How well do you know your music? Let’s find out with a quiz that accompanies this week playlist.
The subjects du jour are : Arcadia, The Sisters of Mercy, Belouis Some, Cabaret Voltaire, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, ZZ Top, Billy Idol, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, The Icicle Works, Saxon, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman
They are the performers of twelve vintage amusing, puzzling and sometimes shocking videos of songs that were ranked in various charts, this week (29/52) BUT … in the Eighties 80s.
1. What stylistic inspirations are present in the music video for Arcadia’s ‘The Flame’ ?
- A Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock
- B Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe
- C Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock
2. What inspired the concept of The Sisters of Mercy’s ‘Lucretia My Reflection’ ?
- A European cinema
- B Patricia Morrison
- C Ancient Roman history
3. Which chart did Belouis Some’s ‘Some People’ reach the highest position on?
- A Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs
- B UK Singles Chart
- C Billboard Hot 100
4. What musical direction did Cabaret Voltaire take with ‘Just Fascination’ ?
- A Merging rock and folk influences
- B Incorporating dance rhythms into electronic and industrial sounds
- C Returning to acoustic roots
5. What notable figure is featured in the music video for Elvis Costello’s ‘Everyday I Write The Book’ ?
- A Margaret Thatcher
- B Princess Diana
- C Michael Jackson
6. How is ZZ Top’s ‘Rough Boy’ visually represented in its music video?
- A An interstellar car wash with their car
- B A desert road with a classic vehicle
- C A tropical island with vintage aircraft
7. What item featured notably in the music video for Billy Idol’s ‘White Wedding’ ?
- A A flaming guitar
- B A barbed wire wedding ring
- C A diamond-encrusted watch
8. Which film genre heavily influenced Sigue Sigue Sputnik’s ’21st Century Boy’ ?
- A Romantic comedy
- B Dystopian sci-fi
- C Historical drama
9. What did the U.S. release of The Icicle Works’ ‘Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)’ omit?
- A The guitar solo
- B The instrumental outro
- C The spoken female introduction
10. Who made their studio album debut on Saxon’s ‘Power & the Glory’ ?
- A Graham Oliver
- B Nigel Glockler
- C Steve Dawson
11. What recurring dream influenced Peter Gabriel’s ‘Red Rain’ ?
- A Flying through a stormy sky
- B Bottles falling and releasing a red liquid
- C Swimming in a crimson ocean
12. What award did Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ win at the 1989 Grammy Awards?
- A Song of the Year
- B Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
- C Album of the Year
For TWELVE more ‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ – Vintage 80s Music Videos – week 29/52 – click here
Tracklist
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1 . Arcadia – The FlameFeatured on the 1985 album “So Red the Rose”.
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2 . The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My ReflectionFeatured on the 1987 album “Floodland“.
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3 . Belouis Some – Some PeopleFeatured on the 1985 album “Some People”.
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4 . Cabaret Voltaire – Just FascinationFeatured on the 1983 album “The Crackdown”.
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5 . Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Everyday I Write The BookFeatured on the 1983 album “Punch the Clock“.
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6 . ZZ Top – Rough BoyFeatured on the 1985 album “Afterburner”.
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7 . Billy Idol – White WeddingFeatured on the 1982 album “Billy Idol”.
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8 . Sigue Sigue Sputnik – 21st Century BoyFeatured on the 1986 album “Flaunt It”.
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9 . The Icicle Works – Birds Fly [Whisper To A Scream]Featured on the 1983 album “The Icicle Works”.
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10 . Saxon – NightmareFeatured on the 1981 album “Power and the Glory”.
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11 . Peter Gabriel – Red RainFeatured on the 1986 album “So“. |
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12 . Tracy Chapman – Fast CarFeatured on the 1988 album “Tracy Chapman“.
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And the correct answers (in case you missed one or two) are:
1. Both Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock are integral inspirations for the music video, aligning with its cinematic mystery and mischief. The video’s style emphasizes Arcadia’s playful yet artful approach.
2. Andrew Eldritch found a muse in Patricia Morrison, the band’s bassist. Her presence helped shape the concept and lyrical themes of power and downfall explored in the song.
3. Belouis Some found significant club success with ‘Some People,’ peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart, indicating its appeal in dance venues.
4. Cabaret Voltaire embraced a dance-orientated shift, blending their usual electronic and industrial with more rhythmic elements, marking a transition in their musical evolution.
5. The video’s highlight is a bored Princess Diana, cleverly juxtaposed with Costello & The Attractions, adding a touch of royal disinterest to the song’s depiction.
6. The ‘Rough Boy’ video features ZZ Top’s iconic Eliminator car in a cosmic car wash. This futuristic and humorous visual affirms the band’s creative passion for automotive imagery.
7. Billy Idol’s video for ‘White Wedding’ includes a memorable barbed wire wedding ring, a symbol of the song’s edgy and unconventional celebration.
8. Influences from dystopian sci-fi films are evident in ’21st Century Boy.’ The band’s thematic interest in futuristic storytelling is consistent with their visual and musical style.
9. The U.S. release of ‘Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)’ omitted the spoken female introduction. This change was part of an attempt to adapt the song for different audiences.
10. Nigel Glockler made his Saxon album debut on *Power & the Glory*, contributing to the band’s heavy metal sound that defined their 1980s work.
11. Peter Gabriel’s vivid imagery in ‘Red Rain’ stems from a recurring dream about bottles spilling a red liquid, lending an eerie poetic quality to the song.
12. Tracy Chapman won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1989 Grammy Awards, recognizing her poignant delivery and the song’s powerful narrative.