'Rock Quiz: 1000 Questions Classic Rock Challenge!' Book Excerpt

Here are the stories behind the songs that describe characteristics - gluttony, greed, etc. - that we should be New Year's resolutions to end but probably won't

New Year’s Eve was always an important night for promoter and impresario Bill Graham. It was celebrated in grand style at San Francisco’s Fillmore West and New York’s Fillmore East. In this excerpt from the book Fillmore East: The Venue That Changed Rock Music Forever, we look back at Dec. 31, 1968, when the Chambers Brothers headlined the show at the East Village hall.

Bill Graham left an indelible mark on the rock music industry with his Fillmore East and West concert halls, eclectic show lineups, and mega-sized concerts he staged until his death in 1991 in a helicopter crash. Country Joe McDonald was a mainstay of Graham’s San Francisco and New York City venues as the leader of Country Joe & the Fish and as a solo performer. McDonald was one of the musicians chosen by Graham for the star-studded closing of Fillmore East on June 27, 1971.

“Back in Black” is the title cut of AC/DC’s 1980 album, one of the best-selling LPs in history. “Back in Black” is a tribute to lead singer Bon Scott, who died suddenly in February 1980 at age 33. The song was primarily written by Brian Johnson, Scott’s replacement, and credited to co-writers Angus and Malcolm Young. In 1981, “Back in Black” reached №37.

At 23 seconds long, “Her Majesty” is the shortest tune in the Beatles catalog. Written by Paul McCartney, the song was intended to fit between “Mean Mr. Mustard” and “Polythene Pam” in the Abbey Road medley.

America was part of the ’70s laid-back West Coast sound that included the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt. Written by Bunnell, “A Horse with No Name” was released in 1972 and became a №1 hit. In the Wall Street Journal, Bunnell explained how the folk-rock tune, originally called “Desert Song,” was written while living in London.

Sisters Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson are the basis of Heart, whose 1986 “These Dreams” became the band’s first №1 hit. With music by Martin Page and lyrics by Bernie Taupin, who was taking time off from working with Elton John, “These Dreams” was turned down by Stevie Nicks and Kim Carnes before it was offered to Heart.

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Murray the K presented the last of his package shows for nine days beginning March 25, 1967, at the RKO 58th Street theater at 154 East 58th Street in Manhattan. Billed as “Music in the Fifth Dimension,” the headliners were Mitch Ryder and Wilson Pickett. “Direct from England” were two bands making their American debuts: The Who and Cream, who were billed as “The Cream.”

“Lil’ Red Riding Hood” was the second Top 10 hit for Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, their follow-up to “Wooly Bully.” The 1966 novelty tune, written by Ron Blackwell, reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Lil’ Red Riding Hood” is a takeoff on the Charles Perrault fairy tale. Sam, the wolf in sheep’s clothing, doesn’t think Red Riding Hood should “go walkin’ in these spooky ol’ woods alone.”

Pacific Gas & Electric formed in Los Angeles in 1967 and was named after the West Coast power company, which forced the band to change its name to PG&E in 1971. The New York Times at the time called them “among the best and most underexposed talent in the country.” PG&E’s acclaimed performance at the 1968 Miami Pop Festival earned them a contract with Columbia Records.

Some groups work together for years, honing and refining their sound until they develop a formula that yields a hit record. Then there are the Traveling Wilburys, a happy accident that brought together five superstars in April 1988: George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison. The Wilburys produced two albums; the first, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, led off with their biggest hit, “Handle with Care.”

“Bread and Butter” was a №2 hit in 1964 for the Newbeats: lead singer Larry Henley and brothers Dean and Mark Mathis. The group formed in Shreveport, LA, and was signed by Hickory Records on the strength of a demo of “Bread and Butter.”

Wilson’s high-pitched sound effects were inspired by Yoko Ono. “All of us really loved her, so it was definitely an inspiration when Cindy did her vocal part and some of the background parts,” Pierson told A.V. Club.

Elton John incorporated elements of Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound production techniques in recording “Step Into Christmas.” “We wanted to make an homage to Phil Spector,” John told the Sunday Post. “Part of what made Phil Spector records were the rooms, the musicians and the ambience.”

The Drifters would place nine records in the R&B Top 10, including the greatest holiday song ever put on vinyl: “White Christmas.”

Things came to a head when one of the Drifters, who had been drinking, argued and cursed at Dr. Jive and Apollo owner Frank Schiffman. Treadwell fired the entire group backstage and offered four of the Five Crowns the opportunity to become the new lineup of the Drifters.

1. Roger McGuinn got a Dylan lyric wrong in A. “My Back Pages” B. “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” C. “Mr. Tambourine Man”

“Want to take a mind excursion? How ‘bout a little diversion? The hippest of all trips. The return to reality. Well, join me.”