I’d like to try something we’ve never done before, in a way we may have never attempted had we done so to this point.
I’m going to throw out a question concerning a piece of rock arcana or trivia. Once that question is answered, in the Comments, the person who answers that question can throw out a new question. Then the person who answers that new question can ask the next question. And so on.
If the answer to the question requires multiple responses, as my first question will, the answers can come in piecemeal with any Townsperson who has contributed to the final answer – only after the full answer has been provided – can pick up the next question.
Got me? Let’s go…after the jump!
Name two (2) David Bowie songs with lyrics referencing The Beatles.
All The Young Dudes-“Brother’s back at home with his Beatles and his Stones”
Across The Universe-Beatles cover.
Life On Mars-“Lennon’s on Sale again”
let me know if this fills the bill, and I’ll throw out a trivia question.
“Young Americans” also says that he read the news today. Oh Boy. I’ll wait for Kilroy’s response.
TB
Sorry for making you guys wait. YES, combined you have nailed the two I had in mind. I had no idea about that “Life on Mars” lyric – I often have no idea what Bowie’s singing about. I thought I could fool someone who was thinking of “All the Young Dudes” as a Mott song. You people are too hip for that ruse. You may proceed with a rock arcana question for the Hall!
What song did Dennis Wilson’s widow(Mike Love’s daughter) insist be played at Wilson’s funeral?
“Kokomo”!
no
Wha…? Dennis was married to Mike Love’s DAUGHTER?!
Was it one of those Manson-penned numbers?
fucked up right?
Mike Love never acknowledged she was really his daughter, so he wouldn’t have to pay child support.
So Dennis started dating her to get under Love’s skin. then he married her.
Then he drowned.
Was it one of those Manson-penned numbers?
no
Farewell, My Friend
nope
“Sloop John B”?
I’m gonna say “Forever.”
I’m not going to lie, I badly wanted to answer shawnkilroy’s question, so I begain snooping around the web. My search has turned up nothing regarding a song that Shawn Love demanded to be played, I did learn that she died in 2003, and I also found two interesting reads along the way:
http://www.cinetropic.com/blacktop/people/index.html
http://www.tampabay.com/features/music/hanging-10-with-the-beach-boys-mike-love/1033471
The concluding Mike Love quote in the second piece is AWESOME!
Since admitting that I attempted to cheat, I will not attempt any more guesses on this fine question, for fear that I will be labeled a successful cheater.
If it’s not Farewell, My Friend then the internets are wrong.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farewell_My_Friend
I saw that too, BigSteve, but in one of the stories I read it was his 4th wife who requested that number, not #5, young Shawn. As much as I’d like to see you be right, I’m hoping kilroy’s holding some really arcane knowledge that will dazzle us.
Wow. Although the rules of this game may be too complicated for me, I am dumbstruck that I didn’t that Dennis Wilson was married to Mike Love’s daughter. Please note that I am not dumbstruck that Dennis Wilson was married to Mike Love’s daughter. Within the sick, bleeped-up world of the Beach Boys this seems fairly ho-hum. It is the fact that I didn’t know about it that has be poleaxed.
I hope she didn’t play that awful Bluebirds Over the Mountain.
Although, truly, those who guessed the one of the Manson songs really *should* be right, since that really would have been in the sick spirit of the whole thing.
Mike Love was Dennis Wilson’s father in law? Jesus.
Now, wikipedia (I know, I know–but it’s fast and easy) says, “At the time of his death, he was married to Shawn Marie Love, (allegedly an illegitimate child of cousin and fellow Beach Boy Mike Love).”
Can we get some confirmation of this, please?
Anyway, I’m going to guess she had “Sail On Sailor” played.
according to the book Heroes & Villians, Shawn had them play The Police’s Every Breath You Take. It was a hit at the time.
this is going to sound crazy but i remember hearing she wanted them to play a sting song, like everybeath you take.
darn, too late! story of my life lol!
I read that book and I totally forgot that little factoid.
I meant that I forgot what song she requested, not that she was married to Dennis.
That doesn’t sound like a song Dennis would have chosen, but that’s the price of marrying your teenage cousin. Great question, shawnkilroy. Since no one came up with the answer before you saved us, I say we open the floor to the next question from any Townsperson.
I think you know how this game is played now. Once the next question is out there and someone answers it, that person can throw out the next question. If we’re stumped and the person who asked the question has to answer it, as shawnkilroy just did, that will open the floor to the first Townsman to jump in with a new question.
I’ll be away from my computer for some time, so have fun and play fair – or at least have fun playing unfair!
WHICH American guitar slinger did Jimi Hendrix say was his favorite on the Johnny Carson Show?
Lou Reed
Joe Walsh? Nah, that was what Pete Townshend said. I’ll guess Curtis Mayfield.
And by the way, I think Shonuff should get the conch since his answer came in at the same time that shawnkilroy revealed the answer.
I expect a know-it-all will get the answer to my question soon enough. I actually agree with you, cdm.
Anyhow, you’re all wrong so far.
I wasn’t joking. Lou has said that Hendrix was one of the few people that ever complimented his guitar playing so I took a shot at it.
How about Randy California?
I’ll guess Billy Gibbons.
damn! It seems so obvious now…
You are all wrong, EXCEPT for mockcarr, who is…
WRONG.
It’s a trick question; Billy Gibbons started the tall tale years ago, like so many others he’s told about himself over the years. Nobody ever asked Hendrix who the best American guitarist was — at least on the Carson show. More on this legend at:
http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/keaggy.asp
I relinquish the geek scepter.
