Bands With Unusual and Interesting Names Quiz

Answer: Idiots

Rick Dees was a disc jockey when his first attempt at songwriting, "The National Wet-Off", failed to make a dent. He was inspired by a song called "The Duck" to pen a tune titled "Disco Duck". The song became a regional hit. When RSO Records picked the song up it became a national hit with the artist being credited as Rick Dees and his Cast of Idiots.
"Disco Duck" knocked "A Fifth of Beethoven" from the top of the charts on October 16, 1976, and was booted from the top by Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now". He followed with a song inspired by the 1977 King Kong remake, "Dis-Gorilla". The song made it to Number 58.
Rick was prohibited from playing "Disco Duck" on his show and ended up leaving for a rival station. He was later transferred to Los Angeles where he did a morning drive program and hosted a countdown show.

Answer: In the Mood

"In the Mood" received a makeover by zany recording artist Ray Stevens. Stevens began recording in 1957 but didn't make the US Billboard until 1961 with "Jeremiah Peabody's Polyunsaturated Quick-Dissolving Fast-Acting Pleasant-Tasting Green and Purple Pills". When "Ahab the Arab" topped out at Number Five the following year Ray Stevens' successful recording career took off.
In addition to releasing numerous novelty songs he received a Grammy for his 1970 Number One hit, "Everything is Beautiful". He also received a Grammy in 1975 for his Country rendition of "Misty".

Answer: The Four Seasons

The Four Seasons started out as The Four Lovers. The band had the idea of doing a concept album of Bob Dylan songs which expanded to include songs penned by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Frankie Valli wasn't happy with his vocals and ended up singing the songs in his trademark falsetto voice as The Wonder Who. "Don't Think Twice" reached Number 12 in 1965. Frankie Valli's solo effort, ("(You're Gonna) Hurt Yourself") and The Four Seasons' hit, "Working My Way back to You", also charted the same year.
Additional releases under the name The Wonder Who failed to climb the charts.
The Guess Who were originally called Chad Allan and The Expressions when they released "Shakin' All Over" in 1965. In 1962 The Righteous Brothers started out as The Paramours. The High Numbers was an early name for The Who. After releasing "Zoot Suit" they changed their name to The Who.

Answer: Hello, Hello

Sopwith Camel was one of the first San Francisco area psychedelic bands to get signed to a major label and have a national hit. Formed in 1966, they released the "Sopwith Camel" album the following year and disbanded after "Hello Hello" became their only Top Forty hit.

They band reunited in 1971 and recorded a second album called "The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon". When the album did not fare well on the charts the band broke up again in 1974. "Mr. Spaceman" was a 1966 Top Forty by The Byrds. "Oh Yeah" was done by The Shadows of Knight. "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies" was the title of a 1966 Number 35 release by The Association.

Answer: Easy Rider

"Kyrie Eleison" could be heard during the Mardi Gras drug trip scene in "Easy Rider". Early names for The Electric Prunes included The Sanctions and Jim and the Lords. An engineer for RCA Records suggested The Electric Prunes as a joke and it stuck. The band's first single release, "Ain't It Hard/Little Olive", went nowhere, but when they released "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night" it went to Number 11.
In 1968 they recorded the "Mass in F Minor" album which contained "Kyrie Eleison". By the time the "Just Good Old Rock and Roll" album came out in 1969 the band had essentially reformed. They broke up in 1970.
"Good Times" was a 1967 Sonny and Cher movie. The theme from "Valley Of The Dolls" (1967) was released by Dionne Warwick. "I Love You, Alice B. Toklas" was a 1968 Peter Sellers film.

Answer: The Funky Judge

"The Funky Judge" was the only charted hit by Bull and The Matadors. The Chicago based band followed up with "You Decide/Love Come Down" and "Move with the Groove" on the local Toddlin' Town Records label but neither release made the charts and the band was never heard from again.
"Funky Street" was a Number 14 hit by Arthur Conley in 1968. "Naturally Stoned" was a 1968 Number 40 single by The Avante-Garde. The Monkees released the Number 34 "Tapioca Tundra" in 1968.

Answer: True

"A Question of Temperature" was recorded in 1967 and made it to Number 37 on The Billboard Hot 100 for The Balloon Farm in March, 1968. The name was taken from the name of a New York bar. Don Henny, Ed Schnug, Greg Appel and Jay Saks formed a band called Adam.

After releasing a song called "Eve" they changed their name to The Balloon Farm and released "A Question of Temperature", produced by Peter Schekeryk. Early pressings had the title improperly spelled "A Question of Tempature". The song was The Balloon Farm's only hit.

They changed their name to Huck Finn and released "Two of a Kind" before breaking up. Greg Appel married Folk singer Melanie and became her manager. Peter Schekeryk went on to become involved in writing songs for The Partridge Family and then signed on as manager for a young singer named Bruce Springsteen.

Answer: Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band

Charles Wright was the driving force behind Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band. They started out in the early sixties and released several Rhythm and Blues classics. Their biggest US Billboard hit was "Express Yourself" in 1970.
The band was originally a fictitious name used by producer Fred Smith when he produced jingles. When one of the jingles became popular a band was put together including session player Charles Wright. They became the backing band when Bill Cosby released a musical album and their affiliation with Cosby led to them becoming the first R and B band signed to Warner Brothers Records.
"Good Old Rock 'N' Roll" was a 1969 Top Forty by Cat Mother and the All Night News Boys. Harlow Wilcox and the Oakies took "Groovy Grubworm" to Number 30. "Hot Smoke and Sassafrass" went to Number 14 for The Bubble Puppy.

Answer: 1900 Yesterday

Liz Damon's Orient Express was the house band at one of the rooms at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The Orient Express was a reference to some of the backup singers who were of Asian descent. They recorded a live album in 1970 called "At the Garden Bar, Hilton Hawaiian Village".

When "1900 Yesterday" made it to Number 33 the following year it became the group's only Top Forty US hit. They released three more albums and relocated to Las Vegas before breaking up in the eighties. "Burning Bridges" went to Number 34 for Mike Curb Congregation in 1971. "I've Found Someone of My Own" was by The Free Movement and made it to Number Five the same year. "100 Proof (Aged In Soul)" was by a band called Somebody's Been Sleeping and went to Number 30 in 1971.

Answer: Dr. Buzzard's Original "Savannah" Band

Dr. Buzzard's Original "Savannah" Band was a New York band that performed frequently at Studio 54. "Whispering/Cherchez La Femme/Se Si Bon" was from their self-titled premier album released in 1976. They released two more albums before splitting up in the early eighties. Members of the band went on to form Elbow Bones and the Racketeers and Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Singer Cory Daye pursued a solo career. Johnny Wakelin and The Kinshasa Band took "Black Superman - Muhammad Ali" to Number 21 in 1975. "Get Dancin'" was a Top ten hit in 1975 by Disco-Tex and The Sex-O-Lettes. Cledus Maggard and The Citizen's Band took "The White Knight" to Number 19 the same year.