*We'll go back to a fantastic 1994 solo album by this artist for a track with a general musical feel and mood that is a striking reflection of Buffalo Springfield's work, most notably Stephen Stills "Go And Say Goodbye". Sure the melody is different but the chord progression and overall vibe is strikingly similar and beautiful. The song is aptly named considering the lyrics...it's not just about a relationship but of life's road and challenges.
This artist is no longer with us (since 2017)...but you certainly know him. Name the artist and extra credit for the name of the album and the song... *A track written and released by this band's lead guitarist in 1976 is rumored to be about suicide, but it actually deals with the inevitability of death and the belief that we should not be afraid of it. The artist was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat causing him to think about his morality, but is still with us today at the ripe young age of 75. Name the band, the lead guitarist and the name of the song... *This band's #1 hit from 1967 was written by a friend of the band from Chicago (the city, not the band). Although the band did have 5 charting hits (they all uniquely happened in the same year 1967) the track we'll enjoy turned out to be their only #1. But with all those charting hits that year, Billboard Magazine declared them 'the most listened to band of the year'! Shortly thereafter, they fell off the musical map. Name the band and extra credit for the name of the #1 hit... *For a musician known to strive for authenticity, this artist has always been curiously obsessed with appearances, seemingly as interested in sartorial details and hairstyles every bit as much as perfect guitar licks. It' difficult to find two photographs of him from the 1960s and early '70s that appear to be the same person. His solo career saw him switching his looks frequently. A 2001 solo album featured a picture of him as a child. Name the artist... BATTLE OF THE BANDS Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen vs Peace Of Mind by Boston ANSWERS 1. Tom Petty, Wildflowers, Time to Move On 2. Blue Oyster Cult, Donald Roeser, (Don’t Fear) The Reaper 3. Buckinghams, Kind of a Drag 4. Eric Clapton Battle of the Bands : Boston won with 52% of votes
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*The history of this track goes all the way back to the artist, Screamin' Jay Hawkins in 1957. He wrote the ballad lamenting the loss of a girlfriend he wanted back. It was originally a much slower song, thus the ballad status. Ther version we'll play comes from a great band in 1968 who covered it on their eponymous album and then performed it at Woodstock in 1969. Name the band that covered it and extra credit for the name of the song....
*A song we'll enjoy is about an unconditional love where you are determined to stick it out through good times and bad. It's a very popular wedding song. The singer/artist wrote the lyrics, but the music was written by Al Jackson, Jr. (a legendary soul drummer) and Willie Mitchell (the artist's producer). Justin Timberlake idolized the artist and actually sang the song with him at the 2009 Grammy Awards. Name the artist and the song... *At the close of the 70's, this group began inching toward a sleek, modern sound, partially inspired by the thriving punk and new wave scene and partially inspired by one of the member's solo debut album. Two consecutive albums by the group in '79 and '80 found them sketching out their pop/soul/new wave fusion sound that propelled them to greatness. While the band formed in the early 70's and had released 7 albums before 1979, they gained new legendary status after these 2 albums. Name the group. *People and things mentioned in this song...Mott The Hoople, Life, Monopoly, Twister, Risk, checkers, chess, twenty-one, Elvis Presley, Moses, Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. The song came out in 1992. Name the song and the group that performed it... BATTLE OF THE BANDS Let’s Stay Together by Al Green vs Chain Of Fools by Aretha Franklin ANSWERS 1. Credence Clearwater Revival, I Put A Spell On You 2. Al Green, Let’s Stay Together 3. Hall & Oates 4. Man on the Moon, R. E. M. Battle of the Bands : Aretha Franklin ran away to an easy win with 57% of votes * This fantastic artist released his debut album in 1973. His 2nd album truly expanded the folk-rock approach to strains of jazz, among other styles just 8 months later...that same year. With his chief musical lieutenant and keyboard player they created a street-life mosaic of suburban society that owed much in its outlook to Van Morrison's romanticization of Belfast in his album, Astral Weeks. In the final analysis, it is largely considered to be one of the all-time great rock and roll albums.. Name the artist and extra credit for the name of the album...
