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Trivia Answers For the Weary

20 Aug

Give this man some answers! Just to be clear, I did manipulate this cartoon, but all the credit obviously goes to the creator who is listed on the side of the cartoon. Still, this suited dude really does want answers, and how can I possibly say no to the desert businessman? Well, I can’t. How about some answers?

Wait! You have not tried your luck at the questions yet? No fear. Follow this link.

1.) In The Doors’ “Touch Me” Jim Morrison concludes the instrumental at the end with these three words. What are they? And, because this is the easy question, I will provide an audio clue.

“Stronger than dirt.” Yes, that is what Jim Morrison utters at the end of “Touch Me.” But why did Morrison mumble the AJAX advertisement slogan in the song. Were they paid to do it? The Doors, brought to you by AJAX, where you can just touch the dirt right off the shirt. Does Morrison sound like a guy who would have allowed his music to slip into the hands of advertisers? Absolutely, not. Morrison says “Stronger than Dirt” to express his disappointment with his other band members, who apparently were considering an offer from Buick for the use of “Light My Fire” in a commercial. Obviously, Morrison did not approve of this money-making scheme and it fell through. And, because of it all, we get this nice easter egg for trivia questions to be formed around! Every answer choice got a vote, which means that I am doing my job well, and that somebody thought he said “Robbie’s a Jerk” which is kind of funny.

2.) Woodstock, baby. That Jimi Hendrix finish was mind-boggling. But, man, who was the act that went on right before him. Uhh…?

This is one of those questions where you think you should know the answer, but then you realize you have absolutely no clue. The weird thing about this festival was the times when acts went on. Unlike regimented music festivals today, the concert didn’t stop at a reasonable hour. It just went on and on and on. Crosby Still & Nash played at 3:00 a.m., the morning of the last day. The band that opened for Hendrix went on at 7:30 a.m. Hendrix closed the show at 10 a.m., and gave his famous performance to a tired, muddy and dispersed crowd. Who was the band that opened for Hendrix?

Excuse me? The greasers with the corny dance moves? This must be a joke? No, as people woke up after their short power naps, they saw Sha Na Na on stage. I’m sure members of the audience thought that they took the “bad” acid. Sha Na Na performed, and, if it was a doo wop show, it would’ve been looked at as a solid and fun performance. And then it would have been forgotten. But it was WOODSTOCK. Their performance sparked a saying though. He/She was as out of place as Sha Na Na at Woodstock. That pretty much says it all.

3.) Now comes the HARD question. Let’s see if I can stump you guys. Simon and Garfunkel’s “The 59th Street Bridge Song,” otherwise known as “Feelin’ Groovy” was recorded in August of 1966 with what famous Jazz drummer behind the drum kit in the studio?

I’ll admit it, this question was tough. Like damn near impossible. Unless you are familiar with Jazz drummers or the studio recordings of Simon and Garfunkel songs, then this question was not going to yield an educated guess. The answer, though, is Joe Morello. And, here is a drum solo.

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The Glorious Return of The Music Trivia

17 Aug

Was this really done, or did somebody photoshop that into the NOW That’s What I Call Music background? That picture really projects. It better be one hell of a music quiz. Well, do you know who does have one hell of a music quiz…because I’m actually looking for some questions, just kidding! While the first installments of Music Trivia went worse than expected, I thought that I would bring it back this Wednesday just for kicks. I get a lot of enjoyment in compiling and administering our little version of Trivial Pursuit, supposing we were only answering pink questions and those questions were only the music side of entertainment. Damn, if that was the case, I feel like I would do very well at Trivial Pursuit.

Now that Trivial Pursuit is in our minds, let’s use its new format for our questions today. I will ask three questions at different difficulties…easy, medium, and hard.

Remember – This hasn’t worked at all, but, after you answer the questions in the poll, POST your answers as a comment. I want to know if you got all three correct. If you did, you get the special prize of R-E-S-P-E-C-T and it means a lot. Let’s get to it.

1.) In The Doors’ “Touch Me” Jim Morrison concludes the instrumental at the end with these three words. What are they? And, because this is the easy question, I will provide an audio clue.

VIDEO:

2.) Woodstock, baby. That Jimi Hendrix finish was mind-boggling. But, man, who was the act that went on right before him. Uhh…?

3.) Now comes the HARD question. Let’s see if I can stump you guys. Simon and Garfunkel’s “The 59th Street Bridge Song,” otherwise known as “Feelin’ Groovy” was recorded in August of 1966 with what famous Jazz drummer behind the drum kit in the studio?

Good luck everyone and remember to write a comment with your answers!

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Music Trivia – Four for the Fourth

2 Jul

Let’s press the trivia button and embark on a musical journey through thought-provoking music trivia questions. The first edition of music trivia was a success, garnering a good amount of attention from everyone. There is one rule, though, that I want to stress before getting to this week’s questions.

