The Wombat File Is Yours to Keep

Gavin didn't share any of the answers with me...I have some thoughts but in order not to take unfair advantage, I'm going to hold my fire for a few minutes.

A few of these were easy for me, but I'm having trouble with more than half.

Even the familiar ones are tough to nail down within the overall cacophony. Here goes:
#1: Steal Away by Robbie Dupree (I claim extra sympathy points for still owning the LP);
#8: Rio by Duran Duran; and
19: Treat Me Right by Pat Benatar.

Even the familiar ones are tough to nail down within the overall cacophony. Here goes:
#1: Steal Away by Robbie Dupree (I claim extra sympathy points for still owning the LP);
#8: Rio by Duran Duran; and
19: Treat Me Right by Pat Benatar.

...sorry for the accidental double post. The fastest clicker in the West and all that.

I don't think #8 is "Rio" -- I think it's "The Reflex", from Seven and the Ragged Tiger.

I KNEW there was something Michael McDonald-y about that first one.

I'll toss in my guess that No. 5 is The Who's "Eminence Front" and No. 7 is Bowie's "Diamond Dogs."

No. 12 is the only one that was really easy for me. But I've run out of guesses...

Oooh, ooh, I just figured out No. 11.

Maybe.

Okay, first update:

1. Robbie Dupree, "Steal Away" (errata)

5. The Who, "Eminence Front" (le wombat)

#7 is not David Bowie.
#8 is Duran Duran, but neither "Rio" nor "The Reflex."
#19 is not Pat Benatar.

Crap, I was feeling pretty good about #7.

OK, is #8 "Union of the Snake"?

No. 11 -- Wang Chung "Dance Hall Days" (I'm not as sure about this as I first thought, but it's a reasonable guess).

No. 16 -- I know the name of the song, but can't think of the artist, so I'll keep mum.

No. 12 is, of course "Radiohead Patrol" by Tricky Karma.

2 new guesses:
#15 is Romeo Void's "I Might Like You Better if We Slept Together"
#19 is the Go-Go's "Vacation"

I've got my third guess for this round, and I'm pretty darn confident.
#4: The White Stripes - The Hardest Button to Button

Have we scared everyone else off?

1. Robbie Dupree, "Steal Away" (errata)

5. The Who, "Eminence Front" (le wombat)

8. Duran Duran, "Union of the Snake" (le wombat)

15. Romeo Void, "Never Say Never" (errata)

19. The Go-Gos, "Vacation" (errata)

#4 is not the White Stripes.
#11 is not Wang Chung.
If I'm unspooling Bill's punning guess correctly, I can say that #12 is Cheap Trick, but not "Dream Police."

Oh, duh. Surrender. Surrender. Don't give yourself away.

Also, #16 is "If I Can't Have You" (although that might not be the actual title, and I blush to say I don't know who the artist is).

If 16 is "If I Can't Have You" then I don't want nobody baby. It's Yvonne Ullmann (spelling?).

#10 sorta sounds like The Cars, maybe "My Best Friend's Girl."
#3 sure sounds like an Aussie band, like the Go-Betweens.
Could #4 be Franz Ferdinand - don't recognize the song, just trying to narrow down the band.
I am clearly running out of inspiration - must refuel and try again later.

hi-- i'm back

#4 The Knack "My Sharona"
#10 The Cars um "Shake It Up"????
#11 Ayaco says "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie (or Commodores as the case may be).

Yvonne Elliman: total one-hit wonder blessed with a Bee Gees production.

1. Robbie Dupree, "Steal Away" (errata)

5. The Who, "Eminence Front" (le wombat)

8. Duran Duran, "Union of the Snake" (le wombat)

12. Cheap Trick, "Surrender" (le wombat)

15. Romeo Void, "Never Say Never" (errata)
16. Yvonne Elliman, "If I Can't Have You" (le wombat & errata)

19. The Go-Gos, "Vacation" (errata)

#3 is not an Australian band.
#4 is Franz Ferdinand.
#10 is not the Cars, although the band was obviously going for the Cars sound.
#11 is not Lionel Richie in any incarnation (or Wang Chung).

#11 Kool and the Gang "Celebration"
#19 The Kinks "Come Dancing"
#6 sounds like Sonic Youth, but it is probably not (the chugging part at the end seems wrong).

obviously #19 has already been scored, so it can't be the Kinks....my replacement guess is:

#18 Flaming Lips "the W.A.N.D"

None of those, I'm afraid.
I'm sensing that we're going to have only three participants. I'll put up some clues later in the day, but consider the three guesses per update rule waived: if you think you know a song, shout it out.

