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I have been putting this in other threads, but am afraid I am just cluttering up those threads, so I will stop doing that and just do stuff in this one. Care to join in? I am all about learning more about music. So here we go.
Here are five artists from the UK who are really well known, and they had hits on both sides of the Atlantic, but had a lot more success in the US than in their home countries. There may be more and if you know one, feel free to join in.
First, we start with Ringo Starr of the Beatles. He had a lot of success as a solo artist in the US with a number of top 40 singles, far more in the US than in the UK. Songs like Photograph did quite well in the US, but not so much over seas
Second, Sheena Easton, she did well on both sides, but had a lot more success in the US with songs like Sugar Walls
Third, the Alan Parson's Project. They did OK in the UK but had a lot of success in the US, with songs like Games People Play
Next we have Steve Winwood who was quite successful as a solo artist, but much more so in the US
And finally, we have George Harrison, another Beatle. Had a lot of success as a solo artist in the US and was also a part of the Traveling Wilbury's.
Re: Music Trivia Thread
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2025 10:04 am
by Attyla
What fading comedian helped the rise of one of the greatest performers of all times? It was 1956 and that comedian got on the phone after reading the reviews of his doomed television show. He was about to change the history of rock music on television. Here is the story.
Milton Berle, yes that Milton Berle was in the last year of the Milton Berle television show with slowly decaying ratings. He was looking through a pile of letters from viewers and he was getting torn up. As fate would have it the "Colonel" Tom Parker had just retained full control of a young and upward moving Elvis Presley. Elvis had a decent size fan base but Parker was looking to make a move. The self promoting slickster wanted a bigger piece of the pie and saw Berle's 40M viewership as a vehicle to do just that, and at the same time promote two shows Elvis was scheduled to do in San Diego. Berle, who had never heard of Elvis agreed to an audition for his show. Elvis showed up and performed for Uncle Milty and was signed on to do the show.
Elvis for his part, off stage was a humble and quiet man and suffered from huge stage fright. It is one of the reasons he performed behind his Martin 000-18 guitar. He could use it as a prop even when he was not actually playing it. It gave his hands something to hold onto. But Parker had an idea. He was going to remove the prop and Elvis was going to be freed up to do his signature moves without the cumbersome instrument blocking the view. The bright lights of the studio also had another effect, and that was heat. And a lot of heat. And that heat gave a slight glow to Elvis' face and hair, enhancing is already James Dean like good looks
So, Elvis performed his first song it is widely forgotten as is the cheesy bits Berle did in introduction (Berle plays a record store owner who is having Elvis doing an autograph session) but it is the second song of the show that matters. Elvis came out and did a minute and a half of Hound Dog. Then Elvis did something new. He had the guys go half speed, Elvis grabbed the microphone and thus was born Elvis the Pelvis as he turned left, dipping down and performing before facing full front with his legs moving in such a way that startled the older viewers and enthralled his young fans. Elvis mania was the result. And those shows? They became an afterthought as he began a booking storm of shows across the country. All because a guitar was removed from view.
As everyone knows, Elvis would go onto great success in the states, but was largely not popular overseas. And why? Turns out "Colonel" Tom Parker was wanted in a couple foreign countries so was afraid to travel outside the states, and so he just did not book Elvis anywhere else, or not very often for sure.
And what of the king of TV? Milton Berle would pop back up from time to time but his popularity would continue to dwindle. He got one last surge in the 80's when his nephew, Marshall Berle, who managed the hair metal band Ratt got him a gig doing the video for Round and Round.
For his part, "Colonel" Tom Parker retained a reasonable financial windfall from the Presley estate and gambled most of it away. He died in 1997 due to complications from Diabetes and had a stroke. But not before pissing off Eddie Murphy by rubbing his head for luck at the craps tables one night. What is the serious hell. Elvis died in 1977 almost 48 years ago, and had he lived would have celebrated his 90'th birthday earlier this year. That Martin guitar, it got sold to a vacuum salesman for $79.50.
Re: Music Trivia Thread
Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2025 8:43 am
by Attyla
I have heard the Beatles referred to as an early version of a "boy band" and not really that creative, and frankly I have to laugh at such notions. The Beatles are one of the very early pop bands that not only wrote most of their music, but the collaborations utilizing various techniques in both writing and recording have taken them far afield from the "boy band" moniker. Here is just one example.
