August 27, 2005

70's Or Bust

Desperation time has set in, or maybe I'm just following through on Andrea's threat. It's time for another 70's music quiz. And when I say the 70's, I mean the 70's and the first few years of the 80's since my college days extended with grad school until 1983. To me, as a child of the 70's these years count as well. If you don't agree, well, do your own quiz.

I need the name of the song and the artist. I'll note the correct answers below the fold as they are discovered. And now, without further ado...

22 out of 29 as of Tuesday afternoon at 1415 CDT. Since everyone seems to have given up I've provided the answers for the remaining seven entries. Check it out and see what you missed.

Here are the answers, with commentary:

See the winter boys drinking heavy water from a stone. Bye-bye empire, empire bye-bye. Shallow water - channel and tide... -- "One of Our Submarines", Thomas Dolby (CWA). This is supposed to be one of the techno classics. I guess this means Professor Reynolds didn't stop by.

Just get me to the airport and put me on a plane. Hurry, hurry, hurry before I go insane... -- "I Wanna Be Sedated", The Ramones (James). This one was so easy, even Marc got it.

No hesitation, no tears and no hearts breakin’, no remorse. -- "Haitian Divorce", Steely Dan (Francis W. Poretto) Any music quiz I do is going to have at least one Steely Dan tune in it. Now tell me again how the 70's was nothing but crap.

Talkin' about savin' souls and all the time leechin', dealin' in dirt and stealin' in the name of the Lord. -- "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", The Temptations (Steve Malynn). I'm surprised this one took as long as it did.

Sometimes the blues just get a hold of you just when you though you had made it. All around the block people will talk, but I want to give it all that I've got... -- "Sweet Seasons", Carole King (CWA). Wasn't Tapestry the biggest selling album ever at one point? How quickly they forget.

Creatures from the sea with the looks to me like she'd like to fool around. -- "Beautiful Girls", Van Halen (James). Ah, college. All I need is a beautiful girl...

Select the control and then insert the token. You wanna throw me away but I'm not broken. -- "Lipstick Vogue", Elvis Costello (Kerry). Remember what I said about Steely Dan? Same thing, except with Elvis. The King died the year I gradated from H.S., long live the King.

Did you know that life has given love a guarantee to last through forever and another day? Just as time knew to move on since the beginning and the seasons know exactly when to change... -- "As", Stevie Wonder (CWA). Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream...

And the women all were beautiful and the men stood straight and strong. -- "Cortez the Killer", Neil Young (Fred). Cheif Illiniwek salutes you and gives the finger to the NCAA. I saw Neil Young perform a solo acoustic concert at the Assembly Hall in the pre-MTV unplugged days.

I want to honky tonk, honky tonk, honky tonk with you all night long. -- "Black Water", Doobie Brothers (Kerry). This song was playing the first time I the older girls were changing clothes in the same room I was in (district drama competition, Jean Anoiulhs' L'alouette). The girl playing Joan was a cheerleader who had to tape her breasts down because the final scene was too distracting otherwise. It made quite an impression.

You might not be looking for the promised land, but you might find it anyway under one of those old familiar names. -- "Living In America", James Brown (Sean Murphy). Ha!

I lost my mind and fell apart, I had to find myself in time. Now I can start all over again. Hangin' around, takin' it slow... -- "Easy Come, Easy Go", Bobby Sherman (CWA). Hey, I never said it was all good.

Your whisper tells a secret, your laughter brings me joy and a wonder of feeling I'm Nature's own little boy. -- Even in the Quietest Moments, Supertramp (Kevin Murphy). Probably my third most listened to album whilst in H.S. Even then, Winston Churchill was impressive.

Stretched out on a blanket in the sand, kids of all ages diggin' Disneyland. Rappin' on the C.B. radio in your van, we'll give a big "ten four" to the truckin' man. -- "Summer", War (CWA). Jeez, didn't anybody listen to the radio back then?

They got grubby little fingers and dirty little minds, they're gonna get you every time. -- "Short People", Randy Newman (Kerry). Mr. Newman remains far too unappreciated, IMHO.

And for one desperate moment there he crept back in her memory... -- "American Girl", Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Sean Murphy). Not quite Southern Accents, but still damn good.

I wish there was something I could do to make you smile again. I said I appreciate that and would you please explain about ... -- "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover", Paul Simon (CWA). I find it a little depressing that no one recognized this.

It's a new grown chaperon standing in the corner watching the young girls dance. -- "Blinded By The Light", Bruce Springsteen/Manfred Mann (James). Talk about your misheard lyrics...

I had my dreams like everybody else. But they’re out of reach, I said right out of reach. -- "Mystery Achievment", The Pretenders (Sean Murphy). A great debt album, a lot more here than Brass in Pocket.

... sing me a love song. I just want you to know, that I'm loving you more and more and more... -- "Lady Blue", Leon Russell (CWA). Too obscure?

No law does this man observe and bloody his rise and fall shall be. -- "Nostradamus", Al Stewart (Francis W. Poretto). Spooky. And then you grow up.

With a silver star between his eyes that open up at hidden lies. -- "Freedom Rider", Traffic (Francis W. Poretto). This song freaked me out when I first heard it. Of course, a dripping faucet might have had the same effect at the time. My memory is a little hazy here.

They are making plans that have far reaching effects. -- "The Girls Want to Be With the Girls", Talking Heads (Kevin Murphy). David Byrne is one of the strangest people I've ever encountered.

Make me an offer that I can't refuse, make me respectable, man. -- "Blue Collar Man", Styx (Kerry). A lot of people pooh pooh Styx, but they had some nice songs.

