That Was The Year That Was: Pop Music 1969 Quiz

Answer: The Beatles (The White Album)

"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" was written by Paul McCartney/John Lennon. It was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart for Marmalade in 1969. It did not chart in the US.

The original version "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" by The Beatles was on their 1968 album "The Beatles" (The White Album). "OB-LA-DI OB-LA-DA" was the first record by a Scottish group to top the UK singles chart. In 1966 Dean Ford and the Gaylords from Glasgow changed their name to The Marmalade then dropped the prefix The. Now in London with two bass guitar players they signed a record deal with CBS. They played at the Marquee Club where they supported Pink Floyd. After a number of flops CBS threatened to drop them. The group even turned down "Everlasting Love", which became a UK number one hit for Love Affair. They then recorded "Lovin' Things" which became their first hit and peaked at number six on the UK singles chart in 1968. Between 1968 and 1976 they had eight UK Top Ten hits. No UK chart appearances since then.

Answer: Albatross

"Albatross" was written by Peter Green. It was number one for one week on the UK singles chart for Fleetwood Mac in 1969. It did not chart in the US.

We had a completely different Fleetwood Mac back in 1969, the group on "Albatross" were all Brits, Mick Fleetwood (drums), Peter Green (lead guitar), Danny Kirwan (guitar) and John McVie (bass guitar). Pete Green must have been inspired to write "Albatross" by Chuck Berry's "Deep Feeling" (1957) and Santo & Johnny's "Sleep Walk" (1959). Listen to these tracks and hear for yourself. "Albatross" returned to the UK singles chart in 1973 and peaked at number two.

The later Anglo/American Fleetwood Mac were Lindsey Buckingham (lead guitar), Mick Fleetwood (drums), Christine McVie (vocals, keyboards), John McVie (bass guitar) and Stevie Nicks (vocals). They did not have a number one hit on the UK singles chart but did have one on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Dreams", which was number one for one week in 1977.

Answer: The Move

"Blackberry Way" was written by Roy Wood. It was number one for one week on the UK singles chart for The Move in 1969. It did not chart in the US.

In 1965 after they had all been in other groups, Bev Bevan (drums, vocals), Trevor Burton (guitar, vocals), Chris Kefford (bass guitar, vocals), Carl Wayne (vocals, bass guitar) and Roy Wood (guitar, keyboards, saxophone, flute, bass, vocals) formed The Move. Between 1967 and 1972 The Move had seven Top Ten hits on the UK singles chart. By 1970 they had become the trio of Bev Bevan, Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood. They made the transition to The Electric Light Orchestra in 1970. Roy Wood departed in 1972 and formed a new group, Wizzard. In 2008 singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Roy Wood, the forgotten man of pop music was awarded an honorary doctorate for his contribution to rock and pop by the University of Derby. In 2017 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of E. L. O.

Answer: Tommy Roe

"Dizzy" was written by Tommy Roe/Freddy Weller. It was number one for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for Tommy Roe in 1969. It was number one for one week on the UK singles chart the same year.

Tommy Roe's first number one was "Sheila", it was number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962. It peaked at number three on the UK singles chart the same year. Between 1962 and 1973 Tommy Roe had six Top Ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100. On the UK singles chart he had four Top Ten hits between 1962 and 1969. One of his UK Top Ten hits was "The Folk Singer" which peaked at number four but only reached number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963. After touring the UK in the mid-'60s, Tommy Roe relocated there. He did not have anymore hits in the UK between "Everybody" (1963) and "Dizzy" (1969) and returned to live in the U. S. A. In 1991 "Dizzy" reached number one on the UK singles chart for two weeks for English comedian Vic Reeves and The Wonder Stuff.

Answer: The 5th Dimension

"Aquarius-Let The Sun Shine In" was written by James Rado/Gerome Ragni/Galt MacDermot. It was number one for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for The 5th Dimension in 1969. It peaked at number 11 on the UK singles chart the same year.

The 5th Dimension were formed in Los Angeles, California, U. S. A. in 1965, as The Versatiles. The original members were Billy Davis Jr., Florence LaRue, Marilyn McCoo, Lamonte McLemore and Ronald Townson. Their repertoire included Broadway, jazz, light opera, pop, R&B and soul, it was called "Champagne Soul. Between 1967 and 1972 they had 12 Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, seven of which were Top Ten hits and two of those, "Aquarius-Let The Sun Shine In" (1969) and "Wedding Bell Blues" (1969) went to number one. Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo, who married in 1968, left the group in 1975 and recorded as a duo. They had a number one hit for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 with "You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)" in 1977.

