Monday, February 27, 2012

OSCAR, OSCAR, WHO WON THE OSCAR?

So “The Actor” won most of the major Academy Awards this year (as expected). And there were no real upsets, save for Meryl Streep winning over Viola Davis in the ‘Best Actress’ category. But enough reviewing, there are plenty of other blogs that do that – let’s get to the trivia questions – after all that’s what this site is all about. This time, the questions deal with Academy Award winning SONGS. Let me repeat that for those hard of reading. It’s about Academy Award winning SONGS. Not movies, not actors or actresses...SONGS. Every song was an Oscar winner and every song went Top 20 on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart. So, how good is your knowledge of Academy Award winning songs? Let’s find out right now!

QUESTIONS:

1. This Academy Award winning song for 1961 was co-written by a man who won 4 Oscars and was nominated 18 times. He also won 20 Grammy Awards along with many other accolades. This song was an important part of the ‘61 Audrey Hepburn film, “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” and went to # 11 on the singles chart TWICE that year One of the hits versions was by Jerry Butler, the other by the co-composer. Can you name the song and the award winning co-writer?

2. This Academy Award winning writer had co-written dozens of chart hits long before he won his only Oscar in 1971. Those hits included: “Hold On I’m Comin’” and “Soul Man”, both hits for Sam and Dave in the 1960’s. He then had his own successful solo career, culminating with his Academy Award win for ‘Best Original Song’ for the theme from this film about a black private eye. Can you dig it? What’s the song and who’s the artist?

3. At the 1984 Academy Awards, the 5 hit movie songs competed for the coveted Oscar statuette were: a. Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) with music and lyrics by Phil Collins; b. “Footloose” – music and lyrics by Kenny Loggins; c. “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” (also from the movie “Footloose”) – music and lyrics by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford (as sung by Denise Williams); d. “I Just Called To Say I Love You” with words and music by Stevie Wonder from the movie “Lady In Red”; and e. Ghostbusters” with music and lyrics by Ray Parker Jr. Every one of those 5 hits went to # 1. So which song won the Oscar that year?

4. This artist is originally from New Jersey, but the title of his 1993 Academy Award winning song focused on a city in a neighbouring state. The film it came from starred Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. There was very little ‘brotherly love’ in this movie between Tom Hanks’ character and the company he used to work for. Can you name the song and the writer/performer?

5. This one’s only 10 years old, so it should be a snap to answer. The Academy Award winning ‘Best Original Song’ in 2002 came from a Detroit native who also made his acting debut in the film, which was loosely based on his real life growing up in the Motor City. His real name is Marshall Mathers III, but he goes by one name. Can you guess who the artist is and what was his Academy Award winning song?

ANSWERS

1. “Moon River” was the song we’re looking for. The music was written by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Mancini’s version went to # 11 on Billboard in 1961 as did Jerry Butler’s rendition. Mancini and Mercer won the Oscar the following year as well for their theme song from the Jack Lemmon film, “The Days Of Wine And Roses”.

2. Isaac Hayes and “Theme From Shaft” are the correct answers. Along with co-writer Dave Porter, Isaac was an in house writer/producer at Stax records in Memphis during the 1960’s. He started having hits of his own in the late ‘60’s and ‘70’s. His first major chart hit was a 1969 Christmas song called “The Mistletoe And Me” which made it to # 5 on the Christmas singles chart. “Theme From Shaft” was Isaac’s only # 1 hit and his only Oscar win. He was the voice of Chef in “South Park” for several years and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Isaac Hayes died on August 10, 2008.

3. Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called To Say I Love You” was the Oscar winner for 1984.

4. Bruce Springsteen was the New Jersey native we were looking for. His 1993 Academy Award winning song was “Streets of Philadelphia” from the Jonathan Demme directed film, “Philadelphia” beat out Neil Young’s title song from the same movie as well as songs from “Sleepless In Seattle”, “Poetic Justice” and “Beethoven’s 2nd”.

5. Marshall Mathers is better known as Eminem. His 2002 film, “8 Mile” won the Oscar for ‘Best original Song’ the following year for “Lose Yourself”.

