Memories of 1971 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Brown Sugar

"Brown Sugar" was one of three number ones the band would have on the Billboard Hot 100 in the '70s, the others being "Angie" in 1973 and "Miss You" in 1978. Over the years there have been a number of theories on what "Brown Sugar" actually stands for, some of the most popular ones include slavery, interracial sex and heroin.

In a 1995 interview with "Rolling Stone" magazine Jagger tried to clear it up a bit, saying: "God knows what I'm on about on that song. It's such a mishmash. All the nasty subjects in one go. I never would write that song now".

The sax player I referred to is Bobby Keys, who was a member of several horn sections of the '70s. He played on hundreds of recordings and was a touring musician until his death in 2014.

Answer: You've Got a Friend

"You've Got a Friend" was Taylor's first and is his only number one on the Billboard Hot 100 to date. The single won Grammy Awards for Taylor (Best Male Pop Vocal Performance) and for King (Song of the Year). According to Taylor, King told him that the song was a response to a line in his hit song "Fire and Rain" that went "I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend".

He confirmed that in a 2015 interview with the Internet publication Stereogum, where he said: "She told me about nine years ago when we were doing interviews for a reunion project that we put together. That came as a real revelation to me.

It sort of filled in a blank for me about what had really motivated her to write that tune. I'm really glad she told me, it's cool."

Answer: Tommy James

Tommy James and the Shondells were formed in 1959 and were initially called the Echoes. They became the Shondells in 1964 and had their first big hit with the tune "Hanky Panky", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. Between 1966 and 1969 the band had seven top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Although "Draggin' the Line" was his only top ten hit as a solo performer, James did co-write and produce the hit single "Tighter, Tighter", which the group Alive N Kickin' took to number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1970.

Answer: Paul Revere and the Raiders

Paul Revere and the Raiders were formed in Caldwell, Idaho in 1958. Originally called the Downbeats, they changed their name on the eve of their first record release in 1960. The group's first chart success came in 1961, with the instrumental "Like, Long Hair", which reached number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1965 the band relocated to Los Angeles and started working with producer Terry Melcher, which was a turning point for the group. Between 1965 and 1969 they had ten top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. "Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)" reached the number one spot in July of 1971, it also ranked number six on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles chart.

Answer: The Osmonds

The Osmond Brothers, which at the time consisted of Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay, began their career in 1958 singing as a barbershop quartet. In 1962 Andy Williams' father saw the brothers performing on a televised Disney special; he was so impressed he told his son he should have them on his weekly television show. Andy signed the boys and they became regulars on the show from 1962 to 1969. Soon after, Donny joined his brothers on the show, making them a five member group. Two other siblings, Marie and Jimmy, also made appearances on the show in later years. George Jackson, who wrote "One Bad Apple", first offered the song to Motown Chairman of the Board Berry Gordy for The Jackson Five to record, but Gordy turned it down.

The Osmonds (no longer called The Osmond Brothers) were offered the song through their label, MGM records, and they did record it.

It turned out to be a good move, as the single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in February of 1971, spending five weeks at the top spot.

Answer: Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)

"Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" was The Temptations' third number one, joining "My Girl" from 1965 and "I Can't Get Next to You" from 1969. The single hit number one in March of 1971, spending two weeks at the top. It also spent three weeks atop of the Billboard R&B Singles chart. Starting in 1968 the group released a string of very successful "psychedelic soul" tracks such as, "Cloud Nine" and "Psychedelic Shack", but their fans wanted a return to the Temptations' signature soul sound and "Just My Imagination" fit the bill.

The song is also notable for being the final Temptations' recording to feature founding members Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. Kendricks left the group to embark on a solo career, while Williams was forced to retire due to health reasons.

Answer: Me and Bobby McGee

"Me and Bobby McGee" was written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster and was originally recorded in 1969 by Roger Miller. It was a hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, reaching number 12, but did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Joplin recorded her version of the song, for inclusion on her "Pearl" album, just a few days before her death of a drug overdose in October of 1970. Kristofferson had written hundreds of songs for a variety of artists, but it was Joplin's hit cover of the song that took his career to the next level.

He told "Performing Songwriter" magazine in 2015: "'Bobby McGee' was the song that made the difference for me. Every time I sing it, I still think of Janis". FYI, Otis Redding had the first posthumously released number one single with the tune "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" from 1968.

Answer: Joan Baez

Joan Baez has been performing for over 55 years and has released over 30 albums, with six of those earning gold record status by the Recording Industry Association of America. Besides being an extremely talented singer-songwriter, Baez was also very involved with political and social issues, such as Civil Rights, the Vietnam war and environmental causes. "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" was written by Robbie Robertson, who, along with his group The Band, originally recorded it in 1969. Baez's only other trip inside the top 40 was with her tune "Diamonds and Rust", a song written about her relationship with Bob Dylan, which peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1975.

Answer: The Bee Gees

The Bee Gees, consisting of brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, formed in Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia in 1958. By 1960 the group had made several appearances on local TV shows and were working regularly at resorts on the Queensland coast. In 1963 they signed a record deal with Festival Records and had a minor hit in 1965 with the song "Wine and Women", which reached number 19 on the Australian charts.

The group signed a five year contract in 1967 to have Polydor Records release their music in the U.K. and have Atco Records do the same in the U.S. That same year they scored their first international hit with "New York Mining Disaster 1941", which became a top 20 hit on both the U.K. and U.S. charts.

This started a string of seven top 20 hits throughout the '60s and into the early '70s.

In the mid '70s the group developed a disco sound and achieved the greatest success of their career, reaching number one eight times on the Billboard Hot 100 charts from 1975 to 1979.

Answer: Brand New Key

"Brand New Key" also spent the first two weeks of 1972 at number one, making it Melanie's most successful song to date. Some people at the time believed the song had a hidden sexual meaning, because of lyrics such as, "I go pretty far" and "I've been all around the world". Melanie has acknowledged the possibility of detecting sexual innuendo in the song, but has neither confirmed nor denied the intent.