Chew On This For A While Trivia Quiz

Answer: Producers who coined the term "bubblegum" music

The two men ran a production company called Super K Productions, and were responsible for some of the most popular groups of the genre. They signed some obscure groups and had them change their names. They then recorded the prepared tracks. They actually came up with the term "bubblegum music" while discussing the target audience for their music.

It was decided that they were targeting teenagers and it really came from the two of them chewing gum, and saying "Ah, this is like bubblegum music". Sounds pretty silly, but true nonetheless.

Answer: Green Tambourine

It was "Green Tambourine" by The Lemon Pipers that made it to the top of the charts in early 1968 giving the record label involved and the group a number one hit and putting "bubblegum" on the map, so to speak.

Answer: Beg, Borrow and Steal

It was "Beg Borrow and Steal" that hit the charts in the fall of 1967 and made it as high as number 29 on the U.S. charts, also reaching number 17 in Canada. Interestingly, the record was first released in 1966 by a group called The Rare Breed, and the song never made it onto the charts.

It was then re-recorded in 1967 and credited to The Ohio Express, and became the song that is the popular version. All the other songs mentioned were charted by the group during 1968, with "Yummy...." being the highest charting U.S., hit reaching number four in the U.S. number five in the U.K. and number one in Canada. "Chewy Chewy" charted at number 15 U.S. and number two Canada, and "Down At Lulu's" was only a minor hit peaking at number 33 in the U.S. Oh, this was one of the groups that changed their names, for all you "Sir Timothy and The Royals" fans.

Answer: The 1910 Fruitgum Co.

Starting with "Simon Says" which became a number four U.S hit in the winter of 1968, the group also recorded charting hits with "May I Take A Giant Step" which was a minor hit at number 63 U.S., and "1-2-3 Red Light", which became a number five hit in July of 1968.

They also had hits with "Goody Goody Gumdrops", (U.S. #37 October 1968), and had a Top Five hit with "Indian Giver" in January of 1969. They toured with The Beach Boys during the height of their success. Another of the groups that were asked to change their name; they started out as "Jeckell and The Hydes" in New Jersey in 1965.

Answer: The Archies

Having a number one song for the year is a major accomplishment, but to do it with a band of fictional cartoon characters is amazing. "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies was the number one song in the U.S. for 1969 according to Billboard Magazine. This was the only time in history this feat had been accomplished.

The idea was concocted by Don Kirschner, who was the main competitor to Kasenetz and Katz in this genre. The actual studio musicians were lead by Ron Dante, accompanied by Toni Wine, Andy Kim, Ellie Greenwich, and Ray Stevens, who can be heard clapping his hands in the background. Dante did a number of these studio recordings during that time, and released them under various pseudonyms.

The Archies had a couple of other minor hits and scored with one other major song called "Jingle Jangle" which reached number five in the U.S.

Answer: The Partridge Family

The Partridge Family never really existed as a live band but young heartthrob David Cassidy did tour with a group of musicians and performed the most popular songs. The most successful of these was "I Think I Love You" which was released in 1970 and was an number one song by the end of the year.

Other notable hits from the "group" were "I'll Meet You Halfway", "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted" and "I Woke Up In Love This Morning", with Cassidy's voice prominently featured on all. Interestingly, members of the Cowsills, on whom the show was loosely based, were offered parts in the TV show, and refused, allegedly because the producers did not want to use the entire family.

Answer: Crazy Elephant

This studio mix hit the charts and reached as high as number 12 in both the U.S. and the U.K. The lead singer was Robert Spencer, formerly of The Cadillacs.

Answer: Joey Levine

It was Levine whose voice can be heard on such hits as the Ohio Express' "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy", and "Chewy Chewy". Levine also was the voice of Reunion's 1974 hit "Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me). Levine also is responsible for some of the most well known commercial jingles of the past including "Gentlemen Prefer Hanes", "Pepsi-The Joy Of Cola", "Come See The Softer Side Of Sears", and "You Asked For It, You Got It, Toyota" among his credits.

He also contributes music to the PBS series "Dragon Tails".

Answer: Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus

The label says Kasenetz-Katz but this too is the work of Joey Levine and the studio group. The song barely made the Top 100 Billboard charts in 1968, but everything bubblegum seemed to be finding success that year.

Answer: Buddah

Buddah Records was founded in 1967 by Neil Bogart. During the bubblegum era, it had such artists as The 1910 Fruitgum Co., Ohio Express, The Lemon Pipers, and Melanie (Brand New Key), as well as non bubblegum artists such as The Brooklyn Bridge, Gladys Knight and The Pips, and Lou Christie, among others. They also had a slew of major artists under their subsidiary labels.

Hope you had fun with this quiz. Most of these songs are available on "YouTube".