#11 -- Life is a Highway? By, uh, somebody. Or else The Tubes, One in a Million.

Yvonne Elliman was in the movie version of Jesus Christ Superstar, and the song "I Don't Know How to Love Him" was a charter, I think. Two-hit wonder?

#10 Hall and Oates, Kiss is On My List?

#17 -- Fabulous Thunderbirds, Tuff Enough.

#6: Midnight Oil- The Dead Heart;
#9: Blues Traveler - Runaround;
#10: Blink 182 - What's My Age Again?

Oh, and since it was revealed that 4 is indeed F. Ferdinand (the band, not the Austrian Archduke), I'll guess "Take Me Out" as the song.

#13: Huey Lewis & the News?

#2 is one of those Green Day alike pop punk bands
#3 is Icicle Works
#4 -- I don't know any F. Ferdinand songs
#6 is Pavement "Fight this Generation"
#9 is They Might Be Giants (because of accordion)
#14 is Sonic Youth
#17 is um Robert Cray

If 9 isn't Blues Traveler (or TMBG), could it be John Cougar Melon-Kampf?

None of those band identifications are correct.
And that's not an accordion on track #9, by the way.
As you may have noticed, this bunch of songs is skewing towards the genre loosely and oft-inaccurately called "alternative."

1. Robbie Dupree, "Steal Away" (errata)
2. RECENT ALT-HIT (USA)
3. '80S ALT-HIT (UK)
4. FRANZ FERDINAND SONG
5. The Who, "Eminence Front" (le wombat)
6. GREAT RECENT ALBUM TRACK FROM ONE-MAN BAND
7. 70S GLAM BRITS
8. Duran Duran, "Union of the Snake" (le wombat)
9. LEADOFF TRACK ON SMASH DEBUT OF '80S FEMALE VOCALIST
10. RECENT HIT SINGLE FOR POP CHAMELEONS
11. Tom Cochrane, "Life Is a Highway" (hackly)
12. Cheap Trick, "Surrender" (le wombat)
13. ONE-HIT NEW-WAVE NUGGET
14. STEVE ALBINI PRODUCTION OF POP BAND
15. Romeo Void, "Never Say Never" (errata)
16. Yvonne Elliman, "If I Can't Have You" (le wombat & errata)
17. COLLABORATION BETWEEN MAJOR ROCK BAND AND MAJOR BLUES ARTIST
18. OMNIPRESENT '90S ALT-HIT (UK)
19. The Go-Gos, "Vacation" (errata)
20. RECENT TITLE TRACK OF CRITICALLY REVERED FEMALE SINGER-SONGWRITER

(the only correct guess since the last update was Hackly nailing #11.)

2. We Are Scientists
7. Roxy Music - Virginia Plain
13. Modern English - Melt with You
14. Pixies
17. U2 and BB King - When Love Comes to Town
20. Nora Jones

Eureka!
#20: Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine

#18: Err, Oasis - Wonderwall or Champagne Supernova???

Oops, forgot about the 3 guess rule.

14. Pixies
17. U2 and BB King - When Love Comes to Town

I think James has it with #7, but no way is #13 Melt With You...I'm betting #3 is The Jesus and Mary Chain, maybe. And I think #2 is the Strokes.

The three-guess rule has been waived—fire away.
(Asterisks next to the new correct guesses; the only correct band identification without a song in the last fusillade was Bill tagging #3 as the J&MC.)
I've amplified some of the clues; I'll close out this game tomorrow regardless of what's left.

1. Robbie Dupree, "Steal Away" (errata)
2. RECENT ALT-HIT FROM MIDWEST
3. JESUS AND MARY CHAIN SONG
4. FRANZ FERDINAND SONG
5. The Who, "Eminence Front" (le wombat)
6. GREAT RECENT ALBUM TRACK FROM CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ONE-MAN BAND
7. 70S GLAM BRIT BAND (NOT ROXY MUSIC)
8. Duran Duran, "Union of the Snake" (le wombat)
9. LEADOFF TRACK ON MEGAPLATINUM DEBUT OF ICONIC '80S FEMALE VOCALIST
10. RECENT HIT SINGLE FOR POP CHAMELEONS
11. Tom Cochrane, "Life Is a Highway" (hackly)
12. Cheap Trick, "Surrender" (le wombat)
13. ONE-HIT NEW-WAVE NUGGET FROM CALIFORNIA
14. STEVE ALBINI PRODUCTION OF UNCREDIBLE POP-ROCK BAND
15. Romeo Void, "Never Say Never" (errata)
16. Yvonne Elliman, "If I Can't Have You" (le wombat & errata)
*17. U2 w/ B.B. King, "When Love Comes to Town"
18. OMNIPRESENT '90S ALT-HIT, ALSO PROMINENT IN BEER COMMERCIAL (UK)
19. The Go-Gos, "Vacation" (errata)
*20. Fiona Apple, "Extraordinary Machine"

