1968 - They Call It A Revolution Quiz

Answer: Revolution

Lennon wrote the song while The Beatles were on one of their retreats with the guru of transcendental medition, The Maharishi, and it was their first song which dealt with definitive political connotations - a reaction to the Vietnam War. Lennon and McCartney were having battles of their own at this time. Lennon wanted this to be the "A" side, McCartney insisted on "Hey Jude", each trumpeting their own composition. McCartney, of course, won the day.

Answer: love

"Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" was a #4 hit for the Ohio Express. They, along with The 1910 Fruitgum Company and The Music Explosion, were the creations of those mastermind purveyors of bubblegum music, Jerry Kasenatz and Jeff Katz, who also produced all the hits these groups would have.

Answer: Abraham, Martin and John

This was a top forty song for three artists. The biggest hit, a #4, was recorded by Dion after a five year absence from the charts. Having fallen prey to heroin addiction, this was his first and last big hit after undergoing drug rehabilitation. He's apparently stayed clean ever since but his recording career has stagnated. He's back on the nostalgia circuit as of 2004 after three decades of dabbling in the blues and Christian music.

In 1969, this song was also a moderate success for both Moms Mabley and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Moms was an entertainer specializing in bawdy routines live and on records. She was 75 when she recorded this song, in departure from her usual niche, and died six years later. Her version charted at #35. Robinson and the Miracles also did the song in 1969 but with a R&B twist. It peaked at #33.

Answer: Judy In Disguise

John Fred Gourrier formed John Fred and His Playboy Band in 1956 in his native Baton Rouge. He took a sabbatical from the music biz in the late 50's, early 60's while he attended LSU and Southeastern Louisiana playing baseball and basketball. This would be the only top forty hit the group would ever have - they had another top hundred entry at #57, then disbanded. John Fred later was a record producer for RCS records in Baton Rouge.

Answer: Honey

The song was written by Bobby Russell, recorded by Bobby Goldsboro. It tells the poignant tale of a newlywed wife who plants a tree in their backyard but dies shortly thereafter. It's sung from the perspective of the husband who's reminded of her whenever he sees the tree and how much it's grown since her passing. Goldsboro had a long career on the pop and country charts starting in 1962.

He had 27 recordings enter Billboard's Hot Hundred, the last in 1973 when he was hosting a TV variety show. He ceased performing actively in the mid-1980's and ever since, has devoted his time to writing and producing award winning children's TV programming.

Answer: Simple Simon Says

Believe it or not, this was a #4 hit for The 1910 Fruitgum Company, another of the Kasenetz-Katz stable of artists. I think I speak for most... thank heavens this stuff would reach its expiry date within a year!

Answer: Born To Be Wild

The lyrics say it all: "Heavy metal thunder". It was the first hit song that alluded to motorcycles - the sound made when a phalanx of Harley's fire up - and the music that would become increasingly popular within a couple of years among the young fellows with long hair and black t-shirts who rode them - heavy metal.

A #2 hit for Steppenwolf, the lead singer John Kay, born Joachim Krauledat in East Germany, is a story in himself. He was spirited out of that communist country by his parents when such ventures often ended in tragedy. Raised in Toronto, Ontario, he joined a Canadian band in 1965 named Sparrow in Toronto's Yorkville Village, their equivalent of New York's Greenwich Village. Within a couple of years, the group went to Southern California to try their luck. Having none, they actually broke up, then reformed with the exact band make-up save for an American to replace the original lead guitarist who yearned to return to Canada. With this release, they became overnight successes. With the exception of Kay, there have been many personnel changes ever since but the band plays on doing their particular brand of rock music.

Answer: Different Drum

Linda Ronstadt was the lead singer of The Stone Poneys when they recorded this #13 hit written by Michael Nesmith - but it wasn't that band who backed her up. Instead, a group of session musicians were used. She left the group shortly thereafter and hired new musicians to back her up including Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Randy Meissner who ultimately would form the nucleus of The Eagles. Linda eventually would go on to have nine top ten hits, most of them cover versions of older songs previously released by the likes of Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison.

Her varied career has included doing operettas on Broadway, albums of C&W and Spanish music and several albums of old standards. She remains a popular figure in the world of music as of 2004.

Answer: The Unicorn

This #7 song, written by the great Shel Silverstein, was the only big hit for The Irish Rovers. The group was formed in Calgary in 1964 and was comprised of emigres from North Ireland. They performed regularly at a folk club in Calgary named The Depression and I admit that I saw them there on several occasions.

At the time, they were a group that sang traditional Irish folk songs a la The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem but by 1968, they broadened their repertoire to include novelty numbers such as this.

As of 2004, three of the original five members still tour on a regular basis.

Answer: Harper Valley P.T.A.

Jeannie C. Riley recorded this hit. She was born Jeanne Carolyn Stephenson in Anson, TX, in 1945 and gravitated to Country music at an early age. She never did have another big hit on the pop charts and in fact, had only middling success on the country charts as well.

In the mid 1970's, she became a born again Christian and tried her hand at Gospel music. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with manic depression in the mid 1990's which stalled her career even further but as of 2004, it is reported that she is making strides with her recovery.