The British Music Scene - 1970 Quiz

Answer: Simon & Garfunkel

Simon & Garfunkel's fifth and final album together, "Bridge Over Troubled Water", was released in January 1970. It topped the UK album chart periodically for the next two years, spending a total of 33 weeks in the number one position. It was the best-selling album in the UK in both 1970 and 1971 and the best-selling album of the decade.

It was also the US Billboard number one album for 1970. The title track from the album also topped the singles charts in both the US and the UK. Of the alternatives, Eric Burdon and the Animals split in 1969 although the original line-up reformed in 1975; The Beatles split permanently in 1970, releasing their final album, "Let it Be", on May 8; and The Monkees split for good in 1971.

Answer: Ringo Starr

The film starred Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr, with appearances also from Roman Polanski, John Cleese, Raquel Welch, Christopher Lee and Richard Attenborough. There are also cameo appearances from Yul Brynner, Graham Chapman and Spike Milligan.
The film's soundtrack also featured the song "Come and Get It" by Welsh rock band Badfinger, which was written and produced by another Beatle, Paul McCartney.

Answer: The Who

Recorded at the University of Leeds Refectory on Valentine's Day in 1970, The Who's "Live at Leeds" was released in the spring of that same year. This was the only live album that the group released with the original classic line-up. This album regularly finishes high in the list in polls of the 'greatest live rock recording of all time'.

Answer: David Bowie

The 20-year old American cover girl married the 22-year old David Bowie in Bromley Register Office in London. Bowie later wrote two songs about her, "The Prettiest Star" and "Golden Years". She also appeared in Bowie's 1973 documentary/concert movie "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars". The couple had one child, the film director Duncan Jones, before they were divorced in 1980.

Answer: The Isle of Wight

The 1970 Isle of Wight festival featured the likes of Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, Richie Havens, Tiny Tim, Joni Mitchell, Donovan, Leonard Cohen, Ralph McTell and John Sebastian. Groups who performed included The Who, The Doors, Free, Family, Chicago, Jethro Tull, Supertramp, Procol Harum, Sly & the Family Stone, Cactus, Ten Years After and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

This was the third consecutive year of massive festivals held on the island, and easily the biggest of the three. Unfortunately, the event was a commercial failure and it would be more than 30 years (2002) before the Isle of Wight festival again established itself as one of the major summer events for British music fans.

Answer: Jimi Hendrix

Born Johnny Allen Hendrix in Seattle WA in November 1942, the plaque to Jimi Hendrix at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music". He died from a barbiturate overdose at his London hotel on the day following his session at Ronnie Scott's. He was 27 years old and joins a distinguished list of musicians who have died at that age.
Of the alternatives, Morrison (another member of the 27 club) and Vincent both died in 1971, Moon in 1978.

Answer: Keith Moon

Keith Moon accidentally killed his chauffeur, bodyguard and friend, Neil Boland, outside the Red Lion pub in Hatfield, Hertfordshire on January 4, 1970. A crowd were attacking Moon's Bentley and The Who drummer, who was drunk at the time, attempted to drive away but in so doing ran down Boland.

Although the coroner ruled Boland's death accidental and Moon was absolved of all charges, the drummer reportedly suffered nightmares about the incident for the rest of his life.

Answer: Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin morphed from the New Yardbirds in 1968, but it February 1970 they played a concert in Copenhagen, Denmark on their European tour under the pseudonym "The Nobs". Displeased that a rock band was using her family name, Countess Eva von Zeppelin (a descendant of Zeppelin Aircraft founder Ferdinand von Zeppelin) referred to the group as "a couple of shrieking monkeys". Threatened with a law suit, the band chose to play the opening gig of their European tour under a pseudonym.

Answer: Mungo Jerry

The Hollywood Festival in May 1970 featured such big names as Free, The Grateful Dead and Black Sabbath, but it was the unknown skiffle band Mungo Jerry who upstaged them all. Founded in Ashford, Middlesex by 23-year old guitarist and vocalist Ray Dorset, their performance in Staffordshire was the first under their new name (inspired by a character in C.S. Lewis's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats"). Written by Dorset in ten minutes on a second-hand Fender, "In the Summertime" topped the UK singles chart for seven weeks and reached number three in the US Billboard Hot 100. With an estimated 30 million copies sold, it remains one of the best-selling singles of all time. The alternatives are three other bands formed in 1970.

Answer: Lindisfarne

Originally named The Brethren when they formed in 1968, Lindisfarne's classic lineup featured Alan Hull on vocals, guitar and piano, drummer Ray Laidlaw, bass and violin player Rod Clements, Ray Jackson (vocals, mandolin and harmonica) and Simon Cowe (guitar, mandolin, banjo and keyboards).
The band's second album, "Fog on the Tyne", topped the charts in early 1972 and subsequently became that year's best-selling album in the UK. This also helped their debut album enjoy some chart success more than a year after it was originally released.
Lindisfarne introduced themselves to a younger generation of British music lovers in 1990 when they released "Fog on the Tyne Revisited" which featured the group in tandem with Geordie soccer hero Paul Gascoigne.