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Quiz about One Singular Sensation The Early 1970s
Quiz about One Singular Sensation The Early 1970s

One Singular Sensation (The Early 1970s) Quiz


After running out of chronological decades going forward in time, we have pushed back to the decade of the 1970s for this, the fifth quiz in the Singular Sensation series. Good luck.

A multiple-choice quiz by Spaudrey. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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  9. One Hit Wonders - 1970s

Author
Spaudrey
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
400,988
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
621
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 92 (6/10), Guest 65 (10/10), Hayes1953 (7/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. "Everybody was kung-fu fighting, those kicks were fast as lightning" got everybody on the dance floor back in 1974. But this Jamaican artist would not see the US Top 40 again, and only have paltry success compared to this hit that hit Number One in at least eleven countries. What artist was this? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. "We get it on most every night, when that moon is big and bright" begins a rather overt song on the extracurricular activities of the group. "Dancing In the Moonlight" was a 1972 hit by a French-American group, making it to the Top 20 on Billboard. But they didn't reap much success past that. What was this group? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. "I'm a friendly stranger in the black Sedan, won't you hop inside my car?" is the start of an in-your-face song from 1970 with a blistering horn section blaring over an intense vocalist. With a start like that, one would think many hits would follow, but this Billboard Number Two would be their only taste of the Top 40. "Vehicle" was the name of the song, what was the group? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. "My pappy said, 'Son, you're gonna' drive me to drinkin' if you don't stop drivin' that Hot Rod Lincoln'" brings us into this country rockabilly song named after the referenced model of vehicle. A remake originally from 1955, this 1971 would be the most successful version of "Hot Rod Lincoln". But the group responsible would not see any more Top Ten hits. What group are we referring to? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Branching from the normal one-hit wonder process, this Dutch band actually had one top ten single in both the U.S. and Britain, but they were oddly not the same song. "Hocus Pocus", and its unusual yodeling vocal part, found the top ten in America in 1973, where "Sylvia" found the top five in Britain the same year. What was the name of this band, still a one hit wonder in each country? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. "How long has this been going on?" This was the question asked in the one successful hit from 1974. Hailing from Britain, the major success beyond this hit would be the long term success of the lead singer. What is the name of the group name that brought us "How Long", a name that sounds like you could find it in a deck of cards?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. "Please come to Boston for the springtime" begins this songwriter's hit from 1974. "Please Come to Boston" was one of a number of hits that this artist wrote that had commercial success, but all but one of them were sung by someone else. Who is this singer/songwriter, who is related to another singer/songwriter who hit it big in the 1970s also? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. "She ain't got no money, her clothes are kinda funny" begins a love song by this artist in question. "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" was Number One in Britain, Top Five in the states, and led to talk of continued success. That success did not materialize, their lead singer departed, and things were different after that lustre wore off their single hit. Who was it that brought us "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)"? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. "I'd like to build the world a home and furnish it with love" begins this song that never was intended to be pop song. Originally "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" was a commercial jingle sung by this group, but then they dropped the product placement references, and they made it a hit on the radio. Several music acts did versions of the song with success, but who was the ORIGINAL group that performed it on the commercial, and also later on the radio? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. "He was on his way home from Candletop" begins this storytelling song from 1973. "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" was hit given to this singer, at the time not known for being a singer. It reached Number One in the US and Canada. But with a steady gig already, she didn't quit her day job. Who was this performer who got a chance to weigh her options singing this hit? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. "Everybody was kung-fu fighting, those kicks were fast as lightning" got everybody on the dance floor back in 1974. But this Jamaican artist would not see the US Top 40 again, and only have paltry success compared to this hit that hit Number One in at least eleven countries. What artist was this?

Answer: Carl Douglas

Carlton George Douglas was a recording artist in the UK when he struck gold with the hit "Kung Fu Fighting". As often happens, record companies want to milk a cow dry, so the Kung Fu themed follow-up was recorded, "Dance the Kung Fu", and the novelty was driven into the ground. Carl did manage to hit the Number One spot again in New Zealand.

The song? A remake of "Kung Fu Fighting" with a British Dance act called Bus Stop.
2. "We get it on most every night, when that moon is big and bright" begins a rather overt song on the extracurricular activities of the group. "Dancing In the Moonlight" was a 1972 hit by a French-American group, making it to the Top 20 on Billboard. But they didn't reap much success past that. What was this group?

Answer: King Harvest

King Harvest had a "too cool" song that got them on the charts on an album from the same name. But the song still has legs; it has appeared on episodes of "Better Call Saul", "Umbrella Academy", "The Blacklist", "Girls", and other hit shows from the 2010s.
3. "I'm a friendly stranger in the black Sedan, won't you hop inside my car?" is the start of an in-your-face song from 1970 with a blistering horn section blaring over an intense vocalist. With a start like that, one would think many hits would follow, but this Billboard Number Two would be their only taste of the Top 40. "Vehicle" was the name of the song, what was the group?

Answer: Ides of March

All four bands listed had fabulous horn sections. In fact, they often got mistaken for each other as great horn sections were rare around that era. Ides of March hit the charts big in 1970 reaching the Number Two spot on Billboard. But they would never see another hit single, as the members would move on to other projects. Jim Peterik, author of the song, wrote "Vehicle" based on an actual high school crush who used him for rides around town.

He also was one of the people behind "Eye of the Tiger", which he wrote for his later project, Survivor.
4. "My pappy said, 'Son, you're gonna' drive me to drinkin' if you don't stop drivin' that Hot Rod Lincoln'" brings us into this country rockabilly song named after the referenced model of vehicle. A remake originally from 1955, this 1971 would be the most successful version of "Hot Rod Lincoln". But the group responsible would not see any more Top Ten hits. What group are we referring to?