Answer: Israelites

"Israelites" was written by Desmond Dekker/Leslie Kong. It was number one for one week on the UK singles chart for Desmond Dekker and The Aces in 1969. It peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

Desmond Dekker was born Desmond Adolphus Dacres in Saint Andrew Parish, Greater Kingston, Jamaica, in 1941. He got his first recording contract in 1961 with Leslie Kong's Beverley's record label. His first hit in Jamaica was the self penned "Honour Your Mother and Father". By the time of his fourth hit "King of Ska", he was an established star in Jamaica. His first hit in the UK was "007" which peaked at number 14 in 1967. In 1969 "Israelites" became the first UK reggae number one hit. In the U. S. A. Desmond Dekker was the first Jamaican singer to have a hit with the form and style which was totally Jamaican. Also in 1969 Desmond Dekker became a permanent resident in the UK. In 1975 his re-recording of "Israelites" entered the UK singles chart and peaked at number ten.

Answer: Billy Preston

"Get Back" was written by Paul McCartney but credited to Lennon/McCartney. It was number one for six weeks on the UK singles chart for The Beatles in 1969. It was number one for five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

On "Get Back" Billy Preston played keyboards. He became the first person to get a credit on the label of a Beatles' record, as The Beatles with Billy Preston. He was a top session keyboard player in the '60s and before playing on "Get Back" he had backed such artists such as Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and Little Richard. He went on to have five Top Ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, between 1969 and 1980. These included the number one hits "Will It Go Round In Circles " (1973) and "Nothing From Nothing (1974). The number four hit in 1980 "With You I'm Born Again", was a duet with Syreeta. "Get Back" was the first Beatles single released in true stereo in the U. S. A. In the UK the first Beatles stereo single was "Ballad Of John And Yoko". An alternative version of "Get Back" was on The Beatles' 1969 album "Let It Be".

Answer: The Ballad Of John And Yoko

"The Ballad Of John And Yoko" was written by John Lennon but credited to Lennon/McCartney. It was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart for The Beatles in 1969. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

John Lennon wrote the song while on honeymoon in Paris. He brought the song to Paul McCartney's home in April 1969 for his opinion, before recording it the same night. George Harrison was on holiday and Ringo Starr was filming "The Magic Christian" with Peter Sellers, so neither of them played on the song. A number of US radio stations refused to broadcast the song because they objected to what they saw as the sacrilegious use of the words Christ and crucify in the song. It was banned in Spain by the Franco regime, objecting to the lyric "Peter Brown called to say, "You can make it OK, you can get married in Gibraltar near Spain". There is a long running dispute over Gibraltar between Spain and the UK. "The Ballad Of John And Yoko" became the Beatles' 17th and final number one hit on the UK singles chart.

Answer: Romeo and Juliet

"Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet" was written by Nino Rota. It was number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for Henry Mancini and His Orchestra in 1969. It did not chart in the UK.

The "Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet" was arranged by Henry Mancini from the music for "Romeo & Juliet" by Nino Rota and does not appear in the movie. The movie starred Leonard Whiting as Romeo and Olivia Hussey as Juliet. Between 1961 and 1971 Henry Mancini and His Orchestra had three Top Ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 - "Moon River" (number 11 in 1961), "Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet" (number one in 1969) and "Theme From Love Story" (number 13 in 1971). One of his best known themes and possibly his best liked was "The Pink Panther Theme" which only peaked at number 31 in 1964. It was written by Henry Mancini as the theme for the 1963 film "The Pink Panther" starring David Niven and Peter Sellers. It was nominated for the 1964 Academy Award for Best Original Score.

Answer: Give Peace A Chance

"Give Peace A Chance" was written by John Lennon but credited originally to Lennon/McCartney. It peaked at number two on the UK singles chart for The Plastic Ono Band in 1969. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

"Give Peace A Chance" was written during John Lennon's and Yoko Ono's 'Bed-In' honeymoon at the Hotel Reine Elizabeth, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1969. It was recorded by Canadian Andre Perry using four microphones and a four-track tape recorder which he rented from a local recording studio. The recording session was attended by various people including journalists and celebrities, among them were Timothy Leary, Rabbi Abraham Feinberg, Petula Clark, Dick Gregory, Allen Ginsberg, Murray the K, Derek Taylor and Tommy Smothers of the Smothers Brothers who also played acoustic guitar on the recording. In appreciation for his recording and additions in post-production and the final mix, John Lennon included Andre Perry's complete address on the record label.

