The Misplaced Team's Instrumental Quiz

Answer: Wonderful Land

"Wonderful Land" written by Jerry Lordan, was number one for eight weeks on the UK Singles Chart for The Shadows in 1962.

"Wonderful Land" was recorded 12 months earlier but not considered for release until a string section was added to it. By this time the drummer on the record, Tony Meehan, had left the group. While the record was at number one, the bass player Jet Harris also left the group.

Jet Harris and Tony Meehan formed a duo and had three Top Ten instrumental hits on the UK Singles Chart in 1963. Those hits included the number one hit "Diamonds" which, in a strange twist of fate, replaced The Shadows' fourth UK number one hit "Dance On", at number one.

Question submitted by shipyardbernie

Answer: Stranger On The Shore

"Stranger On The Shore" by Mr. Acker Bilk entered the UK Singles Chart in November 1961 and was the UK's biggest selling single of 1962, peaking at number two. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962.

The clarinet was nicknamed the licorice stick (sometimes a gob stick) because it is long, black and thin. A stick of rock is a tooth destroying sweet with the place name all the way through it, usually found at the seaside. A stick insect is just that - an insect that looks like a stick. A night stick is a name for a weapon carried by some policemen.

Acker Bilk (real name Bernard), only came to play the clarinet by accident when a fellow national serviceman asked if Acker (friend/mate), wanted it before he threw it out. He thought it unlikely he could master it because he had lost part of one finger in a sledging accident. So glad he was wrong!

Question submitted by kkt

Answer: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" was created by Italian composer Ennio Morricone who composed music for over four hundred films during his long career. Included among them were "A Fist Full of Dollars" and "La Cage Aux Folles". His music earned him many awards including two Oscars, three Grammys and three Golden Globes. "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" is considered by many to be one of the most recognizable movie theme songs in the world.

Ennio Morricone was also a very talented chess player. In a simultaneous competition with 27 players, as the last man standing he held the Russian grand master and former world champion Boris Spassky, to a draw. Morricone later modestly claimed that his draw with Spassky was due to Spassky not trying too hard to win.

The three incorrect answers were great movies also released in 1966.


Question submitted by dekeaunt

Answer: Telstar

"Telstar", written and produced by producer Joe Meek, was number one for five weeks on the UK Singles Chart for The Tornados in 1962. It became the first single by a UK group to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for three weeks, also in 1962. It featured a futuristic keyboard sound, never before used. It took its title from the Telstar communications satellite, which had been launched into orbit on 10th July 1962.

Subsequently, Jean Ledrut, a French composer, accused Meek of plagiarism, saying the tune for "Telstar" had been copied from "La Marche d'Austerlitz", written by him for the film "Austerlitz" in 1960. A long court battle followed, which actually prevented Meek from receiving any royalties from the record during his lifetime. Meek killed his landlady and committed suicide in 1967 and the case was resolved in his favour just three weeks later.

Question submitted by player esspee

Answer: Hawaii 5-0

The lyrics for the Sammy Davis Jr. version were written by Bryan Tyler and were based on some of the episodes of the first season of the TV series. Hawaiian singer/musician Don Ho also recorded a version of the song with different lyrics and the song was sung more like a ballad.

"Hawaii 5-0" peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Ventures in 1969. It was only their third Billboard Top Ten hit since 1960. With over 100 million records sold they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

Question submitted by JamesFree

Answer: Nut Rocker

"Nut Rocker" was written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky/Kim Fowley. It peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 for B. Bumble and The Stingers in 1962. It was number one for one week on the UK Singles Chart the same year. It was the first time that an instrumental had replaced another instrumental ("Wonderful Land"-The Shadows) at number one on the UK Singles Chart.

American record producer, songwriter and musician Kim Fowley obtained the copyright to an arrangement of the march from an 1892 ballet called "The Nutcracker" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Fowley then took the arrangement to a pianist named Hidle Brown Barnum who recorded it under the name of Jack B. Nimble and the Quicks on the Del Rio record label.

Rod Pierce of Rendezvous Records heard it and told Fowley that his label could make a better version with their own band. A new recording was arranged, but on the day, Ernie Freeman, who was to play the piano, never turned up and Al Hazan played instead. The first take was the one that was released.

Question submitted by shipyardbernie

Answer: Roulette

"Roulette", written by Russ Conway, was number one for two weeks on the UK Singles Chart for Russ Conway in 1959. He was the first solo artist to have consecutive instrumental number one hits on the UK Singles Chart and "Roulette" was the first record to receive a silver disc for in excess of 250,000 sales in the UK.

Russ Conway taught himself to play the piano while in Borstal (a youth detention centre, abolished in 1982). for three years from the age of fifteen. He never learned to read music but delivered more than sixty singles and albums in his career. Quite remarkable as his health was never good and he had part of his finger missing as a result of an argument with a bread slicing machine while in the Royal Navy.

He earned a DSM - Distinguished Service Medal - so Borstal obviously taught him more than just piano. His honky tonk piano was part of my young (very young!) life.

Question submitted by kkt

Answer: Classical Gas

"Classical Gas" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for Mason Williams in 1968. It reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart, also in 1968.

Mason Williams was a man of many talents; apart from his guitar prowess he was a composer, poet, comedian and a comedy writer for the "Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" and "Saturday Night Live".

"Cavatina (Theme From "The Deer Hunter") was composed by Stanley Myers, "Concierto de Aranjuez" by Joaquin Rodrigo and "Albatross" by Peter Green.

Mason Williams only had three more minor hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968/69 but no more hits on the UK Singles Chart.

Question submitted by nebwary

Answer: Rise

"Rise" in 1979 was Herb Alpert's first instrumental number one on the Billboard Hot 100. This number one hit made Herb Alpert the only act in the rock era (1955 onwards) in the twentieth century to have both an instrumental and vocal number one on the Hot 100. Herb had scored a vocal number one in 1966 with "This Guy's in Love With You".

Herb Alpert founded A&M records with friend and business partner Jerry Moss and they had much success; The Carpenters were one of their major artists. Alpert was billed solo on records and as "The Tijuana Brass", "Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass" and "Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass".

Question submitted by Desimac

Answer: Albatross

"Albatross" was a number one hit in the UK for Fleetwood Mac in 1968. Written by Peter Green, the B-side was Danny Kirwan's instrumental "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues".

Fleetwood Mac were a very different group back in 1968. The man that formed and lead the group, Peter Green, left in 1970. Christine McVie joined on vocals and keyboards two months later, after contributions as a session musician. In 1974 Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the group.

After a number of albums, Fleetwood Mac released "Rumours" in 1977. It topped the album charts in the UK, the U.S.A and many other countries and has sold in excess of 40,000,000 copies worldwide, making it one of the biggest selling albums of all time.

Question submitted by player esspee