Go With the Flow-Names of Rivers in Music Quiz

Answer: Mississippi

"Mississippi" hit the UK charts in August '76 and reached the top spot. Pussycat were a country band from Holland but only bothered the chart compilers on one other occasion when "Smile" reached number 26 later in the same year.
The Mississippi river is the second longest in the US with a length of some
2,320 miles (3,734 km).

Answer: Yellow River

"Yellow River" hit top spot for Christie in 1970. The follow-up "San Bernadino" also hit the top ten, making number seven. There are several different Yellow Rivers in the US; in Florida, Georgia and New Jersey and in other states. "Red River Rock" was a hit for Johnny and The Hurricanes.

Answer: Fog on the Tyne

"Fog on the Tyne" was always a favourite at Lindifarne gigs but surprisingly was never released as a single until 1990 almost twenty years after they first recorded it. The reworked version featured local footballing hero Paul Gascoigne on 'vocals'. Lindisfarne were a Newcastle band and the River Tyne flows through the city. The Tees, Wear and Great Ouse are other rivers in north-eastern England. Cliff Richard charted with "Please don't Tease", Slade scored a hit with "Mama Weer all Crazee Now" and "Who's that Girl" was a successful title for Madonna.

Answer: Del Shannon

Del Shannon hit the top spot with "Runaway" way back in 1961. The Shannon at 386 km (240 miles) is the longest river in the British Isles. Kiki Dee hit number one singing along with Elton John on "Don't go Breaking My Heart". The Dee is a Welsh/English river which flows through Chester. Jackie Trent had a number one hit single with "Where Are You Now", (She is also responsible for me making many hundreds of cups of tea as she co-wrote the theme tune to TV show "Neighbours"; whenever I hear the theme I feel the need to leave the room).

The River Trent flows through the English midlands and drains into the North Sea. Montell Jordan has had several hit songs including a US number one with "This Is How We Do It". The River Jordan is a major waterway in the Middle East.

Answer: Lena Martell

Lena Martell's only UK hit single got to number one during 1979. The River Lena is one of three great waterways to flow northerly through Russia, the other two being the Ob and the Yenisei.
System of a Down are an American rock band (sorry about the misprint!) who have scored hits with "BYOB" and "Chop Suey".
The Avons had a novelty hit single with "Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Back Seat" in 1959. There are several English rivers with the name Avon but the most famous is the Warwickshire Avon which flows through Shakespeare's birthplace of Stratford.
Anne Murray scored a hit when she covered Gene MacLellan's "Snowbird". The Murray River is the second longest river in Australia.

Answer: Ferry 'Cross The Mersey

Gerry and The Pacemakers got to number eight singing about the Mersey ferry which is a familiar feature of Gerry's home town of Liverpool.
Cypress Hill charted with "Insane in the Brain" which had nothing at all to do with the French River Seine.
"In the City" was a successful single for The Jam; the River Indus is the longest river in Pakistan.
Queen took "Seven Seas of Rhye" into the charts and although the origins of 'Rhye' are sometimes disputed it is unlikely it has anything to do with the River Severn, the longest river in England and Wales.

Answer: Blue Nile

Blue Nile are not the most productive of acts as their first four albums have spanned some twenty years! Some great stuff is to be found on their albums however so I guess it's a case of quality not quantity.
Blue Amazon have had two minor hits in the UK with "And Then the Rain Falls" and "Breathe".
"The Blue Danube Waltz" by Strauss is a famous piece of classical music.

Answer: Moon River

Henry Mancini had a minor hit in '61 with "Moon River" (from the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's), however it was Danny Williams (no relation to Andy) who scored the biggest hit with this song, taking his version to number one in the same year. Greyhound took a reggae version to number six in 1971.
"The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" was a number one hit for Georgie Fame in 1967 however the song was about the infamous American outlaws rather than the Scottish River Clyde.
Stevie Wonder charted with "You Are the Sunshine of my Life".
One of my all time favourite records is "Little Darlin'" by The Diamonds; and all that time I never knew they were singing about a river in Australia! hmmm.

Answer: Olivia Newton-John

"On the Banks of the Ohio" is a murder ballad probably from the nineteenth century maybe earlier.

"I wandered home 'tween twelve and one, I cried,
"My God, what have I done?
I've killed the only man I love,
He would not take me for his bride.""

Olivia Newton-John's version was her second top-ten hit in Britain and was a follow-up to "If not for You".

Answer: Orinoco Flow

"Orinoco Flow" namechecked one of the mighty South American rivers, The Orinoco is approximately 2,410 km, (1,497.5 miles) in length.
"Eye of the Tiger" was a number one hit single for Survivor. The Tigris is an importamt river in Iraq.
"You Can Call Me Al" was a number four hit for Paul Simon in 1986.
Hall and Oats hit the number eight spot in 1982 with "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do). The River Congo is a huge watercourse in central Africa.