*A quintessential and prolific Americana singer/songwriter throughout his career, he told romantic stories of an already vanished and still disappearing America, its people, landscapes and history. He was a key member of a 3 person group from 1961-1967 and when they broke up...his solo career ensued. Name the artist and extra credit for the name of his earlier group.... *We'll play a song from 1992 that references an object in the title that is quite and notably important to this artist. Whether or not it was purposeful (methinks it probably was), but this object shows up in no less than 28 of the artist's songs. This multi-talented musician played all of the following on the track we'll enjoy...guitar, banjo, piano, pump organ, vibes and of course handled the vocals. Name the artist and extra credit for the name of the song... *This British band toured America in 1971 and actually wrote and recorded this song (a big hit for them) during that tour. They were not well known in the U.S. at the time and the band's leader wanted to change that by coming up with something that would strike to the heart of America. The song is all about sex, but with imagery so comically vague it would be hard for even the most prudish listeners to take offense. As it turns out, the biggest suggestion of the intended theme is in the title. Name the band and extra credit for the song title.. BATTLE OF THE BANDS Fields Of Gold by Sting vs Harvest Moon by Neil Young ANSWERS 1. Bruce Springsteen, The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle 2. John Stewart, Kingston Trio 3.Neil Young, Harvest Moon 4. T. Rex, Bang A Gong (Get It On) Sting won the battle by two votes *We'll play a track early that mentions the term, 'Heavy Metal' which would go on to become a renowned genre, although the song itself is not really that at all. The song spent 3 weeks at #2 on the charts behind The Rascals' People Got To Be Free in 1968. It was the 3rd single released from the band's 1st album. The first 2 flopped, but this song elevated the band to stardom. Name the band and the song...
*This band released a 1974 album that came on the heels of their two previous albums that were both chart toppers. It may be why this album was a hit the day it was announced (it was certified platinum based on pre-orders alone) and was the last album by the band to achieve that status. This British band's song from that album is a beautiful, largely acoustic number that was popular in concert and rock stations everywhere. Name the band, somewhat famous for hard, concept albums and extra credit for the name of the song that got significant airplay... *This superstar artist's change of directions in the early 70's was notable on successive albums, trading cinematic aspirations of the earlier for a tentative stab at progressive rock on the next one. The later album was driven by sweeping string arrangements, giving many of the tracks a richly dark and haunting edge. On the track we'll play, a mandolin takes center stage conjures up shades of Rod Stewart and Maggie May. Name the aritst and extra credit for the name of the track... *This band's frontman wrote this song, both the lyrics and the music that was released in 1977. The song indicated him feeling unstoppable as he's 'floating around in ecstasy and 'like a tiger defying the laws of gravity', It is clear that his character is throwing caution to the wind and putting himself in danger. Name the band, the frontman and extra credit for the name of the song... BATTLE OF THE BANDS Time For Me To Fly by REO Speedwagon vs No Matter What by Badfinger ANSWERS 1. Born To Be Wild, Steppenwolf 2. Supertramp, Dreamer 3. Elton John, Holiday Inn 4. Queen, Freddie Mercury, Don’t Stop Me Now Badfinger won the battle by two votes *We'll play a track from this artist's 2nd album, that just as well could have been considered the 8th album for his former band. By going solo, the move finally allowed him to indulge his love for various musical genres.
We'll play a track from an album in 2000. Name the artist and extra credit for the former band... *This 1971 song (originally created to be about a character in a film that never was completed) is written from the perspective of a man who is hated and shunned. He's asking for empathy, but is clearly unhinged and seems to have anger issues. The lyrics are based on the writer's own feeling of angst about the high expectations placed on him and the pressure to be someone he's not. Name the artist, the band he is part of and extra credit for the name of the song... *Musically, this incredibly successful combo had effectively abandoned their extended free-form jazz leanings for more succinct pop songs. This is not to say they couldn't rock, because they absolutely could. That turning point basically took place during the decade of the 70's. Name the group. *Modern blues in the 90's had a pretty weird phenomenon of young guitarists rocketing to popularity with their first album. One such artist attended a show by the Bad Medicine Blues Band at the ripe young age of 12 and he ended up playing with them, becoming their leader within several months. Name the artist... BATTLE OF THE BANDS In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins vs Steam by Peter Gabriel ANSWERS 1. Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits 2. Pete Townshend, The Who, Behind Blue Eyes 3. Chicago 4. Jonny Lang Listeners gave Phil Collins the victory with 55% of the votes *We'll enjoy a track that was originally recorded in 1964 by The Four Seasons (the B-side of their #1 hit, Rag Doll) but became an even bigger hit when this band recorded and released it 3 years later. The band that recorded that version was touring with The Hollies when the track became a huge hit, going to #1 in the U.K. Name the band and extra credit for the name of the song.
