Mike Tyler

Whitesnake formed in London, England in 1977.  The group’s first albums got somewhat lost in the shuffle, although they were fairly popular in Europe and Japan. During 1982, founding member and singer David Coverdale took some time off, so he could take care of his sick daughter. When he re-emerged with a new version of Whitesnake in 1984, the band sounded revitalized and energetic. Slide It In may have relied on Led Zeppelin’s and Deep Purple’s old tricks, but the band had a knack for writing hooks as the record became their first platinum album. Three years later, Whitesnake released an eponymous album  that was even better. Portions of the album were blatantly derivative — “Still of the Night” was a dead ringer for early Zeppelin — but the group could write powerful, heavy rockers like “Here I Go Again” that were driven as much by melody as riffs, as well as hit power ballads like “Is This Love.”

For some heavy Jack Nation points, which of the following groups did David Coverdale sing for before he formed Whitesnake?

A)  Deep Purple

B)  Bad Company

C) Iron Maiden

Make your answer one word, no spaces and enter it in the Bonus Codes section of this website to grab your points.

More trivia tomorrow as I’ll be saying “Here I Go Again”.

Mike

April Wine formed in Canada back in 1969.  “Fast Train,” their first hit, appeared in 1971, the same year as the self-titled debut album.  The next year brought the band’s first Canadian number one single, “You Could Have Been a Lady,” from On Record.  In 1976, The Whole World’s Goin’ Crazy became the first Canadian album to go platinum and their resulting tour was the first to gross one million dollars.  After 1978’s First Glance and 1979’s Harder Faster, “Just Between You and Me” became April Wine’s biggest U.S. hit. The single (one of three Top 40 American singles by the band) propelled 1981’s Nature of the Beast to platinum-record status.

For some vintage Jack Nation points, which Canadian city did April Wine originally form in?

A)  Montreal

B)  Toronto

C)  Halifax

Enter your answer in the BONUS CODES section of this website to savour your Jack Nation points and thanks for checking out my rock trivia blog - more tomorrow!

“Rock ‘n Roll is a vicious game…”

Mike

.38 Special formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1975.  After releasing a couple of albums of straight-ahead Southern boogie, the band revamped its sound to fall halfway between country-fried blues-rock and driving, arena-ready hard rock. The result was a string of hit albums and singles in the early ’80s, highlighted by “Caught Up in You,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” and “Like No Other Night.” .38 Special’s popularity dipped in the late ’80s as MTV-sponsored pop and heavy metal cut into their audience. Though the band had its biggest hit in 1989 with the ballad “Second Chance,” it proved to be their last gasp — they faded away in the early ’90s, retiring to the oldies circuit.

For some southern fried Jack Nation points that are finger lickin’ good, what was .38 Special lead singer Donnie Van Zant’s brother’s first name who happened to be the singer for Lynyrd Skynyrd?

A)  Johnnie

B)  Steven

C)  Ronnie

Enter your answer in the BONUS CODES section of this website to grab your Jack Nation points and don’t “Hold On Loosely.”

Thanks for playing rock trivia on my blog, more tomorrow.

Happy Shovelling.

Mike 

George Thorogood was born December 24th, 1950 in Wilmington, Deleware.  In 1973, George assembled the Destroyers which featured bassist Michael Lenn, second guitarist Ron Smith, and drummer Jeff Simon.   Shortly after the group was formed, Thorogood moved them to Boston, where they became regulars on the blues club circuit. In 1974, they cut a batch of demos which were later released in 1979 as the “Better Than The Rest” album.  Within a year of recording the demos, the Destroyers were discovered by John Forward, who helped them secure a contract with Rounder Records. Before they made their first album, Lenn was replaced by Billy Blough.  George Thorogood & The Destroyers released their debut album, which included the classic ”One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” in early 1977.

For a nice bump in your Jack Nation points total, what sport was George Thorogood a minor league player in before quitting his athletic career to take up music full-time?

A)  Baseball

B)  Football

C)  Golf

Leave your answer in the bonus codes section of this website to snag your winnings and thanks again for checking out my daily rock trivia blog!

“Move it on over…”

Mike

Born William Michael Albert Broad on November 30th, 1955 in Middlesex, England.  After a stint playing guitar in a group called Chelsea didn’t pan out (interestingly, the group featured future Clash guitarist Mick Jones) Billy put down the guitar and picked up the microphone.  It wasn’t long before Broad realized that he  could be the frontman of a punk band, and assumed the name Billy Idol shortly thereafter.  Mixing his bad-boy good looks with an appealing blend of pop hooks, punk attitude, and dance beats, Idol quickly rocketed to stardom, before hard living derailed his career and almost proved fatal.

For a nice stack of Jack Nation Points, which 1998 movie did Billy make a cameo in, appearing as himself?

A) Cyber Punk

B) Wedding Singer

C) The Doors

Make your answer one word (no spaces) and enter it in the bonus codes section of this website to grab your points.

PS - Did you know the Billy Idol song “White Wedding” is not about weddings at all?  It’s all about heroin addiction as in “It’s a nice day to start again”.

