Silence! Quiz | Something in Common

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1. Getha's grandma says she fondly remembers those two American boys who sang about the "Sound of Silence". One of them would go to "Graceland" after breaking up with the other guy, the other one supposedly had "Bright Eyes". Who are the American pair that grandma has in mind?

Answer: Simon and Garfunkel

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel both grew up in New York. They were childhood friends, meeting each other at elementary school in 1953. Soon they started making music together and became big in the folk scene. After their first album, they broke up, but they reunited again later to score a string of hits like "Scarborough Fair", "Homeward Bound", "Mrs. Robinson" and "Cecilia". They officially split in 1972 again, but have appeared on stage several times afterwards. Both have enjoyed success in their solo careers. Simon had hits like "Graceland" and "Slip Slidin' Away" and Garfunkel had a big hit with "Bright Eyes".

Paul Simon wrote the song "The Sound of Silence" in 1964. It was also called "The Sounds of Silence" in earlier versions. It was written right after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. It opens with the main character coming to talk to darkness, his old friend. What follows is a rather sad tale about the silence many people find themselves in. As the lyrics go: "People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening, People writing songs that voices never share, And no one dared disturb the sound of silence".

2. Getha is next to choose a song. She picks a song by an Icelandic woman, called "It's Oh So Quiet". The singer is known for having been very sweet before starting a solo career, scoring hits like "Joga" and "Human Behaviour". Who is this Icelandic singer?

Answer: Bj�rk

Bj�rk Guomondsdottir started making music from a very young age. She was discovered when one of her piano instructors sent a tape of her singing to a radio station. She recorded her first album in 1977, when she was only 12 years old. She played in various punk bands later, but gained international fame in 1986, when she joined The Sugarcubes, an alternative rock band. When the band split in 1992, she started a successful solo career, scoring hits like "Joga", "Human Behaviour" and "Bachelorette".

The song "It's Oh So Quiet" was originally recorded by Betty Hutton and was called "Blow A Fuse" at the time. The music video for the song was filmed in slow motion, with things returning to normal speed during the somewhat louder chorus. It features Bjork walking through a town, dancing along. More and more people join her and eventually the entire town seems to be dancing.

3. Grandma says she used to like the song called "Hush", recorded in 1967 by Billy Joe Royal. Getha tells her there have been many cover versions over the years, including those made by British band Kula Shaker and German dance project Milli Vanilli. The song is perhaps best known when it was recorded by a rather colourful British rock band in 1968, who re-recorded it in 1988. What is the name of this band?

Answer: Deep Purple

Deep Purple is a British rock band, founded in 1968. They have scored one of their first hits with the song "Hush". They have gone through many changes over the years and split up in 1976. After eight years the band was started up again and has continued to release studio albums over the years with band members Ian Gillan, Steve Morse, Roger Glover, Ian Paice and Don Airey forming the line-up from 2001. They scored hits like "Smoke on the Water" and "Strange Kind of Woman".

The song "Hush" was written by Joe South and first performed by the artist Billy Joe Royal in 1967. Deep Purple heard a later version by British singer Kris Ife and decided to record the song in 1968. They re-recorded it in 1988 with new singer Ian Gillan. Their first version had Rod Evans on vocals.

4. Getha says that although grandma may not like the modern rap and R&B artists, they can sometimes sing about silence too. She remembers a young R&B singer in the '90's. On his 1993 album "I Am Ready" he featured a song called "Shhh". Who is this R&B singer, who had hits with "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do" and "Can We Talk"?

Answer: Tevin Campbell

Tevin Campbell has been singing since he was four years old. He started out in a gospel choir. At the age of 12 he auditioned for jazz singer Bobbie Humphrey and was quickly introduced to R&B music, recording his first single "Tomorrow (A Better You Better Me) in 1989. A string of hits followed in the '90's with hits like "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do", "Can We Talk" and "Don't Say Goodbye Girl". After the release of his fourth album in 1999 his career seemed to lose its spark.

The song "Shhh" is featured on Tevin Campbell's 1993 album "I Am Ready". The song is about a boy singing to his girl to be silent, as their love is a private affair.

5. Grandma thinks that all this modern electronic music is mostly rubbish. She does confess however that she liked a song called "Enjoy the Silence". The song is by a British electronic band that formed in 1980. Some of their other hits include "Everything Counts" and "People Are People". What British band is grandma talking about?

Answer: Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode was formed in 1980 by band members Vince Clarke, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher and Dave Gahan. Their name was taken from a French fashion magazine. Vince Clarke left the band in 1981 and went on to form bands like Yazoo and Erasure. He was replaced by Alan Wilder, who left the band in 1995 himself. The other members have continued as a trio since then. The band is known for its electronic sound and scored hits like "Everything Counts", "People Are People" and "Walking in My Shoes".

