# Cool but useless music trivia **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2004, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250 "2004-08-17T15:53:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/141 "2004-08-19T18:02:01Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > I’d heard that Stone (who went to the same film school as Morrison) pitched a Doors biopic to Morrison before he died. I’ve never heard that Morrison was reading a Stone script when he bought it, but if he was, that could’ve been the reason. Morrison went to UCLA; Stone went to NYU. And before Morrison died, The Doors were one of many once-influential rock bands with declining record sales. Not an obvious choice for a biopic… ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/142 "2004-08-19T18:02:26Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > …but Andrew Lloyd Webber insisted on C.T. Wilkerson, who later became Colm Wilkerson and made musical history as Jean Valjean in “Les Miz.” Cool. I didn’t know this. > [@](#): > > In order to get JCS approved by the Soviet government, they wrote different lyrics and called it “Rock and Roll At Dawn.” I wish I could find anything from that show! In my three years here I’ve never once asked for a cite, so I’ll refrain this time too. 🙂 But… where did you hear or read this? I just spent a half hour or so Googling and came up empty. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/143 "2004-08-19T18:21:36Z")
> [@Lord Vega](#): > > They were in no way sandbagging, just professional courtesy. The opening act should not overshadow the headliner. This was their first US tour and they needed the good press. According to “Hammer Of The Gods”, page 74, It happened at the Filmore East, NYC, on Jan 31. > > I can’t find the drum reference in the book, maybe it was in a liner note. I’ll keep looking. > > Cheers, > Vega Thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/144 "2004-08-19T18:46:28Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Morrison went to UCLA; Stone went to NYU. And before Morrison died, The Doors were one of many once-influential rock bands with declining record sales. Not an obvious choice for a biopic… Correction noted. However, just because the Doors were past their prime doesn’t mean Stone wouldn’t still want to tell their story. [Roger Ebert](http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1991/03/637361.html), [this review](http://www.dvdreview.com/fullreviews/the_doors.shtml) and [this review](http://www.wordsfromhere.com/dvds/12.html) claim that Stone pitched a Doors screenplay to Morrison while he was still alive. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/145 "2004-08-19T18:52:51Z")
> [@thetruewheel](#): > > Wow, this post is like a whole self-contained world of music by the artists I’d be listening to now if I’d never discovered punk rock. (These days, I’m genuinely suspicious of any musician who appears to know too much about how to play their instument.) I’ll bet you’re also into Suzanne Vega and They Might Be Giants. > > I just accidentally typed “Suzanne Vegas.” Talk about one letter changing the mood… Not a big fan of SV or TMBG. But a big fan of punk rock. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/146 "2004-08-19T19:07:49Z")
> [@Algernon](#): > > In my three years here I’ve never once asked for a cite, so I’ll refrain this time too. 🙂 But… where did you hear or read this? I just spent a half hour or so Googling and came up empty. Hedrick Smith covers it in his now classical book “The Russians.” He writes about rock music and how desperate the Soviet youth were to hear it. Very interesting reading, and Smith himself saw a production of “Rock and Roll at Dawn.” ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/147 "2004-08-19T19:35:32Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Who also premiere “Superstar” from _Jesus Christ Superstar_, lyrics by Tim Rice. Who also did the lyrics for “Chess” and brough Head into the project. Rice wanted Head to play Che in “Evita,” but Andrew Lloyd Webber insisted on C.T. Wilkerson, who later became Colm Wilkerson and made musical history as Jean Valjean in “Les Miz.” Are you sure you didn’t mean [Colm Wilk **in** son](http://www.colmwilkinson.com/)? I saw him in _Phantom Of The Opera_. Canadian crooner Richard Marx sang backup for Madonna on the track "White Heat. Canadian gay porn director Bruce LaBruce directed the music video for Rusty’s song _Misogyny_, starring Bruce’s muse Tony Ward, who was also in Madonna’s banned _Justify My Love_ video (and later fathered a child with her). Madonna co-wrote Michael Jackson’s single “In The Closet”, but he changed some lyrics that made him “uncomfortable”. Tori Amos and Michael Stipe collaborated on a song for the film _Don Juan DeMarco_ that was scrapped for being “too strange” (well, duh). ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/148 "2004-08-19T19:44:31Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > **Exapno Mapcase** , I must have stopped by the wrong website. One full of lies. To be fair, Prince _did_ play guitar on the track. He co-wrote and duetted with Madonna on _Love Song_ on the _Like A Prayer_ album. When Madonna was told she needed another track before the album would be complete, she said; “I got nuthin’”. They ended up creating _Act Of Contrition_ together, which is _Like A Prayer_ being played backwards while Prince riffs on the guitar and Madonna prays the Act Of Contrition. Also, in 1984, when Madonna was breaking off her romance with Prince and also dating Sean Penn, Sean punched a hole in the wall during an argument with her about Prince. Madonna called him up and told The Purple One that the hole was his fault, so he’d better come over and patch it up. And he did. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/149 "2004-08-19T20:00:53Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Correction noted. However, just because the Doors were past their prime doesn’t mean Stone wouldn’t still want to tell their story. [Roger Ebert](http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1991/03/637361.html), [this review](http://www.dvdreview.com/fullreviews/the_doors.shtml) and [this review](http://www.wordsfromhere.com/dvds/12.html) claim that Stone pitched a Doors screenplay to Morrison while he was still alive. Well, I’ll be darned. Just because something’s unlikely doesn’t mean it’s not true. Of course, nowhere does it say that Morrison was reading the script when he died, but at this point that’s just a nitpick. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/150 "2004-08-19T20:13:06Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Hedrick Smith covers it in his now classical book “The Russians.” He writes about rock music and how desperate the Soviet youth were to hear it. Very interesting reading, and Smith himself saw a production of “Rock and Roll at Dawn.” Interesting indeed. Thanks. Like you, I’d love to have more information about his “rewrite”. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/151 "2004-08-19T20:18:30Z")
> [@High Cheese](#): > > The band 10cc named themselves after the average volume of male ejaculate. Ummm, this can’t be right!! According to the books I read, the average is less that have of that!! ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/152 "2004-08-19T20:27:46Z")
> [@AndrewT](#): > > **Michael Nesmith** ’s mother invented liquid paper True, but it happened long after Mike joined the Monkees. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/153 "2004-08-19T20:38:57Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Paul McCartney played banjo (his original instrument) and produced the Bonzo Dog Band’s British Single, “I’m the Urban Spaceman,” using the pseudonym “Apollo C. Vermouth.” Paul also helped produce a song he wrote “Come and Get It”, by Badfinger. Earlier, Paul had written the song “Woman” for Peter and Gordon under a pseudonym to prove how good a song writer he was. The song was a minor hit but then again most of Peter and Gordon’s hits were minor ones and also pennned by Paul anyway. :eek: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/154 "2004-08-19T20:42:28Z")
> [@Happy Scrappy Hero Pup](#): > > In 1967, IIRC, “I Think We’re Alone Now” and “Mony Mony,” by Tommy James and the Shondells were at #1 and #2 on the charts. > > In 1987, they were both back at the same positions, only as covered by Tiffany and Billy Idol, respectively. > [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Would be nice if true, but not even close. > > “I Think We’re Alone Now” was released in March 1967 and only got to #4. “Mony, Mony” wasn’t released until May 1968 and only got to #3. On the Billboard charts, at least. **Exapno** is correct, of course, but I’ve always thought it was cool enough that two covers, performed by different people, of hit songs by the same band were in the top 10 the same week. I mean, what are the odds? Another trivia bit: I believe Jim Steinman (who wrote the huge-selling album _Bat Out of Hell_ for **Meat Loaf** ) is the only songwriter to have 3 songs in the Billboard Top 10 in the same week. They were all performed by different acts: _Total Eclipse of the Heart_ by **Bonnie Tyler** , _Read 'em and Weep_ by **Barry Manilow** , and _Love Out of Nothing At All_ by **Air Supply**. I don’t have a Billboard subscription to verify, but I remember Casey Kasem telling me this back when it happened. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/155 "2004-08-19T20:43:38Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > Paul also helped produce a song he wrote “Come and Get It”, by Badfinger. > > Earlier, Paul had written the song “Woman” for Peter and Gordon under a pseudonym to prove how good a song writer he was. The song was a minor hit but then again most of Peter and Gordon’s hits were minor ones and also pennned by Paul anyway. :eek: 😃 The Beatles’ songs written by Paul “The Night Before” and “She’s A Woman” were written at the same time. Both songs use the same bass line. :eek: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/156 "2004-08-19T21:02:58Z")
> [@Saltire](#): > > Another trivia bit: I believe Jim Steinman (who wrote the huge-selling album _Bat Out of Hell_ for **Meat Loaf** ) is the only songwriter to have 3 songs in the Billboard Top 10 in the same week. They were all performed by different acts: _Total Eclipse of the Heart_ by **Bonnie Tyler** , _Read 'em and Weep_ by **Barry Manilow** , and _Love Out of Nothing At All_ by **Air Supply**. I don’t have a Billboard subscription to verify, but I remember Casey Kasem telling me this back when it happened. Unless there’s a fine distinction I’m missing (the “performed by different acts” stipulation maybe?) this isn’t true. The Beatles held the top 5 places on the Billboard chart on April 4, 1964, and four of those were Lennon-McCartney numbers. Later, when Saturday Night Fever was taking off, I believe the brothers Gibb did it again, with four Bee Gees singles in the top ten and the fifth being Yvonne Ellman’s version of “If I Can’t Have You.” ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/157 "2004-08-19T21:07:35Z")
> [@Saltire](#): > > Another trivia bit: I believe Jim Steinman (who wrote the huge-selling album _Bat Out of Hell_ for **Meat Loaf** ) is the only songwriter to have 3 songs in the Billboard Top 10 in the same week. They were all performed by different acts: _Total Eclipse of the Heart_ by **Bonnie Tyler** , _Read 'em and Weep_ by **Barry Manilow** , and _Love Out of Nothing At All_ by **Air Supply**. I don’t have a Billboard subscription to verify, but I remember Casey Kasem telling me this back when it happened. Casey appears to have been misinformed. Back in 1984, I had a book about Billboard #1 hits of the Rock era (it catalogued them all, beginning with _Rock Around the Clock_, and ending with _We are the World_, the Quincy Jones-Mchael Jackson collaboration that was recorded as a fund-raiser for victims of a famine in East Africa – it was recorded following an _American Music Awards_ ceremony, and had lots of pop stars and Dan Ayckroyd). Anyway, each page lists the week that the song hit number one, tells how long it was there, and also tells what the top five songs were. I can no longer name the songs, but one week in 1964, all five of the top five were Beatle’s records. One presumes that Lennon and McCartney wrote them (although, it is possible that two or more were covers). The next entry in the book shows that in order to get the Beatles out of the number one slot, it took Louis Armstrong’s version of _Hello, Dolly!_ New bit of trivia: Bruce Springsteen was brought to national prominence by the same man who “discovered” Bob Dylan: John Hammond; who also “discovered” and was the brother-in-law of Benny Goodman. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Seventh\_Deadly\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6bbea6/32.png) [@The\_Seventh\_Deadly\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Seventh_Deadly_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/158 "2004-08-19T21:20:46Z")
> [@paulberserker](#): > > I don’t doubt you, but didn’t they get Marshall to specially build one for them for the film, or am I just thinking of the film itself? You should doubt me; I totally made that up. As far as I know, Electro-Harmonix (which is a real company) never made an amp called the “Small **Troll** ,” with a knob going to 11 or any other number. I’m sorry, I saw some rock trivia urban legends posted in this thread (all debunked pretty quickly, I might add) and couldn’t resist inventing one of my own. Please don’t kill me. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/159 "2004-08-19T21:34:32Z")
One his last album “Blue Moves” Elvis recorded a song called “Easy for You to Say,” written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. On his album “My Life for a Song” Placido Domingo recorded a song called “I Don’t Tallk To Strangers,” written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The melody was later used in Phantom of the Opera as "All I Ask of You. I don’t talk to strangers. It seems a waste of time to hear People you don’t know recall a life you won’t know. Those who talk to strangers Might not intend a crime But then, all such occasions, are dangerous situations. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/160 "2004-08-19T21:40:19Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > One his last album “Blue Moves” Elvis recorded a song called “Easy for You to Say,” written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Tiny nitpick: Elvis’ last album before he croaked was _Moody Blue_. _Blue Moves_ was an album by Elton John. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250.md?page=9)