Cruisin' In So-Cal - More Soul Years (Part 2) Quiz

Answer: Delfonics

Is there anybody out there that grew up listening to this song that does not think it was one of the most beautiful songs they have ever heard? This stunningly gorgeous single came out in January 1968 on the Philly Groove label. It went to number four on the Billboard R&B charts and number nineteen on the UK Pop Singles charts.

The beauty of this song has not diminished one iota in the decades since it first came out.

Answer: War

Recorded in 1974 and released in 1975 as the B Side of the hit "Low Rider" (from the album "Why Can't We Be Friends"). Yet despite being a B Side the song "So" is generally considered to be a major part of 1975 car cruising culture.

Answer: El Chicano

El Chicano were a great Chicano Soul group from East Los Angeles (A place that truly KNOWS its Cruisin' Culture!) In Los Angeles in 1970 "Viva Tirado" shot to the number one position where it remained for thirteen consecutive weeks!

Answer: Billy Stewart

Billy Stewart wrote and recorded "Sitting In The Park" in 1965 after which it was released on the Chess label where it peaked at number four on the Soul charts. Billy died in January of 1970 in a car accident two months before he would have turned 33.

Answer: Ralfi Pagan

This soul cover of the huge hit by Bread broke nationally in 1971. It charted in June of that year and stayed in the R&B charts for eleven weeks, eventually peaking at number thirty two. He was particularly popular with the Chicano community and very popular in Latin America. Ralfi was murdered in Colombia in 1978 whilst on tour in that country.

Answer: The Originals

Written by Marvin Gaye and Anna Gordy, then produced and recorded by Marvin for The Originals. The song was released on the Soul label in 1969 and was the number one Soul single on Billboard's Black Single Chart from 11/11/69-12/6/69.

Answer: Archie Bell & The Drells

IMO one of the all time greatest singles ever released by anybody ever. I don't dance. This song makes me wish I knew how to! Recorded in 1967 and released in 1968 on the ever reliable Atlantic label it reached number one on both the Billboard R&B AND Pop charts in the summer of 1968. This track is also considered by many to be the very first Funk song to hit the charts.

Answer: Barbara Lewis

This 1963 Atlantic Records single went to number one on the Billboard R&B charts and number three in the Pop charts.

Answer: Brenda Holloway

Ok, now if I could trade a finger and in return have been the writer of this song I would not hesitate to lose a digit. This absolutely amazing 1964 song has been covered (and covered WELL - you would really have to purposely set out to and try hard to screw it up) by everybody from the Small Faces (with Steve Marriot singing lead) to the Spencer Davis Group (with Steve Winwood singing lead) to Alicia Keys. Released in 1964 on the Tamla Motown label it only reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 of that year. I would like to assume it went a lot higher in the British charts, where they understand and appreciate their legendary soul classics, but I do not want to search and verify if this is wrong or right because I'll cry if it is wrong.

Answer: Tommy James & The Shondells

Do not underestimate the importance of this track on cruising culture! The 1968 single release on the Roulette label was edited down from the longer LP version. Known as an ode to drugs (Crystal Meth or LSD depending on who you wish to listen to) this track was recently featured prominently in an episode of the hit TV series "Breaking Bad".

In June of 1968 however it "peaked" at number two in the Billboard Pop Singles charts. You can probably count the non soul/R&B tracks (pop songs in other words) that were huge in the cruising community on two hands.

This song was one of them.