Well suddenly we heard the sirens and everybody started to run. -- "Long Cool Woman", Hollies (Kerry). Get it on.

Everywhere I go people need some reason to believe. -- "Runnin' on Empty", Jackson Browne (Francis W. Poretto). Nothing like Jacksone Browne to get you through the latter stages of teen angst.

I'm gonna take you on a trip so far from here. -- "Two Tickets to Paradise", Eddie Money (Greg). One hit wonder, with wanderlust.

Life's just a cocktail party on the street. -- "Shattered", Rolling Stones (Kerry). Shadoobee. I worked with a guy that summer who was a drummer in a band and couldn't sing, so they gave him this song to do since he didn't have to actually sing it. He got fired when the foreman found him asleep back in the stacks.

"Hey," Herbie said, "Tony, can you fly?" -- (But Tony couldn't fly . . . Tony died.)
"People Who Died", Jim Carroll (Sean Murphy). I think I've mentioned the now defunct Amdo's before, with the world's best CD jukebox, where I'd play this song on every visit. Anyway, where else could you get Tibetan Bigfoot in Rosslyn at 2 AM?

Posted by Charles Austin at August 27, 2005 11:58 PM
Comments

And the women all were beautiful and the men stood straight and strong.

Pocahontas by Neil Young (Rust Never Sleeps)

Posted by: fred at 10:23 PM

I actually recognized one for once.

Posted by: marc at 11:28 PM

Everywhere I go people need some reason to believe.
"Running on Empty," Jackson Browne

No law does this man observe and bloody his rise and fall shall be.
"Nostradamus," Al Stewart.

No hesitation, no tears and no hearts breakin’, no remorse.
"Haitian Divorce," Steely Dan

With a silver star between his eyes that open up at hidden lies.
"Freedom Rider," Traffic

Posted by: Francis W. Porretto at 01:36 PM

Life's just a cocktail party on the street. -
Shattered, the Stones

Well suddenly we heard the sirens and everybody started to run. - Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress, the Hollies

Make me an offer that I can't refuse, make me respectable, man. - Blue Collar Man, Styx

They got grubby little fingers and dirty little minds, they're gonna get you every time. - Short People, Randy Newman

I want to honky tonk, honky tonk, honky tonk with you all night long. - Black Water, the Doobies

Select the control and then insert the token. You wanna throw me away but I'm not broken. - Lipstick Vogue, Elvis Costello

I recognize some of the others, but I just can't bring the titles forth. Curse my aging brain.

Posted by: Kerry at 05:11 PM

Fred, half right, though the album (or movie) wasn't where it first appeared. That was on Zuma.

The others have been posted.

Posted by: charles austin at 06:48 PM

Just get me to the airport and put me on a plane. Hurry, hurry, hurry before I go insane...
The Ramones, I Wanna Be Sedated


Creatures from the sea with the looks to me like she'd like to fool around
Van Halen, Beautiful Girls

It's a new grown chaperon standing in the corner watching the young girls dance
Bruce Springsteen, Blinded by the Lights

Posted by: James at 10:34 PM

You're right: the song is actually Cortez the Killer from Zuma.
I get my Neil Young Indigenous Peoples songs mixed up on occasion.

Posted by: fred at 08:03 AM

"I'm gonna take you on a trip so far from here."

Two Tickets to Paradise -- Eddie Money

Posted by: greg at 12:14 PM

I think you made them harder this time Charles, and I'm having a hard time getting the lyrics from some songs I recently downloaded from iTunes out of my head.

Anyway,

Your whisper tells a secret, your laughter brings me joy and a wonder of feeling I'm Nature's own little boy.
--Even in the Quietest Moments, Supertramp

They are making plans that have far reaching effects.
-- The Girls Want To Be With The Girls, Talking Heads

Posted by: Kevin Murphy at 12:56 PM

Talkin' about savin' souls and all the time leechin', dealin' in dirt and stealin' in the name of the Lord.

- Papa Was a Rolling Stone, Temptations (David Lindley did a good cover, too)

Posted by: Steve Malynn at 02:28 PM

"You might not be looking for the promised land, but you might find it anyway under one of those old familiar names." is from "Living in America" by James Brown

"I had my dreams like everybody else. But they’re out of reach, I said right out of reach." is from "Mystery Achievement" by the Pretenders

"Hey," Herbie said, "Tony, can you fly?" is from "People who died" by Jim Carroll

"And for one desperate moment there he crept back in her memory" is from "American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Posted by: Sean Murphy at 02:55 PM

I don't have your email address anymore Charles, so I'll just leave this info here in the comments. Go ahead and delete it once you jot it down.

Done.

Posted by: Haws at 05:24 PM

Kevin, yeah, these are a bit harder, but tere's still some surprisingly easy ones no one has picked up on yet.

Posted by: charles austin at 08:53 PM

Too late to join in on the fun of guessing.

I don't recall that Neil Young concert at Assembly Hall, but it brought back memories of a Styx concert ('80?) there. I ended up getting tickets at the last minute in nose-bleed heaven. It's the only concert I can remember going to where people around us were quiet since we could barely hear the music. I'm trying to remember if Santana played there or another place in '78. That was an outstanding concert, just after he released the "Moonflower" album.

Assembly Hall was not known for its acoustics - just being loud when the Illini were winning. I hope your seats for Neil Young were good so that you could effectively hear him.

Oh yeah, weirdest show I ever saw was there as well, when Steve Martin was touring "Let's Get Small" in the late 70's. Had to strain to hear him as well.

Posted by: MarcV at 01:44 PM