Going Wild on the Charts Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cat Stevens

"Wild World" was a single release from Cat Stevens' fourth album released in 1970 titled "Tea for the Tillerman". The single peaked at Number 11 in the US, missing the opportunity for Stevens to chart his first US Top Ten single. Later in 1972 "Peace Train" made it to number seven in the US.
Stevens began performing in coffee houses and tried assembling a band before realizing that he preferred performing solo. He chose his stage name because he believed his real name would not read well on album covers.
Canadian band Mashmakhan took "As the Years Go By" to number 31 on the US Top Forty in 1970. "A Song of Joy (Himno A La Alegria)" was a number 14 release by Miguel Rios. Todd Rundgren recorded the US number 20 "We Gotta Get You a Woman" as Runt in 1970.

Answer: Bobby Rydell

Robert Louis Ridarelli won a talent competition on the "Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club" earning him a spot as a regular on the show. Three years later he changed his name and began working with local Philadelphia bands. He signed a recording contract in 1959 and released "Kissin' Time" for Cameo Records. "Wild One" became his second million selling record the following year.

The following year he became the youngest performer to headline at the Copacabana night club and continued to record hit singles and tour with the hottest acts of the era including The Everly Brothers, The Crickets, Billy "Crash" Craddock and others.

He would also go on to work in television and movies. Frankie Avalon went to number one in 1959 with "Venus". Fabian charted "Turn Me Loose" the same year. Bobby Vee had hits with "The Night has A Thousand Eyes" and "Rubber Ball" the following year.

Answer: Easy Rider

Peter Fonda pushed for Crosby, Stills and Nash to record the soundtrack for "Easy Rider" but conceded that "Born to be Wild" better suited the film. "Born to be Wild" was originally composed by Mars Bonfire of The Sparrows as a ballad. His brother played drums for Steppenwolf so he offered the song to the band who in turn completely changed the arrangement. Steppenwolf released the single as the third one from their debut album. "The Pusher" was also used in the soundtrack for "Easy Rider". In 1966 Bruce Dern, Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra starred in "The Wild Angels".

In 1967 Jack Nicholson starred in "Hells Angels on Wheels". In 1970 Bruce Dern was in "Cycle Savages".

Answer: Wild Weekend

The Rebels formed as a Surf Band in New York but changed their name to The Rockin' Rebels to avoid confusion with Duane Eddy's backing band The Rebels. A local disc jockey was looking for a theme song for his radio show so a trio of high school boys who were known as The Russ Hallett Trio composed "Wild Weekend" and recorded it at a local studio in 1960.

The song languished until it was picked up by Swan Records and went to Number Eight on the US charts. Words were included on the original version specifically for Tommy Shannon's radio show but when it was released nationally the Instrumental version was used. The Ventures recorded "Runnin' Wild" in 1964. "The Wild Westerners" and "Wild Watusi" were recorded by guitarist Duane Eddy.

Answer: A Horse

"Wildfire" had its genesis in a Folklore story about a ghost horse handed down by the Indian culture. In the lyrics of the song the owner of the horse searched for it after it broke loose from its stall. Michael Murphey was embarking on a solo career after working with The Lewis and Clark Expedition when he recorded the tune. "Wildfire" was the first single from Murphey's 1975 "Blue Sky - Night Thunder" LP and reached number three on the US charts.

The song became the highest charting US single for Murphey.

Although he did not own a horse named Wildfire at the time he recorded the song at Caribou Ranch in Colorado he later purchased a Palimino he dubbed Wildfire.

Answer: True

"Wild in the Country" was a 1961 film based on the 1958 J. R. Salamanca novel "The Lost Country". Tuesday Weld, Hope Lange and Rafer Johnson joined Elvis in the film's cast. "I Feel So Bad" was the flip side of "Wild in the Country". Only five songs were recorded for the soundtrack of the film of which only three were used so a soundtrack album of the movie was not released. The movie was intended to showcase Elvis' acting abilities rather than focus on his singing.
Veteran Elvis backing musicians D.J. Fontana and Scotty Moore joined The Jordanaires during the recording sessions.

Answer: Wild Honey

"Wild Honey" was a minor single hit from The Beach Boy's 1967 "Wild Honey" album, reaching number 31 on the US charts. The single "Darlin'" became the best selling single and only Top Twenty release from the group's 13th album. Portions of the album were recorded in Brian Wilson's home studio.
The cover artwork was a section from a stained glass window that was in Brian Wilson's Bel Air home.
"Wild Horses" was from The Rolling Stones' 1971 "Sticky Fingers" album. "Your Wildest Dreams" was released by The Moody Blues in 1986 and and "Wild Thing" was released by The Troggs in 1965.

Answer: Ireland

Van Morrison was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1945. Because of his ability to play a number of instruments he began his musical career playing in show bands around his home town while still in his teens. In 1964 Morrison learned that a local club was looking for a band so he formed a group with some local musicians and called the group Them!.

The band became very popular locally playing a mix of Rock and Rhythm and Blues which led to a contract with Decca Records. They had a string of hits beginning with a cover of Big Joe Williams' song "Baby Please Don't Go".

When they released "Baby Please Don't Go" the flip-side, "Gloria" started getting airplay and went on to become the group's biggest hit. At the conclusion of the two-year contract Morrison signed with Bang Records and released "Brown-Eyed Girl" and other hit singles.

Answer: David Bowie

David Bowie produced "Walk on the Wild Side" for Lou Reed's "Transformer" album. The song was controversial for the time because of references to drugs, cross-dressing, prostitution and sexuality. Despite the controversy the song reached Number 16 on the US charts. An edited version was reissued to appease some stations.
Reed became the vocalist for The Velvet Underground in New York City and came to the attention of Andy Warhol. He left the group in 1970 to pursue a solo career and released his eponymous debut solo album in 1972.
Nilsson took "Coconut" to the US Top Ten in 1972. "Elected" was a 1972 US Top Forty by Alice Cooper and Leon Russell had a Top Twenty hit the same year with "Tight Rope".

Answer: Joker

"The Joker Went Wild" was Brian Hyland's fourth US Top Twenty hit. Bobby Russell composed the song. Russell would go on to write such hits as "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia", "Little Green Apples" and "Honey".
Brian Hyland's first Top Ten chart success was the Number One "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" in 1960. The Queens, New York, native then followed up with the number 20 "Let Me Belong to You" a year later, "Sealed with a Kiss" in 1962 and "The Joker Went Wild" in 1966. The song charted in the midst of the British Invasion which sharply curtailed the chart success of many American artists.
Brian hit the US Top Ten again in 1970 when he released the number three "Gypsy Woman", his last Top Ten in the US charts.
Brian attempted to emulate the psychedelic sound of the late sixties without success then toured with Oldies shows into the twenty-first century.