Volume 1 Done

Thank you all for playing in the first-ever N Degrees of Separation. Out of the more than 20 people received a copy of the CD, there were only 10 people submitted answers. I can’t quit my day job yet!!!

Mick, with a very high competitive spirit (and please continue for future volumes), is the champion for Volume 1. Laurie is second and Steve is third. (Honourable mention – Scott.)

All the connections except one have been figured out by at least one of you. I'm suprised that no one got Bob Dylan (Songs 14 & 1). (He just had his 65th birthday last week.)

Volume 2 is coming soon! Those that had submitted answers (correct or incorrect) for Volume 1 will receive a copy of Volume 2. If you did not play and would like to receive a copy; or, if you know of anyone who would like to play, please let me know – tell me, email me or leave a comment on this website (it’s easy. You don’t need to register or anything like that).

Stay tuned!

The Loop Is Completed

Both Songs 14 and 1 are originally by Bob Dylan (who is the one in the picture in the previous posting).

Song 14 - In late 1962, Dylan left for his first trip to England, still working on his second album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. While staying in London, Dylan immersed himself in the folk scene, making his first contact with folksingers including Martin Carthy. Carthy introduced Dylan to a number of traditional English variants of songs. Carthy would become a significant influence on Dylan, and his arrangement of the English folk song "Scarborough Fair" would soon provide Dylan with the basic melody to "Girl from the North Country".

Song 1 - Forever Young was released in the 1974’s Planet Waves album. Arguably the most celebrated song on Planet Waves, "Forever Young" was originally written for his children. The song is "an attempt to write something hymnal and heartfelt that spoke of the father in him."

So, finally, the complete connections of the 14 separations are:

Song	Artist	Connection
1 - Forever Young	The Pretenders	Chrissie Hynde	-	-
2 - I've Got You Babe	UB 40 & Chrissie Hydne	Chrissie Hynde	Bono	-
3 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For	U2	-	Bono	Dublin, Ireland
4 – Nothing Compares 2 U	Sinead O’Connor	Prince	-	Dublin, Ireland
5 – Purple Rain	Prince	Prince	Ventura Highway	-
6 – Someone To Call My Lover	Janet Jackson	-	Ventura Highway	America
7 - Tin Man	America	Wizard of Oz	-	America
8 - Rosanna	Toto	Wizard of Oz	Rosanna Arquette	-
9 – Into The Groove	Madonna	-	Rosanna Arquette	Into The Groove
10 – Let The Music Play	Shannon	Shannon	-	Into The Groove
11 – Runaway	Del Shannon	(Del) Shannon	Del Shannon’s Runaway	-
12 – When You Dream	Barenaked Ladies	-	Del Shannon’s Runaway	Scarborough
13 – Scarborough Fair	Simon & Garfunkel	Same lyrics	-	Scarborough
14 – Girl from the North Country	Rod Stewart	Same lyrics	Bob Dylan	-
1 - Forever Young	The Pretenders	-	Bob Dylan	-

The Volume 1 Loop is completed!

The Last Connection

Connection 8 & 9

Song	Artist	Connection
8 - Rosanna	Toto	Wizard of Oz	Rosanna Arquette	-
9 – Into The Groove	Madonna	-	Rosanna Arquette	Into The Groove

Notes:

Song 8 is Toto's 1982 hit 'Rosanna' which was named after Steve Porcaro's (Toto’s keyboardist) girlfriend at that time: actress Rosanna Arquette.

Both Rosanna Arquette and Madonna (Susan) were in the 1985 film's Desperately Seeking Susan which featured Into The Groove & helped the song to move into Billboard 100. The entire music video of Into The Groove features clips from the movie.

Who is she?

Connection 9 & 10

Song	Artist	Connection
9 – Into The Groove	Madonna	-		Into The Groove
10 – Let The Music Play	Shannon	Shannon	-	Into The Groove

Notes:

The line “….into the groove …..” appears several times in Let The Music Play.

Connection 10 & 11

Song	Artist	Connection
10 – Let The Music Play	Shannon	Shannon	-
11 – Runaway	Del Shannon	(Del) Shannon	-	-

Notes:

Let The Music Play is by Shannon (Brenda Shannon Greene). Let The Music Play is well known as the first freestyle track, with a heavy syncopated drum sound with Latin American rhythms. Today the song is well-regarded as both a pop classic and one of the most influential dance records of all time.

