NMLQOTM

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Quiz #11

Quiz #11
Answers, Results & Commentary

Congratulations to Wendy Feikert winner of this edition of NMLQOTM with a perfect score of 540 points! Trailing Wendy by one point were Kathy Krycia and Gabriella Ziegler. Kathy missed only the comma in "To Know Him, Is To Love Him" and Gabby misspelled Bobbie Gentry's first name.

There weren't too many oddballs this time around - by now, most of you are taking the time to see if it's "&" or "and". I'm still deducting points here and there for missing or extra "THEs", and you never can tell just where those darn record companies will or won't put commas. BobbIE Gentry recorded Ode to BillIE Joe.

Here are the correct titles and artists with year of release and highest charting position on the Billboard Hot 100:

01> Alive And Kicking - Tighter, Tighter (1970) <7>
02> Bee Gees - Run To Me (1972) <16>
03> Brickell, Edie & New Bohemians - Circle (1989) <48>
04> Carter, Clarence - Strokin' ( ) <--> <<---couldn't determine original release date
05> Colter, Jessi - I'm Not Lisa (1975) <4>
06> Doobie Brothers, The - Takin' It To The Streets (1976) <13>
07> 5th Dimension, The - (Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All (1972) <8>
08> Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way (1977) <10>
09> Gentry, Bobbie - Ode To Billie Joe (1967) <1> recharted (1976) <54>
10> Holland, Amy - How Do I Survive (1980) <22>
11> Jennings, Waylon - The Taker (1970) <94>
12> Lulu - To Sir With Love (1967) <1>
13> Poppy Family, The (Featuring Susan Jacks) - Which Way You Goin' Billy? (1970) <2>
14> Preston, Billy & Syreeta - With You I'm Born Again (1979) <4>
15> Ronettes, The - Be My Baby (1963) <2>
16> Sands, Tommy - Teen-Age Crush (1957) <2>
17> Simon, Carly - You're So Vain (1972) <1>
18> Simon & Garfunkel - The Dangling Conversation (1966) <-->
19> Sinatra, Nancy - These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (1966) <1>
20> Stafford, Jim - My Girl Bill (1974) <12>
21> Starland Vocal Band - Afternoon Delight (1976) <1>
22> Staton, Candi - Young Hearts Run Free (1976) <20>
23> Summer, Donna - Last Dance (1978) <3>
24> Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime (1980) <-->
25> Taylor, James - Never Die Young (1988) <80>
26> Teddy Bears, The - To Know Him, Is To Love Him (1958) <1>
27> Wonder, Stevie - Superstition (1972) <1>

Listed below are the points for each player:

THEME:

Most players spotted the theme - every artist in NMLQOTM #11 was married, either to another artist in the quiz, or to another member of his/her group. Some of the marriages lasted many years, some only a few months, but for better or worse, here are the once, or current couples:

Bruce Sudano (Alive And Kicking) - Donna Summer
Barry Gibb (Bee Gees) - Lulu
Paul Simon - Edie Brickell
Clarence Carter - Candi Staton
Waylon Jennings - Jessi Colter
Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers) - Amy Holland
Billy Davis Jr - Marilyn McCoo - both of The 5th Dimension
John McVie - Christine Perfect McVie - both of Fleetwood Mac
Jim Stafford - Bobbie Gentry
Terry Jacks - Susan Jacks - both of The Poppy Family
Stevie Wonder - Syreeta Wright
Phil Spector (The Teddy Bears) - Veronica Bennett (The Ronettes)
Tommy Sands - Nancy Sinatra
James Taylor - Carly Simon
Bill Danoff - Taffy Danoff - both of Starland Vocal Band
Chris Frantz - Tina Weymouth - both of Talking Heads

TRIVIA:

Let's start out this tribute to rock and roll marriages by taking a look at the marriage scorecard. As of March 2000, each of these couples are (apparently) still together:

Bruce Sudano and Donna Summer
Paul Simon and Edie Brickell
Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter
Jim Stafford and Bobbie Gentry
Michael McDonald and Amy Holland
Bill Danoff and Taffy Danoff
Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth

Here's a brief rundown:

Bruce Sudano and Donna Summer have written several songs together, most notably Dolly Parton's hit "Starting Over Again". Sudano has frequently appeared on Summer's albums, singing backing vocals and playing keyboards. "Heaven Knows", a 1979 disco hit for Donna Summer was credited to Donna Summer with Brooklyn Dreams, Sudano's band. They married a year later in 1980.

Paul Simon and Edie Brickell married in Montauk, New York in May of 1992 - as you might have guessed, he's almost twice her age. They have two children, a 7-year-old son named Adrian, and a 4-year-old daughter named Lulu. Simon has written or co-written songs on New Bohemian albums, and co-produced her 1994 album, Picture Perfect Morning.

Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter have been married for over 30 years. In 1976, RCA created a compilation album, bringing together songs by four "progressive" country musicians, Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser, and husband and wife pair Jennings and Colter. The album, Wanted: The Outlaws, became country music's first-ever platinum-selling album. Jennings recently announced that he's retiring from the road, in order to spend more time with Colter.

Jim Stafford and Bobbie Gentry have been married for over 20 years. Stafford has a regular show in Branson, Missouri, and Gentry makes appearances in his comedy act/musical performance.

