Where Did They Come From? Trivia Quiz

Answer: The First Edition

The folk/rock First Edition debuted in 1968 with a top 5 hit, the psychedelica-tinged "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" with Kenny Rogers on lead vocals and bass guitar. Rogers played with the First Edition [re-named Kenny Rogers and the First Edition around 1969/70], recording 5 more top 10 hits and hosting a short-lived weekly variety show before breaking up the band in 1974 and going solo.

Answer: Procol Harum

Robin Trower, Gary Brooker [piano/vocals], and B.J. Wilson [drums] were members of the early-sixties British R&B band The Paramounts; they had minor success in England with bluesy covers of American songs such as "Poison Ivy" and "Bad Blood". In 1966, the band broke up; Trower and Brooker, along with lyricist Keith Reid, Matthew Fisher [Hammond organ], Ray Royer [guitar], David Knights [bass], and Bobby Harrison [drums] formed Procol Harum. Almost immediately, the band scored a number one hit with the classic "Whiter Shade Of Pale" [1967]. Robin Trower left Procol Harum in 1971 to record with his own band: Matthew Fisher was the producer of Trower's first two albums.

Answer: He was a member of all three bands before going solo

In 1964, at 15 years old, Steve Winwood joined his older brother Muff in the Spencer Davis Group as lead vocalist and keyboardist. In 1966, the band released the classic "Gimme Some Lovin'", followed by "I'm A Man" [1967]. Despite the band's success, Winwood found the rigid "pop" music formula of the band unfullfilling.

In 1967, Winwood left Spencer Davis and teamed with Chris Wood [saxophone/flute], Jim Capaldi [drums], and Dave Mason [guitar] to form Traffic, the quintessential 1960's British band that blended folk/jazz/rock/pop/r&b/psychedelica into an esoteric musical stew.

In 1969, Winwood teamed with Eric Clapton [guitar], Ginger Baker [drums], and Rick Grech [bass] to form Blind Faith. After one album and a critically panned tour, Blind Faith broke up and Winwood returned to Traffic.

After taking a break from music and occasionally collaborating with various world-music artists, Winwood released his first solo album, "Steve Winwood", in 1977.

Answer: Humble Pie

In England, Peter Frampton was a 15 year old teen heart-throb while playing guitar with a band called The Herd. After meeting Steve Mariott of the band Small Faces, Marriott invited Frampton to join the band. When the other members of the band voiced displeasure over adding another guitarist, Marriott quit and, in 1969, formed Humble Pie with Frampton, bassist Greg Ridley, and drummer Jerry Shirley. Frampton decided he wanted to pursue a more "pop"-oriented sound than the electric/power-blues that Humble Pie was becoming known for and left Humble Pie for a solo career in 1971.

Answer: Pure Prairie League

In 1978, Vince Gill joined the band Pure Prairie League [which contained none of the original members from 1971], singing lead vocals and playing guitar, banjo, dobro, and fiddle on the album "Can't Hold Back" [1979]. In 1980, the band scored a hit single with "Let Me Love You Tonight" [from the album "Firin' Up"], featuring Gill's vocals. Vince Gill recorded one more album with PPL in 1981, "Something In The Night", before going solo and becoming a mega-star in country music.

Answer: Steve Miller Band

Boz Scaggs and Steve Miller were prep school students together in Texas during the late 1950's when they first teamed to form a rock band...Miller on guitar and Scaggs on guitar and lead vocals. They continued their musical partnership through college at the University of Wisconsin until Boz graduated and decided to explore Europe.

In 1967, Scaggs returned to the U.S. and joined Miller in San Francisco as a guitarist for the Steve Miller Band, recording the 1968 albums "Children Of The Future" and "Sailor". Boz Scaggs left the Steve Miller Band in 1969, just as the band was approaching it's heights of popularity to embark on his own solo career.

After several critically acclaimed but poor selling albums, Scaggs scored a hit with the classic pop/blues/funk album "Silk Degrees" [1976], which included the hit singles "Lido Shuffle" and "Lowdown" and charted at #2. Scaggs next two albums enjoyed top 10 status as well.

Answer: He was a member of all three bands before going solo

The legend that is Eric Clapton: In 1963, the young [18] but accomplished blues guitarist joined The Yardbirds. Dissatisfied with the band's decision to pursue a "pop" direction, Clapton left the band soon after the release of the mega-hit single "For Your Love" [1965]. Soon after, Clapton joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and stayed with the band until 1966, when he and bassist Jack Bruce decided to fuse jazz improv with blues and psychedelica and, along with drummer Ginger Baker, formed Cream.

When Cream disbanded in 1968, Clapton teamed with keyboardist/guitarist/singer/songwriter Steve Winwood, bassist Rick Grech, and Ginger Baker to form Blind Faith, which lasted one album and one tour and disbanded in 1969. Clapton immediately joined Delaney and Bonnie and Friends as a side-man, touring and cutting an album and again leaving a project after a short affiliation. Clapton recorded his first solo album, "Eric Clapton", produced by Delaney Bramlett, in 1970.

He then raided the Delaney and Bonnie troupe for musicians and formed the short-lived Derek and the Dominoes [1970 - 1971], his final band affiliation before embarking on his Hall of Fame solo career.

Answer: He was a member of all three bands before going solo

From 1964 until 1966, Rod Stewart played harmonica and sang lead vocals with Steampacket [Long John Baldry (g/v), Brian Auger (organ/v), Julie Driscoll (v), Mick Fleetwood (drums), Peter Green (g/v), others]. When Steampacket disbanded in '66, Stewart joined the Jeff Beck Group, touring and recording with the band until it broke up in 1969. Rod Stewart and Beck Group bassist Ron Wood replaced Steve Marriott (g/v) in the Small Faces in 1970, with Wood switching to guitar and the band shortening its name to the Faces. From 1970 until 1973, Stewart toured and recorded with the Faces while simultaneously releasing solo recordings. Rod Stewart quit the Faces and the band disbanded in 1974.

Answer: Lester Flatt Band

Marty Stuart was a 13 year old mandolin prodigy when he started touring and recording with Lester Flatt's bluegrass music revue in 1971. He stayed with the revue until Flatt's death in 1979 and then worked with such acts as Johnny Cash, Vassar Clements, and Doc Watson until he released his first solo album in 1982. From then on, his "hillbilly country-rock" musical style made him an international star.

Answer: Creedence Clearwater Revival

John Fogerty (g/v), Doug Clifford (drums), and Stu Cook (bass/v) were bandmates from junior high through high school and beyond...John's older brother Tom (g/v) joined the band in 1961 when it was still known as the Blue Velvets. The band's name changed from Blue Velvets to the Visions to the Golliwogs and finally, in 1967, to Creedence Clearwater Revival.

In a thirty month span, Creedence had eight top 10 singles, six of which were top 5 hits! In twenty months, the band had five top 10 albums, 4 of which were top 5 and 2 reached #1! John Fogerty broke up CCR in 1972, citing creative differences and tension within the group.