I'm Just Singing the News Trivia Quiz

Answer: About a lucky man who made the grade.

"A Day in the Life" is the final song on side two of the album and clocks in at 5:03. The final "E" chord was played on three pianos simultaneously and lasts for approximately 40 seconds. To extend the sound for the longest time possible the recording mikes were slowly turned up and if you listen closely you can hear papers being moved around in the background.

The previous evening the Beatles had tried to vocalize the ending chord, but finally opted for the piano. A 40-piece orchestra was used in the recording of the song. Beatles road manager Mal Evans tripped the alarm clock which begins the interlude of the song.

Originally the alarm clock was to be eliminated. "Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire" follows "I read the news today oh boy" in the final verse.

The second verse starts with the line "I saw a film today oh boy, the English Army had just won the war". "He blew his mind out in a car" follows "I saw the photograph". "A crowd of people stood and stared" is sung in the middle of the first verse.

Answer: Roy Brown

Roy Brown was a New Orleans native and like so many other rhythm and blues artists he began singing as a Gospel singer. He relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a professional singing career and earned money as a boxer until he was able to land a recording contract and record "Good Rocking Tonight".

He returned to New Orleans and worked in clubs with an exciting stage show, but after he successfully litigated against King Records for back royalties he failed to generate further recording interest. Wynonie Harris recorded a version of the song later the same year and it was released early in 1948.

While Brown's version charted for only a week, Harris' version stayed on the charts almost six months and at one time reached the number one spot. Elvis recorded his version in 1954.

It was the second song he recorded on the Sun Record label. Gene Summers recorded his version in 1981. Among other artists to cover the song are Paul McCartney, Pat Boone, The Treniers and The Honeydrippers.

Answer: Robert Palmer

Robert Palmer was only 15 when he became involved with his first group, The Mandrakes. His first solo album was titled "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley" and was recorded in 1974. He released other solo efforts before joining Andy and John Taylor to form Power Station in the mid-eighties when Andy and John were taking some time off from Duran Duran.

After working with various artists and recording singles, he relocated to Switzerland and operated his own recording studio until his sudden death in 2003 at age 54 in Paris.

He was returned to Lugano, Switzerland, for his burial. John David Martin wrote "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)". The Oklahoma native was dubbed "Moon" Martin because many of his compositions featured the word moon in them.

A remix of the song was done for Palmer's "Addictions, Volume 1" compilation album. Mike Rutherford charted several songs fronting Mike and the Mechanics. Peter Gabriel and Mike Rutherford were both in Genesis. Michael Des Barres and Palmer were both members of Power Station.

Answer: We've Got a Groovey Thing Goin'

Simon and Garfunkel recorded their premier album for Columbia, "Wednesday Morning 3 A.M." in 1964. The folk album was not well received and Paul and Art went their own ways for a while. Meanwhile, Bob Dylan's band was retained by Columbia to record electric instruments over the acoustic tracks and Columbia released "Sounds of Silence" as a single.

When the song became an overnight hit Paul and Art recorded the "Sounds of Silence" album and changed the lineup of the songs. Paul wrote "We've Got a Groovey Thing Goin'" which features a hard driving band arrangement.

The song is a plea to a girlfriend not to leave. "Somewhere They Can't Find Me" is an electric remake of an acoustic song from their first LP. "A Most Peculiar Man" was written for "Sounds of Silence" and "Kathy's Song" was inspired by former Paul Simon girlfriend Kathy Chitty, a girl he met in London after recording the "Wednesday Morning 3 A.M." album.

Other notable artists to lay tracks for the "Sounds of Silence" LP were Hal Blaine and Glen Campbell.

Answer: Stuck with You

"Stuck with You" was written by Huey Lewis and band's guitarist Chris Hayes. It was the lead single from their album, "Fore!". It spent three weeks at number one starting on September 20, 1986. The band first tasted number one success with "Power of Love" the previous year.

Other cuts from their albums were used on the soundtrack to "Back to the Future" (1985). Lewis also had a cameo role in the film as a band audition judge. Hugh Anthony Cregg, III, first used the stage name of Huey Lewis in the early seventies when he joined a band called Clover. Lewis is a self-taught harmonica player and did tracks on Thin Lizzy's 1978 "Live and Dangerous" LP.

In 1979 Huey Lewis and the American Express was formed, and they changed their name to Huey Lewis and the News later the same year.

The band averages over 75 shows a year. "Stuck on You" is the title of a Lionel Ritchie song and an Elvis Presley hit. "Stuck in the Middle with You" was done by Stealers Wheel and featured Gerry Rafferty. "Stuck Here Again" is from the band L7.

Answer: Dire Straits

"Communiqué" was Dire Straits' follow-up to their eponymous debut album released the previous year. Both "Communiqué" and "Dire Straits" reached number five on the US Billboard album charts. The band members enjoyed the Caribbean weather in late 1978 while they recorded the "Communiqué" album at Compass Point Studio in Nassau. All the songs on the album were written by Mark Knopfler and the only song to achieve chart success as a single was the US number 45 "Lady Writer". Mark's brother David played rhythm guitar on the album, but left the band during the recording of their follow-up LP, "Making Movies".

Answer: The Netherlands

Golden Earring was formed in the early sixties as Golden Earrings in The Haugue, Netherlands. They began as The Tornados but changed their name after a British group by the same name released "Telstar". They dropped the "s" from the name in 1969 right before their first single "Eight Miles High" charted internationally. "Eight Miles High" is a 19-minute version of the Byrds' hit.

In the early seventies they had big a hit with "Radar Love" and in the eighties they followed up with "Twilight Zone". "N.E.W.S." is the 19th of over 30 albums that the band has released and the core members are still touring regularly as of 2008.

Answer: Anne Murray

After showing an interest in music at a young age in her native Nova Scotia, Anne Murray took several years of piano and voice training. In 1968 she released her first LP, "What About Me" and the single release by the same name became popular. The song was composed by Scott MacKenzie, who had his own hit with "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)".

She followed up with "Snowbird", a song on her second album, "This is My Way" that earned her widespread attention. After a string of hits following "Snowbird" she released the optimistic tune "A Little Good News" as a single from an album of the same name.

Answer: ELO

"Time" is a concept album by The Electric Light Orchestra that depicts a time traveler from the eighties traveling well into the 21st century. Jeff Lynne composed all the tracks on the album. Their first concept album released in 1974 was "El Dorado, A Symphony".

The LP contained the band's first US chart hit, "Can't Get It Out of My Head". Their follow-up album, "Face the Music" contained their next hits, "Strange Magic" and Evil Woman", beginning a string of hits for the band. Although "Time" reached the top spot in the UK, it managed number 16 in the US. Europe recorded "Yesterday's News".

Answer: News at Ten

"New Clear Days" is the name of the album and is a play on the phrase "nuclear days". There is no song on the album titled "New Clear Days". "News at Ten" charted at number 44 on the British charts as a single release and is the seventh cut from the "New Clear Days" album that also features "Turning Japanese".

Their follow-up album, "Magnets", failed to generate significant sales and the band broke up after the release of that album in 1981. Vapors songwriter, singer and guitarist David Fenton is now a solicitor specializing in music industry law. Lead guitarist Edward Bazalgette went on to become a documentary film director. "News at 11" is from Philadelphia band Kid Dynamite. "News Break" was done by Redmen.