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Quiz about Elvis You Shook Us Up
Quiz about Elvis You Shook Us Up

Elvis, You Shook Us Up! Trivia Quiz


Here's a quiz on the Elvis Presley's music and some of the songwriters whose work he used. It is dedicated to the songwriter Otis Blackwell who passed away on May 6, 2002 in Nashville. Thank you very much!

A multiple-choice quiz by Bruyere. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
Bruyere
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
79,640
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
3032
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 137 (4/10), Guest 174 (6/10), Guest 120 (5/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. This 'hareless' classic canine caper was written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller in 1952. It was first performed by Elvis on Uncle Miltie's television show in 1956 and became an instant hit. Then as the 'tail' goes, Elvis repeated his performance on Steve Allen's show with the real article! But no, her name wasn't Shirley! What song did he perform?

Answer: (2 'High class' words)
Question 2 of 10
2. This next song was written by Carl Perkins about some very famous footwear and was skyrocketed to fame by Elvis. It was also the title of a modern ballet created in 1996 which included selections of the music popularized by Presley, choreographed by Dennis Nahat with costumes by the legendary Bob Mackie!

Answer: (Three Words)
Question 3 of 10
3. The King's beautiful pure version of this song comes from the traditional song 'Aura Lee' highly popular with the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War era. (Fosdick and Poulton) The song was a hit in 1956.

Answer: (Three sweet little words)
Question 4 of 10
4. Elvis' version of this classic postal or reject letter theme was penned by Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott. The sassy baritone saxophone plays a prominent role, with its characteristic dah dah dah dah dah, five note squawk.

Answer: (Three Words to say 'Dear John')
Question 5 of 10
5. Another mega-hit was written by Davenport (aka Otis)and Cooley and became Peggy Lee's signature tune from 1955 on. Elvis' haunting, whispering version of 1960 would never fail to send shivers and shakes to his legions of female fans, even Pocahontas!

Answer: (One hot in Fahrenheit or Celsius)
Question 6 of 10
6. Junior Parker's and Sam Phillip's song about a 16 coaches long railroad vehicle was another hit for Elvis along the lines of the Gospel tradition. Gospel songs are an integral part of life for many Americans and particularly in the South. This is a recurrent theme in American music anyway.

Answer: (Two Words that took her away)
Question 7 of 10
7. In 1957, the year the Russians launched the dog Laika into orbit in Sputnik, Elvis caused a bit of a commotion with this one that went off of the Richter scale for his buttercup! This is also an Otis Blackwell number.

Answer: (Three Words)
Question 8 of 10
8. The original song was also a 'mega-hit' for the most famous popular operatic singer from Naples earlier in the century. The original song in the dialect of Naples was penned while the author was on a trip to the Ukraine and a bit homesick for his own view of the sun from his window. What was the 1960 Elvis version? Please note the mandolin music on the intro.

Answer: (4 Words with a contraction)
Question 9 of 10
9. Here's a blues tune penned by Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup and recorded by Elvis in Memphis in Sun Studios on Union Street in 1954 as a birthday present for Gladys. Later in life he'd often give cars for gifts. Who was Gladys? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Here's a Ray Charles tune from 1955 about a lady 'cross town' who 'knows a woman's place is around home at night.' It was very controversial for Ray as instead of using Gospel lyrics, it glorified a woman 'cross town'. Elvis' version in 1956 was a big hit in the USA and the UK at number one simultaneously.

Answer: (Four Words)

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Most Recent Scores
Nov 22 2024 : Guest 137: 4/10
Nov 20 2024 : Guest 174: 6/10
Nov 14 2024 : Guest 120: 5/10
Nov 01 2024 : Guest 173: 5/10
Oct 31 2024 : Guest 91: 1/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. This 'hareless' classic canine caper was written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller in 1952. It was first performed by Elvis on Uncle Miltie's television show in 1956 and became an instant hit. Then as the 'tail' goes, Elvis repeated his performance on Steve Allen's show with the real article! But no, her name wasn't Shirley! What song did he perform?

Answer: Hound Dog

March 28, 2002 has brought us another sad loss, American television personality Milton Berle also passed away at 93. Elvis was considered a little wild for TV but the kids obviously loved this song! You could even say they 'lapped' it up! The first recording of this song was by 'Big Mama' Willie Mae Thornton in 1953.

The subsequent Steve Allen show appearance was with a Bassett hound. Bad joke huh? Shirley Bassett? Rumor has it that Ed Sullivan really didn't want Elvis on his show and then when he saw the reactions, he had to break down and invite him, though only to be seen above the waist so as to avoid offending delicate sensibilities!
2. This next song was written by Carl Perkins about some very famous footwear and was skyrocketed to fame by Elvis. It was also the title of a modern ballet created in 1996 which included selections of the music popularized by Presley, choreographed by Dennis Nahat with costumes by the legendary Bob Mackie!