#3 is April Skies by the Jesus and Mary Chain

#10 is Just What I Need by The Cars

#9 is (I think possibly but not quite sure) Nervous Night by The Hooters;

#3 is correct; #10 is still not the Cars; #9 is not credited to the Hooters, but they play on the track.

#7: T. Rex - Bang a Gong;
#4: F. Ferdinand - Jacqueline

Oh, now I get it -
#9: Cyndi Lauper - Money Changes Everything

Could #14 be Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Love Missile F1-11?

And if I'm wrong about #7 as T. Rex, how about Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes?

#4 is Do You Want To by Franz Ferdinand

#14 is Swallowed by Bush

#2 Garbage?
#6 M.Ward?
#9 megaplatinum Alison Moyet with the Hooters
#13 Rain Parade?

methinks I wasn't listening to the same radio station

OK, off to Malaysia

Malaysia! Wow, have a great time.
Deacon comes on strong:

1. Robbie Dupree, "Steal Away" (errata)
2. RECENT ALT-HIT FROM MIDWEST
*3. Jesus and Mary Chain, "April Skies" (deacon)
*4. Franz Ferdinand, "Do You Want To" (deacon)
5. The Who, "Eminence Front" (le wombat)
6. GREAT RECENT ALBUM TRACK FROM CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ONE-MAN BAND
7. MOTT THE HOOPLE SONG
8. Duran Duran, "Union of the Snake" (le wombat)
*9. Cyndi Lauper, "Money Changes Everything" (errata)
10. RECENT HIT SINGLE FOR POP CHAMELEONS (NOT THE CARS)
11. Tom Cochrane, "Life Is a Highway" (hackly)
12. Cheap Trick, "Surrender" (le wombat)
13. ONE-HIT NEW-WAVE NUGGET FROM CALIFORNIA
*14. Bush, "Swallowed"
15. Romeo Void, "Never Say Never" (errata)
16. Yvonne Elliman, "If I Can't Have You" (le wombat & errata)
17. U2 w/ B.B. King, "When Love Comes to Town"
18. OMNIPRESENT '90S ALT-HIT, ALSO PROMINENT IN BEER COMMERCIAL (UK)
19. The Go-Gos, "Vacation" (errata)
20. Fiona Apple, "Extraordinary Machine"

My God. I just have to stop.

Gavin, please put us out of our mercy (unless, Deacon, you're not tired yet...)

Okay, turning over all the cards:

1. Robbie Dupree, "Steal Away" (errata)
*2. Jimmy Eat World, "The Middle"
3. Jesus and Mary Chain, "April Skies" (le wombat & deacon)
4. Franz Ferdinand, "Do You Want To" (errata & deacon)
5. The Who, "Eminence Front" (le wombat)
*6. The Mountain Goats, "See America Right"
*7. Mott the Hoople, "All the Way From Memphis"
8. Duran Duran, "Union of the Snake" (le wombat)
9. Cyndi Lauper, "Money Changes Everything" (errata)
*10. Fountains of Wayne, "Stacy's Mom"
11. Tom Cochrane, "Life Is a Highway" (hackly)
12. Cheap Trick, "Surrender" (le wombat)
*13. The Monroes, "What Do All the People Know"
14. Bush, "Swallowed" (deacon)
15. Romeo Void, "Never Say Never" (errata)
16. Yvonne Elliman, "If I Can't Have You" (le wombat & errata)
17. U2 w/ B.B. King, "When Love Comes to Town"
*18. Elastica, "Connection"
19. The Go-Gos, "Vacation" (errata)
20. Fiona Apple, "Extraordinary Machine" (errata)

Can't believe I didn't get Elastica!

That was an interesting one to edit: any bit of the distinctive guitar riff and you'd know it instantly. The song-opening ambient hum? Harder to place.

I think it's worth an official acknowledgement that Errata was the clear winner of this week's quiz. Well done, sir!

I'm playing little samples of Kool & the Gang's "Celebration" inside my head right now.
In the future, people won't have time to listen to entire 3 min. pop ditties, so 3-5 sec. samples will become the normal length for songs, with entire albums clocking in at just under 1 minute.