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QUIZ

Sights of Sound

Test your knowledge of Canadian music video history

By Kevin J. Siu

It’s hard to believe, but when VideoFACT — the foundation that finances music video productions in this country — was created in 1984, its CRTC application cited the sad truth that there were only 34 Canadian videos in existence. Back then, most vid-loving Canadians were forced to navigate around Coronation Street and Front Page Challenge to find their fix on Video Hits or Good Rockin’ Tonite. Now? We cross our fingers that MuchMusic will squeeze in a few clips between Newlyweds and Pimp My Ride. Bully for progress.

1. In 1981, the Buggles’ Video Killed the Radio Star famously became the first video broadcast on MTV. What was the first music video aired on MuchMusic when it launched three years later?
	Platinum Blonde’s Standing in the Dark
	Kim Mitchell’s Go for Soda
	Loverboy’s Working for the Weekend
	Luba’s Let It Go
	Rush’s The Enemy Within

2. The Esquires — which at one point included Bruce Cockburn — have been widely credited with Canada’s first music video for a promo clip of what 1964 guitar instrumental?
	Apache
	Tequila
	Wipe Out
	The Man From Adano
	Having an Average Weekend

3. Brampton’s Little X, who has directed such recent classics as Nelly’s Hot in Herre, Usher’s Yeah! and Sean Paul’s Get Busy, also helmed this seminal Canadian hip-hop video:
	Maestro Fresh-Wes’s Let Your Backbone Slide
	The Dream Warriors’ Wash Your Face in My Sink
	Kish’s I Rhyme the World
	Rascalz’s Northern Touch
	K-Os’s B-Boy Stance

4. What former Canuck teen star directed the Barenaked Ladies’ 1996 video for The Old Apartment (and later made a road documentary about the band)?
	Michael J. Fox
	Jason Priestley
	Joshua Jackson
	Pat Mastroianni
	Megan Follows

5. In the video for 1984’s Sunglasses at Night, Corey Hart is thrown in the clink for donning the titular shades. What future host of The NewMusic played his sexy jailer?
	Laurie Brown
	Jeanne Beker
	Denise Donlon
	Hannah Sung
	Daniel Richler

6. In the recent video for the Rheostatics’ The Tarleks, actor Frank Bonner reprised his role as Herbert “Herb” Tarlek from what ’70s sitcom?
	The King of Kensington
	Laverne and Shirley
	Three’s Company
	WKRP in Cincinnati
	The Trouble with Tracy

7. Men Without Hats’ 1987 comeback video, Pop Goes the World, featured what unsung Canadian icon on drums?
	Captain Canuck
	Bonhomme Carnaval
	Sasquatch
	Youpi
	Canadian Tire’s Ebenezer Scrooge

8. The made-for-video animated duo Prozzäk was the successful side project of what mid-’90s act?
	Crash Test Dummies
	Bass is Base
	Moxy Früvous
	The Philosopher Kings
	The Moffatts

9. Keanu Reeves — Canada’s 100th richest person, according to Canadian Business — put on his best James Dean impression in the 1991 long-form video for Paula Abdul’s Rush Rush. Complete the dialogue: Paula: Can I ask you something? Have you ever been in love? Keanu: If I was, I didn’t know it. And you? Paula: No… Isn’t that terrible? Keanu:
	“Terrible? I don't know the future. I didn't come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it's going to begin.”
	“Terrible? November is all I know, and all I ever wanna know.”
	“Terrible? No, it just reminds us that we’re all alone.”
	“Terrible? God's a kid with an ant farm, lady. He's not planning anything.”
	“Terrible? Whoa.”

10. What do the videos for Madonna’s Open Your Heart, Colin James’s Why’d You Lie and Samantha Fox’s I Wanna Have Some Fun have in common?
	They were all filmed in Flin Flon, Man.
	They were all directed by Ivan Reitman.
	They all won MuchMusic’s Fromage award.
	They were all deemed too racy for CBC's Video Hits.
	They all featured cameos by one of the Dale sisters.