Queen has had 18 number one albums and an equal number of number one singles. They have performed in more than 60 music videos. In 1991 following Freddie Mercury's death caused by complications from AIDS, "Bohemian Rhapsody" had another turn at the top of the U.K. charts (for five weeks).

Interesting fact: In 1990 Queen was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the British Phonographic Industry, and in in 2001 Queen entered the R&RHOF.

Answer: Phil Phillips

Phil Phillips was born in Lake Charles ,LA, where as a youngster he sang gospel music with his brothers in The Gateway Quartet. He never recorded another charted song, and when his "swamp-rock" croonin' days were over he became a D.J. "Sea of Love" made it to number four on the BBR&B charts (and stayed on the chart for 14 weeks when it was released by The Honeydrippers in 1985. Their lead singer was Robert Plant who joined Led Zeppelin in the late 1960s. Del Shannon's cover made it to number 33 on the BBH100 in 1981, and other versions were released by Iggy Pop (1996) and Tom Waits (2006). The song is hauntingly heard throughout the chilling murder/mystery movie of the same name. The 1989 film "Sea of Love" starred Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin. (Tip: Keep a light on when you watch it.)

BTW: Robin Roberts is a Hall of Fame Major League pitcher, William B. Williams is the longtime (four decades) DJ host of "The Make Believe Ballroom", on NY radio, and Marion Morrison is the birth name of "The Duke", John Wayne.