*This artist was not mentioned in similar light as many 'household name' performers of his prime time, but he should have been. His records usually have more of a soul and/or country feel to them, although the album track we'll play (from 1993) had a decidedly rock and roll feel to it. Originally from Indiana, this artist broke onto the music scene, moving to Nashville early in life to write music and became very well known for his great songs, name bands and artists made famous. Name the artist.. *This great song from 1973 was inspired by events leading up to the final date of thos band's U.S. tour. They had a gig lined up for a city in Tennessee and most of the band flew to the location. However two members decided to drive instead. The equipment went on the plane as well, but the airlines lost the group's founder, songwriter and vocalist's guitar. The show almost got cancelled, but ended up going on as planned. Name the band and extra credit for the name of the song... *Is there a quintessential sensitive California singer/songwriter from the early 70's? You betcha! Not many had the influence of say, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, but this artist certainly did! This artist's first 3 albums were considered classics. The 4th and 5th, to many critics, were far less satisfying. We'll play a track from album #6 where the tracks were less philosophical, but remained as personal as his early work. Still making music today...name the artist... BATTLE OF THE BANDS Freedom Rider by Traffic vs Tunnel Of Love by Dire Straits ANSWERS 1. Tremeloes, Silence Is Golden 2. John Hiatt 3. Mott The Hoople, All The Way From Memphis 4. Jackson Browne Listeners picked Traffic by a Slim 51% margin *We'll play a track from this great band's 5th album, that was actually intended to be on their 3rd album. In fact, the song has a 'name' connection to the 3rd album. But during the initial recording sessions, no one liked how it came out, so they shelved it. Two years later in 1970 they brought back the track that is all about the quest for the American Dream, which is seldom attained. Name the band, the song and extra credit if you know the tie-in to the band's 3rd album...
*This artist was born in London to his mother, a cinema usherette and father, a publicity director for an orphanage. The Dad also helped organize charity shows in the 50's and introduced his son to all the stars giving the son a very early look into the entertainment industry. In 1966, the son was well on his way to an incredible musical career and decided to change his name for a very specific reason. The song we'll play was released in 1972 and holds the distinction of inspiring Paul McCartney's incorporating the key word of the title into his song, Jet. Name the artist and the track... *A 1964 song was a great snapshot of teenage lifestyle at the time...all about friends, girls and cars. Musically, however, it was incredibly innovative with an opening fuzz guitar, stop-start rhythms and a keyboard line working in and out of the track. It was the band's first recording after The Beatles took hold of America and was more or less considered America's rebuttal to said invasion. It would go on to become this band's first #1 hit in the U.S. Name the band and the song... *We'll enjoy a long track that actually combines two songs, the first one being an instrumental. The second part of the track is kind of an angry song about a broken relationship. They actually started as separate songs, but the album producer fused them together and the artist loved it and made certain they stayed together. Name the artist and track... BATTLE OF THE BANDS Born On The Bayou by John Fogerty vs Breakdown by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers ANSWERS 1. Doors, Waiting for the Sun, Title of 3Rd album 2. David Bowie, Suffragette City 3. Beach Boys, I Get Around 4. Elton John, Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding Listeners picked Tom Petty by a 53% margin *This outstanding band was formed in 1970 with a great lead singer and primary songwriter. 5 years later he had to leave the band due to illness...enter a new lead singer who took them in new directions, but with solid hits as well. The band disbanded in 1982, but reformed in 1987. Name the band, the first and second lead singers...