Michael McDonald and Amy Holland make frequent appearances on each other's projects. Both appeared on a 1999 album by actor Jeff Bridges. McDonald sings backing vocals on "How Do I Survive", the song featured in this quiz. The couple have two children.

Bill and Taffy Danoff are still together, and are probably best known for combining their songwriting talents on several of John Denver's songs, particularly "Take Me Home, Country Roads". Taffy Danoff is considered one of the finest rock and roll kazoo players of all time. (does anyone read this stuff?) [Ed. note: Yes!]

Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth have worked together extensively beyond Talking Heads, and scored a minor 1982 hit with "Genius Of Love", released by their studio group Tom Tom Club. Noted producers, they have piloted albums for Ziggy Marley and several other artists.

Possibly the best known marriage referenced in NMLQOTM #11 was the 11-year union of James Taylor and Carly Simon, which ended in 1983. Since Carly Simon and I have the same birthday, I thought I'd focus the trivia spotlight on these two artists.

Taylor and Simon shared somewhat similar backgrounds, long before they married in Carly's New York home on November 3, 1972. Both were children of privilege - Simon's father was publisher Richard Simon, co-founder of Simon and Schuster, and Taylor's father was successful MD Isaac Taylor, a former dean of the medical school at the University of North Carolina. Both Taylor and Simon come from musical families - Taylor's mother Gertrude was a singer, and siblings Alex, Livingston, and Kate have all pursued professional careers in the music business. Livingston has charted 5 Hot 100 recordings, with two top 40 hits, "I Will Be In Love With You" and "First Time Love". Kate has also achieved moderate success - her cover of "It's In His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)" went to #49 in 1977. Carly was one of three musical sisters. Her oldest sister, Joanna became an opera singer, but middle sister Lucy attended Sarah Lawrence College with Carly, where they formed The Simon Sisters, and recorded "Winkin', Blinkin' And Nod" (based on the nursery rhyme) in 1964, a song that went to #73 on the Billboard chart.

Both families spent summers in Martha's Vineyard, so James and Carly met at an early age. They'd known each other for several years before a relationship blossomed - sparks didn't fly until they met backstage after Simon had performed as an opening act for Cat Stevens at the Troubadour Club.

Both Taylor and Simon struggled with their privileged upbringings, and the angst is easy to spot in their early recordings. Carly's first solo hit was "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be", an anti-marriage anthem, and Taylor has always been known for dark and moody songs, beginning with his debut single, "Fire And Rain".

Many of you may know that James Taylor has long suffered from depression. He first experienced the illness after being sent away to prep school as a teen. After begging to come home, his continued slide forced his parents to have him admitted to McLean Hospital, a private psychiatric institution, where he spent 9 months in a locked ward at age 17. He finished his high school degree while a resident there, and began to write his first songs.

Since those dark early days, Taylor has experienced at least one other lengthy stay in a mental institution, and he battled a severe heroin addiction for many years. His songs have clearly reflected his anguish and pain; "Fire And Rain" is a testament to his institutionalization and the suicide of a close friend:

"Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
But I always thought that I'd see you one more time again . . ."

(Side note: the line: "sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" is a reference to his first band, The Original Flying Machine, the period when he began to develop his addiction.)

By the time Taylor and Simon married in 1972, James was deeply involved with drugs, and he shunned the limelight as much as Carly enjoyed it. Rumors that he always preferred performing to his family life soon surfaced, and his 1981 album Dad Loves His Work was said to be his none-too-subtle response to Carly Simon's demands that he choose between the two.

Together, Carly Simon and James Taylor released the Top 5 hit "Mockingbird" in 1974, performed at a massive fundraising concert for Richard Nixon's 1972 opponent George McGovern, and featured prominently in the No Nukes movement in 1978, along with Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen and the Doobie Brothers. In 1974, Taylor and Simon were spotted caroling through the streets of Hollywood, accompanied by Joni Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt.

Buffeted by Taylor's continuing addiction, Carly Simon sued for divorce in 1983, and their 10+ year marriage ended. "Our marriage was not part of some rock fairy tale," says Taylor, "It was just a marriage, with good and bad parts."

Other trivia about the two:

James Taylor was the first artist signed to the Beatles' Apple recording label. Peter (Peter and Gordon) Asher was looking out for new acts for Apple (Paul was once engaged to Peter's sister, Jane), and introduced Taylor to McCartney, who signed him. Paul also produced and performed on Taylor's first album, which included "Carolina On My Mind".

Contrary to popular belief and frequent rumor, "You're So Vain" was not written about Mick Jagger, who does, however, sing backing vocals on the song. Carly Simon has identified the subject of "You're So Vain" as Warren Beatty, another of her former romantic interests.

The marriage of Carly and James produced two children; Sally, and Ben. Both are professional singers. If you're interested in learning more about them, the entire Taylor family has taken to the Internet, with closely-interlinked web pages for each.

For the voyeurs, here's a naked picture of Sally:

Here's a real audio file of Ben Taylor, performing the Beatle's "I Will" - I thought this sounded uncannily like his dad:

Did you know that the entire Taylor family shares the same tattoo? Find a picture and an explanation of the history behind the tattoo here.

Until next time - keep your feet on the ground - and keep looking where you're going.