One Word Title Top Forty US Singles From 1970 Quiz

Answer: Joni Mitchell

After learning about the festival from her boyfriend at the time, Graham Nash, Joni Mitchell composed "Woodstock". She missed the festival because her agent had her booked on "The Dick Cavett Show". Joni initially included the song on her 1970 "Ladies of the Canyon" album, the same year "Melody Maker" named her "Top Female Performer".

The eight-time Grammy Award winner was a no-show when she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Melanie performed a set on Friday, August 15, 1969, at Woodstock. Joan Baez appeared later the same night after Arlo Guthrie. Janis Joplin, fronting The Kozmic Blues Band, played late Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Answer: Redeye

"Games" reached Number 27 for Redeye in 1970. Their follow up single, "Red Eye Blues", only made it to Number 78. The Los Angeles area band released two albums for the Pentagram label, "Redeye" (1971) and "One Man's Poison" (1972). The Rock band was noted for their polished harmonies and were frequently compared to Crosby, Stills and Nash.
Singer and guitar player Douglas "Red" Mark came to the band after being part of The Sunshine Company.
The Presidents released the Number 11 "5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years of Love)" in 1970. "Are You Ready?" was a Top Twenty for Pacific Gas and Electric and Toronto area band Mashmakhan reached Number 31 with "As the Years Go By".

Answer: The First National Band

In 1970 Michael Nesmith and the First National Band signed with RCA Records for which they recorded three albums. Nesmith had already decided to depart from The Monkees while forming his own band in late 1969. After connecting with former session players he had worked with while recording for The Monkees Michael Nesmith and the First National Band released "Joanne" from their debut album, "Magnetic South". The song was written by Nesmith and would become the highest charting single for the group.

"O-o-h Child" was a 1970 Top ten single by The Five Stairsteps. The Assembled Multitude released an Instrumental rendition of "Overture from Tommy (A Rock Opera)" that went to Number 16 in 1970. The Lost Generation had a Top Forty single release titled "The Sly, Slick, and the Wicked".

Answer: Mississippi

John Phillips' first solo project after The Mama and the Papas disbanded was his 1970 "John, the Wolf King of L.A" album. The album was not initially well received and the only Top Forty single from the album was "Mississippi".
Because of potential litigation involving members of The Mamas and Papas Dunhill Records was reluctant to aggressively promote "John, the Wolf King of L.A".

"Ohio" was a 1970 Number 14 single from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. "Indiana Wants Me" by R. Dean Taylor rose to Number Five. Elvis took "Kentucky Rain" to Number 16 in 1970.

Answer: Clarence Carter

Clarance Carter obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in music in 1960. The following year he was part of a duo calling themselves Clarence and Calvin. The pair released unsuccessful singles for the Duke Records label and became regular performers in Alabama clubs. After Calvin Scott was unable to perform following an accident Clarance went solo and signed with Fame Records. He began releasing singles that did well on the Rhythm and Blues charts. When he covered "Patches", which had been released by Chairmen of the Board, he scored a Top Ten US single.

R.B. Greaves made it to Number 27 in 1970 with a version of "Always Something There to Remind Me". "Do the Funky Chicken" was a Top Forty single from Rufus Thomas. Johnnie Taylor barely dented the US Top Forty in 1970 with the Number 39 "I Am Somebody (Part 2)".

Answer: Cherry Cola

The lyrics in the first verse contained the line "Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry-cola". The single was from their album titled "Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One" which reached Number 35 on the US album charts. When "Lola" was recorded for the album the line was "Coca-Cola", but when the single was released Ray had to change the lyrics to comply with the BBC's policy against product advertisement.
In his book, "The Kinks: The Official Biography", Ray Davies related that he was inspired to compose the song after an acquaintance had unknowingly danced with a transvestite at a club.
A live version was included on their 1980 "One for the Road" album but it only made it to Number 81 in the US.

Answer: Maybe

The Three Degrees released their "Maybe" album in 1970 on the Roulette label. The Chantels had released a successful Doo-Wop version in 1957. The song has also been covered by Janis Joplin and The Shangri-Las among others.
The Three Degrees had been performing since they formed in Philadelphia in 1963. The group underwent several changes in singers through the sixties. After releasing "Maybe" in 1970 the group had a brief role in the "The French Connection" (1971) performing at the Copa Cabana.
In 1973 they signed with Philadelphia International Records and had success with the Number Two hit "When Will I See You Again" in 1974.
"Contact" (1968) and "Liar" (1984" were single releases that failed to chart in the US. "Starlight" was recorded for their 1979 "3D" album

Answer: Bobbie Gentry

Bobbie Gentry's "Fancy" reached Number 26 on the US Country charts and made it to Number 31 on the Billboard Pop charts. Although Bobbie continued to chart singles on the Country charts "Fancy" was her final US Top Forty single to reach the Pop charts. The "Fancy" LP earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
In 1967 Gentry took "Ode to Billie Joe" to the top slot on the Billboard Pop charts. She teamed up with Glen Campbell to chart a cover version of "Let It Be Me" on the Country and Pop Top Forty and followed in 1970 with a remake of "All I Have to do is Dream" that also made the Top Forty as a crossover hit.
After performing regularly in Las Vegas Gentry retired from recording in the seventies.

"He Loves Me All the Way" and "Run Woman Run" were 1970 Country singles from Tammy Wynette. Lynn Anderson enjoyed crossover success in 1970 with "Rose Garden" and Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter" came out the same year.

Answer: Edwin Starr

Charles Edwin Hatcher was originally a Doo-Wop singer with The Future Tones in the fifties. By 1965 he had changed his name to Edwin Starr and released "Agent Double'O'Soul". Three years later Starr had a US Top Ten with "25 Miles". In 1970 he took a track from a Temptations album titled "War" and had himself a major hit. "War" sold over three million copies and topped the charts for three weeks in the US.

In 1973 Starr relocated to England and continued to record until his death at age 61 in 2003. War, also known as Eric Burdon and War, released seventies hits including "Low Rider", "The Cisco Kid" and "Spill the Wine". Santana took "Black Magic Woman" to Number Four in 1970. "Everybody Is A Star" was a chart-topper from Sly And Family Stone.

Answer: Shilo

"Shilo" was originally recorded on Neil's 1967 "Just for You" album for Bang Records but was not released as a single. When Diamond switched to Uni Records he recorded another version that was released as a single from his first Uni album, "Velvet Gloves and Spit". A cover of "La Bamba" was on the flip side.
After the "Shilo" single was successful for Uni, Neil's former label released a compilation of Neil's recordings as an LP titled "Shilo". "Shilo" became a concert staple for Neil and was included on his 1972 live album "Hot August Night".

"Candida" was a Top Ten 1970 release from Dawn. "Domino" was a Number Nine single by Van Morrison singing the praises of Fats Domino. "Cecilia" was a Number Four single by Simon and Garfunkel.