Answer: Honky Tonk Women

"Honky Tonk Women" was writen by Mick Jagger/Keith Richards. It was number one for five weeks on the UK singles chart for The Rolling Stones in 1969. It was number one for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

The Rolling Stones' line up on this record was Mick Jagger (vocals), Mick Taylor (lead guitar), Keith Richards (lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Charlie Watts (drums) and Bill Wyman (bass guitar). "Honky Tonk Women" was released in the UK the day after the death of founding member Brian Jones. He was found dead under suspicious circumstances in his own swimming pool. The coroner's report stated "Death by misadventure". Between 1963 and 2005 The Rolling Stones have had 28 Top 20 hits on the UK singles chart. Twenty-one of these were Top Ten hits and eight were number one hits. "Honky Tonk Women" was the eighth and last UK number one hit so far, for The Rolling Stones.

Answer: Bad Moon Rising

"Bad Moon Rising" was written by John Fogerty. It was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart for Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1969. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

Creedence Clearwater Revival were Doug Clifford (drums), Stu Cook (bass guitar), John Fogerty (vocals, lead guitar) and Tom Fogerty (rhythm guitar). They were formed in 1959 as a trio called The Blue Velvets. After Tom Fogerty joined the group in 1964 they signed for Fantasy Records and the co-owner Max Weiss, renamed the group The Golliwogs. In 1967, Saul Zaentz bought Fantasy Records and the group became Creedence Clearwater Revival. Between 1968 and 1971 they had ten Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, nine of which were Top Ten hits. Out of that nine Top Ten hits, five peaked at number two. They never achieved a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. "Bad Moon Rising" was their only number one hit on the UK singles chart.

Answer: Suspicious Minds

"Suspicious Minds" was written by Mark James. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 for Elvis Presley in 1969. It peaked at number two on the UK singles chart the same year.

"Suspicious Minds" was to be not only Elvis's last US number one hit of the '60s, it was his very last number one hit of all during his lifetime. His last number one before "Suspicious Minds" was "Good Luck Charm", which was number one for two weeks in 1962. "Suspicious Minds" was his first US number one hit for over seven years. The longest period he had without a number one hit. It was a different story in the UK. After "Good Luck Charm" hit number one in 1962 so did "She's Not You" (1962), "Return To Sender" (1962), "(You're The) Devil In Disguise" (1963) and "Crying In The Chapel" (1965), "The Wonder Of You" (1970) and "Way Down" (1977). On re-release he had these posthumous UK number one hits, "A Little Less Conversation" (2002), "Jailhouse Rock"/"Treat Me Nice" (2004), "One Night" (2004) and "It's Now or Never" (2004).

Answer: Leaving On A Jet Plane

"Leaving On A Jet Plane" was written by John Denver. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 for Peter, Paul & Mary in 1969. It peaked at number two on the UK singles chart in 1970.

Peter Yarrow was born in Manhattan, New York, New York, U. S. A., in 1938. Noel Paul Stookey was born in Baltimore, Maryland, U. S. A., in 1937. Mary Allin Travers was born in Louisville, Kentucky, U. S. A., in 1936. They became Peter, Paul & Mary in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival. Between 1962 and 1969 Peter, Paul & Mary had six Top Ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 which included some of their best known songs, "If I Had A Hammer" (1962), "Puff The Magic Dragon" (1963) and "Blowin' In The Wind" (1963). Incredibly they had to wait until 1969 and their last chart hit to have a number one. That may be unique but I know someone will tell me if it was not.

Answer: Someday We'll Be Together

"Someday We'll Be Together" was written by Johnny Bristol/Jackey Beavers/Harvey Fuqua. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 for Diana Ross and the Supremes in 1969. It peaked at number 13 on the UK singles chart the same year.

The male voice that can be heard on the record is that of the song's co-writer, Johnny Bristol. Although "Someday We'll Be Together" was released as by Diana Ross And The Supremes, the other two Supremes, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong, do not sing on the record. They do however, both appear on the B-side, "He's My Sunny Boy."

"The Happening" was the tenth and last US number one by The Supremes before Florence Ballard was replaced by Cindy Birdsong and the group became Diana Ross and The Supremes. "Someday We'll Be Together" was the second and last of two US number one hits for Diana Ross and The Supremes before Diana Ross left the group. "Up The Ladder To The Roof" was the first US Top Ten hit for The Supremes after Diana Ross left and was replaced by Jean Terrell. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" was the first solo US number one hit for Diana Ross.