ATTENTION: After answering each question, POST your answers into a comment. Commenting on a post is simple. Click the quote bubble with the number next to the post’s name. It will ask for a name and an e-mail address. Follow those brief directions and post your answers. Therefore, I know who can be crowned the winner and, in the future, be eligible for PRIZES. If you don’t post your answers, I cannot recognize your intelligence.

Get it? Got it? Good. Let’s play!

The entire trivia game will not be patriotic, but since this is the fourth of July weekend we do need at least one germane question.

1.) “O! say can you see.” I am sure most of you can complete the lyric. Heck, you can probably explain to me that Francis Scott Key wrote the “Star-Spangled Banner” while detained on a British ship in September of 1814. But, lyrics aside, can you tell me where the melody of our National Anthem comes from?

2.) Randy California was the stage name of American guitarist Randy Wolfe. His work with his band Spirit was influential. He displayed tremendous technical skill and aplomb up to his untimely drowning death in 1997. If you have heard “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin, which I’m pretty sure everyone has heard, the indelible guitar riff is strikingly similar to California’s guitar work on Spirit’s “Taurus.” But I’m not going to ask a question about the controversy. Instead, I want to know what American musician gave Randy California his stage name?

3.) Jimmy Page is often cited as the originator of using a violin bow on a guitar, but this is incorrect information. Who was the true FIRST guitarist to popularize this practice?

4.) Thunderclap Newman was a British band known for their one-hit wonder “Something In The Air.” How they were promoted is more interesting than the song. Newman vocalist/keyboardist John “Speedy” Keen worked as a chauffeur for a famous British band who’s guitarist thanked Keen by creating the band around him to showcase his work. What was that band?

There you have it. Four questions for your fourth of July weekend. Answers will be posted on Thursday of next week. Remember, after you select your choices on the polls, post your answer choices in a comment! I cannot stress this enough. And, hey, after you answer the questions if you cannot wait for the answers, look them up and use these fun questions to stump friends of families at your fourth of July barbecues. Have a great weekend!

Answers to Music Trivia #1

7 Jun

Thank you to everyone who participated in last Friday’s first edition of Music Trivia. We received a good amount of answers. Unfortunately, only one participant posted a comment with his answers. So before I get to the answers, I can officially crown Anthony Zampardi winner of the first edition of Music Trivia. Anthony got one answer correct. Did you do better than Anthony and feel disrespected because you are not being recognized? Well, remember, during each Music Trivia you answer the questions in the poll format and then post your answers (a,b,c,d,a – for example) in a comment with your name. You can discuss the questions in the comment section as well. Comments can be accessed by pressing the quote button with the number next to the post’s title. On to the answers!

1.) “Hey Jude” is arguably the Beatles‘ best and most emotional song. When Paul McCartney first played the track for bandmate John Lennon, Paul stopped after a line and told John he was meaning to change the particular lyric. Lennon said that he wouldn’t and it was the best line in the song. What is that line?
Answer –  C.) “The movement you need is on your shoulder”

Yes, the answer choice that garnered the least attention is the correct answer. I admit, this was a difficult first question. It is a small piece of Beatles’ trivia. This line gathered 10 percent of the vote. The answer choice that gained the most clicks at 40 percent was “For well you know that it’s a fool who plays it cool.” I guess we know what line Music Court readers think is dumb!


In all of their Mugwumps splendor

2.) The Mamas & The Papas is still considered one of the best folk/vocal groups ever. Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty were truly the vocal superstars of the band. Before they joined The Mamas & The Papas they were both members of an unsuccesful New York band called The Mugwumps in the mid-60′s. The other two members of that band went on to form a famous American band after the break-up. What band did they form?

Answer: B.) The Lovin’ Spoonful

Most fared better on this question. The Lovin’ Spoonful gained 40 percent of the votes. Even if you did not know the answer to the question, process of elimination could have helped formulate an educated guess. The Byrds were formed in California in 1964, The Turtles in California in 1965, and Jefferson Airplane in San Francisco in 1965. John B. Sebastian and Zal Yanovksky were both based in Greenwich Village at the time of the Mugwump’s formation. The Mugwumps were not successful, but this was in partly because they were such a short-lived group. If they stuck it out, perhaps they would have even usurped the future popularity of the Lovin’ Spoonful and The Mamas and The Papas. Who knows.

3.) Soul Asylum released “Runaway Train,” a song about runaways, with a corresponding video that featured pictures and names of missing children. Because of the song’s popularity many children featured in the video were actually returned to their homes. The song was pretty good too. It took home the Grammy for Best Rock Song in what year?