I feel fine, on the surface, is yet another example of a "mop top" song. But that is not the case. It is one of the first examples of a rock band using intentional feedback in a song. Now used on occasion, it was Jimi Hendrix who really used it quite frequently. While the Kinks and the Who used it prior to the Beatles, it was the song, I Feel Fine, that became a number one song using this musical technique. And it started as an accident. Lennon leaned his guitar against an amp and they loved the sound.
The drumming of Ringo, was not a typical backbeat style, but rather a Latin beat and he pulled that from a Ray Charles song. It was an uncommon rhythm and it set song apart from the sounds at that time.
I Feel Fine topped most of the Hot 100 charts globally and it was listed as the biggest hit of 1965 in the US. It also set a record that stands to this day being the 6th number one song in a calendar year.
Re: Music Trivia Thread
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2025 1:38 pm
by Attyla
It had been a long time since this rock legend had retired from recording, but that was about to change. He had been huge in his day but retirement was appealing and musical tastes had changed.
He was content to be a stay at home dad, but one day he went to a bar to have some drinks with friends. The music they were playing was a bunch of new wave music, and he could not deny he did want to record again. That was when a new song came over the speakers. And that moment changed modern music. It was the B52s song, Rock Lobster that caught his attention. And that song inspired John Lennon to get back into the music world.
Imagine a world where he had stayed home that night.
Re: Music Trivia Thread
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2025 1:50 pm
by Attyla
And did you know that Stevie Ray Vaughn's strat, his number one guitar, was one he found in a music store simply because Christopher Cross wanted a guitar with a heavier sound? Cross was strapped for cash or he would have kept it, but he went into the store, traded his strat for another guitar, a Les Paul. Vaughn went into that store the very next day, saw the Stratocaster and loved the tones. He bought it that day and the rest is history. And yes, that is the guitar with the bold SRV on it. It took years for Cross to learn that his guitar could sound like that.
Re: Music Trivia Thread
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2025 8:17 am
by Attyla
Prisencolinensinainciusol, you have probably never heard of this song but when Adriano Celentano, a wildly popular Italian singer, wrote the song, it became an Italian hit reaching number 5 on the charts. In fact, it charted in six countries reaching an astounding number two on the Belgium charts. Why is that asounding? Because the title of the track and all the words to the song....they are gibberish. Here is the story.
Celentano was a showman. He sang, danced, acted and did pretty much anything to entertain. But he was hugely influenced by all things America. He loved the music, the movies and yes, the dancing that was happening in the US in the 70's. That was when he decided to write an song with influences of America. The problem? He did not speak much English. That got the process going, he would sing English sounding words without bothering to learn any English words. He would just sound like he was singing lyrics. He went further, in that he would create the narrative that he was exploring communication barriers. The result was Prisencolinensinainciusol, which ended up being translated as The Language Of Love for the UK release. It does not mean that, Prisencolinensinainciusol is not a word in any language. He looped four drumbeats over his gibberish adding in a bass line and horns. The nonsense song was actually a hit, and elements of the song can be found in Hip Hop today. As a matter of fact, the showman claims his song invented rap music. I am not sure how the Sugar Hill Gang feels about that. But the showman performed his "rap" song live quite often, sometimes not even bothering to get his gibberish lyrics right. Celentano lives on today as does his song, Prisencolinensinainciusol.
And to be honest, he does sound like he is singing American lyrics, take a listen
Re: Music Trivia Thread
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2025 8:29 am
by rossid
SRV: saw him twice. Probably in the midst of his addictions and once before he died and was sober. Remember my exact location when a coworker told me he died. Saw the Grateful Dead three times at Alpine Valley where he was flying back from (?) after playing with Eric Clapton and Robert Cray.
One of few that is vocal on the Beatles being overrated, yet, someone who thought Paul was lead guitarist cracked me up.
Steve Winwood is stellar. Let me end with that positive comment.
Re: Music Trivia Thread
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2025 4:08 pm
by Cruisin with Tooz
Attyla wrote: Mon Aug 04, 2025 10:04 am
What fading comedian helped the rise of one of the greatest performers of all times? It was 1956 and that comedian got on the phone after reading the reviews of his doomed television show. He was about to change the history of rock music on television. Here is the story.