*This great artist was (and is) the guitarist and primary songwriter for this band from 1964 to 1982. Truly known for his conceptual works for the band, he made his first tentative solo album in 1972. But we'll go to his 1985 solo album for this evening's track. Name the artist and the band... *With this 1968 album, this band apparently had discovered drugs and mysticism as a basis for songwriting and came up with compelling psychedelic-era concerns. They kind of dumped the orchestra for this album in favor of a Mellotron while the rest of the band joined in with flutes, sitar, tablas and cellos. This collection of songs is a rather close cousin to The Beatles' records of the same era. Name the band and extra credit for the name of the album... *We'll play a ballad by this great band from 1874 that was the first of three highly successful to have been gleaned from this band's 3rd consecutive chart topping album...they just didn't release 3 albums in 3 years, but each of them were #1 albums. (Remarkable) The song is about a young man discovering himself as a person. The entire album saw the band embracing a decidedly more mellow musical direction. Name the band and extra credit for the song name BATTLE OF THE BANDS Cheeseburger In Paradise by Jimmy Buffett vs It’s Money That Matters by Randy Newman ANSWERS 1. Doobie Brothers, Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald 2. Pete Townshend, The Who 3. The Moody Blues, In Search Of The Lost Chord 4. Chicago, (I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long Listeners picked Jimmy Buffett by a 56% margin * Long before this artist made his name as a mighty crossbow hunter, there was this heavy Detroit band in which he was content to play lead guitar, something he did very well and with much less threat to the Midwest's deer population. We'll enjoy this band's most famous track from 1968 this evening. Name the artist, the band and extra credit for the name of the song...
*This band was the best English band never to hit it big in America. Outside Europe, all anybody remembers them for is their one big hit, that we'll play later this evening. That hit was hardly representative of their psychedelic sound, much less their full musical range, but in England, the band was one of the most successful bands of the mid-60's, serious competitors to The Who and potential rivals to The Rolling Stones. Name the band and extra credit for the name of their big hit... *This 1965 hit song by this British band was inspired by a 1955 gospel song by The Staple Singers. The Staples version had a real uplifting message and was quite spiritual, but the new version by this band changed the meaning of the song, making it into a stern message to a girl. Many gospel fans felt the song was ripped off and that The Staple Singers should have received royalties, but that never happened. The band oftentimes has success reworking songs by black artists into hits. Name the band and extra credit for the name of the track... *This artist released an album in 1975 that did not fare well, so his next album was quite successful by comparison. The album of pop/rock songs brought the artist's usual rhythmic folk-rock into contemporary style with the Muscle Shoals rhythm section and snapply production that included lots of synthesizers. The album, as a whole, explored the artist;s ambivalence about being in the music business, an attitude that would find him dropping out and finding religion after one more album. We'll enjoy a track from it which produced a final Top 40 hit for the artist. Name the artist... BATTLE OF THE BANDS Get Back by The Beatles vs God Only Knows by The Beach Boys ANSWERS 1. Ted Nugent, The Amboy Dukes, Journey To The Center Of The Mind 2. Small Faces, Ithcycoo Park 3. Rolling Stones, The Last Time 4. Cat Stevens (Old Schoolyard) Listeners picked The Beach Boys by a 51% margin * Early in the show we'll play a track from 1972 that was the only US top 40 hit for a band named for their keyboard player. The song attracted a much wider audience as a result of the band appearing on the British TV show, Top Of The Pops. I hesitate to consider them a one-hit wonder...but many might be hard-pressed to name another song by this group...that is unless you were a true fan. Name the band and the song...
*We'll play a great ballad by this band from 1973. It was written by their lead singer and guitarist. The song is open for interpretation and the band kept it that way, politely refusing to tell anyone who or what the song is about. The 'you' in the title could be about a literal person, but it could also be about the demands of touring...road weariness leading to exhilarating shows. The writer could live with the weariness for the rush provided by the shows. Name the band and the name of the track... *Pretty astute at turning acoustic Bob Dylan folk tunes into melodic folk rockers, this band struck gold in 1967 with this one. For Dylan, it was a somewhat nondescript song of his from 1964. The version we'll play surprisingly stalled on the charts at #30 in 1967, but its reputation as a rock classic has only grown through the years. Name the band and extra credit for the name of the track... *This most excellent band's two albums prior to their 1974 album were blessed with some lengthy instrumental jams in addition to catchy melodies and lyrics. But this album veered away from the formula of those albums concentrating on concise songs...that might just indicate a tendency toward pop conventions. But that was not the result. The album presented us with their most complex and cynical set of songs to date. Name the band and extra credit for the name of the 1974 album... BATTLE OF THE BANDS Blue Bayou by Roy Orbison vs Blue Bayou by Linda Ronstadt ANSWERS 1. Argent, Hold Your Head up 2. Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Still . . . You Turn Me On 3. The Byrds, My Back Pages 4. Steely Dan, Pretzel Logic Linda Ronstadt prevailed by a 56% margin |
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