"Enjoy the Silence" is one of the biggest hits of Depeche Mode. It was originally intended as a slower song, but the band members later switched it to an upbeat track, although Martin Gore was a little reluctant to do so. The music video is directed by Anton Corbijn and sees singer Dave Gahan as a king wandering through various landscapes with a deck chair, trying to find a quiet place to sit. It references the the children's book "The Little Prince".

6. Getha goes on to reminisce about a song her father used to play. It was released in 1967 by a Britsh rock and roll band and is called "Silence is Golden". This band also scored hits like "Do you Love Me" and "Here Comes My Baby", although those songs were not originally theirs. What is the name of this British music group?

Answer: The Tremeloes

The Tremeloes were formed in 1958 and were originally called Brian Poole and the Tremoloes. They were signed by the influential label Decca in 1962, choosing them over the Beatles. The original line-up consisted of Brian Poole, Ricky West, Alan Blakely, Alan Howard and Dave Munden. They had their first hit in 1963 with their version of "Twist and Shout". They would score several hits over the years to follow with songs like "Do You Love Me" and "Here Comes My Baby".

"Silence is Golden" was originally written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio and performed by The Four Seasons in 1964. The Tremeloes would record it in 1967. Vocals on this track are being done by their lead guitarist Ricky West. They would also go on to record an Italian version of the song called "E in Silenzio".

7. Grandma walks over to the record player and plays Getha a song called "Shine Silently". The performer of this song has been part of several bands like Grin, Crazy Horse and the E Street Band. He scored solo hits with songs like "Back it Up" and "I Came to Dance". Who is this performer with a name vaguely reminiscent of stories written by Selma Lagerl�f?

Answer: Nils Lofgren

Nils Lofgren has been making music since the age of 5. He started out in the band Grin and later joined the band of Neil Young and was a member of Crazy Horse. When the band Grin split in 1971 he started a solo career. He scored hits with songs like "Back it Up", "Keith Don't Go" and "I Came to Dance". In 1984 he joined the E Street Band, the backing band of Bruce Springsteen. After the band stopped working with Bruce, Nils started working on his solo career again.

The song "Shine Silently" appeared on the fifth album by Nils Lofgren, called "Nils" and released in 1979. The song was written by Lofgren and songwriter Dick Wagner. The song talks about a man lost in a crazy world, but still the love of his woman shines silently.

8. Getha notes that even heavy metal bands can sing about silence. She recalls a song from 1990 called "Silent Lucidity". The band had hits like "Jet City Woman" and "Another Rainy Night". Which American heavy metal band is referred to by Getha?

Answer: Queensryche

Queensryche was formed in 1981 and named after one of the first songs they record on an early demo called "Queen of the Reich". The band was formed by Michael Wilton, Scott Rockenfield, Chris DeGarmo, Eddie Jackson and Chris Tate. The band had many formation changes after that, but managed to stay a force in the heavy metal scene for a long period of time. They have scored hits like "Jet City Woman" and "Another Rainy Night".

The song "Silent Lucidity" is said to be about lucid dreaming. It is one of the power ballads released by Queensryche. At the end of the song the theme of the "Lullaby" by composer Brahms is being played.

9. Grandma is getting very excited right now. She has almost forgotten those pesky boys next door with their loud music. Next she remembers an American band who like to stay at the "Hotel California". They also have a song called "Learn to be Still". Which American rock band is grandma thinking about?

Answer: The Eagles

The Eagles are an American rock band, formed in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner. They originally formed a backing group for Linda Ronstadt, but soon signed a record deal of their own. A string of hits like "Hotel California", "Lyin' Eyes" and "One of These Nights" followed. They officially broke up in 1980, but started playing together again in 1994.

The song "Learn to be Still" is featured on their 1994 album "Hell Freezes Over". It was one of the four new studio tracks on that album. It was their first album after a 14 year gap. The album's title references Don Henley saying that they would play again when hell freezes over, when they broke up in 1980.

10. Getha is on a tight schedule as a journalist. She can't help but leave her grandma with one last song about silence. She chooses "Stillness of the Night". This is a song by an American rock band, released in 1982. This band also had hits with songs like "Keep On Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling". Which band is responsible for this last song?

Answer: REO Speedwagon

REO Speedwagon is an American rock band, formed in 1967. They took their name from a type of flatbed truck. The band members were students at the University of Illinois at the time. The line-up originally consisted of Alan Gratzer, Neal Doughty, Joe Matt and Mike Blair. They scored a string of hits over the years with songs like "Keep On Loving You", "Take It on the Run" and "Can't Fight This Feeling".

The song "Stillness of the Night" is featured on their 1982 album "Good Trouble". It was written by Gary Richrath, who became a member of the band in 1970 and left again in 1989. The stillness of the night is apparently the place where the couple mentioned in the song can find their peace and make things right.

Source: Author James25

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor kyleisalive before going online.
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Silence! Trivia Quiz

Reporter Getha Scoop visits her grandma, who complains to her about the loud music kids play these days. Together they reminisce about songs that are about silence. See if you can find a quiet moment to find out which artists made these songs.

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