Answer: Blue Suede Shoes

Rockabilly legend has it that Perkins scrawled this tune on a potato sack after seeing a young fellow in a dance hall trying to protect his blue suede shoes from his girlfriend's two left feet. The ballet was performed in 1996 by the Cleveland Ballet and then subsequently by the Ballet San Jose(Silicon Valley).

Incidentally the story is inspired by the music but there is no representation of the King or an impersonator. The scenario resembles 'American Graffitti' more in its story line.
3. The King's beautiful pure version of this song comes from the traditional song 'Aura Lee' highly popular with the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War era. (Fosdick and Poulton) The song was a hit in 1956.

Answer: Love Me Tender

'Aura Lee, Aura Lee, Maid of golden hair, Sunshine came along with thee and swallows in the air' Elvis' vocal performance on this song shows one of the many facets of his talents. The film of the same title is a tragic Civil War western.
4. Elvis' version of this classic postal or reject letter theme was penned by Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott. The sassy baritone saxophone plays a prominent role, with its characteristic dah dah dah dah dah, five note squawk.

Answer: Return to sender

From an instrumental standpoint, the music evolved over time from pure and simple and no frills all the way to heavily orchestrated events in his later years. But most of the songs in this quiz are the earlier hits, the ones that put him on the road to fame and they used very simple arrangements. Three or four instruments per song.
5. Another mega-hit was written by Davenport (aka Otis)and Cooley and became Peggy Lee's signature tune from 1955 on. Elvis' haunting, whispering version of 1960 would never fail to send shivers and shakes to his legions of female fans, even Pocahontas!

Answer: Fever

Singer Peggy Lee also left us in January 2002 at 81 years old after a long singing career. The Pocahontas and John Smith reference was to the one famous versus where she tells her daddy where to get off, she's John Smith's missus!
6. Junior Parker's and Sam Phillip's song about a 16 coaches long railroad vehicle was another hit for Elvis along the lines of the Gospel tradition. Gospel songs are an integral part of life for many Americans and particularly in the South. This is a recurrent theme in American music anyway.

Answer: Mystery Train

One of the reasons that Elvis is said to have so overwhelmingly popular is that he embraced all types of music, traditional, folk, rockabilly, soul, country, Gospel, blues, jazz and rock. The train is so important in the history of American folk songs and Gospel that it had to occur in Elvis' repertory.
7. In 1957, the year the Russians launched the dog Laika into orbit in Sputnik, Elvis caused a bit of a commotion with this one that went off of the Richter scale for his buttercup! This is also an Otis Blackwell number.

Answer: All Shook Up

The U.K. embraced this wild young man and 'All Shook Up' went to number 1 in the charts there. Now the old Otis Blackwell legend says that this song was written on a dare about writing a song about anything at all, and the other fellow shook up a soda bottle! I'm not substantiating it though. If you listen to it, you have to admit there might be something to the story!
8. The original song was also a 'mega-hit' for the most famous popular operatic singer from Naples earlier in the century. The original song in the dialect of Naples was penned while the author was on a trip to the Ukraine and a bit homesick for his own view of the sun from his window. What was the 1960 Elvis version? Please note the mandolin music on the intro.

Answer: It's Now or Never

'O sole mio' is by far the most famous Neapolitan song in the world. Contrary to popular belief it isn't actually standard Italian but the Naples dialect. The use of a popular song was brilliant by Schroeder and Gold and Elvis' voice proved up to the challenge of showing such versatility. Enrico Caruso was of course the most famous performer of 'O Sole Mio' (1898). 'Che bella cosa na jurnata 'e sole, n'aria serena doppo na tempesta! Pe'll'aria fresca pare gia' na festa,Che bella cosa na jurnata 'e sole.'
9. Here's a blues tune penned by Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup and recorded by Elvis in Memphis in Sun Studios on Union Street in 1954 as a birthday present for Gladys. Later in life he'd often give cars for gifts. Who was Gladys?

Answer: His mother

'That's all right, mama' (many spellings can be found). Gladys Presley lived through a very hard childhood as the daughter of a sharecropper in Mississippi and was very close to her son who called her daily when on tour. She died in 1958.
10. Here's a Ray Charles tune from 1955 about a lady 'cross town' who 'knows a woman's place is around home at night.' It was very controversial for Ray as instead of using Gospel lyrics, it glorified a woman 'cross town'. Elvis' version in 1956 was a big hit in the USA and the UK at number one simultaneously.

Answer: I got a woman

Hope you've enjoyed the tribute to Elvis and some of the songwriters who contributed to his career.
Source: Author Bruyere

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