1967 - Groovin' Trivia Quiz

Answer: Groovin'

The Young Rascals would have their second #1 hit with this song. It topped the charts for a couple of weeks, was dislodged by Aretha's "Respect" for two weeks, then bounced back to the top for a couple of weeks more. The group was much in demand at the time and Felix Cavalliere and Eddie Brigatti wrote the song when they recognized that the only time they saw their girlfriends was on Sundays. That's when they went "Groovin'"!

Answer: The Letter

The Box Tops rode this song to #1 for four weeks. They would have one more big hit, "Cry Like A Baby", a #2 in 1968, but after a series of middling hits, they disbanded in 1970. As of 2004, it was the last #1 song recorded that was shorter than two minutes in length at 1:58.

It was also covered a couple times. The Arbors recorded it in 1969 and charted at #20 and Joe Cocker took it to #7 in 1970.

Answer: Incense And Peppermints

The Strawberry Alarm Clock debuted on the Billboard charts with this #1 hit. It was written by 17 year old lead guitarist Ed King under pressure by his record company to come up with a "psychedelic" song to capitalize on the rage of the day. In the song he wrote "Incense, peppermints, meaningless nouns" and he later admitted that the whole song was a series of "meaningless nouns" just to get the lyrics done! The singer on this track was actually not a band member. Greg Mumford, a friend of another band member, happened to be at the recording session and for whatever reason, was pressed into service to do the vocals.

It's no surprise then that the group wouldn't have a lot of durability and indeed, they broke up in 1971 with only one other minor top forty hit to their credit.

Answer: The Association

"Never My Love" stalled at #2 on the charts, unable to dislodge "To Sir With Love" from #1. The Association would only have one more top ten song and by the early 1970's would be a trivial afterthought. In the ever changing world of pop music, all the groups that relied on tight harmonies for their "sound" like The Mamas And The Papas, The Beach Boys, Spanky And Our Gang, et al, would have tough times in the '70's.

Answer: Daydream Believer

"Daydream Believer" was written by John Stewart, a member of The Kingston Trio from 1961 to 1967. The song topped the charts for four weeks for the Monkees late in 1967, their last #1 hit. In fact, they would only have one more top ten song, "Valleri", a number #3 hit and their next release. An unusual song for a woman to sing given the lyrics quoted here, but Anne Murray did it and her cover was a #12 hit in 1980.

Answer: Up, Up And Away

This would be The 5th Dimension's second top forty hit following their version of "Go Where You Wanna Go" which peaked at #16 earlier in the year. Both songs were produced by Johnny Rivers. This song would garner four Grammies, including "Song Of The Year" and "Best Performance By A Vocal Group". "Up, Up and Away" was written by Jimmy Webb, a prolific song writer who penned a number of Glen Campbell's hits and "MacArthur Park" for Richard Harris in 1968.

Answer: Gimme Some Lovin'

A #7 hit for The Spencer Davis Group, this is yet another example of a group starting at or near the top and regressing. Their follow up song was also a hit, the #10 charting "I'm A Man", but that would be all she wrote, chartwise, for the Davis led group. Part (probably most) of the reason was that the lead singer of the group was Stevie Winwood and he left the group right after recording those two songs to form Traffic and later, Blind Faith, before going onto a very successful career as a solo artist in the 1980's. Spencer Davis, meanwhile, plodded on with various back up musicians never again tasting the success he had in 1967. Currently (2004), he is touring, mostly in Europe, with a group called The Rock And Roll Army along with other refugees of the 60's and 70's rock scene; Mitch Ryder, Rick Derringer and Chuck Negron, once of Three Dog Night.

Answer: The Last Waltz

This song became the last song at dances for years and years, probably right to this day in some places on this orb! Humperdinck's fan base mostly consisted of middle aged females (although as an admitted fan, I do not meet those criteria) attracted to his swarthy good looks, mellow baritone voice and the crooning style with which he delivered his love songs.

Born Arnold Dorsey in Madras, India in 1936, he began recording in the late '50s. Tom Jones' manager suggested the name change in 1965 and by 1967 and throughout the late 60's, he was a mainstay on the "Adult Singles" charts.

He's had no pop singles success since "After The Lovin'" in 1976-7, but he still tours and churns out albums designed to please his devotees.

Answer: Respect

Aretha first learned to sing gospel music as a nine year old in Detroit at the New Bethel Church where her father was pastor. She was one of the first stars of Atlantic Records working with producer Jerry Wexler and did most of her early records out of the studios at Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Her career has had its ups and downs in popular music but there probably hasn't been a bigger female entity in the history of R&B music, and perhaps James Brown might be the only recording act in the history of the genre who has exceeded her popularity.

Answer: There's A Kind Of Hush

A #4 Billboard hit for Herman's Hermits, it was written by Geoff Stevens and Les Reed. These chaps worked together and with other collaborators and had a number of hits throughout this period, mostly in Europe. Stevens should be remembered as the creative genius behind The New Vaudeville Band and their hit "Winchester Cathedral".

The Carpenters covered "There's A Kind Of Hush" in 1976 and it was a #12 hit for them.