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In the Fact File section we bring you a new collection of quick facts each week. (Click on the links below for more facts)

 
 

Special Pop Music and Pop Stars Fact File

(Editor's Note - Go on. Have a break from science for five minutes! All those equations must be giving you a headache!))

3721/ Some names that some famous Pop Bands adopted before they used the names for which they became famous:

The Beefeaters - The Byrds
The Engaged Couples - ABBA
Feedback - U2
Smile - Queen
Tom and Jerry - Simon and Garfunkel
Touch - Spice Girls
Wee Johnnie Hayes & The Bluecats - The Bee Gees

3722/ The 'real' names of some Pop Stars:

Irving Berlin - Israel Baline
Jon Bon Jovi - John Bongiovi
John Denver - John Henry Deutschendorf
Enya - Eithne Ni Bhraonain
Judge Jules - Julius O'Rearden
Stevie Wonder - Steveland Morris
Bill Wyman - William Perks
Tammy Wynette - Virginia Wynette Pugh

3723/ The girl referred to in the title of Buddy Holly's 1957 hit was in fact Peggy Sue Gerron, a pupil at Lubbock High School. At the time she was the girlfriend of Crickets (Buddy's backing band) drummer, Jerry Allison. This perhaps explains Allison's enthusiastic drumming on the song.

3724/ The first significant awards ceremony to be held which sought to specifically honour those working in the music industry, was the Grammys on the 4th May 1959. The Album of the Year on that first occasion went to Henry Mancini for Peter Gunn.

3725/ The British equivalent, the Brit Awards, began in 1977.

3726/ 'Gangsta's Paradise' by Coolio was based on a Stevie Wonder album track, 'Pastime Paradise'.

3727/ The UK's first record chart was on the 14th November 1952. The first ever number one based on record sales was Al Martino for 'Here in my Heart'.

3728/ In 1964 in the UK, the Beatles single, Can't Buy Me Love had over a million advance orders.

3729/ The Righteous Brothers, who recorded amongst other classic tunes, 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', weren't brothers at all. They were Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield and they met at a local club in California.

3730/ Lennon and McCartney wrote the song 'Lady Madonna' as a tribute to Fats Domino. And later, perhaps to return the favour? Fats Domino recorded the song as a tribute to The Beatles.

3731/ There have been more than two hundred different versions of the song 'My Way'. Best remembered in the Frank Sinatra hit of 1969. The lyrics were written by Paul Anka to an original French melody performed by Claude Francois.

3732/ 'American Pie' by Don McLean is about the death of Buddy Holly.

3733/ 'Mull of Kintyre' by Wings was the first record to sell over two million copies just in the United Kingdom and held the record as the biggest seller until 1984.

3734/ The sax solo on 'Baker Street' by Gerry Rafferty was played by Raphael Ravenscroft.

3735/ Mike Batt, who wrote the music for The Wombles, also wrote and produced the chart topper 'Bright Eyes' by Art Garfunkel for the movie, Watership Down.

3736/ In the height of the punk era, Bob Geldof wrote the song 'I Don't Like Mondays' after reading about a young woman named Brenda who shot her children because, she claimed, 'I Don't Like Mondays'.

3737/ 'Vienna' by Ultravox had to be content to peak at number 2 in the UK charts. It was held off top spot by the novelty hit, 'Shaddap You Face' by Joe Dolce.

3738/ 'Africa' by Toto won six Grammy awards in 1983 including 'Record of the Year'.

3739/ The oldest female singer to reach the top of the UK charts was Cher in 1998 with 'Believe'. She was 52. It took six British songwriters to compose 'Believe' which was, in fact, constructed from two separate incomplete songs.

3740/ Some Bitchy Pop Star Quotes:

"The guy's got a girl's name, and he wears makeup. What an original idea."
- Alice Cooper on 'fellow rocker', Marilyn Manson

"The Spice Girls are like heroin. You know somebody's doin it, but nobody is willing to admit that it is them"
- Stand up comedian and actor, Chris Rock

"He's a great singer - but he's not the most masculine guy, is he?"
Alexander O'Neal speaking about Michael Jackson

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