Vinyl Vixens Trivia Quiz

Answer: Elvis Presley

"Hard Headed Woman", written by Claude Demetrius, was used in Elvis's 1958 movie "King Creole". It told of the problems Adam, Samson and King Ahab had with women. As a single, it went to number one in the U.S. on the "Billboard Hot 100" charts and, because of its 12-bar blues structure, number two on the "Billboard Hot R&B Singles" chart.

Answer: Cher

Sometimes described as a murder ballad or a "grimly comedic folk song", "Dark Lady" is the tale of a gypsy fortune teller who had an affair with the singer's lover; both ended up being killed by the singer. Released in 1974, the song was Cher's last number one hit until "Believe" in 1998.

Answer: Herman's Hermits

The song was written by P.F. Sloan, of "Eve of Destruction" fame, and recorded by Herman's Hermits in 1965, becoming a big hit in the U.S. and many of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Answer: Hall & Oates

"Maneater" was the biggest of Daryl Hall 's and John Oates' number one hits, staying at number one on the "Billboard Hot 100" for five weeks. The story of another femme fatale, the music video for the song interspersed scenes of a woman with that of a black jaguar.

Answer: Little Girl

The Syndicate of Sound were a garage band from California. "Little Girl" is only five verses long, but if you catch your girlfriend going out on you, what is there to say? The band got some record company notice after winning a "Battle of the Bands" competition in the San Francisco area in 1965.

They had three singles released but "Little Girl" was the only hit (yup, one-hit wonders). It had a mid-60s pop music sound but later became a punk rock favorite, being recorded by The Banned and The Dead Boys.

Answer: Hooray for Hazel

Roe seemed to accept that he was just another of Hazel's conquests in that 1966 song. After we listen to his self-pity he suggests that a time will come when she'll be sorry. It was a big hit record for him in much of the world, the highest ranking being number one in New Zealand, according to the "Official New Zealand Music Chart".

Answer: Poison Ivy

This was one of several songs written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. About a girl named "Poison Ivy" it compared her to measles, mumps and other ailments. Leiber later said it was a metaphor for a sexually transmitted disease. It was the third top ten hit for the Coasters in 1959, and the last top ten song they had.

Answer: The Byrds

Another song about a woman cheating on her lover, "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" was written by Byrds guitarist and founding member Gene Clark. The song concerned a woman he was having an odd relationship with. The song lyrics added "probably" to the title line ("I'll probably feel a whole lot better when you're gone), resulting in some music critics seeing that as an existential statement and musing on how lyrics like that came from a deep inner part of his soul. Pretty heavy stuff for a song that is only three verses long.

Answer: Come a Little Bit Closer

"Come a Little Bit Closer" was a comeback song for the group and became their biggest hit. The woman in the song flattered the man until the guitar player in the cafe tipped him off that Jose was arriving. As the man left, he heard her saying the same things to Jose.

Answer: 96

Another garage band, ? (Rudy Martinez) and the Mysterians had a big hit with this song in 1966. The singer reasoned that crying 96 tears would put him back on top and then his girlfriend would cry 96 tears, which would keep her down. I don't know about that, but I know that "Billboard" magazine named it the number five song of 1966 and "Rolling Stone" magazine listed it as number 213 of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".