Touchdown! Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Letter

The Box Tops reached number one on the US Billboard chart and number five on the UK singles chart with the song. Joe Cocker's rather more blues orientated version, with Leon Russell on piano, made number seven in the USA but only 39 in his home country. All the other answers I gave you came from the lyrics, which don't actually refer to 'the letter' only 'a letter'.

The song was written by Wayne Carson Thompson who was also one of the writers of 'Always on My Mind', made famous by Willie Nelson and Elvis Presley.

Answer: Balloon

The song was written by Jimmy Webb, who also gave us 'Wichita Lineman', 'Galveston' and 'MacArthur Park' among others. The song asked 'Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon' and The 5th Dimension took it to number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.

They followed up with other hits including 'Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In' from the musical 'Hair' and 'Wedding Bell Blues' which both reached the top spot in the USA in 1969.

Answer: Simon and Garfunkel

The song was on the best selling album 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' and was written by Paul Simon. According to Wikipedia, the 'Tom' of the lyrics was Art Garfunkel and referred to the duo's original performing name of Tom and Jerry. Garfunkel had flown to Mexico to make a film leaving Simon feeling deserted and alone in New York. Apart from the title track the album also gave us 'Cecilia' and 'The Boxer'.

The Everly Brothers were around in the 1950s and 1960s and Hall and Oates main success came later in the decade.

Answer: Back in the USSR

BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) became British Airways in 1974, but was still in existence when Paul wrote 'Back in the USSR' in 1968. Paul says that his reference to 'Ukraine girls really knock me out' was a tribute to the Beach Boys' 'California Girls'. 'Jet' wasn't a Beatles song - it was performed by Paul's subsequent band Wings. 'Across the Universe' could involve flying but there was no mention of it in the lyrics and the only reference to transport in 'Day Tripper' was 'Sunday driver'.

Answer: Steppenwolf

This was the band's second biggest hit after 'Born to Be Wild', which had been a number two hit on the US Billboard chart earlier the same year. It managed only a lowly number 30 in the UK and 'Magic Carpet Ride' didn't trouble the charts at all. 'Born to Be Wild' was famously used on the soundtrack to the film 'Easy Rider', but 'Magic Carpet Ride' has also had extensive film exposure, including 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' (2001) and 'Reservoir Dogs' (1992).

Answer: Eight Miles

The song was banned on some radio stations in the USA as it was believed that the title of 'Eight Miles High' referred to drug use. The band insisted that the lyrics referred to their flight to the UK for their 1965 tour - 'Eight miles high and when you touch down you'll find it stranger than known'.

The song peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 24 on the UK Singles charts. The Byrds had their biggest hit in 1965 with Bob Dylan's 'Mr. Tambourine Man', which was a number one on both sides of the Atlantic.

Answer: California

'It Never Rains in Southern California' was jointly written by Hammond with Mike Hazlewood and reached number two on the US Billboard chart. It tells the story of the failure of an attempted career in Hollywood. It may never rain, but 'girl don't they warn ya.

It pours, man it pours'. Among other songs written by Hammond and Hazlewood are 'Free Electric Band', 'The Air that I Breathe' (a big hit for The Hollies) and the rather less memorable 'Little Arrows', sung by Leapy Lee.

Answer: Early Morning Rain

The song was not a huge hit, reaching only 91 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number thirteen on the Adult Contemporary charts. George Hamilton IV recorded it in 1966 and took it to number nine on the US Country charts. The song tells the story of a someone wishing he could hitch a ride on the aeroplane as easily as he could stowaway on a freight train. All the songs listed are among the many Lightfoot compositions.

Answer: John Denver

Peter Paul and Mary had their biggest hit with this song, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1969 and number two on the UK Singles chart in 1970. Denver himself did not release the song as a single, although it appeared on his first album, 'Rhymes and Reasons', in 1969.

He did have chart success with many other self written songs, including 'Annie's Song' (1974), 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' (1971) and 'Rocky Mountain High' (1972).

Answer: Spain

'Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane. I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain'. The song was released as the second single from the album 'Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player', the first being 'Crocodile Rock'. 'Daniel' reached number four on the UK Singles chart and number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1973.

The lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin and refer to a blinded Vietnam veteran who escaped his small town home in the USA to live in Spain, although this is only made clear in a final verse which was cut from the final version of the song.