Ding-a-ling ... kerching!
QUESTION
David Bowie’s best-selling album is Let’s Dance. Which other artists found their greatest success with arguably their worst creation? CHUCK Berry was one of rock ’n’ roll’s greatest original innovators, but his biggest commercial success was a piece of juvenile fun.
The American singer- songwriter, who died last year aged 90, had his first hit with Maybellene in 1955, which established him as one of the rock ‘n’ roll trailblazers. Some rock historians consider his 1958 song Johnny B. Goode as the best rock ’n’ roll track ever.
This makes it hard to believe that the peak of Chuck Berry’s success came in 1972 with the Number One song My DingA-Ling — a lightweight piece of musical frivolity. Johnny B. Goode’s highest position? It’s never charted in the uk! Not my fault — I bought it.
Tex Waite, Trowbridge, Wilts. IN 1972, rock band roxy Music released their first album. This eponymous LP did not include their first single Virginia Plain, even though they were in the music charts around the same time.
The band’s next albums For your Pleasure and Stranded were seen as ground-breaking. roxy Music were glam, though not in the same vein as other emerging pop bands of the time.
Singer Bryan Ferry reinvented the band more than once and by the end of the Seventies, they specialised in slick ballads and mood music. however, for many fans from the early days, this was not what they saw as the ‘real’ roxy Music.
Following the death of John Lennon in 1980, roxy Music released a cover version of Jealous Guy, a song from Lennon’s highly rated 1971 album Imagine. This was to become the band’s only Number One — a travesty in the eyes of many who see roxy Music’s early work as among the most influential of the era.
Martin Smith, Ryton, Tyne & Wear. STeVIe WONDer produced some of the greatest songs of all time yet his only uk solo Number One was the cheesy ballad I Just Called To Say I Love you.
In film, director Tim Burton has been responsible for spectacular films such as Sleepy hollow and Big Fish, yet his most successful box office hit was a mediocre version of Alice In Wonderland.
Similarly, Denzel Washington’s only Best Actor Oscar was for the average crime thriller film Training Day. This is despite amazing performances in many other films including Malcolm X.
S. Fletcher, Wigan, Gtr Manchester.
QUESTION
A popular internet quote, ‘To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticise’, is attributed to the philosopher Voltaire. Did he actually say this? VOLTAIRE, the 18th- century French enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher, is famous for fine quotes including ‘Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers’ and ‘Love truth, but pardon error’.
however, he is not responsible for the quote in question. It was written by kevin Alfred Strom, an American white nationalist, neo-Nazi and holocaust denier. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.
The quote, which has spread across the internet, was deliberately attributed to Voltaire to give it credence.
Gavin Holnes, Cromer, Norfolk.
QUESTION
Which bird has the largest nest? ACCORDING to Guinness World records, the largest single bird’s nest recorded was built by a pair of bald eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in Florida in 1963. It was 9ft 6in wide, 20ft deep and estimated to weigh more than two tons. The golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos) also builds huge nests. One that was 15ft deep was reported in Scotland in 1954. The Sociable Weaver ( Philetairus socius) is a African bird that nests and broods in groups. Gigantic nests-withina-nest attached to trees and poles can house more than 100 breeding pairs and weigh several tons. Stephen Figgis, Stroud, Glos.
QUESTION
Does every element in the Periodic table have a use? FURTHER to the earlier answer, many obscure elements are so hazardous to humans they have a limited practical use. These include polonium, of which 1g could kill 10 million people.
Arguably the most practical use for all the elements is as exhibits within a collection of the Periodic table. As a hobby, people collect pure, refined samples, natural ores or items made from each element. however, a serious collector will need deep pockets as Californium252 costs £18million for 1g — only 8g have ever been produced in the West.
Don Trower, Braintree, Essex.
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