U S Hits From Australian Artists Quiz

Answer: Kangaroo

"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" was a song abut a dying Australian stockman that hit the Top Ten in the US in 1963. Rolf Harris offered the backing musicians who helped him record the song co-writing credits but they opted to take the session fee, thinking the song would never be a success. Rolf was working for a television studio when he wrote and recorded "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" in the late fifties. He also invented the wobble board, the unusual instrument heard on "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport".
The song became a worldwide hit and Rolf even sang the song with different lyrics with the Beatles on the BBC radio show, "From Us to You" at the height of the song's popularity. "The Rolf Harris Show" debuted on the BBC in 1967. Rolf is also a talented artist.
In 2008 he sang "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" with other Australian musicians when he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Answer: The Seekers

The Seekers formed in Melbourne in 1962. They relocated to Britain courtesy of a cruise line engagement and charted nine songs on the British charts then enjoyed success in the US as well. "I'll Never Find Another You" was their first hit in England in 1965, reaching the top spot in England and becoming the biggest selling record of 1965.

The song only managed to make Number Four in the US. "Georgy Girl" was from the soundtrack of the movie of the same name and reached Number Two in the US and Australia.

In 1967 the group joined the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for a concert in front of over 200,000 fans at Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl. The New Christy Minstrels formed in the US. Former alumni include Kenny Rogers, Barry McGuire, Kim Carnes and Larry Ramos.

The Serendipity Singers formed at the University of Colorado. John Phillips and Scott McKenzie were former members of the American folk group The Journeymen.

Answer: Keith Urban

Keith Urban's Country Music career began in Brisbane when he was part of the lineup for the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Before long he had released a self-titled album and placed four songs on the charts in Australia before moving to the US in 1992.

He became a session player and was in a group called The Ranch. The group placed a couple of songs on the Country charts. In 1999 his eponymous US Capitol album contained "But For The Grace Of God". The album went Platinum and the song reached the Number One.

He went on to take home his first Grammy for "You'll Think of Me" and continued releasing hits. Keith and his wife, Nicole Kidman, became parents in 2008. Phil Vassar was born in Lynchburg, Virginia. Aaron Dupree Tippin is from Pensacola, Florida, and Toby Keith is an Oklahoma native.

Answer: Physical

"I Honestly Love You" was Olivia's first US Number One, spending two weeks at the top in 1974. "Have You Never Been Mellow" spent one week on top the following year. In 1980 "Magic" ruled the charts for four weeks and "Physical" dominated the charts for ten weeks in 1981.

In 1978 her duet with John Travolta, "You're The One That I Want", also topped the US charts for a week. Olivia was born in Cambridge, England, and her family relocated to Australia when she was a young girl. Before long she was appearing regularly on Australian radio and television shows.

Her first record, "Till You Say You'll Be Mine", was released in 1966. She relocated to England to record and began achieving chart success, but her first releases didn't fare well in the US.

In 1973 "Let Me Be There" reached Number Six on the Billboard Hot 100, beginning a series of hits in the US.

Answer: I Am Woman

"I Am Woman" was not only Helen's first Number One hit, it was also the first US Number One by an Australian solo artist and the first song written by an Australian artist to earn a Grammy. Ray Burton and Melbourne, Australia, native Helen Reddy wrote the song.

In 1971 Helen recorded her first single for Capitol Records. It contained her Number 13 hit, "I Don't Know How to Love Him". While considering songs for an album Reddy suggested "I Am Woman" and Capitol assembled a crew of great session players to track the song. Ray Burton resides and still performs on the Queensland Gold Coast. "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady" only reached Number Eight in 1975. "Delta Dawn" made Number One for a week in 1973 and "Angie Baby" was Number one the following year for a week.

Answer: Can't Get You out of My Head

"Can't Get You out of My Head" was a solo Number Seven hit in the US for Minogue. In 1983 Melbourne native Kylie Ann Minogue debuted as a singer on the "Young Talent Time" program. "The Loco-Motion" reached Number One in Australia for her in 1988. Her debut album was a collection of dance numbers titled "Kylie". Since then she sold over 60,000,000 records over the next two decades. For a short time Kyle and fellow Australian singer Jason Donavon dated and they released a Number one duet in Australia, "Especially for You". "Love at First Sight" made the Top Twenty the following year in the US and "I Should Be So Lucky" was the first song she placed on the US charts, reaching Number 28 in 1987.

Answer: Dave Evans

Dave Evans was the first singer for AC/DC, fronting the band in 1973 and 1974. "Can I Sit Next To You, Girl" was the only record released by the group while he was doing vocals. A tough schedule took its toll on Evans' voice and in the fall of 1974 Evans was replaced by Bon Scott. Evans soon joined a Newcastle band called Rabbit, replacing Greg Douglas on vocals.

They released two albums between 1975 and 1977 with Evans doing vocals. Evans went on to record two solo albums. Colin Burgess was the band's first drummer, but only remained with AC/DC for a short time. Dennis Laughlin was the group's manager and occasionally subbed for Evans during the first years the band was together. AC/DC's first album to make the US charts was the 1976 release, "High Voltage".

Answer: Business as Usual

The "Business as Usual" album remained at Number One on the US album charts for 15 weeks beginning in late 1982. It was the band's first studio album release. "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under" were both single releases that made it to Number One on the US Billboard Hot 100. "Who Can It Be Now?" was released as a single in 1981 before the album was completed and reached Number Two in Australia at the time of release. "Business as Usual" was knocked from the top album spot in February, 1983, by Michael Jackson's "Thriller" LP. "Brazil" was a live album by Men at Work that came out in 1998.

The 1983 "Cargo" album was their second album and contained their US Number Six hit, "It's a Mistake". Their "Two hearts" album followed in 1985.

Answer: Diana Trask

Diana Trask was singing at age 16 and ended up in a group that opened for notable acts such as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis when they toured Australia. She was urged to try a career in the US and began appearing on US television shows. Mitch Miller of "Sing Along with Mitch" (1961-1964) arranged for her to get a contract with Columbia Records and gave her a regular slot on his show.

She relocated to Australia when the show went off the air, but returned to Nashville in 1967 and recorded for Dial Records and Dot Records.

She recorded "Miss Country Soul" in 1968 and by 1972 she began releasing a string of hits including "It Meant Nothing To Me", "When I Get My Hands On You" and "Lean It All on Me". Australian Country singer Jane Comerford came from Newcastle. Kirkpatrick received a 1991 ARIA Award for Best Australian Country Record. Gina Jeffreys has been dubbed Australia's "Queen of Country".

Answer: Judith Durham

Judith Durham was the lead vocalist for The Seekers. Beginning in 1963 she released over 15 solo albums. In 1988 she did a version of "I am Australian" with fellow Australian singers Mandawuy Yunupingu and Air Supply's Russell Hitchcock. "Torn" (1997) and "Big Mistake" (1998) both reached Number Two in the US and are some of the many songs Natalie Imbruglia charted stateside.

When she was 16 she was a regular on the Australian soap opera, "Neighbours". Kylie Minogue played a schoolgirl mechanic on "Neighbours". Aussie singers Holly Valance and Delta Goodrem also had roles on the show. In 1981 Rick Springfield took "Jessie's Girl" to the Number One spot in the US for two weeks.

He didn't believe that his recording career would be successful so he took a role on "General Hospital" the same year.