How well do you know your music? Let’s find out with a quiz that accompanies this week playlist.
The subjects du jour are : Shakin’ Stevens, New Order, David Bowie, Split Enz, Black, Tears For Fears, Fun Boy Three, Nik Kershaw, Depeche Mode, Genesis, Liza Minnelli, Twisted Sister
They are the performers of twelve vintage amusing, puzzling and sometimes shocking videos of songs that were ranked in various charts, this week (35/52) BUT … in the Eighties 80s.
1. Which 1983 Shakin’ Stevens hit single was originally released by Ricky Nelson?
- A “It’s Late”
- B “It’s Good for You (Baby)”
- C “A Teenager in Love”
2. New Order’s first charting U.S. single shared a bill with which B-side?
- A “1963”
- B “Thieves Like Us”
- C “Blue Monday”
3. Which 1987 David Bowie single was accompanied by a Jean-Baptiste Mondino-directed video?
- A “Let’s Dance”
- B “Day-In Day-Out”
- C “Never Let Me Down”
4. Split Enz’s 1980 hit reached number one in which countries for eight weeks?
- A United States
- B Canada
- C Australia and New Zealand
5. “Life Calls” was the B-side to which 1986 Black single?
- A “Sweetest Smile”
- B “Wonderful Life”
- C “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”
6. Tears for Fears’ “Pale Shelter” title was inspired by what?
- A A sculpture by Henry Moore
- B A poem by T.S. Eliot
- C A novel by Aldous Huxley
7. The Fun Boy Three version of “Summertime” was originally composed for what?
- A The film Summertime
- B The opera Porgy and Bess
- C An album by Astor Piazzolla
8. Which Nik Kershaw track featured a working lyric of “Gorgonzola” before finalizing?
- A “I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”
- B “Don Quixote”
- C “The Riddle”
9. “Stripped” was Depeche Mode’s single from which album?
- A Black Celebration
- B Ultra
- C Music for the Masses
10. Which Genesis song features the use of a Linn LM-1 drum machine?
- A “Invisible Touch”
- B “Tonight, Tonight, Tonight”
- C “Mama”
11. Liza Minnelli’s single produced by Pet Shop Boys comes from which musical?
- A Cabaret
- B Follies
- C Chicago
12. Twisted Sister’s 1983 single was removed from which earlier album’s tracklist?
- A Stay Hungry
- B Love Is for Suckers
- C Under the Blade
For TWENTY FOUR more ‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ – Vintage 80s Music Videos – week 35/52 – click here and here
Tracklist
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1 . Shakin’ Stevens – It’s LateFeatured on the 1983 album “The Bop Won’t Stop”.
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2 . New Order – True FaithFeatured on the 1987 album “Substance”.
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3 . David Bowie – Never Let Me DownFeatured on the 1987 album “Never Let Me Down“.
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4 . Split Enz – I Got YouFeatured on the 1980 album “True Colours”.
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5 . Black – Wonderful LifeFeatured on the 1987 album “Wonderful Life”.
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6 . Tears For Fears – Pale ShelterFeatured on the 1982 album “The Hurting“.
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7 . Fun Boy Three – Summertime
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8 . Nik Kershaw – Don QuixoteFeatured on the 1985 album “The Riddle”.
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9 . Depeche Mode – A Question Of TimeFeatured on the 1986 album “Black Celebration“.
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10 . Genesis – MamaFeatured on the 1983 album “Genesis“.
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11 . Liza Minnelli – Losing My MindFeatured on the 1989 album “Results”. |
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12 . Twisted Sister – You Can’t Stop Rock And RollFeatured on the 1983 album “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll”.
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And the correct answers (in case you missed one or two) are:
1. “It’s Late” by Shakin’ Stevens is a rocking number lifted from 1959’s Ricky Nelson catalog. A novelty picture disc even made the rounds with the single.
2. In their U.S. breakthrough, New Order paired “1963” with their first Billboard Hot 100 hit, gaining much critique and fanfare.
3. “Never Let Me Down”, tying knotty themes with Mondino’s visual flair, added another layer to Bowie’s storied catalog.
4. Split Enz topped charts in Australia and New Zealand, highlighting their homegrown success story with lasting international echoes.
5. “Wonderful Life” stands as Black’s signature tune, paired with a lesser-known B-side marking that twilight revelation moment.
6. A book on painting helped Orzabal name “Pale Shelter”, making art an unexpected source of melodic musings.
7. Gershwin’s iconic “Summertime” originated from Porgy and Bess, transitioning from opera to countless reinterpretations.
8. “The Riddle”, a high-note number for Kershaw, evolved from cheese to quixotic with much wordsmith wizardry.
9. Depeche Mode’s album “Black Celebration” cradled “Stripped”, showcasing their penchant for thematic darkness and innovation.
10. Genesis’s “Mama” strummed the pulse of a Linn LM-1, intertwining synthetic beats with Collins’s dynamic drums.
11. Originally penned for Follies, the Minnelli creation marked a high point in synth orchestration by the Pet Shop Boys.
12. Twisted Sister resurrected the track for their 1983 album after remolding it from the lineup of “Under the Blade”.