Something In Common 4 Quiz | Something in Common

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Name the 1961 American and West German co-produced movie about American occupation forces in Germany, starring Kirk Douglas and Christine Kaufmann. Miss Kaufmann went on to win the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year - Actress at the age of sixteen.

Answer: Town Without Pity

"Town Without Pity" was nominated for an Academy Award. It also won the Golden Globe award for the Best Original Song for its title tune by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington.

2. Late in 1962 a female vocal group from Brooklyn, New York presumably scored its only number one hit on the Billboard charts with a song that stayed on top for two weeks. What is the name of the song that was recorded by one group but officially credited to another?

Answer: He's a Rebel

Los Angeles-based music producer Phil Spector was in a real dilemma when he learned that the very promising Vicki Carr was about to record "He's a Rebel" on a rival record label. His star recording group, The Crystals, were on tour in the East, so he then hired a local group called The Blossoms to record the song.

He credited the record to The Crystals, much to the chagrin of both bands. Spector then moderated and gave The Blossoms the follow-up hit "He's Sure the Boy I Love" that peaked at number 11 on the Billboard charts, but named The Crystals on the label.

The Crystals then followed up with two Top Ten hits themselves.

3. A monster double-sided disc was released by Ricky Nelson in 1961 with one side becoming his equal biggest hit alongside "Poor Little Fool" from three years earlier. The flip-side, which is the song in question, got to number nine on Billboard and stayed on the Billboard Top 40 for thirteen weeks. Identify this track which is one of Rick's signature songs.

Answer: Hello Mary Lou

"Travelin' Man" initially got more air play than "Hello Mary Lou" and so earned the "A" side status. It stayed at number one on the US Billboard charts for two weeks, just as it did in Australia. Both sides dead-heated at number two on the UK music chart.

4. The next question concerns the song on the flip-side of Roy Orbison's number nine hit from 1960, namely "Blue Angel". It was covered by Ricky Nelson on his 1962 compilation "Album Seven by Rick". It was revived in 2005 when included on the album "Out of State Plates" by American rock group Fountains Of Wayne. What song?

Answer: Today's Teardrops

"Today's Teardrops" was included on Roy Orbison's first music album called "Lonely and Blue". The song was taken to number seven on the Australian ARIA charts by Col Joye.

5. A 1966 movie starring Julie Andrews and Max von Sydow shares the same name with a Beach Boys song from the "Surfer Girl" album. What is that title?

Answer: Hawaii

"Hawaii" was a highly rated film with seven Academy Award nominations, but failed to win any in a ceremony dominated by "A Man For All Seasons". The Beach Boys song was later revived by former guitarist Al Jardine on his 2001 live album.

6. In 1961, Bobby Vee's second venture onto the Billboard charts peaked at number six - the same position as his debut song "Devil or Angel". What is the name of this hit that topped the Australian charts for two weeks and reached number four in the UK?

Answer: Rubber Ball

British artist Marty Wilde went up against Bobby Vee on the UK charts with "Rubber Ball" and got it to number nine. The song was written by Aaron Schroeder who had supplied four number one American hits for Elvis Presley, including the adaption of the Italian song "O Solo Mio" into "It's Now or Never".

7. What was the Oscar-nominated song performed by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in the 1956 movie "High Society" that peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard charts?

Answer: True Love

"True Love" was the song in question and the other three named songs were also nominations that year for other movies. It was, however, "Que Sera Sera" from "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and sung by Doris Day that took home the Oscar. The engagement ring worn by Grace Kelly in "High Society" was the one given to her by Prince Rainier of Monaco in preparation of their marriage.

8. A chance meeting between Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright and frontman for The Killers, Brandon Flowers, inspired Wainwright to write a song dedicated to Flowers. This took place in a "Sooner" state bar. Name the song (and the city).

Answer: Tulsa

"Tulsa" was the name of the song and it was included in Rufus Wainwright's album "Release The Stars". Rufus Wainwright stated that the outlines the admiration he holds for the rock star, according to his online interview with Time Out London (2007).

9. Which song written for a 1962 John Wayne western was not included in the movie's soundtrack because of a publishing dispute between the record company Famous Music and Paramount Pictures? The film also starred James Stewart and Vera Miles.

Answer: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

In hindsight it appears that the theme song would have complemented "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", but nevertheless the movie was a success with four-time Academy Award winner John Ford as the director. John Wayne won a Golden Laurel for his performance for "Top Action Performance".

10. The followers of sixties popular music would have, by now, figured out who this artist is. For those still not certain, I can say that this person had sixteen entries into the Billboard Top 40 between 1961 and 1968 with four top tens. In the UK, there were twenty two entries with eleven top tens. Incredibly, though, only a total of three number ones - two in Australia and one in the UK. Who is this musician?

Answer: Gene Pitney

Gene Francis Alan Pitney was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1941 and sadly passed away in 2006 aged 65 while on tour in Cardiff, Wales, after suffering a heart attack. His final show was a success with a standing ovation in Cardiff's St. David's Hall with his final song, ironically, being "Town Without Pity." So, now onto what the nine clues represented -

1. The previously mentioned "TOWN WITHOUT PITY" was Gene's second entry onto the American charts and reached #13 in 1961.
2. He was the writer for "HE'S A REBEL"
3. He was the writer for "HELLO MARY LOU"
4. He was the writer for "TODAY'S TEARDROPS"
5. His own version of "HAWAII" was added to a top- selling album of 1964, namely "I'm Gonna Be Strong".
6. Gene wrote "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee, and...
7. ...a 1963 hit for him was "TRUE LOVE Never Runs Smooth" and...
8. ...his follow-up song in the same year was "Twenty Four Hours From TULSA"
9. Most would have latched onto the fact that Gene Pitney was the singer of the song originally written for the movie "THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE".

Source: Author muffin1708

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
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Something In Common 4 Trivia Quiz

A very prominent music celebrity from the 1960s, and beyond, will be identified by way of the nine cumulative questions following.

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