You Know They Got a Hell of a Band Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. According to 'Guitar World', there are four criteria to becoming a "supergroup": 1. There had to been at least three members. 2. The combined group must have released at least one album 3. Most of their members must have been in well-known bands before the supergroup formed. 4. A supergroup is not formed by a well-known musician joining a pre-existing band. Using these criteria, which of the following groups would be considered a supergroup?

Answer: Cream

Cream may not have been the first supergroup (that honour could arguably be claimed in 1965, by Steampacket featuring Long John Baldrey and Rod Stewart) but there is no doubt when Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, Bluesbreakers), Ginger Baker (Graham Bond Organization), and Jack Bruce (Blues Incorporated, Manfred Mann) came together in 1966, each musician had achieved well-respected musical credentials before Cream. Together they covered the guitar, bass, drums needed to play exemplary rock'n'roll such as "Sunshine of Your Love" (1968) and "White Room" (1968) and four studio albums. Clapton went onto form another supergroup, Derek and the Dominoes in 1970. The Beatles and Rolling Stones cannot be considered super groups as the individual members were not considered "successful" prior to joining the band. Van Halen was not a supergroup when Sammy Hagar replaced David Lee Roth as the remaining members were successful as a group not as individuals.

2. With musicians from Foo Fighters (itself a supergroup), Queens of the Stone Age and Led Zeppelin, the formation of Them Crooked Vultures caused great excitement in the rock world. Which member of Led Zeppelin helped create this new band in 2009?

Answer: John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones was the "quiet" bass player and keyboardist from Led Zeppelin but no less influential than any of his band mates. Plant and Page were involved with numerous projects but none were considered to be supergroups. John Bonham died in 1980 which precipitated the break-up of Led Zeppelin. Them Crooked Vultures (TCV) won the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for "New Fang" (2010).

Interestingly, Dave Grohl, who came out from behind the Nirvana drum kit to sing lead and play guitar in the Foo Fighters, went back behind the drum kit in TCV and was content for Josh Homme to be the lead singer.

3. Free were a British rock act best known for their hit, "All Right Now" in 1968. When the group split in 1973, Paul Rodgers (lead singer) and drummer Simon Kirke teamed up with King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell and Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs to form Bad Company. They had a string of hits in the mid-'70s. Which was *NOT* one of them?

Answer: Layla

As a mark of the esteem in which Bad Company was held, they were the first act signed to Led Zeppelin's new record label, Swan Song. In the '70s and early '80s they had five platinum albums and were a successful touring band from 1973-1982 until Paul Rodgers left in 1982. Three of the remaining members (Boz Burrell died in 2006) reformed the group for a one-off show in 2010 but were still together in 2013.
"Layla" was a hit for Derek and the Dominos. The other options were three of the highest ranking singles for Bad Company.

4. Supergroups were not just limited to the rock genre: The Highwaymen were so successful as an outlaw country supergroup, they achieved considerable mainstream success. The group comprised of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and one other country superstar. What was his name?

Answer: Kris Kristofferson

The Highwaymen were active between 1985-1995, producing three studio albums and and had two number one country hits. When their first album was released in 1985, the album was credited to the four individuals - their name came later from the Jimmy Webb cover "The Highwayman" which was their first hit in 1985.

5. Little River Band were an Australian rock band from the 70s made up of muciscians from Axiom and The Twilights (Glenn Shorrock), Zoot (Beeb Birtles) and Mississippi (Graeham Goble, Derek Pellicci and Birtles). They had hits in Australia, "Curiosity Killed the Cat" and "Emma" (both 1975) before their breakthrough US hit, "It's a Long Way There" (1975). Which subsequent hit was, according to Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), voted one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time?

Answer: "Cool Change" (1979)

Little River Band particularly achieved great success in the US where there laid-back rock sound fitted perfectly with the emerging US adult contemporary adult rock sound suited to new FM formatted radio stations. "Cool Change" was their second single ("Lonesome Loser" was the first) off their sixth album, "First Under the Wire" (1980).

In May 2001 "Cool Change" was selected by APRA as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time. The 1980 lineup of Birtles, Goble, Pellicci, Shorrock, guitarist David Briggs, and bass guitarist George McArdle were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame in 2004.

