Dogs' Tales In Music Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hound

The biggest hit version of "Hound Dog" was by Elvis Presley in 1956 when he took his cover to number two. The song was written by the great song-writing team of Lieber and Stoller and the original twelve-bar blues recording was by 'Big Mama' Thornton in 1952. Several covers have been made over the years including versions by Jerry Lee Lewis, John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix.
"Bird Dog" was a number two hit for The Everly Brothers in 1958.
A lapdog is a (sometimes derisory) term for any small, pampered pooch such as miniature poodle, pekinese, Yorkshire terrier etc.
A hot dog is basically a sausage in a bread roll although there are variations in the types of sausage etc in different countries.

Answer: Cat Stevens

A rare example of a Cat loving a dog; Cat Stevens' "I Love My Dog" was the first hit single for the singer/songwriter. It reached number 28 in 1966.
Cat Stevens kept up the animal motif on two of his later album titles; "Teaser and the Firecat" in 1971 and "Catch Bull at Four" in 1972 both reached the top ten in the album charts.
There is much more to Ralph McTell than "The Streets of London"; He released several excellent albums in the early 'seventies such as "Not Til Tomorrow" and "You Well-Meaning Brought Me Here". The latter included a sad song about the demise of an "Old Brown Dog".
Alan Price was the keyboard player with The Animals. After leaving the band he had several solo hits including "Simon Smith and His Amazing Bear" but I can't find any dog references to Alan.

Answer: Snoopy

Snoopy was Charlie Brown's pet beagle in Charles Schultz's excellent cartoon strip "Peanuts". Snoopy was a brilliant creation who was often given to daydreams and fantasies. One of the recurring themes was that he (Snoopy) was a WWI fighter pilot. He invariably encountered 'The Red Baron' on his sorties who usually shot Snoopy down, however in this song Snoopy prevails.

The Royal Guardsmen took this whimsical tale to number eight. The follow-up "Return of The Red Baron" fared less well, only reaching number 37. Somewhat surprisingly for what was essentially a novelty record "Snoopy Vs The Red Baron" was covered by The Hotshots who took it to number four in 1973. Goofy and Pluto are both dogs from the Disney kennels while Droopy is a basset hound created by Tex Avery for MGM.

Answer: Lonely Pup (In A Christmas Shop)

Adam Faith took this piece of schmaltz to number four in 1960; he had previously had two number ones with "What Do You Want?" and with "Poor Me".
"How Much Is that Doggie In The Window?" was sung by both Lita Roza and by Patti Page, both versions charted in the 'fifties.
"Me and You And A Dog Named Boo" was a 1971 hit for Lobo.
"A Salty Dog" was a minor hit for Procol Harum in 1969.

Answer: Greyhound

Greyhounds are sighthounds which are often used in dog-racing events, they actually come in a variety of colours, not just grey. The Jamaican band Greyhound covered the folk standard "Black And White" (written by Robinson and Arkin) to good effect taking their version to number six. Mick Jagger was so taken by the band that he invited them to play at his wedding party when he married Bianca Pérez-Mora Macías in 1971.
Whippets are lovely dogs and are basically a small form of greyhound. They are extremely popular in the North of England (in some parts of Yorkshire there are by-laws to prosecute any man who doesn't own one). The American band Devo recognised the significance of the breed with their 1980 hit "Whippet" which sadly they later changed to "Whip It".
Pointers are sporting dogs which are trained to point out game birds or other targets. The Pointer Sisters were a talented family group with a string of hits through the late 'seventies and 'eighties.
Bloodhounds are dogs often used in tracking. The Bloodhound Gang are a group from Pennsylvania noted for their somewhat risque lyrics.

Answer: David Bowie

"Diamond Dogs" was the title track from David Bowie's 1974 album. The single reached number twenty-one following the album's successful run at number one.
Also in 1974, Elton John got to number 15 with a song about the return of his favourite pet dog; "The Bitch Is Back".
The full title of Rod Stewart's 1974 number twelve hit is "You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything (Even Take The Dog For A Walk, Mend A Fuse, Fold Away The Ironing Board Or Any Other Domestic Shortcomings)" and no, I'm not joking this time.
Scott Walker (not Scottie) had a rather eclectic solo career after leaving The Walker Brothers including a rather strange song called "The Girls And The Dogs" which can be found on the "Scott 3" album.

Answer: The Puppy Song

The best known version of Harry Nilsson's "The Puppy Song" in the UK is by David Cassidy who took it to number one in 1973.
"Puppy Love" has had several outings in the charts, most notably by Donny Osmond who had a number one in 1972. The song was written by Paul Anka.
Probably the best known cover of "Old Shep" is by Elvis Presley although the song was written by Red Foley and originally recorded by Walter Brennan.
Peter Shelley reached number three in '75 with the self-penned "Love Me Love My Dog".

Answer: "Dogs" by The Who

A rather odd tale by Pete Townsend in 1968. Unlike many other of The Who's 'sixties cuts it rarely gets any radio play these days; it actually reached a slightly higher chart position than did "Magic Bus" which still gets played to death on classic stations.
"Dog Eat Dog" was an early success for Adam and The Ants in 1980.
"Walking My Cat Called Dog" was a one-hit-wonder for American Norma Tanega in 1966.
"Hounds Of Love" was originally written by Kate Bush. She had a hit with the song in 1986. The song was taken back into the charts in 2005 when it was covered by The Futureheads.

Answer: Big Black Dog

Humble Pie were hailed as a supergroup but (certainly in the UK) ultimately failed to live up to that billing. Members included Steve Marriot and Peter Frampton who had both had successful careers with respectively The Small Faces and The Herd. "Natural Born Bugie" was the band's biggest success, reaching number four in late 1969. "Big Black Dog" was released as a follow-up in 1970 but failed to chart despite a great deal of radio play.
"Black Dog" is one of the most popular tracks on Led Zeppelin's fourth album.
"Dog" was a minor hit for American outfit Dada in 1993.
I'm afraid "Supermassive Black Dog" doesn't exist but Muse Took "Supermassive Black Hole" into the charts in 2006.

Answer: The Boxer

The boxer is a muscular dog of German origins which, despite it's name, is usually quite docile and playful. Unfortunately Simon and Garfunkel's 1969 hit "The Boxer" refers to a pugilist rather than a breed of dog.
The saluki is a beautiful dog which is reputed to be the world's oldest domesticated breed, dating back at least 7,000 years. Kylie Minogue launched her musical career with a tribute to her favourite dog "I Should Be Saluki" back in 1988, hmm.
"I'm A Retriever" (or was it "Believer"?) was the first hit (and a number one at that) for The Monkees. It was written by Neil Diamond and has been covered several times including versions by Robert Wyatt and by Smash Mouth.
One of the most annoying records of all time is surely "Y Viva Espana" (sadly not 'Spaniel') which graced the charts back in 1974. The perpetrator of this drivel was a girl called Sylvia who was actually from Sweden not Spain.