Poldo's Music Trivia II

OK, boys and girls, more foreign "stuff": Which was the first Asian act to reach #1 in the U.S. charts? Singer? Song? Answer: "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto topped the charts for three weeks in 1963. It sold 13M copies worldwide. Original title: "Ue O Muite Arukou", which had absolutely nothing to do with sukiyaki! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C35DrtPlUbc&list=RDC35DrtPlUbc&start_radio=1

OK, boys and girls, a little "foreign intrigue" for today: This Dutch group's only #1 hit (1969) was sung phonetically, as the lead singer didn't speak English. Group? Hit? Answer: "Venus" by Shocking Blue. Lead singer Mariska Veres, a native of The Hague, sang "godness", instead of "goddess" in the opening line due to a typo by composer Robbie van Leeuwen. Veres left us in 2006. Having been in The Netherlands several times, I have found that, by and large, the Dutch speak excellent English. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LhkyyCvUHk&list=RD8LhkyyCvUHk&start_radio=1

OK, girls and boys, back to the 50s (a toughie): This sibling country/folk trio from Pine Bluff, Arkansas helped create and define the "Nashville Chrome" sound. Their biggest hit was an English adaptation of a 1945 Gilles/Herrand French tune, "Les Trois Cloches" (hint, hint!), a '52-'53 hit for Edith Piaf. Grammy-nominated in 1959 - #1 Billboard Hot 100 and Country and #10 R&B. Song? Alternate title(s)? Group? Answer: "The Three Bells" aka "(Little) Jimmy Brown" by The Browns. They disbanded in '67 as their popularity faded. Great harmonies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTkbj56bnYs&list=RDHTkbj56bnYs&start_radio=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVuKLxx-ETY&list=RDrVuKLxx-ETY&start_radio=1

OK, boys and girls, back to the 60s: "The Father of the Surf Guitar" and his band released this instrumental classic in 1961, 2 months before The Beach Boys dropped their seminal "Surfin'" album. It is considered the beginning of the 60s surf music craze. He patterned his signature staccato after Gene Krupa's drumming with generous reverb. He played LOUD! Leo Fender gave him a prototype Strat which he played lefty but strung right-handed. He literally burned 49 Fender amps until Leo fitted them with 85W output transformers and added a single Lansing JBL D130F 15" speaker in what was to become the Fender Showman. Covered by Carl Wilson on The Beach Boys' "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Beach Boys Concert" albums. Artist and band? Song? Answer: "Let's Go Trippin'" by Dick Dale and The Del-Tones. The title comes from Dick's fans' mantra on the way to seeing him live, "let's go trippin' to see Dick ...

OK, girls and boys, more Mop Tops: Ringo was quoted as saying that this was his favorite Beatles song AND it was their first #1 hit NOT about love. Tune? Answer: "Paperback Writer" by The Beatles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYvkICbTZIQ&list=RDyYvkICbTZIQ&start_radio=1

OK, boys and girls, more 80s one-hit wonders: Lead singer Philip Oakey penned this 1981 massive global hit after reading an article in a teen-girls' magazine about meeting a waitress at a cocktail bar. He calls it "a nasty song about power-politics between the opposite sexes". It was the only hit for his British new-wave band, defining the synth-pop genre. Originally intended for it to be a vocal solo, he switched it to a duet with one of the group's two teenage singers after watching "A Star is Born" ('76). Trademark heavy use of the now-legendary LM-1 drum machine. It received heavy play on the then-young MTV channel and has become a karaoke standard. The best-selling UK single of 1981, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and was Certified Gold. Part of the "He's Just Not That Into You" movie soundtrack ('09). Song? Answer: "Don't You Want Me" by The Human League. One of the many great tunes we liste...

OK, boys and girls, more Sixties (as opposed to "more cowbell!"): The members of this 1960s Canadian-American folk-rock band first met as guests invited to Cass Elliot's home to watch The Beatles' U.S. TV debut on Ed Sullivan Feb. 1964. They sang and played guitar together through the night and the rest, as they say, is history... Group? Answer: The Lovin' Spoonful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq4J9KyJb4s&list=RDNq4J9KyJb4s&start_radio=1