1968 - Those Were The Days! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jumpin' Jack Flash

What was "Jumpin' Jack Flash" about? Speculation is that it's about drugs but that could be said about virtually any song during this period unless the lyrics were crystal clear otherwise. The song has been featured in a number of movies, most notably in 1986 when Whoopi Goldberg starred in a movie with the same title.

It's also been used in "Mean Streets" and "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas". It was a #3 Billboard hit... but a #1 hit for two weeks somewhere else!

Answer: Lady Madonna

Apparently McCartney wrote this song as a tribute to women everywhere and perhaps in memory of his own mother who died when he was fourteen. It would be the last hit the Beatles would have on the Capitol label after this song, their recordings would be on the Apple Label. "Lady Madonna" peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts... but it was #1 for two weeks somewhere else!

Answer: What A Wonderful World

Louis Armstrong recorded this song in 1967. It was written by Bob Thiele who was a producer for ABC records at the time. Unfortunately, the president of ABC Records didn't like the song at all and when Armstrong wanted to record it, he was only able to by accepting wage scale payment - $250.00 - which was just about enough to cover the orchestra's wages.

It never was a big hit in North America, not even cracking Billboard's Hot Hundred. Perhaps that was due to the president of ABC detesting it and not doing much to market it.

When it was featured in the movie "Good Morning Vietnam" in 1988, it did finally find it's way onto the charts at #32. It was however, a #1 hit elsewhere in the world in 1968 and for four weeks!

Answer: The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde

Georgie Fame was inspired to write and record this song from the movie "Bonnie And Clyde" starring Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway and Gene Hackman. This was his second U.S. hit... "Yeh, Yeh" charting at #21 in 1965. Georgie Fame was born Clive Powell in England and continued to perform as a jazz/blues pianist there. "The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde" was a #7 Billboard hit but it was #1 somewhere else!

Answer: With A Little Help From My Friends

Probably most people recognize those lyrics but in North America, "With A Little Help From My Friends" had very little chart success at all. Clearly, it is simply remembered as one of the very good songs on the "Sgt. Peppers" album. Originally the second line quoted in the question text was to go like this: "Would you stand up and throw tomatos at me". Ringo, as lead vocalist, wasn't keen on that line believing that if he was ever to sing the song live, the audience would take the line literally and pelt him! The lyric was suitably altered! Joe Cocker covered the song in 1968 and it only reached #68 on the Billboard Hot Hundred. But, it was a #1 hit somewhere else!

Answer: The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)

Manfred Mann recorded this #10 Billboard hit although it was a #1 hit somewhere else for two weeks. It was their first top ten hit since the #1 "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" in 1964. It would also be their last hit as this entity. Manfred Mann is actually Manfred Lubowitz who was born to a wealthy family in South Africa.

He formed the group in 1962 and they disbanded shortly after this release in 1969. He formed a new group, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, in 1971 and they would have marginal success in North America although "Blinded By The Light" did hit #1 in 1977. Over the four decades, 1960's to 1990's, Manfred Mann has been recording music and performing live.

However, they have always been much more popular in Europe and the U.K than in North America.

Answer: Young Girl

This was a million selling Gold Record and the biggest hit ever for Gary Puckett and The Union Gap. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts, Bobby Goldsboro's "Honey" maintaining top spot for the three weeks that "Young Girl" was at #2. However, it was #1 somewhere else for four weeks! Garry Puckett formed the group in 1967 in San Diego and after six top forty songs, five of which were top tens, they dissolved in 1971. Puckett went on to a brief acting career but then fell back to his musical roots, performing on the nostalgia circuit.

Answer: The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

Brown was actually born Arthur Wilton in Whitby, England. He formed the "Crazy World" band with organist Vincent Crane and drummer Carl Palmer, later a founding member of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Brown was the vocalist and his routine was, well, crazy! He featured helmets that would ignite, was lowered onto the stage by cranes and in general, behaved like a madman.

Much of his act may have been copied from the performances of Screamin' Jay Hawkins, a kindred spirit. In any event, the group broke up right after this hit and Brown found success to be elusive thereafter.

He still performed live, mostly in Europe and the U.K. The song was a #2 Billboard hit and yes, #1 somewhere else!

Answer: Those Were The Days

The song was recorded by Mary Hopkin, a seventeen year old Welsh lass who was "discovered" by Twiggy. Twiggy recommended Hopkin to McCartney who auditioned her and signed her on to the Apple lable. He produced the song and played acoustic guitar during the recording session.

The song itself is an old Russian folksong entitled "Dorogo Dlinnoyu". It is attributed to two Russian composers from the late 1800's or early 1900's, B. Fomin creating the music and K. Podrevsky providing the lyrics. Eugene Raskin, an American folksinger, adapted the song into English and it was that version that McCartney remembered and thought would be the perfect debut song for Hopkin.

In 1968, the song was #2 for three weeks in Billboard but #1 somewhere else for six weeks in a delicious piece of irony! Unfortunately for Hopkin, she would only have a couple of top forty hits in North America immediately thereafter and then retired from the music business in the early 1970's to raise a family.

She resumed her career in the 1980's and has recorded a couple of new cd's in the new millennium although her influence remains in Great Britain.

Answer: Hey Jude

Hopefully, you've recognized that all the songs of this quiz were about songs that were #1 in the U.K. but were not #1 hits in the U.S. Well, "Hey Jude" was #1 everywhere in the English speaking world - at least in twelve countries for sure! It spent nine weeks in the U.S. at #1 but only two weeks in the U.K. at that coveted spot.

The irony mentioned in question #9 is this: "Those Were The Days" did not hit #1 in the U.S. because of "Hey Jude"; "Hey Jude" was bounced out of the #1 position in the U.K. after two weeks by "Those Were The Days" which went on to stay #1 for six weeks. Since both records were among the first releases on the Apple lable, I don't think either party was quibbling much.