6. Several prog-rockers were contemplating a supergroup but they did not manage it until ASIA was formed in the early eighties. They Came from four separate supergroups: John Wetton (King Crimson, Roxy Music, and Uriah Heep), Steve Howe (Yes), Geoff Downes (Yes and The Buggles) and drummer Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Atomic Rooster). What was the name of their No. 1 hit from their first album?

Answer: "Heat of the Moment" (1982)

"Heat of the Moment" from ASIA's first album "Asia" was their biggest Hit, reaching number one in some countries. Though they released a total of three albums in the eighties and over a dozen up to 2013, they have not been able to reproduce the success of their first record. All other songs are hits of the members' previous groups (with the dates altered to facilitate the question).

7. Near the end of 1968. Eric Clapton was tiring of being a member of Cream, particularly because of all the in-fighting between Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce. He started jamming with Traffic's Steve Winwood. Ric Grech from Family, joined them playing bass. Blind Faith was born. They were joined by an unlikely drummer They became known in the press as "Super Cream", a moniker Clapton despised. What was the name of the drummer?

Answer: Ginger Baker

Clapton wanted to get away from Cream, in part due to the commercial Blues orientated musical direction. He did not want Baker (or Bruce) in the new group as he thought that if they were all in the same group they would still be called Cream. Winwood talked him into taking on Baker. An eponymous album was produced in 1969 and was number one on both sides of the Atlantic.

The moniker Super Cream came soon after. After the successful album and subsequent tour, the group dissolved though both Clapton and Winwood play Blind Faith songs in subsequent musical settings.

8. Audioslave combined 1970s hard rock with 1990s alternative rock to produce three memorable albums in the six year existence between 2001-2007. Chris Cornell was the lead singer/guitarist from Soundgarden, the other three members were from which left wing politically driven rock band from the nineties?

Answer: Rage Against the Machine

Tom Morello (lead guitar), Tim Commerford (bass), and Brad Wilk (drums) were all from Rage Against the Machine, an influential rap metal band from Los Angeles. Subsequently Audioslave had a distinctive sound that did not sound like Soundgarden or RATM. had a distinctive sound anchored by Cornell's sweeping apolitical lyrics and vocal delivery complemented by Morello's characteristic riff-filled guitar work. All the other answers were influential '90s bands (but did not contribute any members to Audioslave).

9. In 1968 David Crosby (The Byrds), Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield), and Graham Nash (The Hollies) formed a supergroup called Crosby, Stills, and Nash, released an album of the same name and had two Top 40 singles. Because of a need to tour, and hence cover all instruments, Neil Young was recruited to form Crosby Stills Nash and Young. An album was released, "Deja Vu" (1970) (the group's most successful), which spawned four hits. What was the name of the hit about the Kent State University shootings which, while released around the same time as the album did not appear on it?

Answer: "Ohio" (1970)

"Our House", "Woodstock", "Teach your Children" (all 1970) were hits from the album "Deja Vu". "Ohio" was released as a single three months after the album was released. "Southern Man" was a track from "After the Gold Rush", Neil Young's solo album from the same year.

Despite, the freedom to pursue solo projects CSNY imploded and broke up soon after their tour in the middle of 1970, reforming in 1987. They have a total of eight studio albums.

10. The Traveling Wilburys were George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty who collaborated on a George Harrison song, "Handle with Care" in 1988. As the collaboration was successful, they went on to produce an album called "Volume 1"(1988) but one of the band members died before their second album ("Volume 3") could be recorded. Which of the Wilburys died in December 1988?

Answer: Lefty Wilbury (Roy Orbison)

Roy Orbison died of a heart attack on December 6, 1988. George Harrison died of throat cancer, thirteen years later. On the video of "End of the Line" (1990), the video shows Orbison's guitar on a rocking chair and a close up of a portrait of him towards the end of the video.

Other personnel later named as Wilburys include the great Jim Keltner (Buster Sidebury) who was the drummer on all Wllbury tracks and Dhani Harrison (Ayrton Wilbury), George's son. If you add up all the gold records collected by the individual members and the group itself, Perhaps the Traveling Wilburys could claim to be the greatest supergroup.

Source: Author 1nn1

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

"You Know They Got a Hell of a Band" is a Stephen King short story title. This quiz is about Rock and Roll Music, not Literature. Specifically this quiz is about Supergroups.

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