Answer: Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen

George Frayne IV was the founder of Michigan's Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. Mainly a country group, they got their rockabilly on for "Hot Rod Lincoln", a minor hit for Charlie Ryan. Frayne assumed the identity of Commander Cody and would release some solo albums with mainly local success, until his death from multiple sclerosis in 1992.
5. Branching from the normal one-hit wonder process, this Dutch band actually had one top ten single in both the U.S. and Britain, but they were oddly not the same song. "Hocus Pocus", and its unusual yodeling vocal part, found the top ten in America in 1973, where "Sylvia" found the top five in Britain the same year. What was the name of this band, still a one hit wonder in each country?

Answer: Focus

"Hocus Pocus" by Focus was a minor hit in Britain in 1971 before it was remastered in a faster tempo and re-released in the US in 1973. "Sylvia" came later that year in Britain as "Hocus Pocus" had technically been released already. It would find number four in Britain. Several hits would chart in their home country of the Netherlands, including these two, but the list of successful songs would be limited to these two hits, one each in the UK and the US.
6. "How long has this been going on?" This was the question asked in the one successful hit from 1974. Hailing from Britain, the major success beyond this hit would be the long term success of the lead singer. What is the name of the group name that brought us "How Long", a name that sounds like you could find it in a deck of cards?

Answer: Ace

Ace started out as Ace Flash and the Dynamos (thankfully that didn't last long). The group was formed from members of local English bands. After three years of recording and not recreating the success they had with "How Long", they broke up and went different ways.

But the history of Ace is highlighted by the presence of Paul Carrack. After singing on their hit song, he would later sing Top 40 hits with Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics, and several solo hits.
7. "Please come to Boston for the springtime" begins this songwriter's hit from 1974. "Please Come to Boston" was one of a number of hits that this artist wrote that had commercial success, but all but one of them were sung by someone else. Who is this singer/songwriter, who is related to another singer/songwriter who hit it big in the 1970s also?

Answer: Dave Loggins

Dave Loggins has had hits he penned performed by Three Dog Night, and later by country artists Alabama, Kenny Rogers and Tanya Tucker. But he kept "Please Come to Boston" for himself, and it would be a Number One Adult Contemporary hit. Dave is actually second cousin to Kenny Loggins, who was by no means a one hit wonder, having a career first with Jim Messina, and then later as a solo artist all throughout the 1980s.
8. "She ain't got no money, her clothes are kinda funny" begins a love song by this artist in question. "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" was Number One in Britain, Top Five in the states, and led to talk of continued success. That success did not materialize, their lead singer departed, and things were different after that lustre wore off their single hit. Who was it that brought us "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)"?

Answer: Edison Lighthouse

All four were one hit wonders from the early 1970s, but Edison Lighthouse (later just Edison) had the love tune dedicated to Rosemary. Edison Lighthouse took their name from the Eddystone Lighthouse off of Devonshire County in England. They had some minor fleeting success in Oceania as they toured the area after the early success. With some people seeing them, they had some hits in New Zealand that never smelled the charts anywhere else. That was all the success that they saw after "Love Grows" left the charts.
9. "I'd like to build the world a home and furnish it with love" begins this song that never was intended to be pop song. Originally "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" was a commercial jingle sung by this group, but then they dropped the product placement references, and they made it a hit on the radio. Several music acts did versions of the song with success, but who was the ORIGINAL group that performed it on the commercial, and also later on the radio?

Answer: Hillside Singers

If ever a group was destined to be a one hit wonder, it was this one. When someone wrote a jingle for Coca-Cola, the group they approached to sing it were the New Seekers. They were not available. So a producer scrounged together some singers (a couple of them his relations), tacked on a name associated with the commercial layout, and they performed the song.

It was so popular that the producers of "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" changed the lyrics that mentioned Coke, and they released it as a single. With hindsight 20/20, NOW the New Seekers were very available.

In a strange twist, they also recorded a version of the song, and also released it. And BOTH versions were international hits, in the same year. But the Hillside Singers will always be the first ones to sing it, due to New Seekers thinking their schedule was too busy to originally record it. Hillside Singers, never a group that was created for longevity, continued in name only, laying down some tracks for various projects, but the group dissipated quickly after their fifteen minutes of fame.
10. "He was on his way home from Candletop" begins this storytelling song from 1973. "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" was hit given to this singer, at the time not known for being a singer. It reached Number One in the US and Canada. But with a steady gig already, she didn't quit her day job. Who was this performer who got a chance to weigh her options singing this hit?

Answer: Vicki Lawrence

Vicki Lawrence was already a stalwart on the cast of the sketch comedy show "The Carol Burnett Show", which debuted in 1967. But in 1972 she was approached about doing an album by her husband, as she was an accomplished singer. With the song her husband wrote, "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia", she found gold, and a certified gold record.

But Carol Burnett's steady paycheck wasn't going away unless she left it, and her performing the song was limited to variety television shows, and no touring was done with it.

She received her gold record status from Carol on one of the episodes of the show.
Source: Author Spaudrey

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series The One Singular Sensation List:

Each of these quizzes covers a group of One-Hit Wonders, each from a specific half-decade.

  1. One Singular Sensation (The Early 1970s) Average
  2. One Singular Sensation (The Late 1970s) Easier
  3. One Singular Sensation (The Early 1980s) Average
  4. One Singular Sensation (The Late 1980s) Average
  5. One Singular Sensation (The Early 90s) Average
  6. One Singular Sensation (The Late 90s) Average

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