Pop Music Potpourri: 1968-1969, Part II Quiz

Answer: Set you free

John Kay and Steppenwolf had success in 1968 with the song "Magic Carpet Ride". This song featured Kay's hard-driving vocals, the keyboard sounds of Goldy McJohn, and the guitar work of Michael Monarch. Kay thundered these words:

"Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes, girl
Look inside, girl
Let the sound take you away..."

Answer: Tracy

The upbeat song "Tracy" became a hit for The Cuff Links in October 1969. In fact, there was no real group called The Cuff Links for this song- the vocals were handled by a man named Ron Dante, who also did the singing on "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies. Dante, from Staten Island, NY, reached the top ten on the U.S. Billboard charts with "Tracy". Dante sang these lyrics:

"Come with me; don't say no
Hold me close, Tracy
Never, never, ever let me go..."

Tom Jones sang "Delilah", The Flying Machine sang a tune about "Rosemarie", and the Turtles recorded "Eleonore".

Answer: Everybody's Talkin'

In 1969, the movie "Midnight Cowboy" was released. It starred Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman and won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Harry Nilsson's song "Everybody's Talkin" was featured in this film, and Nilsson won a Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal Performance. This tune became an international top ten hit. Nilsson sang these words:

"Everybody's talkin' at me
I don't hear a word they're saying
Only the echoes of my mind..."

"In the Year 2525" was a hit for Zager and Evans; "Easy to Be Hard" was performed by Three Dog Night; and "Cry Like a Baby" was sung by The Box Tops.

Answer: Green

The Lemon Pipers hailed from Ohio and featured the lead vocals of Ivan Browne. The band recorded the hit song "Green Tambourine" in 1967; by February 1968 this tune had reached the top spot on the U.S. Billboard charts. "Green Tambourine" was a perfect song for the psychedelic age- it featured a sitar and "far out" vibes. Browne sang these opening lyrics:

"Drop your silver in my tambourine
Help a poor man fill his pretty dream
Give me pennies, I'll take anything
Now listen while I play-play-play
My green tambourine..."

Answer: Boy

Johnny Cash had a crossover hit in 1969 with his song "A Boy Named Sue". Cash recorded this song at San Quentin (CA) State Prison. The lyrics told the story of a boy who had to fight throughout his life because his father had burdened him with a female name. In the USA, "A Boy Named Sue" was a major hit on both the Billboard Country and Pop Music charts. Cash brought down the house when he uttered these words:

"And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him...
Bill or George- anything but Sue!"

Answer: Hello, I Love You

The Doors released the single "Hello, I Love You" in June 1968, and this song climbed to the top of the U.S. Billboard charts in the summer of '68. This tune came from the band's 1968 album "Waiting for the Sun". Jim Morrison sang, "Hello, I love you, won't you tell me your name?" The other three songs mentioned in this question also appeared on "Waiting for the Sun".

Answer: Tommy Roe

Tommy Roe, from Atlanta, achieved international success in 1969 with his song "Dizzy". In the USA, this tune reached the top of the Billboard charts in March 1969. Roe sang these words from the song's chorus:

"I'm so dizzy my head is spinning
Like a whirlpool it never ends
And it's you girl makin' it spin
You're making me dizzy..."

Answer: The Foundations

The 1968 hit song "Build Me Up Buttercup" was performed by The Foundations, a band based in London, England. Colin Young was the soulful lead singer on this tune. In the USA, "Build Me Up Buttercup" climbed to the number three position on the Billboard Top 100 charts. In 1998, a new generation of pop music fans fell in love with this song when it was featured in the film "There's Something About Mary." Young and his mates sang these lyrics:

"Why do you build me up
Buttercup baby just to let me down
And mess me around..."

Answer: Cheek

Merrilee Rush was born in Seattle. Her version of "Angel of the Morning" was released in June 1968, and it eventually reached the number seven spot on the U.S. Billboard charts. Rush sang, "Just call me angel of the morning, baby, just touch my cheek before you leave me, baby...". Rush's version of "Angel of the Morning" was featured in the 2000 movie "Girl, Interrupted".

Answer: More Today Than Yesterday

"Hawaii Five-O" (The Ventures), "Classical Gas" (Mason Williams), and "Time Is Tight" (Booker T. & The MGs) were all popular instrumental tunes during 1968 and 1969. "More Today Than Yesterday" was a vocal hit for The Spiral Starecase. This song was released in January 1969 and reached the number twelve spot on the U.S. Billboard charts. Pat Upton was the guitarist and lead vocalist for this band, which was based in Sacramento, California. Upton sang these words:


"And I always will be true
I know you feel the same way too
Oh, I love you more today than yesterday
But not as much as tomorrow..."