Monday, February 20, 2012

MORE FROM THE GRAMMY AWARDS

The Grammy Awards may be over, but as we promised, we’re still asking questions about Grammy Award winners. This time out, we’ll see how you do with lyrics. It’s pretty basic – name the song from a selected portion of the lyrics. Every song was a national number one hit. C’mon, you can do it. So let’s go!

QUESTIONS:

1. Some of the lyrics of this song from a 3 time Grammy Award winning album are: “It’s wonderful to be here. It’s certainly a thrill. You’re such a lovely audience, We’d like to take you home with us. We’d love to take you home.” It comes from a legendary ‘60’s group from England. What’s the song?

2. Can you name the 1981 song that these lyrics come from: “And she’ll tease you, she’ll unease you. All the best just to please you. She’s precocious. And she knows just what it takes to make a pro blush.” It was number one for 9 weeks and won several Grammy Awards. So, what’s the title of the song?

3. This song was number one in 1976 for a former New York City jingle singer and musical director for Bette Midler. Some of the lyrics are: “I put the words and the melodies together. I am music and I write the songs.” It can’t get much easier than this. So, what’s the title of this song?

4. At the second annual Grammy Awards in 1959 this song was honoured as ‘Record of The Year’. Some of the lyrics are: “Now, did you hear about Louie Miller. He disappeared babe, after drawin’ out all his cash. And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor. Could it be our boy’s done somethin’ rash.” What’s the name of this classic song that’s been recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Louis Armstrong?

5. This multiple Grammy Award winning song from 1984 has lyrics that begin: “You must understand that the touch of your hand makes my pulse react. That it’s only the thrill of boy meeting girl. Opposites attract.” Can you name the song and the legendary singer?

ANSWERS

1. That would be the title song from The Beatles 1967 album, “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, which won Grammy Awards for ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Best Contemporary Album’, ‘Best Engineered Recording’ for Geoff Emerick as well as ‘Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts’ for Peter Blake and Jann Hawarth.

2. Kim Carnes took the song “Bette Davis Eyes” all the way to number one in 1981. The song was co-written by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon. It won 1981 Grammy Awards for ‘Record of the Year’ and ‘Song of the Year’.

3. Barry Manilow recorded it, but although he wrote quite a few of his hits, he DIDN’T write “I Write The Songs”. That was written by Bruce Johnston who joined The Beach Boys in 1965 and will be part of the 2012 Beach Boys 50th anniversary tour. Manilow’s version made it to number one on Billboards Hot 100 chart for the week of January 17th, 1976. “I Write The Songs” had first been recorded by Captain & Tennille’s on their debut album, but was never released as a single. Johnston produced the song with David Cassidy in 1975 for RCA Records in Britain. It rose to # 11 on the British charts. Clive Davis, who was President of Manilow’s label, Arista Records, heard the song while on a trip to England and thought it would be perfect for Barry. Clive was right. It won the 1976 Grammy Award for ‘Song of the Year’ for writer Bruce Johnston.

4. We were looking for the 1959 Bobby Darin number one hit “Mack The Knife”. Darin’s version won the Grammy for ‘Record of the Year’ beating out Elvis Presley’s “A Fool Such As I”, Frank Sinatra’s “High Hopes”, Andre Previn’s “Like Young” and The Browns’ “The Three Bells”. Bobby Darin also won ‘Best New Artist’ that year.

5. At the 1984 Grammy Awards, Tina Turner’s # 1 hit,“What’s Love Got To Do With It” took home the award for ‘Record of the Year’, ‘Song of the Year’ (for writers Graham Lyle and Terry Britten) as well as ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female” for Tina who also won ‘Best Rock Performance, Female’ for “Better Be Good To Me”. All in all, an amazing night for the former Anna Mae Bullock of Nutbush, Tennessee.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

‘LOVE’ FROM THE GRAMMY AWARDS

The Grammy Awards have all been given out for another year. The awards sweep of Adele, performances by The Beach Boys (with Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, both of whom haven’t performed together in many years), Bruce Springsteen, Glen Campbell and the double performances from Paul McCartney plus the poignant tributes to the late Whitney Houston are now history. For the next couple of weeks, we’ll be looking back at previous Grammy Award winners...and since this week also has Valentine’s Day in it, all of our questions have to do with Grammy Award winning ‘Love’ songs. So put on your tux, rent a super stretch limousine and let’s go to the Grammies.