Mike

Cheap Trick formed in 1975 in Rockford, Illinois.  The group signed with Epic Records in 1976, releasing their self-titled debut in early 1977. The record sold well in America, yet it failed to chart. However, the group became a massive success in Japan, going gold upon release. Later that year, the band released their second album, “In Color”. It backed away from the harder-rock, featuring a slicker production and quieter arrangements than their first album that spotlighted the band’s melodic skills. Due to their constant touring, the record made it into the U.S. charts, peaking at number 73; in Japan it became another gold-seller. The band realized that they were virtual superstars in Japan when they toured the country in early 1978.

For a lovely stash of Jack Nation points, what city in Japan is home to the Budokan arena where Cheap Trick recorded a live album?

A)  Kobe

B)  Osaka

C)  Tokyo

Leave your answer in the BONUS CODES section of this website to get your points and thanks for checking out my rock trivia blog.  More rock trivia over the weekend!

Cheers,

Mike

The Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in California in 1983.  The band created their own unique musical style by combining funk and punk rock together.   Combined with an explosive stage show, the Chili Peppers spawned a slew of imitators in their wake, but still managed to be the leaders of the pack by the dawn of the 21st century.  The group played strip bars along the sunset strip during the early ’80s and it was during this time that the quartet honed their sound and live act (as they stumbled across a stage gimmick that would soon become their trademark — performing on-stage completely naked, except for a tube sock covering a certain part of their anatomy.

For a nice bundle of Jack Nation points, what California highschool did three of the original band members attend?

A)  Fairfax

B)  Brentwood

C)  Lincoln

Enter your answer in the BONUS CODES section of this website to add some points tyo your Jack Nation account.

More rock trivia tomorrow as we continue to “give it away”.

Mike

The Pretenders formed in 1978 in London, England.  Originally from Ohio, singer Chrissie Hynde moved to England in the early ’70s, when she was in her twenties. British rock journalist Nick Kent helped her begin writing for New Musical Express; she wrote for the newspaper during the mid-’70s. She also worked in Malcolm McLaren’s SEX boutique before she began performing.   In 1978, Chrisssie formed the Pretenders, which eventually consisted of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, bassist Pete Farndon, and drummer Martin Chambers. Later in the year, they recorded a version of Ray Davies’ “Stop Your Sobbing” produced by Nick Lowe. The single made it into the British Top 40 in early 1979. “Kid” and “Brass in Pocket,” the group’s next two singles, also were successful. Their self-titled debut album was released in early 1980 and eventually climbed to number one in the U.K. The Pretenders were nearly as successful in America, with the album reaching the Top Ten and “Brass in Pocket” reaching number 14.

For some not so middle of the road Jack Nation points, which city in Ohio is Chrissie Hynde from?

A) Akron

B) Cleveland

C) Columbus

Enter your answer in the BONUS CODES section of this website to grab your points and check in tomorrow for more rock trivia.

Thanks for checking out my blog!

Now, “back on the chain gang.”

Mike

Bob “Kid Rock” Ritchie was born Robert James Ritchie on January 17, 1971 and grew up in Romeo, Michigan, a small rural town north of Detroit . Finding small-town life stiflingly dull, Ritchie immersed himself in rap music, learned to breakdance, and began making the talent-show rounds in Detroit. Inspired by the Beastie Boys’ album “Licensed to Ill” — white performers fusing rap and hard guitar rock — Kid Rock recorded his first demos in 1988, and eventually scored an opening slot at a Boogie Down Productions gig. That performance, in turn, led to a contract with Jive Records, which issued Kid Rock’s debut album, “Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast” in 1990.

For a nice bundle of Jack Nation points, which actress was Kid Rock recently in a brief relationship with?

A) Pamela Anderson

B) Lindsay Lohan

C) Jamie Lee Curtis

Make your answer one word (no spaces) and enter it in the BONUS CODES section of this website tograb your points.

Thanks for checking out the blog!

More rock trivia tomorrow.

Mike

Roxy Music formed in the summer of 1971, in and around London, England.  The group evolved from the late-’60s art-rock movement and had a fascination with fashion, glamour, cinema, pop art, and the avant-garde, which separated the band from their contemporaries. Dressed in bizarre, stylish costumes, the group played a defiantly experimental variation of art rock which vacillated between avant-rock and sleek pop hooks. During the early ’70s, the group was driven by the creative tension between Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno, who each pulled the band in separate directions: Ferry had a fondness for American soul and Beatlesque art-pop, while Eno was intrigued by deconstructing rock with amateurish experimentalism.  Released in 1982, “Avalon” became Roxy Music’s biggest album and the band plan on putting out a new release in 2008.

For a nice deposit in your Jack Nation points account, what did singer Bryan Ferry’s father do for a living?

A)  Bus Driver

B)  Coal Miner

C)  Construction Worker

Make your answer ONE WORD and enter it in the BONUS CODES section of this website to pad your account.

Thanks for checking out my rock trivia blog and there’ll be “More Than This” tomorrow.

Mike