How well do you know your music? Let’s find out with a quiz that accompanies this week playlist.
The subjects du jour are : Ben Harper, Robbie Williams, Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, David Crosby, Maroon 5, Bob Dylan, Bee Gees, Leonard Cohen, UB40, Van Morrison
They are the Male Balladeers selected among the 393 Posts we publish this week.
1. Who originally wrote “Sexual Healing,” famously covered live by Ben Harper in 2011?
- A Marvin Gaye, Odell Brown, and David Ritz
- B Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and Marvin Gaye
- C Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, and Otis Redding
2. Which song by Robbie Williams was performed during his historic Live at Knebworth shows in 2003?
- A Better Man
- B Angels
- C Millenium
3. During which event was Phil Collins’s “Both Sides Of The Story” performed in an acoustic arrangement?
- A Live Aid
- B MTV Unplugged
- C Glastonbury Festival
4. Which Bruce Springsteen song was recorded live during the Rising Tour at Giants Stadium in 2003 with credits to Manfred Mann?
- A Blinded by the Light
- B Pretty Flamingo
- C For You
5. Which 1984 David Bowie song was part of his A Reality Tour setlist?
- A Modern Love
- B Loving the Alien
- C Blue Jean
6. David Crosby performed “Guinnevere” live in 2018. Which artist reinterpreted this song in 1970?
- A Herbie Hancock
- B Chick Corea
- C Miles Davis
7. What band released the song “It Was Always You” in 2014?
- A Maroon 5
- B OneRepublic
- C Coldplay
8. Bob Dylan performed “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” at a benefit concert in 2001. In which city did he decide to return in the song?
- A San Francisco
- B Chicago
- C New York City
9. Which television show featured a live Bee Gees performance of “Nights on Broadway”?
- A Top of the Pops
- B The Midnight Special
- C American Bandstand
10. Which Leonard Cohen song was performed on his Old Ideas World Tour in Manchester, 2013?
- A Hallelujah
- B Anyhow
- C Suzanne
11. Which reggae band performed “Please Don’t Make Me Cry” during 1980s live tours?
- A The Wailers
- B UB40
- C Steel Pulse
12. What genre best describes the Van Morrison and Cliff Richard duet “Whenever God Shines His Light”?
- A Jazz
- B Gospel
- C Country
Tracklist
1 . Ben Harper . Sexual Healing |
2 . Robbie Williams . Better ManEMI Robbie Williams’ third album . ‘Sing When You’re Winning’ featuring ‘Rock DJ’ and ‘Supreme’ |
3 . Phil Collins . Both Sides Of The Story |
4 . Bruce Springsteen . Lost in the FloodBruce Springsteen closes at the Giants Stadium (2003) |
5 . David Bowie . Loving the AlienDavid Bowie releases his sixteenth album . ‘Tonight’ featuring ‘Blue Jean’ |
6 . David Crosby . Guinnevere |
7 . Maroon 5 . It Was Always YouInterscope publish Maroon 5’s fifth album . ‘V’ featuring ‘Maps,’ ‘Animals’ and ‘Sugar . (2014) |
8 . Bob Dylan . Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues |
9 . Bee Gees . Nights On Broadway |
10 . Leonard Cohen . Anyhow |
11 . UB40 . Please Don’t Make Me Cry |
12 . Van Morrison . Whenever God Shines His Light |
And the correct answers (in case you missed one or two) are:
1. Marvin Gaye, Odell Brown, and David Ritz wrote “Sexual Healing.” Ben Harper’s 2011 live rendition in Vancouver placed this classic hit before a contemporary audience, animating its legacy.
2. “Better Man” echoed at Knebworth Park during Robbie Williams’s monumental 2003 concerts. The shows captured his charismatic energy and were immortalized in a live album.
3. Collins’s “Both Sides Of The Story” found a different acoustic life on MTV Unplugged in 1994, transforming the electric to introspective in an intimate session.
4. In August 2003, Bruce Springsteen performed “Pretty Flamingo” at Giants Stadium. The song was a live staple, lending nostalgia and variety to the set.
5. Bowie dusted off “Loving the Alien” from 1984 during his A Reality Tour, juxtaposing it with newer Reality tracks. This blend showcased his eclectic concert history.
6. Miles Davis recorded a notable rendition of Crosby’s “Guinnevere” in 1970. Initially skeptical, Crosby later found appreciation for Davis’s adventurous version.
7. Maroon 5 released “It Was Always You” in 2014, adding to their electro-rock repertoire. The track became a staple of their modern pop identity.
8. Dylan’s protagonist in “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” resolves to return to New York City, narrating a vivid journey through Juarez before deciding home is best.
9. “Nights on Broadway” lit up The Midnight Special with the Bee Gees performing live, a format befitting their vibrant mid-1970s rise.
10. Performing “Anyhow” in Manchester 2013, Cohen connected the song to his Old Ideas. This late-career tour enriched his classic, introspective performances.
11. UB40 included “Please Don’t Make Me Cry” in 1980s live shows, keeping audiences vibrating to its reggae rhythms and emotion-laden lyrics.
12. “Whenever God Shines His Light” blends Van Morrison’s songwriting with Cliff Richard’s vocals in a gospel style, a bright spot on Avalon Sunset.
For THE FULL MALE BALLADEERS COLLECTION click here
