Super Star Super Sklar Quiz | Music

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Leland Sklar first found fame in 1971 when he played bass on whose "Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon" album, which included the hit single "You've Got A Friend"?

Answer: James Taylor

Although the Carole King version of "You've Got A Friend" is probably better known, it was James Taylor that released it as a single and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in USA as well as number four in UK. Sklar has appeared on many James Taylor albums throughout the years since this 1971 appearance as well as touring with him and appearing on the albums "James Taylor Live In Rio" from 1991 and 2010s "Live At The Troubadour".

2. After appearing on studio albums by Jackson Browne, Leland Sklar also appeared on his live album from 1977. What was this album called?

Answer: Running On Empty

"Running On Empty" wasn't a typical live album as along with stage show performances, it included songs recorded while in the process of touring, thus containing tracks recorded in hotel rooms, on the tour bus and in backstage rehearsal rooms. It reached number three on the Billboard Pop Album chart and in a tribute partly aimed at Sklar, Browne said of the album, that this was the first tour on which he had been able to afford the musicians he wanted to perform with.

3. In 1972, Leland Sklar played bass on three tracks on the "Full Circle" album, which was this band's second album following the death of their original vocalist in 1971. Who was the band?

Answer: The Doors

Following Jim Morrison's death in 1971, keyboard player Ray Manzarek took over vocal duties and this album provided the band with their last Top 20 single in "The Mosquito" which featured Sklar on bass and reached number 15 in Austria and number 18 in the Netherlands. In USA, it peaked at a disappointing number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100.

4. In 1975, Sklar played bass on "Atlantic Crossing", an album which contained the track "Sailing" which spent four weeks at the top of the UK charts. Whose album was this?

Answer: Rod Stewart

Sklar played on both 1975's "Atlantic Crossing" and Stewart's follow up album, "A Night On The Town" (1976) along with other session bassists. In 2006, he reunited with Stewart to be the primary bassist on "Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time", an album of cover versions on which he played bass on all but one track.

5. In 1980, Sklar appeared on Dolly Parton's 24th album. What was the title of this album which also had a tie-in to a Parton movie from the same year?

Answer: 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs

Leland had also appeared on Parton's previous album, "Dolly, Dolly, Dolly" (1980) and would also be on her 1982 "Heartbreak Express" album as well as "Rainbow" from 1987. Other country artists he has played bass for include Glen Campbell, The Oak Ridge Boys and LeAnn Rimes.

The 1980 movie, "9 To 5" starred Parton alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin and was the basis for a popular TV show and stage musical.

6. "One More Night" and "Take Me Home" were tracks that Sklar played bass on, on whose hugely successful 1985 album?

Answer: Phil Collins

Although Sklar has provided bass on many albums by all of the artists listed, it was Phil Collins that had hits with the two tracks mentioned. Sklar was also the bassist for Collins' 1989 album, "...But Seriously" as well as accompanying him on his huge world tour to promote the album and appearing on the resulting "Serious Hits...Live!" album from 1990.

7. Talk about spanning the generations! In 1994 Sklar appeared on "Crazy", then just three years later, in 1997 he was the main bass player on "Vivir" by the son of the "Crazy" creator. Which father and son has Sklar played for?

Answer: Julio and Enrique Iglesias

On Julio's album, Sklar shared bass duties with Eduardo Garcia and Julio Hernandez but on son Enrique's album, Leland played bass on the majority of the tracks. The album gave Enrique three number one hits on the Billboard Hot Latin in USA, these being "Enamorado Por Primera Vez" (In Love For The First Time), "Solo En Ti" (Only You) and "Miente" (Lie), all in 1997.

8. In 1987 and 1988, Leland was at the top of the Billboard Hot Country charts, playing bass on "The Last One To Know" and "Love Will Find Its Way To You". Whose album was he appearing on?

Answer: Reba McEntire

Reba obviously liked what she heard as Sklar also appeared on four subsequent albums with her and topped the country singles chart again with "Cathy's Clown" (1989), "For My Broken Heart" (1991), "Is There Life Out There" (1992) and "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter" (1995), as well as scoring a good number of top ten hits.

9. In 1991, Sklar appeared on the Diana Ross album, "The Force Behind The Power", which contained the track, "If We Hold On Together", theme song to which 1988 movie?

Answer: The Land Before Time

The track had originally appeared on the 1988 soundtrack to the movie about Littlefoot the Longneck and his search for the Great Valley and Ross didn't include it on any of her albums until this 1991 release. You have no idea how close this quiz was to being named Leland Before Time, but in the end I decided that was too much.

10. In 2007, Sklar appeared on the "Falling In Between Live" album after replacing long time bass player Mike Porcaro on the tour. With which band was Porcaro the established bassist?

Answer: Toto

Mike Porcaro had been bassist with Toto since 1982, and began the "Falling In Between" tour with the band, playing dates in 2006. When the tour resumed in 2007, Porcaro stepped down, initially temporarily as he was experiencing weakness in his fingers.

While Leland played the 2007 dates for him, Porcaro was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as motor neurone disease or Lou Gehrig's disease and retired from music with immediate effect. Toto subsequently disbanded the following year (2008) and Porcaro died from complications caused by the disease in 2015.

Source: Author 480154st

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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Super Star Super Sklar Trivia Quiz

Leland Sklar is one of the great session musicians that most of us have listened to at some point, even if we may not have realised it.

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