Songs Containing Sound Effects. Quiz

Answer: Walkin' in the Rain

"Walking in the Rain" reached number 23 in 1964. Larry Levine was responsible for the sound effects of thunder and lightning on the recording. Larry also garnered the Grammy Award for "Best Engineered Recording - Non-Classical" in 1966 for Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass' recording of "A Taste of Honey".
"Walking in the Rain" would be the final Top Forty hit by The Ronettes and was the only song produced by Spector to receive a Grammy nomination.
Jay and the Americans recorded a version in 1970 that reached Number 19 in the US.
"But You're Mine" was a 1965 Top Forty from Sonny and Cher. Cher sang backup on "Walkin' in the Rain". "Give Us Your Blessings" by The Shangri-Las reached Number 29 in 1965. "Nowhere to Run" was a 1965 Top Ten by Martha and The Vandellas.

Answer: 9 to 5

"9 to 5" was written and performed by Dolly Parton for the 1980 movie "Nine to Five". Dolly walked away with Grammys for "Best Country Song" and "Best Country Vocal Performance, Female" for the song. The song was included in Dolly's 1980 US Number One Country album "9 to 5 and Odd Jobs". "9 to 5" was the second song to top both the US Country and US Pop charts. "Harper Valley PTA" by Jeannie C. Riley accomplished the feat first in 1968. "She Works Hard for the Money" was a single and album by Donna Summer in 1983. "Working My Way Back to You / Forgive Me, Girl" was by The Spinners in 1979. "Back On The Chain Gang" by Pretenders came out in 1983.

Answer: Wind blowing

"Wish You Were Here" was the title track from Pink Floyd's 1975 album of the same name. The final solo on the song is cross-faded with wind sounds along with the guitar solo. Stephane Grappelli played a violin solo near the end of the song which was barely audible. "Wish You Were Here" was one of the few songs that Roger Waters and David Gilmour collaborated on and one of the only songs that Roger Waters performed live in his solo concerts that they wrote together.
Pink Floyd first performed "Wish You Were Here" live in 1977.
Producer Alan Parson layered the clock noises on "Time" from the bands 1973 "Dark Side of the Moon album. A clock ticking is among the many effects on "Speak To Me", also from "Dark Side of the Moon". Oars creaking splashing can be heard on the beginning of Pink Floyd's "Signs Of Life", recorded in 1987.

Answer: You May Be Right

"You May Be Right" was from Joel's 1980 "Glass Houses" album. It was the opening track on side one. The sound of glass was inspired by the photo of Billy Joel throwing a rock at a glass window on the cover. "You May Be Right" reached Number Seven in the US.
"Glass Houses" was the third album by Billy Joel produced by Phil Ramone.
"It's Still Rock & Roll to Me" was another hit single from the album.
"Big Shot" was a 1979 release from Billy Joel. Helicopter sounds were used in the 1983 single "Goodnight Saigon". The US Number 20 single "Pressure" came out in 1982.

Answer: Drag City

"Drag City" reached Number Ten on the US charts. Jan Berry and Roger Christian partnered with Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys to write the song. Jan Berry and Brian Wilson also wrote Jan and Dean's Number One single, "Surf City". "Drag City" was also the title of an album by Jan and Dean featuring such racing related songs as "Little Deuce Coupe", "Dead Man's Curve" and "Sting Ray". "Dead Man's Curve" (1964) featured the sound of tires screeching near the end of the song. "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena" (1964) did not feature any sound effects and "Schlock Rod Part 1" was the flip side of "Drag City".

Answer: False

Occasionally someone would rev up a motorcycle backstage during concerts, but the motorcycle sounds in "Leader of the Pack" were done using a sound effects record. The recording was done at Ultrasonic Sound studio which was situated on the second floor of a hotel in Manhattan.
"Leader of the Pack" became a Number One hit in November, 1964. The Shangri-Las needed a follow up to their smash hit "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" so George "Shadow" Morton collaborated with the songwriting team of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich to write "Leader of the Pack".
The Shangri-Las broke up in 1968 after an exhausting touring schedule. In 2007 lead singer Mary Weiss released an album called "Dangerous Game" on Norton records.

Answer: Anvil banging

"Maxwell's Silver Hammer" was recorded while John Lennon was recuperating from an automobile accident. Yoko Ono was also recovering and spent time in the studio in a double bed. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" was intended for the 1968 album "The Beatles" but was not completed in time.

The band worked laboriously on the song because Paul had conceived it as a single. Ringo Starr played an anvil during the recording. Mal Evans played the anvil during a taping of the "Let it Be" film. The sound of a rotary phone dialing can be heard in "Come Together". One example of backward tape looping done by The Beatles can be heard on "Tomorrow Never Knows". "Yellow Submarine" featured the sounds of bubbles and water.

Answer: "Sky Pilot"-The Animals

A bagpipe can be heard along with war noises during "Sky Pilot". Eric Burdon and The Animals released "Sky Pilot" as a single from their "The Twain Shall Meet" album. It had to be spread over both side of the 45RPM record because the length of the song. "Sky Pilot (Parts 1 & 2)" made it to Number 14 in the US.

The song refers to a military chaplain. "Run Through the Jungle" (1970) by Creedence Clearwater Revival featured guitar playback imitating sounds of the jungle. "Indiana Wants Me" (1970) by R. Dean Taylor featured such realistic police sirens people listening on their car radios often pulled over. Dire Straits did not use any sound effects in "Brothers in Arms" (1985).

Answer: The Letter

Wayne Carson Thompson wrote "The Letter" and offered it to a friend of his who ran ARS Studios in Memphis named Chips Moman. Chips immediately thought the song would be perfect for an unnamed group featuring a 16-year-old singer named Alex Chilton who had recently auditioned for him.
Thompson played guitar on the recording even though he didn't think Chilton's voice was right for the song. He particularly didn't care for the airplane sound effects at the end of the song.
Chips Moman's vision was correct. "The Letter" topped the charts even though it was under two minutes in length. Three years later Joe Cocker would have success with his recording of the song.

Answer: So Much in Love

"So Much in Love" was the first hit single by The Tymes. After the success of "So Much in Love" they followed with the Top Ten "Wonderful! Wonderful!". The group called themselves The Latineers when they formed in Philadelphia during the mid fifties. They worked on the local club circuit for a few years before hiring George Williams as lead vocalist and changing their name.

They charted several hits through 1976 when "It's Cool" became their last single on the US charts. "Have You Heard" was recorded by The Duprees featuring Joey Vann in 1963. Ruby and The Romantics took "My Summer Love" to Number 16 in 1963 and Fats Domino released a Top Forty version of "Red Sails In the Sunset" in 1963.