Gino Vanelli Trivia Quiz

Answer: number 22

The 1970s era of music was a time when keyboards and synthesizers were almost unheard of in music. Including his brother Joe to assist Gino was a great move as people started to gain interest in a new techno sound. "People Gotta Move" peaked on the Billboard charts in 1974, and by 1975, Gino Vanelli was gaining international popularity.

In fact, on February 15, 1975, Gino Vanelli became the first Caucasian singer to perform on the legendary television show "Soul Train".

Answer: Montreal

"I Just Wanna Stop" is about the ups and downs associated with being in love and expressing one's feelings to one's lover. In the opening lines to the song, the song character has his fondest memories of his experiences with his lover in the city of Montreal:

"For your love
When I think about those nights in Montreal
I get the sweetest thoughts of you and me
Memories of love above the city lights
Ooh, I tried so hard to take it
But oh Lord my heart won't make it"

"I Just Wanna Stop" would peak at number one in Canada, number four in the United States, and would earn Vanelli a Juno Award for Best Male Artist.

Answer: A spirit

Although it is often unclear about the true meaning of the song, the lyrics suggest that "Appaloosa" is both an "angel" and a "spirit". Is it a religious song? Is it a romantic song? You be the judge.

"Appaloosa, runnin' high in the heavens above
Appaloosa, you're the angel of God I love

Freedom ain't no deception
A truth no man can deny
With your love and direction
I will follow my star
For the rest of my life
It goes on and on

Appaloosa, Appaloosa, Appaloosa, Appaloosa
Appaloosa, runnin' wild in the wake of the dawn
Appaloosa, you're the spirit that turns me on"

Answer: turn round and round

"Wheels of Life" is a song about the true meaning of life and how time goes by quickly. If we don't use our time wisely, true love may slip on by. According to the chorus, the wheels of life are always turning:

"The wheels of life
The wheels of life
The wheels of life
The wheels of life keep turning round and round"

The "Brother to Brother" album was Gino Vanelli's first great success. In 1979, this album was certified platinum. During this album, Vanelli would play at many major venues including Carnegie Hall. This would be his last release with the A&M label, turning Gino Vanelli in a different direction for the 1980s.

Answer: a shell

"Living Inside Myself" peaked at number seven on the Billboard charts in 1981. By this point in Vanelli's career, he was seen as an international "sex symbol" based on his looks, muscles, and music style. This would be the only song from "Nightwalker" to gain any mainstream success. It was a tragic love song where the character is in "need" of love, but cannot seem to find it unless he can be guided.

"'cause I am lost
Living inside myself
Living inside this shell
Living outside your love
I am lost
Somewhere inside my own dreams
Afraid of what life really means
Living without your love"

Answer: cold china

"Black Cars" was an unusual song in which the lyrics compare an "attractive" woman to a fancy car. Vanelli was given a Juno Award for "Recording Engineer of the Year" because of this song's release. It peaked at number forty-two on the Billboard 100 and number six on the Canadian charts.

"Under the cover of night
She crawls into sight
Her skin is cold china white
She's a dark angel wearing dark glasses
Dark shadows under long false lashes

The night exposes the cracks
She wears her makeup like wax
To hide every scratch
'Cause she a dark angel riding dark horses
Sitting pretty in her dim lit covers ... I say"

Answer: pushing too hard

"Hurts To Be In Love", like most of Vanelli's hit music, was popularized in Canada rather than in the United States. For Vanelli, this song peaked on the Billboard 100 at number fifty-seven, where as in Canada, it peaked at number fourteen.

Answer: regrets

"Just A Motion Away" would be the third and final release to gain any airtime from the popular album "Black Cars". It was not a Billboard charting song, however, it became popular among Gino fans, because the synthesizers and sound of the song and album fit well with the style of the 1980s.

Answer: Arizona plain

In 1987, the Juno Award for "Recording Engineer of the Year" was won once again by the Vanelli brothers. On his 1987 album, Gino moved from his typical synthesizer sound, and recorded songs that had more of a Latin and R&B vibe to them. "Wild Horses" was a song about a man that would go through thick and thin to reach his lover. This message is very evident in the chorus to the song.

"As the sun goes down on the Arizona plain
and the wind whistles by like a runaway train
hey hey hey it's a beautiful thing
well it's me and you and a flatbed truck
my heart kicking over like a whitetail buck
hey hey hey in the middle of spring
Chorus:

You can cut me deep
you can cut me down
you can cut me loose
don't you know it's okay
you can kick and scream
you can slap my face
you can set my wheels on a high speed chase
hey no matter what you do

Wild horses could not drag me away from you
Wild horses could not drag me away from you"

Answer: jazz

As a child, Vanelli was raised by his parents Russ and Delia Vanelli; his father Russ was a big band musician. In an effort to move back to his roots, Gino Vanelli began playing and recording jazz albums in 1995 when he released the album "Yonder Tree". Follow-up album "Canto" was released in 2003 and primarily consisted of jazz songs sung in Italian, Spanish, and French.

I hope that you have enjoyed playing this quiz. For more information on Gino Vanelli's biography, albums, and lyrics, please go to http://www.ginov.com.