How well do you know your music? Let’s find out with a quiz that accompanies this week playlist.
The subjects du jour are : The Wonders, Shakin’ Stevens, Blur, The Stranglers, Silver Sun, The Dandy Warhols, Neil Young, The Sultans of Ping FC, Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie, Sting, Ocean Colour Scene, Pitchshifter
They are the performers of twelve “live” music videos that were ranked in various charts, this week (08/52) BUT … in the Nineties 90s.
1. Which of these artists provided backing vocals for Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”?
- A Emmylou Harris
- B Linda Ronstadt
- C Dolly Parton
2. “Where’s Me Jumper?” by The Sultans of Ping FC is curiously inspired by a real incident involving what article of clothing?
- A Jumper
- B T-shirt
- C Cardigan
3. Goodbye Mr Mackenzie’s “Now We Are Married” explores the theme of marriage as what?
- A A romantic adventure
- B A contract with the devil
- C A social dwelling
4. Sting’s “Epilogue (Nothing ‘Bout Me)” is meant to mock what aspect of his public persona?
- A His fashion sense
- B His rockstar lifestyle
- C Amateur psychology
5. Ocean Colour Scene’s “It’s a Beautiful Thing” touches upon which personal struggle of Simon Fowler?
- A Stage fright
- B Sexuality
- C Financial troubles
6. Feature from which video game helped popularize Pitchshifter’s “Genius”?
- A Gran Turismo
- B Test Drive 5
- C Need for Speed
7. Who originally wrote the song “Some Guys Have All the Luck,” later covered by Robert Palmer?
- A Jeff Fortgang
- B Rod Stewart
- C Mick Jagger
8. Steve “Silk” Hurley’s “Jack Your Body” made history as the first house music track to achieve what?
- A Top the UK Singles Chart
- B Win a Grammy Award
- C Get banned by BBC
9. What unique feature characterizes the song “Blow the House Down” by Living in a Box?
- A Brian May’s guitar work
- B A spoken word intro
- C A bagpipe solo
10. “Change” by Tears for Fears was the band’s first U.S. Billboard Hot 100 entry, reaching what position?
- A No. 42
- B No. 73
- C No. 88
11. “Ideal World” by The Christians discusses which significant political themes of the 1980s?
- A Apartheid and the Berlin Wall
- B Global warming
- C The Cold War
12. In The Cure’s “Hot Hot Hot!!!” music video, band members are humorously dressed as what?
- A Cowboys
- B Dwarves
- C Astronauts
For TWELVE “Look Ma, No Mike!” – Vintage 90s Music Videos – week 08/52 – click here
Tracklist
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1 . The Wonders – That Thing You DoFeatured on the 1996 album “That Thing You Do!: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
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2 . Shakin’ Stevens – I MightFeatured on the 1990 album “There Are Two Kinds of Music… Rock ‘n’ Roll”.
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3 . Blur – StereotypesFeatured on the 1995 album “The Great Escape“.
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4 . The Stranglers – In Heaven She WalksFeatured on the 1996 album “Written in Red”.
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5 . Silver Sun – Last DayFeatured on the 1997 album “Silver Sun”.
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6 . The Dandy Warhols – Every Day Should Be A HolidayFeatured on the 1997 album “…The Dandy Warhols Come Down”.
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7 . Neil Young – Harvest MoonFeatured on the 1992 album “Harvest Moon“.
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8 . The Sultans of Ping FC – Where’s Me JumperFeatured on the 1993 album “Casual Sex in the Cineplex”.
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9 . Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie – Now We Are MarriedFeatured on the 1991 album “Hammer and Tongs”.
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10 . Sting – Epilogue [Nothing ‘Bout Me]Featured on the 1993 album “Ten Summoner’s Tales“.
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11 . Ocean Colour Scene – It’s A Beautiful ThingFeatured on the 1997 album “Marchin’ Already”. |
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12 . Pitchshifter – GeniusFeatured on the 1998 album “www.pitchshifter.com”.
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And the correct answers (in case you missed one or two) are:
1. “Harvest Moon” features Linda Ronstadt on backing vocals. Ronstadt’s collaboration added a mellow harmony that contributed to the warm, reflective tone of the song.
2. The inspiration for “Where’s Me Jumper?” was actually sparked by losing a cardigan, not a jumper, at a nightclub in Nottingham called The Black Orchid.
3. “Now We Are Married” critiques the notion of marriage by likening it to “a contract with the devil”. Frontman Martin Metcalfe viewed it as a binding materialistic agreement.
4. “Epilogue (Nothing ‘Bout Me)” parodies the amateur psychology Sting often faces. It uses humorous lyrics to divert attempts at lyrical psychoanalysis.
5. “It’s a Beautiful Thing” reflects Simon Fowler’s personal struggle with coming out as gay. The title nods to the play “Beautiful Thing,” echoing themes of acceptance.
6. “Genius” gained additional fame through its inclusion in the video game Test Drive 5. The high-octane track fit seamlessly into the racing game’s soundtrack.
7. Jeff Fortgang originally wrote “Some Guys Have All the Luck”. Robert Palmer’s hit version featured altered melodies and lyrics from the original recording.
8. “Jack Your Body” became the first house track to top the UK Singles Chart in 1987, marking a milestone for Chicago house music in mainstream culture.
9. The song “Blow the House Down” is notable for featuring guitar work by Queen’s Brian May, blending rock elements into Living in a Box’s synth-pop style.
10. “Change” was the first Tears for Fears song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached No. 73, establishing their transatlantic success.
11. “Ideal World” highlights political issues of the apartheid regime and the Berlin Wall. It reflects The Christians’ focus on socially-conscious themes in their lyrics.
12. In the “Hot Hot Hot!!!” video, The Cure dressed as “dwarves” in 1950s attire, adding a quirky visual twist to complement the music’s lively beat.
For THE FULL ‘ARE WE LIVE?’ COLLECTION click here