Connection 5 & 6

Song	Artist	Connection
1 - Forever Young	The Pretenders	Chrissie Hynde	-	-
2 - I've Got You Babe	UB 40 & Chrissie Hydne	Chrissie Hynde	Bono	-
3 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For	U2	-	Bono	Dublin, Ireland
4 – Nothing Compares 2 U	Sinead O’Connor	Prince	-	Dublin, Ireland
5 – Purple Rain	Prince	Prince	Ventura Highway	-
6 – Someone To Call My Lover	Janet Jackson	-	Ventura Highway	America
7 - Tin Man	America	Wizard of Oz	-	America
8 -	Toto	Wizard of Oz		-
9 -	-	-
10 -	-		-
11 – Runaway	Del Shannon		Del Shannon’s Runaway	-
12 – When You Dream	Barenaked Ladies	-	Del Shannon’s Runaway	Scarborough
13 – Scarborough Fair	Simon & Garfunkel	Same lyrics	-	Scarborough
14 – Girl from the North Country	Rod Stewart	Same lyrics		-
1 - Forever Young	The Pretenders	-		-

Notes:

This connection actually involves 2 degrees of separation. Song 5 is Purple Rain; and Song 6 sampled Ventura Highway which includes the lyrics: "Waiting for the early train, Sorry boy, but I've been hit by purple rain."

Purple Rain

Purple Rain, n. A restless feeling. A non-descript feeling of boredom, restlessness and confinement. A feeling one has when wanting to escape from responsibility (chiefly emotional) by travelling. The desire to travel in order to escape an emotional commitment.

Connection 13 & 14

Both songs have the same lyrics: "… Remember me to one who lives there. She once was a true love of mine." They both borrowed from Scarborough Fair, a traditional English ballad from the 16th/17th century. Song 14 used some of the words from the traditional song. Paul Simon borrowed the whole song.

Song	Artist	Connection
1 - Forever Young	The Pretenders	Chrissie Hynde	-	-
2 - I've Got You Babe	UB 40 & Chrissie Hydne	Chrissie Hynde	Bono	-
3 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For	U2	-	Bono	Dublin, Ireland
4 – Nothing Compares 2 U	Sinead O’Connor	Prince	-	Dublin, Ireland
5 – Purple Rain	Prince	Prince	-	-
6 – Someone To Call My Lover	Janet Jackson	-	-	America
7 - Tin Man	America	Wizard of Oz	-	America
8 -	Toto	Wizard of Oz	-	-
9 -
10 -
11 – Runaway	Del Shannon	-	Del Shannon’s Runaway	-
12 – When You Dream	Barenaked Ladies	-	Del Shannon’s Runaway	Scarborough
13 – Scarborough Fair	Simon & Garfunkel	Same lyrics	-	Scarborough
14 – Girl from the North Country	Rod Stewart	Same lyrics	-	-
1 - Forever Young	The Pretenders

Connection 4 & 5

Song	Artist	Connection
1 - Forever Young	The Pretenders	Chrissie Hynde	-	-
2 - I've Got You Babe	UB 40 & Chrissie Hydne	Chrissie Hynde	Bono	-
3 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For	U2	-	Bono	Dublin, Ireland
4 – Nothing Compares 2 U	Sinead O’Connor	Prince	-	Dublin, Ireland
5 – Purple Rain	Prince	Prince	-	-
6 – Someone To Call My Lover	Janet Jackson	-	-	America
7 - Tin Man	America	Wizard of Oz	-	America
8 -	Toto	Wizard of Oz	-	-
9 -
10 -
11 - Runaway	Del Shannon	-	Del Shannon’s Runaway	-
12 – When You Dream	Barenaked Ladies	-	Del Shannon’s Runaway	Scarborough
13 – Scarborough Fair	Simon & Garfunkel	-	-	Scarborough
14 -
1 - Forever Young	The Pretenders

Notes:
Both Songs 4 & 5 are composed by Prince (or, The Artist Formerly Known As Prince).