QUESTIONS:

1. The 1982 Grammy Award for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male’ went to a singer/ songwriter who had LOST 7 times the previous year. He almost didn’t attend the ceremony as he didn’t want to face another loss. After his first solo Grammy win in ‘82, he was truly dancing on the ceiling. This singer/songwriter was one of Motown’s top stars of the 1980’s as well as a former member of a ‘70’s Motown hit machine. Can you name this performer?

2. It was a move theme ‘love’ song that won the 1977 Grammy Award for ‘Song Of The Year’. It was number one on the Billboard singles chart for 3 weeks and was co-written by Paul Williams, the man who also co-wrote “We’ve Only Just Begun”, “Rainy Days & Mondays” that The Carpenters recorded as well as Three Dog Night’s Top 5 hit, “An Old Fashioned Love Song”. The co-author was the female star of this movie – which is also part of the title of the Grammy Award winning number one hit. What’s the name of the song?

3. In 1975, a song written (and originally recorded) by one of the most successful singer/songwriters of the 1960’s and ‘70’s, who liked to sing about calendar girls, breaking up being hard to do and stairways to heaven long before Led Zeppelin ever did, went to number one and stayed there for 4 weeks. This song won the Grammy for ‘Record Of The Year’ and was nominated for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group or Chorus’, but lost out to The Eagles song “Lyin’ Eyes”. The duo who had the Grammy Award winning song also recorded a Spanish language version of this same number one and released it a few months after the English language version first came out, although that one didn’t fare as well on the charts. Can you name this duo and their first number one hit?

4. The Beatles are no stranger to winning Grammy Awards. They won ‘Best New Artist’ in 1964 and their number one hit, “A Hard Day’s Night’ took the Grammy that year for ‘Best Performance By A Vocal Group”, but lost to Petula Clark’s “Downtown” for ‘Best Rock & Roll Recording’. Can you believe that? At the 1966 Grammy Awards, John Lennon & Paul McCartney (as songwriters) took home the ‘Song Of The Year’ statuette. It was a true Beatles love song. In fact the phrase ‘I love you, I love you, I love you’ is sung fairly early on in the lyrics. Can you name this Grammy Award winning Beatles ‘love’ song?

5. By the early 1990’s, this performer had already had a handful of chart hits, including one number one. He was the former lead singer of a group called Blackjack in the 1970’s and received a lot of comments about his hair. For many years, he dated one of the actresses on the hit TV series “Desperate Housewives”. Several of his ‘love’ songs made the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10, including “Time, Love & Tenderness”, ”Love Is A Wonderful Thing” and “Said I Love You...But I Lied”. In 1991, he had a number one hit with a remake of a previous number one from 1966 that won the Grammy Award for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male’. Can you name this ‘man’ and his song?

ANSWERS

1. Lionel Richie took home the 1982 Grammy for his love song “Truly”, beating out nominees Donald Fagen, Joe Jackson, Elton John, Michael McDonald and Rick Springfield. It was Lionel’s second solo number one after his 1981 duet with Diana Ross, “Endless Love”, which was nominated for 3 Grammy Awards, but did not win.

2. The song was “Love Theme From A Star Is Born (Evergreen)”, co-written by Barbra Streisand and Paul Williams. It won “Song Of The Year” and ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female’ for Barbra at the 20th annual Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles on February 23, 1978

3. Captain & Tennille was the duo we were looking for. The song, written by ‘60’s pop icon Neil Sedaka, was “Love Will Keep Us Together”.

4. The Grammy Award for ‘Song Of The Year’ for 1966 went to John Lennon and Paul McCartney for “Michelle”. It beat out “Born Free”, “The Impossible Dream”, “Somewhere My Love” and “Strangers In The Night”. Ironically, “Michelle” never charted as a single but was included on The Beatles December 1965 album release, “Rubber Soul”.

5. That man is Michael Bolton. His cover version of the 1966 Percy Sledge hit, “When A Man Loves A Woman” won the 1991 Grammy for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male’. That was the same year that Natalie Cole won a handful of Grammy Awards for her “Unforgettable” duet with her late father, Nat Cole.