Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia: Did the actor playing Robin on TV’s ‘Batman’ try singing?
by John Robinson
Q: Didn’t the kid who played Robin on the old “Batman” TV show make some records?
A: Yeah, a few. Robin was played by actor Burt Ward on that 1966 television program. He released a mid-1960s single produced by Frank Zappa titled “Boy Wonder, I Love You,” with the B-side, “Orange Colored Sky.” It didn’t chart.
Q: Please tell me where these bands got their names: Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Megadeth and Tesla.
A: Tesla named themselves after inventor Nikola Tesla, whose research paved the way for X-rays, microwaves, radio, flourescent lights and more. Megadeth is a military term for “one million dead.” An iron maiden was a medieval torture device — a human-size box lined with sharp spikes. And Guns N’ Roses was named when members of two bands — L.A. Gunns and Hollywood Roses — came together and formed a new group.
Q: Who did the ’60s song “Here Comes The Judge”?
A: There were four chart versions in 1968 but only two made the Top 40: Shorty Long (No. 8) and Pigmeat Markham (No. 19). The other two that made the bottom half of the charts were by The Magistrates (No. 54) and The Buena Vistas (No. 88). “Here Comes The Judge” was based on an old Pigmeat Markham vaudeville skit. Sammy Davis Jr. made it popular a second time around with his “Judge” parodies on NBC’s “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” television program in the late ’60s.
Q: Was Lobo one man or a group?
A: Lobo was the stage name used by Kent Lavoie, a native of Florida. After he recorded the 1971 song “Me And You And A Dog Named Boo,” he knew it was going to be a hit. But he was afraid he would become just another one-hit wonder, so, he used the name “Lobo,” which is Spanish for a “wolf” (or a”lone wolf,” as he intended). He became anything BUT a one-hit wonder. He had a total of 16 chart hits from 1971-1980.
Q: Do you have any trivia about Connie Francis? I wanted to know when “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” was out.
A: Connie’s “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” was a No. 1 hit in 1960. It was specifically written and arranged for the German market. Her German version made No. 1 on the Munich charts. The drum pattern was copied from Guy Mitchell’s 1959 hit “Heartaches By The Number.”
John Robinson grew up in Stockbridge and graduated from Stockbridge High School in 1969.
He’s been an author, TV host, columnist, actor, producer, emcee and radio broadcaster. Robinson’s favorite music of all time includes surf, psychedelia, garage bands, Motown and just plain ol’ good-time rock ‘n’ roll. To read more rock ‘n’ roll trivia, “Paranormal Michigan” stories, and lots more, check out Robinson’s books on his author page at facebook.com/johnrobinsonauthor.