Milton Berle, yes that Milton Berle was in the last year of the Milton Berle television show with slowly decaying ratings. He was looking through a pile of letters from viewers and he was getting torn up. As fate would have it the "Colonel" Tom Parker had just retained full control of a young and upward moving Elvis Presley. Elvis had a decent size fan base but Parker was looking to make a move. The self promoting slickster wanted a bigger piece of the pie and saw Berle's 40M viewership as a vehicle to do just that, and at the same time promote two shows Elvis was scheduled to do in San Diego. Berle, who had never heard of Elvis agreed to an audition for his show. Elvis showed up and performed for Uncle Milty and was signed on to do the show.
Elvis for his part, off stage was a humble and quiet man and suffered from huge stage fright. It is one of the reasons he performed behind his Martin 000-18 guitar. He could use it as a prop even when he was not actually playing it. It gave his hands something to hold onto. But Parker had an idea. He was going to remove the prop and Elvis was going to be freed up to do his signature moves without the cumbersome instrument blocking the view. The bright lights of the studio also had another effect, and that was heat. And a lot of heat. And that heat gave a slight glow to Elvis' face and hair, enhancing is already James Dean like good looks
So, Elvis performed his first song it is widely forgotten as is the cheesy bits Berle did in introduction (Berle plays a record store owner who is having Elvis doing an autograph session) but it is the second song of the show that matters. Elvis came out and did a minute and a half of Hound Dog. Then Elvis did something new. He had the guys go half speed, Elvis grabbed the microphone and thus was born Elvis the Pelvis as he turned left, dipping down and performing before facing full front with his legs moving in such a way that startled the older viewers and enthralled his young fans. Elvis mania was the result. And those shows? They became an afterthought as he began a booking storm of shows across the country. All because a guitar was removed from view.
As everyone knows, Elvis would go onto great success in the states, but was largely not popular overseas. And why? Turns out "Colonel" Tom Parker was wanted in a couple foreign countries so was afraid to travel outside the states, and so he just did not book Elvis anywhere else, or not very often for sure.
And what of the king of TV? Milton Berle would pop back up from time to time but his popularity would continue to dwindle. He got one last surge in the 80's when his nephew, Marshall Berle, who managed the hair metal band Ratt got him a gig doing the video for Round and Round.
For his part, "Colonel" Tom Parker retained a reasonable financial windfall from the Presley estate and gambled most of it away. He died in 1997 due to complications from Diabetes and had a stroke. But not before pissing off Eddie Murphy by rubbing his head for luck at the craps tables one night. What is the serious hell. Elvis died in 1977 almost 48 years ago, and had he lived would have celebrated his 90'th birthday earlier this year. That Martin guitar, it got sold to a vacuum salesman for $79.50.
Attyla wrote: Wed Aug 27, 2025 4:33 pmyou mad bro?
....
Re: Music Trivia Thread
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2025 1:11 pm
by Attyla
Cruisin with Tooz wrote: Wed Aug 27, 2025 8:25 pm
Now that was succinct. Keep up the good work!!
You really don't see a difference between a trivia thread where we are literally offering up a wide variety of music facts and info and your huge rant over a player in a discussion. Read what I just wrote again, a bunch of music trivia vs a discussion. You did not post up an article, you argued your position repeatedly. This thread is supposed to offer up lots of information where needed to tell the stories of some of music's more detailed history. And yes, there is a difference. So you went in search of one of my posts which was more article than discussion to pull off one of the more funny cases of redass I have seen in a bit.
And yes, by doing this you really did show that you got a case of redass or you would have just moved on. Have a good day.
Re: Music Trivia Thread
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2025 2:43 pm
by Cruisin with Tooz
.....
Re: Music Trivia Thread
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2025 3:56 pm
by Attyla
Cruisin with Tooz wrote: Thu Aug 28, 2025 2:43 pm
You keep insisting that Im mad. Im not mad at all. This is the funniest case of projection I have seen in a bit. You're the one who is mad because I pointed out your hypocrisy. It's evident in the tone of your posts.
lol, you pointed out dick. if you cannot see the difference, I cannot help you
red ass activated. I love this shit.
Re: Music Trivia Thread
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2025 4:23 pm
by Cruisin with Tooz
Attyla wrote: Thu Aug 28, 2025 3:56 pm
lol, you pointed out dick. if you cannot see the difference, I cannot help you
red ass activated. I love this shit.
.....
Re: Music Trivia Thread
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2025 5:44 pm
by Attyla
Cruisin with Tooz wrote: Thu Aug 28, 2025 4:23 pm
You cant even help yourself.