Answer: A.) 1994

Who expected a 90’s music question? I told you, no genre/time period discrimination. I actually thought of this question while at the gym. The music video for the song started playing on VH1 and I started talking to a trainer about when the song was released. I swore it was mid-late 90s, but he said it was when he was a teenager (early 90s). I looked it up and he was right. The song was released in 1993 (answer choice D and the choice that received 33.3 percent of the vote – tied with 1991). But if you look carefully the question is what year did the song receive the Grammy for Best Rock Song and that was 1994. Congrats to the 22.2 percent of you that got this trick question correct.

4.) In Canned Heat‘s “On The Road Again” what instrument helps create the buzzing sound that follows the song like a swarm of bees.

Answer: C.) Tambura

For those not fluent in the rich tradition of Indian instrumentation, I cannot blame you for getting this wrong. A tambura is a sitar-like instrument with a long neck. It distinguishes itself from a sitar because it has no frets. Its open strings are plucked in a regular pattern in order to create a resonating sound. You can use the instrument for drone music and this is exactly what Canned Heat does with “On The Road Again.” Alan Wilson added the tambura to give the song a hypnotic feel. He definitely accomplished his goal.

5.) The Dirty Mac was a one-time supergroup formed exclusively for the TV Special “The Rolling Stones Rock n’ Roll Circus” in 1968. The band featured John Lennon on rhythm guitar and vocals, Keith Richards on bass guitar, Mitch Mitchell (drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience) on drums and what famous lead guitarist?

Answer: B.) Eric Clapton

I am often asked who my favorite supergroup is. Okay, maybe it is not a constant question but I have been asked it more than once. Without fail, despite my allegiance to King Crimson, I target the one-time performers The Dirty Mac as my favorite supergroup. Yes, their only performance was at The Rolling Stones Rock n’ Roll Circus, but the group consisted of John Lennon, Mitch Mitchell, Keith Richards and Eric Clapton (the answer to the question). The band didn’t just ooze talent, it flat-out blew it out like an active volcano. Their performance of “Yer Blues” is mind-altering. 57.14 percent of you got this one correct, so great job. Until next time, here is”Yer Blues” by The Dirty Mac.

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Who Wants to Be A Musicaire – Music Trivia

3 Jun

Welcome to the first installment of Music Trivia! Music Trivia, the game where you all get the chance to prove that you are the ultimate Musicaire (a made up term that means absolutely nothing). Seriously, Music Trivia gives you the opportunity to answer music trivia questions, both tough and easy. This is a game for everyone. There are no categories and no genre/time period discrimination. Questions can range from the guitar proficiency of Robert Johnson to Eve 6‘s drummers name. But I’m probably not going to ask about Tony Fagenson. I find that there is a lack of challenging music trivia on the web and I want to change that with this bi-weekly post. Here is how it is going to work. Today I will post five random questions (themed posts are possible in the future). The questions will be multiple choice. After answering all five questions, post your answers in a comment. On Tuesday, I will post up the answers and who did that best. Remember, it is easy to cheat at this game, but why would you do that? No Google and no listening to songs for answers. Answer the questions like you are taking a test in a classroom. Cheating makes this stupid. If Music Trivia garners a good amount of participants (10 or more), I will make the posting more frequent and will start giving out prizes to winners. Yes, that’s right, prizes. But it is your responsibility to play the game, have fun, and tell your friends. How tough is that, right? So good luck and I hope you enjoy the first ever Music Trivia game on The Music Court.

1.) “Hey Jude” is arguably the Beatles‘ best and most emotional song. When Paul McCartney first played the track for bandmate John Lennon, Paul stopped after a line and told John he was meaning to change the particular lyric. Lennon said that he wouldn’t and it was the best line in the song. What is that line?

2.) The Mamas & The Papas is still considered one of the best folk/vocal groups ever. Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty were truly the vocal superstars of the band. Before they joined The Mamas & The Papas they were both members of an unsuccesful New York band called The Mugwumps in the mid-60’s. The other two members of that band went on to form a famous American band after the break-up. What band did they form?

3.) Soul Asylum released “Runaway Train,” a song about runaways, with a corresponding video that featured pictures and names of missing children. Because of the song’s popularity many children featured in the video were actually returned to their homes. The song was pretty good too. It took home the Grammy for Best Rock Song in what year?

4.) In Canned Heat‘s “On The Road Again” what instrument helps create the buzzing sound that follows the song like a swarm of bees. (Video Clue)

5.) The Dirty Mac was a one-time supergroup formed exclusively for the TV Special “The Rolling Stones Rock n’ Roll Circus” in 1968. The band featured John Lennon on rhythm guitar and vocals, Keith Richards on bass guitar, Mitch Mitchell (drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience) on drums and what famous lead guitarist?

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