The Last GASP Quiz | Other Music

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The team of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II followed up "Show Boat" with "Music in the Air" in 1932. This was slightly less popular but it contained this song. When the musical was made into a movie, they did not include the song. Go figure. Be the song. "I hear music when I look at you A beautiful theme of every dream I ever knew Down deep in my heart I hear it play I can feel it start, then it melts away I hear music when I touch your hand A beautiful melody from some enchanted land Down deep in my heart, I hear it say 'Is this the day?'"

Answer: The Song Is You

This is another neglected song from the period. Frank crooned it and Bing let it swing. Anita O'Day slowed it down then picked up the tempo. Sergio Franchi sang it on the "Julie Andrews Hour" with Julie. And then there's the Louis Prima, Keely Smith version. Well, They didn't actually record it but I can picture it.

The song didn't appear to make the charts when originally released or thereafter, so it was off the charts.

2. This 1931 song was written by Herman Hupfeld (Or as my computer likes to call him, Upfield) for the musical "Everybody's Welcome". It later was used in the film based on the play "Everybody Comes to Rick's". The following lyric is the prelude to the song. Some may find it too hard to identify from the lyric. Dooley noted. And the song is? "This day and age we're living in Gives cause for apprehension With speed and new invention And things like fourth dimension. Yet we get a trifle weary With Mr. Einstein's theory. So we must get down to earth at times Relax relieve the tension And no matter what the progress Or what may yet be proved The simple facts of life are such They cannot be removed..."

Answer: As Time Goes By

The film was "Casablanca". Bonus question, where did Rick hide the letters of transit? You must remember this! Besides the song, Claude Rains, Paul Henreid, Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart, the film is noted for a host of great character actors, including: S. Z "Cuddles" Sakall, John Qualen, Dooley Wilson, and Leonid Kinskey. And also Conrad Veldt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Madeleine "Allons Enfants de la Patrie" LeBeau.

Answer: In Sam's piano.

3. Oscar again! He gets around. This 1935 song was written by Harry Ruby, Bert Kalmar and the ever present Oscar Hammerstein II. And it is? "And when I'm alone with my fancies, I'll be with you Weaving romances, making believe they're true Oh, give me your lips for just a moment And my imagination will make that moment live Give me what you alone can give"

Answer: A Kiss to Build a Dream On

It was used in the 1951 movie, "The Strip" starring Mickey Rooney. It was nominated for an Academy Award but no Oscar. It lost out to "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening". "The Strip" ended up winning the Academy Award for best picture. In an alternate universe. Fortunately not ours. It was also used in "Sleepless in Seattle". I like the Armstrong version, how about you?

4. Two songs share the same name, One was by Abner Silver, Al Sherman and Edward Heyman in 1936 and the other by Ivory "Deek" Watson and William "Pat" Best in 1945 and made popular by Nat King Cole. Lyrics from both follow, respectively. Tommy Dorsey would know the song, do you? "I walk the avenue in front of each shop window I stop and I stare Gazing at things I planned for us to share" and: "I hope you do believe me I'll give you my heart I love you and you alone were meant for me"

Answer: For Sentimental Reasons

Abner Silver also wrote "Lover Doll" for Elvis Presley.

Al Sherman is not to be confused with Allan Sherman of "Camp Granada" fame or Allie Sherman the former head coach of the NY Giants. He did write, along with Buddy Fields and Al Lewis, "You Gotta Be a Football Hero" though. BTW, Al Lewis was not Grandpa Munster.

Edward Heyman was responsible for the lyric to "Body and Soul".

As to the later, more popular version of "For Sentimental Reasons" there is some controversy over who was responsible, Best saying he wrote all of it and Watson saying they both wrote the song and music together. Pick one. Deek Watson was also an original member of the The Ink Spots.

5. This was a number one single on the Billboard chart in 1942. It was in the movie "Orchestra Wives" the same year. Contrary to no one's opinion the lyric did not refer to one of George and Mary Bailey's children's name nor where Simon and Garfunkel said it was all happening. Your correct answer is... "A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H" "I'm gonna send a wire Hoppin' on a flyer, leavin' today Am I dreamin'? I can hear her screamin', "Hiya, Mr. Jackson""

Answer: (I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo

Glenn Miller was hot that year. In addition to "Kalamazoo", he also had "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "A String of Pearls", and "Moonlight Cocktail" hit number one. Tex Beneke did the vocal. It was nominated for an Academy Award but lost out to "White Christmas" from the movie not featuring Dean Jagger but one with Peg Riley, I mean Marjorie Reynolds.

Can't you just hear the song," I can hear her screamin', "Hiya, Mr. Jackson", Everything's O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A. Oklahoma"

"Zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo". Zuzu Bailey. "At the Zoo"

6. Think of a man with a straw boater and a French accent and coming up with the answer will be a breeze. From the 1929 film, "Innocents in Paris". Can you fill in the blank? Archie could. "Every little beat that I feel in my heart, Seems to repeat, What I felt from the start, Each little sigh Tells me that I adore you, _____."

Answer: Louise

Geez Louise, the song was written by Leo Robin and Richard A. Whiting. It was in the movie "Innocents of Paris". The man in the straw hat was Maurice Chevalier. It was one of the top songs in 1929, anecdotally, since Billboard didn't exist.

Louise had nothing to do with the actress Louise Brooks, who starred in "Pandora's Box". The movie was the inspiration for the Alban Berg opera "Lulu". "Lulu" had nothing to do with the comic strip "Little Lulu".

7. This Milton Ager and Jack Yellen song was published in 1927. It was resurrected by the Beatles in the 1960s. A fragment of the lyric follows. The song's name is? Piece of cake. "Just cast an eye in her direction Oh me, oh my, ain't that perfection?"

