In a recent blog posts, I wrote about Leiber and Stoller. This pair of great early rock and roll songwriters referred to themselves as two Jewish boys who liked to listen to, and write music for, R&B and soul artists. They got together at age 16, and wrote some of the best songs of the rock era.

 The Leiber and Stoller songs were fun, like the various songs they wrote for the Coasters -- Yakety Yak, Along Came Jones, and Charlie Brown, for example, or how about Jailhouse Rock, Kansas City, Stand by Me, Love Potion #9 and so many more clever tunes.

Lest we forget, Leiber and Stoller wrote one of the most popular songs in all of history -- Hound Dog as recorded by Elvis. It was another wild and fun song. On the other hand, of their catalog, at least one hit that they wrote has always surprised me. It is not a song that I would expect to come from these two guys. It is a good song, but it seems so different.

Yes everyone, it is time for another Twin-Pick. This is your chance to see how much you remember about the early years of the rock and pop music. Just click on your chosen answer and you will, instantly, find out if you are right or wrong. Get it right and you will see the original artist perform the original hit. Get it wrong and you will be humiliated by one of my rude cyber assistants.

Question: One of the selections, from the choices below, was a hit song written by Leiber and Stoller. It has a much more serious theme than most of their popular compositions. Can you pick the song written by Leiber and Stoller?

 Is That All There Is? -- Peggy Lee

Lush Life -- Nat King Cole

The Green, Green Grass of Home -- Tom Jones

Ballad of the Green Beret -- Staff Sgt Barry Sadler

Strange Fruit -- Billie Holiday

For more "Stories Behind the Music" click on the guitar  

  Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspections