Ten Genres, One City (Part 5) Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Band

If you knew that only The Band were from Toronto, then you had most of the question figured out. The Band recorded this album in, you guessed it, a big pink house they rented in upstate New York.
By the way, for purposes of trivia, three songs on this album were written or co-written by Bob Dylan.

Answer: Barenaked Ladies

According to popular legend, the duo of Steven Page and Ed Robertson were attending a concert by none other than Bob Dylan when they started giggling over the phrase "barenaked ladies". Since the guys were already into music, they enlisted a few friends and a band was born.

Answer: Cowboy Junkies

It has always amazed me how a group of guys can get together and want to form band and they need a lead singer. It always seems like a cousin or a sister steps up and, with no experience at all, comes through and steals the show. That is exactly what happened with Margo Timmins.

Her brother, Michael Timmins, had a group with some friends and they needed a singer. Enter Margo, and the Cowboy Junkies were born.

Answer: Jeff Healey

Jeff Healey lost his eyesight at a very early age due to cancer. At the age of three, he was playing the guitar by setting it in his lap. Since he was showing some proficiency, nobody wanted to show him the traditional way of holding the instrument.
After performing for years as a guitar player, Healey took up the trumpet to play his favorite jazz standards of the early 1900s with his band The Jazz Wizards.

Answer: Loverboy

Mike Reno was about the oddest looking rock star of the era, but he had some pretty decent chops. Many don't know that Mike Reno was not his birth name. Mike was born as Joseph Michael Rynoski in New Westminster, British Columbia in 1955.

Answer: Triumph

I know, everyone thinks of Rush when they think of the Canadian power trio, but in fact there have been others, including Triumph. It's odd that Triumph struggled in Canada and couldn't get a break. That is, until a radio DJ from Texas took a liking to their sound and gave them the airplay they needed to gain acclaim in the US and in their homeland.
Other noted musical trios are Cream, Primus, Nirvana, Motorhead and ZZ Top, among many, many others.

Answer: Klaatu

It was a writer for the "Providence Journal" named Steve Smith who wrote the article "Could Klaatu Be the Beatles? Mystery Is a Magical Mystery Tour." Once this article was circulated over all of North America, people were so convinced that this was actually the reunited Beatles, the albums were literally disappearing from the shelves as fast as record stores could stock them.

After all, the music was reminiscent of music produced by The Fab Four. When it was revealed that the band was actually a trio of guys from Toronto (Terry Draper, John Woloschuck and Dee Long), most of the public felt duped and they basically boycotted the band. Before long, they were forced into exile. Unfairly so I say, the band actually put out some great songs. That's what happens when record company executives try to manipulate things for profit.

Answer: Neil Young

Of course, Neil also fronted his most famous band named Crazy Horse as well. He also was in another popular band named Buffalo Springfield in addition to his work with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
Neil was born in Toronto on November 12, 1945.

Answer: Killer Dwarfs

Once again, knowing that the incorrect answers were not from Toronto would have helped in figuring out the answer to this question. Tyketto were from New York, while Tygers of Pan Tang and Saxon were from the UK. Killer Dwarfs were very popular during the years that MTV had their "Headbanger's Ball" on television. Sometimes hard to classify in their genre, the band had a very solid line-up and they released some great music. I recommend them to anyone who has never heard them.

Answer: Alex Lifeson, John Rutsey, Jeff Jones

Although this line-up only lasted a few days, and they never performed live together, this was the original line-up as established by Alex Lifeson in September of 1968. Geddy was recruited after a few practice sessions when it was realized that Jeff Jones was not in the same vein as the other members.

The band went through several personnel changes before they decided on the line-up of Lifeson, Lee and Rutsey. Rutsey lasted a few years and appeared on the band's debut album, but he was later replaced by Neil Peart. Apparently Rutsey was not a fan of touring and he also suffered from diabetes. Peart won his part in the band after a series of auditions. Oddly, Rush did not have much success in Canada in their early years.

It was only after Donna Halper, a radio DJ from Cleveland, Ohio, took notice of the song "Working Man" that the band started receiving regular airplay.

They haven't looked back since.