Answer: Ain't She Sweet

Per Music VF, the Ben Bernie and His Orchestra version reached number one in the US charts in 1927, the same year Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs. The Baby Ruth candy bar may or may not have been named after him, though the courts decided it was not. Ruthie from "One Big Happy Family" was not named after the Babe, the candy bar or Grover Cleveland's daughter.

P.S. The Gene Austin version hit number four the same year, 1927. Ain't that sweet, perfection?

8. This song was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Mercer in 1939. It did not do well on the charts but it became a jazz standard. It was in the 1996 movie "Michael" Can you fill in the next line in the lyric... "Two or three cars parked under the stars Winding stream Moon shining down on some little town And with each beam, the same old dream And every stop that we made Oh, __________________"

Answer: I Thought about You

...which coincidentally is the name of the song.

The lyrics were written by Mercer while on a train to Chicago. That was before trains had WiFi and you could play Candy Crush.

Mildred Bailey and Johnny Hartman had good versions. So were Sinatra's. One of his versions was in the movie in which John Travolta played the Archangel Michael.

9. This 1952 song was written by Victor Young and Edward Heyman. The Doris Day version made it to Number 20 on the Billboard chart. Song? "In a restless world like this is Love is ended before it's begun And too many moonlight kisses Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun"

Answer: When I Fall in Love

This song got onto charts in the UK a number of times. Nat King Cole reached number two in 1957, Rick Astley did likewise in 1987 and Donny Osmond reached number four in 1973 all on UK Singles chart.

The Lettermen made the charts with it in 1961. David Letterman never recorded it as a single or as a group.

10. Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn wrote the song. John Terlingo wrote the original lyric to the song in 1932. He sold the rights to the song which led to the Styne and Cahn version. "You'll never know how many dreams I've dreamed about you Or just how empty they all seemed without you So kiss me once, then kiss me twice Then kiss me once again"

Answer: It's Been A Long, Long Time

This was a number one hit for both Harry James with Kitty Kallen and Bing Crosby with the Les Paul Trio per Billboard. There are a lot of good versions, but the first one I heard that got imprinted on my psyche was the James version. What makes the song's poignancy greater was the timing, the end of the war and servicemen and servicewomen returning home.

Brent Spiner of "Star Trek: The Next Generation's" fame recorded it on his 1991 album, "Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back." Leonard Nimoy sang "Nature Boy". William Shatner sang "Bohemian Rhapsody". These were poignant too.

11. This 1944 song written by Billy Austin and Louis Jordan reached number one on the U.S. number-one country songs per the Billboard Most Played Juke Box Folk Records chart. It could be an English teacher's worst nightmare. "I got a gal who's always late Anytime we have a date But I love her, yes I love her"

Answer: Is You Is or Is You Ain't (My Baby)

It had an interesting chart assignation as a country song.

One of the more peculiar performances was by Tom of "Tom and Jerry" fame. Tom was the cat. Jerry was the mouse. He danced with Gene Kelly.

12. This is a gimme. It is a 1922 song by Fred Fisher. It was in the 1939 movie "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" starring Fred A. and Ginger R. The best known recording is probably the one by Frank Sinatra. "On State Street, that great street, I just want to say They do things they don't do on Broadway They have the time, the time of their life I saw a man, he danced with his wife"

Answer: Chicago

It was also known as "Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)", which makes you think of a host of toddlers walking aimlessly around the streets of the city followed by concerned parents. Or perhaps they were referring to zombies? Do zombies toddle?

It was also in the 1957 movie "The Joker Is Wild". That was the movie where Frank Sinatra plays an Army Major who was a POW in the Korean War and he gets caught up in a plot concerning another POW and his mother and father-in-law, the latter two who are secretly communists. I'm just pulling your leg. That plot is from "The Manchurian Candidate". "The Joker Is Wild" is a true story about a comedian, the mob, a lady, booze and gambling and it should be made into a pilot for a reality TV show.

13. The first of three nominees for the GAS is the 1955 and 1960 song, "Where Have All the Flowers Gone". Do you know who wrote it?

Answer: Pete Seeger and Joe Hickerson

Pete Seeger wrote the melody and three verses of the song. Joe Hickerson added verses four and five and then finished with the first verse from Pete.

It was not about a disgruntled FTD customer.

The Kingston Trio recorded it in 1961 and it reached number 21 on the BB hot 100 chart. Peter Paul and Mary recorded it in 1962. Pete Seeger released this version in 1964. It's still around.

14. This 1965 song by Jimmy Webb only made number two on the BB Hot Country Singles one year but that was better than number twenty six on Billboard's Hot 100. It fits the mold of the GAS. What is it? "She'll turn softly and call my name out low And she'll cry just to think I'd really leave her Though time and time I've tried to tell her so She just didn't know I would really go"

Answer: By the Time I Get to Phoenix

Glen Campbell had a big hit in 1967. It didn't top the charts but he got a Grammy.

Jimmy Webb also wrote one of Richard Harris's big hits,"MacArthur Park" but they never had that recipe again.

15. And the last one is this is a 1967 song by Randy Newman. In 1970, the Three Dog Night version reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. "Want some whiskey in your water? Sugar in your tea? What's all these crazy questions they're askin' me? This is the craziest party that could ever be Don't turn on the lights 'cause I don't wanna see"

Answer: Mama Told Me (Not to Come)

And the answers are yes, no and I dunno, that would be the way to have fun.

The song was in these movies: "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"," GI Jane" and "The Sweetest Thing".

Source: Author gfitz47

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Last GASP Trivia Quiz

The Great American Songbook plus a few nominees outside the box.

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