My next guess would have been a five-year old Prince.
And I snatch it up with what might be a lay-up:
Who owns the Stratocaster with serial number 0001?
David Gilmour
correct
So Oats holds the geek sceptre. Fire away with your rock arcana when you’re ready!
If Oats has nothing for the time being another Townsperson can hop in with a new question. We won’t forget you, Oats, and shonuff – sorry about not thinking to grant you the sceptre.
What do these three musicians have in common?
Bo Diddley
Capt. Beefheart
David Gates
They all slept with Mike Love’s daughter?
i love Rock Town Hall!
THEY all love Rock Town Hall?
As we appear to be at a stalemate for the time being, let’s just chew on this:
The Go-Betweens started out as a cover band of which artist?
As for BigSteve’s question, did Gates produce all three? I know he produced Beefheart and, probably, Bread.
As for ladymisskirroyale’s question, were they a VU cover band?
Before he formed the band Bread, David Gates produced Capt. Beefheart & the Magic Band’s first single, which was a cover of Bo Diddley’s Diddy Wah Diddy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XcdG_sXZjA
Yeah, I just realized that “Diddy Wah Diddy” was a Diddley song. I knew that was among the songs Gates produced for Beefheart. Now we can turn our attention to ladymiss’ Go-Betweens question.
I just came across a cool blog entry by Magic Band guitarist Gary Lucas on Bo Diddley and various links from his playing:
http://garylucas.blogspot.com/2008/06/bo-diddleys-gunslinger.html
Here’s a simple one to kick-start your Saturday morning: Excluding anything that Sufjan Stevens may have written, name a rock ‘n roll song that references the great state of Delaware. Country, blues, and soul songs will not count.
What, I have to think on a Saturday morning?
Deleware – does it have the word DuPont in it?
And Dear Mr. Moderator – no on the Velvet Underground (but I can hear their influence in the GB’s music).
Back to Deleware, I want to say Springsteen.
You must be referring to Perry Como.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NztfOSyCCFM
Nope, the Delaware reference has to be in a rock ‘n roll song. I can think of one.
I’m still thinking about the Go-Betweens question. I can’t believe one of our resident rock nerds hasn’t cracked that yet!
Delaware reference: Chuck Berry, “Back in the USA”
Did I miss the skyscrapers, did I miss the long freeway?
From the coast of California to the shores of the Delaware Bay
Good one, bostonhistorian. I had Mott the Hoople’s “Walking with a Mountain” in mind, something about the Delaware line. Feel free to throw out your own piece of rock trivia/arcana!
Using Chuck Berry as a source to find answers to questions like these is the same as guessing a quote is either from Shakespeare or the Bible.
Name three rock songs which feature telephone or telephone related sound effects. I’ll give a hint: I can think of ones from the 1950s, 1960s, and the 1980s.
Nice! I won’t push it and suggest Penguin Cafe Orchestra’s “Telephone and Rubber Band” – they’re not really “rock” – so let me start with The Big Bopper’s “Chantilly Lace.” Two more to go.
ELO’s “Telephone Line” is the second one that features the telephone as more than a song title (eg, all those telephone number songs, which I’m staying away from to increase the degree of difficulty).
But does the ELO song include the sound of an actual telephone? That’s the trick. As far as I can recall, the Tommy Tutone song doesn’t include any actual telephone sounds so it’s not as easy as one might think…
Yes, the telephone’s ringing in the beginning…but no one answers…so sad.
I’m glad I was right to think that the Tommy Tutone song didn’t count. That make it harder.
Ah, song #3, from my favorite Jam album, Setting Sons: “Girl on the Phone”!
I’ll have a new question in a minute or two.
Shoot, I’ve got nothing at the moment, and I’m about to head out to a Phils game. I’ll open the floor to whoever has the next question.
I wish I’d known about the ELO song so I could have asked for one from the 50s 60s 70s and 80s
’60s song with telephone sounds: “Party Line” by The Kinks.
I too am heading out soon, so someone else can ask a question again in my place.
I thought sure Ask For Jill, the dB’s song about a receptionist had actual sound effects, but close listening reveals it’s just the instruments mimicking the switchboard sounds. “Yeah, I’ll hold….”
But that led me to another idea — Nick Lowe’s version of Switchboard Susan begins with a busy signal.
I like this telephone song by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaruhQOPfAc
Hanging on the Telephone.
Also, the Donuts mention Delaware in the Monkey Wrench Gang, although it’s a reference to the River
I had to include the illustrious Mr. Royale here, as he is even more of a music geek. Between the 2 of us, we came up with the following songs that feature telephone sounds. Granted, they may not all fall in the “rock” genre:
1. Fun Boy Three – The Telephone Always Rings
2. Wings – Uncle Albert/Hands Across the Water, etc.
3. Pink Floyd – Nobody Home
4. Underworld – To Dream of Love
5. Sonic Youth – Providence
6. Barry Adamson – The Snowball Effect (recorded answering machine).
7. Soul Coughing – Janine (also recorded phone conversation)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEqDj1CUM1A
Here’s the link to FB3’s “The Telephone Always Rings.” Fabulous video for many reasons, not the least being Terry Hall’s pj’s. Also note the appearance of the FB3 back up singers, who went on to become Bananarama.
I’d also point out The Replacements’ “Answering Machine” and Yaz’s “Bad Connection”.