I think that most of us, who remember Pete Seeger, think of him as a folk singer -- one of the best known of all the folk singers. He is in a category with Woody Guthrie and wrote and arranged some of the classic protest songs of a generation.

Seeger was also with a popular folk group known as The Weavers.

They were most famous for a song called "Goodnight Irene." However, one song that Seeger arranged, for the western audience, was a tune that had been recorded ten years previously by Mariam Makeba. The song had been in Zulu.

Move ahead to December 1961, and we have the ingredients for another exciting rendition of Twin-Pick. You know how it works. There is a question below. If you get it right, then you see the original artists perform the original song. Get it wrong, and you will be abused psychologically by my rude cyber assistants. This time my assistant was hand-selected in an effort to help you out. Click on the possible answers to find out if you are right or not.

Question: Of the selections below, one of the songs was originally of African origin. Pete Seeger rearranged it and, when it was recorded in English by a pop artist(s), it became a #1 hit on the Billboard charts for three weeks back in 1961. Can you correctly identify that song?

Banana Boat Song -- Harry Belafonte

Puff The Magic Dragon -- Peter, Paul and Mary

Stranger On The Shore -- Mr. Acker Bilk

Land of 1000 Dances -- Cannibal and the Headhunters

The Lion Sleeps Tonight -- Tokens

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

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspections