Unusual Instruments in Rock Music Quiz

Answer: "Handy Man"-Del Shannon

Del Shannon's version of "Handy Man" featured a Mellotron as the lead instrument, the same instrument that was used on his 1960 mega-hit, "Runaway". "Handy Man" was composed by Jimmy Jones and Otis Blackwell. Jones had been a member of a group called The Sparks Of Rhythm and they recorded the first version of the song. Jimmy Jones then recorded the song in 1959 and it became a 1960 Top Ten hit on the US Billboard charts. Del Shannon recorded a version four years later, followed by a Number Four rendition by James Taylor in 1977. Taylor's rendition earned him a second Grammy Award. "Daydream" featured a whistling solo and was a US Number Two hit for the Lovin' Spoonful in 1966. "Sukiyaki" featured a whistling section in the 1963 Kyo Sakamoto song. Gene Pitney's "Only Love Can Break A Heart" also featured whistling.

Answer: Little Diane

"Little Diane" was a Number Eight hit by Dion in 1962 and featured a kazoo solo. After beginning his career with The Belmonts, Dion recorded his first solo album in 1960 titled "Alone with Dion". "Lonely Teenager" was a single release from the LP and reached Number 12 on the US Billboard charts.

After releasing a couple of unsuccessful follow-up singles he released a song called "The Majestic". When disc jockeys began playing the flip side titled "The Wanderer", the song became a hit and rejuvenated Dion's career. The 1961 releases, "The Wanderer" and "The Majestic", both featured a saxophone.

There was no solo in the 1959 hit, "A Teenager in Love".

Answer: Reg Presley

"Wild Thing" was originally recorded by a New-York-based group called The Wild Ones in 1965. The following year The Troggs reached the US Number One spot with Reg Presley handling the vocals on their version. A musical director named Colin Fretcher played the ocarina on the recording. Reg Presley was born Reginald Maurice Ball and composed the band's follow-up hit, "Love is All Around".
Freddie Garrity fronted Freddie and the Dreamers. Wayne Fontana was born Glyn Ellis and formed The Mindbenders in 1962. Colin Edward Michael Blunstone sang vocals for The Zombies.

Answer: Good Vibrations

Paul Tanner was a trombone player for Glenn Miller's band and developed a version of the electro-theremin with an inventor named Bob Whitsell. In addition to playing the instrument for the Beach Boys on "Good Vibrations" Tanner played it on "Wild Honey" and "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times". Tanner also played the electro-theremin for TV and movie soundtracks.
In 1958 he recorded an album, "Music from Outer Space", that featured the eerie sounds of the unusual instrument. The electro-theremin is also referred to the tannerin. Tanner marketed the electro-theremin in the sixties but by the end of the decade synthesizers became more popular for creating an array of unusual sounds.
"Sloop John B." featured a glockenspiel doubled with flute. "Let's Go Away for Awhile" was another cut from the "Pet Sounds" album and featured four saxophones and a trumpet along with a string section. A ukulele and harpsichord were some of the instruments featured on "Caroline, No".

Answer: She's Leaving Home

When Sheila Bromberg played the harp on "She's leaving Home" she became the first female musician to play on a Beatles session. When George Martin was not immediately available to compose the string score for the song, Paul McCartney hired Decca arranger Mike Leander.

Although Martin expressed disappointment he produced the song. None of the Beatles played an instrument on "She's Leaving Home". Among the instruments played on "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" were a svarmandal and a guiro. In addition to playing drums on "When I'm Sixty-Four", Ringo played the tubular bells. "Good Morning, Good Morning" featured the brass instruments of Sounds Incorporated. Geoff Emerick engineered the animal sounds.

Answer: Recorder

In addition to playing guitar for the Rolling Stones, Brian Jones played a variety of instruments on several of the Rolling Stones' sessions. On "Ruby Tuesday" he played a recorder throughout the song. Brian was a founding member of the group. Among the other instruments he played on Rolling Stones recordings were a sitar ("Paint It Black"), organ ("Let's Spend the Night Together"), dulcimer ("Lady Jane"), harpsichord ("Lady Jane") and autoharp ("You Got the Silver").

He played the oboe on "Dandelion" and the Mellotron on several tracks including "She's A Rainbow" and "2000 Light Years from Home".

Answer: You Can Call Me Al

"You Can Call Me Al" was the first single release from Paul's 1986 "Graceland" album. The penny whistle was played by a South African musician named Jy Morr Goldberg. The bass guitar solo was coincidentally recorded by Bakithi Kumalo on his birthday. The second half of the bass solo is actually a reversed version of the first half.
"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" featured backing vocals by Phoebe Snow, Patti Austin and Valerie Simpson. Whitney Houston's mom, Cissy Houston, sang background vocals on "Mother and Child Reunion". "Kodachrome" was from Simon's 1973 "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" LP.

Answer: Moonlight Feels Right

Starbuck band member Bo Wagner played the memorable marimba solo on "Moonlight Feels Right". The Number Three song was the band's debut single as well as their biggest success. The group formed in Atlanta in the mid seventies. After the success of "Moonlight Feels Right" they toured with acts such as ELO, Boston and KC and the Sunshine Band.
"Fallin' In Love" by Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds reached Number One in the US in 1975. "Only Yesterday" was a Number Four hit by The Carpenters. "Third-Rate Romance" by The Amazing Rhythm Aces made it to Number 14.

Answer: False

"Hurdy Gurdy Man" featured Donovan on acoustic guitar, John Paul Jones on bass guitar, Alan Parker playing electric guitar and Clem Cattini as drummer/percussionist. An Indian percussion instrument called a tambura provided the unique droning sound heard on the recording.
It was rumored that Jimmie Page played on the recording session but he has denied that he was on the session.
Donovan composed the song for a friend who was in a band called Hurdy Gurdy. Hurdy Gurdy recorded the song with a hard rock feel. Donovan favored a lighter arrangement and ended up recording his own version. His release became a Top Ten hit in the US and the UK.

Answer: Johnny Burnette

Johnny Burnette took "You're Sixteen" to Number Eight in 1960. His version featured strings on the solo. Burnette recorded other hit singles such as "Dreamin'" before drowning in 1964 following a boating accident.
The composers of "You're Sixteen", brothers Robert and Richard Sherman, are known for composing such classic tunes as "It's a Small World (after all)", "Chim Chim Cher-ee", "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and many other Disney movie scores.
In addition to Paul McCartney's kazoo solo Harry Nilsson sang backing vocals on Ringo's US Number one version of "You're Sixteen".
The 1960 Number Four song, "Calendar Girl", was one of many Neil Sedaka hits. Jimmy Clanton hit Number Five in 1960 with "Go, Jimmy, Go". Buddy Knox's biggest hit was "Party Doll".