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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 20 general entries.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Boomtown Rats
The Wall. Bob Geldof played the part of Pink in the movie adaption of Pink Floyd's "The Wall". Some sources have said in the past that the character of Pink is loosely based on original Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett, but Roger Walters has stated in interviews that the story was based on his own music business experiences.
Banana Republic. "Banana Republic" became the Rat's last top ten single, reaching number three on the UK charts.
| The Boomtown Rats second album, "A Tonic For The Troops", was issued in 1978. The title is taken from a line in which of their hit singles? | The Boomtown Rats
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She's So Modern. "She likes to wear her leather boots, 'Cos it's exciting for the veterans and it's a tonic for the troops". "She's So Modern" was a UK number 12 hit in 1978. The album also contained "Rat Trap" and "Like Clockwork".
| What was the name of the tragic American schoolgirl who inspired the Boomtown Rats "I Don't Like Mondays" hit? | The Boomtown Rats
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Brenda Spencer. In January 1979, whilst in Atlanta, America, the Boomtown Rats heard the sad story of schoolgirl Brenda Spencer who one day took a gun to her school killing the principal, school caretaker and injuring nine students. When asked why she did it, she simply said "I Don't Like Mondays", which inspired Bob Geldof to write the song. This became the band's second UK number one.
Rat Trap. After a number six hit with "Like Clockwork", the band finally reached number one in November 1978. "Rat Trap", much to many listeners relief, knocked "Summer Nights", by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, off the top spot which they had been hogging for seven weeks. An advert placed by the bands record company in the music press, showed a cartoon Travolta and Newton-John firmly caught in a giant mouse trap and the words "They've been caught!" at the bottom of the page!
| The Boomtown Rats second hit single of 1977 mentioned a girl called Mary in it's title. What class at school was she in? | The Boomtown Rats
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The 4th Form. "Mary Of The 4th Form" was a UK number 15 hit.
| The Boomtown Rats issued their first single "Looking After No.1" in 1977, and toured the UK with which American band? | The Boomtown Rats
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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The Boomtown Rats played a few gigs with Tom Petty on his 1977 UK Summer tour. It was not too long, however, before the band were headlining for themselves. "Looking After No.1" is often regarded as the first New Wave record to be played on BBC radio and television. It made a respectable number 11 on the UK charts.
| What was the name of the keyboard player in the Boomtown Rats, who always appeared dressed in his pyjamas? | The Boomtown Rats
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Johnny Fingers. Johnny (sometimes spelt Johnnie) Fingers was born John Moylett. He was rarely seen in more conventional clothing, and appeared on television, in videos and promotional pictures, dressed in his striped pyjamas! Besides Johnny and singer Bob, the other members of the Boomtown Rats were guitarist Gerry Cott, bassist Pete Briquette, guitarist Garry Roberts, and drummer Simon Crowe.
| The Boomtown Rats took their name from a gang featured in the book "Bound For Glory". Which folk singer was this book the autobiography of? | The Boomtown Rats
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Woody Guthrie. The band were formed in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, in 1975. The original choice for the name of the band was the more punkish Nightlife Thugs. After signing to Ensign Records in 1977, the band moved to the UK.
| One piece of truly useless trivia: Which British actor played the piano opening of "I Don't Like Mondays" in character on a US television show? | Boomtown Rats: I Don't Like Mondays
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Hugh Laurie as Dr. House. Although those other British actors really did play those parts on American television, only Hugh Laurie tickled the ivories with "I Don't Like Mondays". In the episode, "Half Wit", Dr. House plays the piano for a patient with musical dystonia. The patient exactly replicates Dr. House's performance.
| "I Don't Like Mondays" was written in the pre-digital age, when songs were released as 45-rpm singles with an "A" side (the song considered most marketable) and a "B" side. Did Geldoff originally intend "I Don't Like Mondays" as an "A" side release? | Boomtown Rats: I Don't Like Mondays
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no. The Boomtown Rats only released "I Don't Like Mondays" as an "A" side after it proved very popular in their US concert tour.
| "There are no reasons," Geldof repeatedly sings of Brenda Spencer's shooting rampage. But according to Spencer, this wasn't true. Why did she later say she shot at the children? | Boomtown Rats: I Don't Like Mondays
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All of these (She had been molested by her father, She was strung out on drugs at the time, She was trying to commit "suicide by cop"). Wallace Spencer never commented on the case himself, or about the molestation claims. Coverage of her parole hearings mention Spencer's claims of molestation, drug use, and suicidal depression, but indicate that though Brenda Spencer was emotionally volatile and unstable, there was never any real evidence to support her claims. So perhaps there really were no reasons.
The age of shooter Brenda Spencer. Brenda got the gun for Christmas, not for her birthday. The children she shot at were all elementary school aged.
| "And school's out early and soon we'll be learning and the lesson today is how to die," Geldof sings. How many children were killed in the shooting? | Boomtown Rats: I Don't Like Mondays
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0. Principal Burton Wragg and head custodian Mike Suchar died heroically ushering the children into the safety of the building. Eight children were wounded, as was a police officer.
Brenda Spencer, explaining why she'd shot out her window at children. A reporter using a reverse telephone directory called Brenda Spencer's house and asked her why she was firing shots into a school playground. She replied, "I don't like Mondays. This livens up the day." Geldof was struck by the meaninglessness of the answer.
The principal, Burton Wragg, was killed in the shooting as he tried to usher children into the safety of the building. Head custodian Mike Suchar had rushed over to help Wragg and was also shot dead.
District Attorney Richard Sachs' comment on Spencer was, "She probably was and still is a miserable person through and through. But her way of dealing with the misery was to spread it around." Wallace Spencer had given Brenda the gun for Christmas. She said she'd asked for a radio.
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