Finally, we round off our journey of transportation delight with a collection of honourable mentions for those means of motion for which there are only the occasional reference such as balloons, the Underground etc.
“Up, Up and Away” is a 1967 song written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by US soul-pop act the 5th Dimension, whose big hit version reached no. 7 on Billboard in July 1967, and no. 9 on its Easy Listening chart. The single reached number one in both Canada and Australia. In 1999 Webb’s song placed 43 on BMI’s “Top 100 Songs of the Century”.
“Air Balloon” is a song by British musician Lily Allen. The song was premiered on BBC Radio 1 in January 2014 and was released in March 2014, as the second single from Allen’s third studio album, Sheezus (2014). Allen wrote the song in collaboration with Shellback, who has also worked for Britney Spears and Taylor Swift. “Air Balloon” was moderately successful charting at number 7 in the UK, making it her seventh top-ten single in the country, and number 8 in Ireland.
“Ferry Cross the Mersey” is a song written by Gerry Marsden. It was first recorded by his band Gerry and the Pacemakers and released in late 1964 in the UK and in 1965 in the United States. It was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching number six in the United States and number eight in the UK. The song is from the film of the same name and was released on its soundtrack album.
“Finchley Central” was the second single of The New Vaudeville Band, a group created by songwriter Geoff Stephens in 1966 to record his novelty composition “Winchester Catherdral”, their songs were inspired by the dance bands of the 1920s and a Rudy Vallee megaphone style vocal. The single reached No. 11 in the UK, and No. 24 in the US.
“On a Carousel” is a song written by Allan Clarke, Graham Nash and Tony Hicks. It was released by The Hollies as a single in February 1967, having been recorded the previous month. Nash would opine: “‘On a Carousel’ was one of the Hollies’ best songs. It’s a pop song with an infectious chorus, but flirts with gorgeous shifts in rhythmic texture [that keep] the melody from becoming predictable. And the lyric captures the essence of young love without the usual moon-and-June cliches. We knew it was a hit from the get-go.” The song was a hit in the UK, peaking at No. 4 on the single charts.
“Fire Brigade” is a song written by Roy Wood and performed by The Move. Released as the group’s fourth single in Britain in February 1968, it reached No. 3 in the UK. According to Wood, he wrote the song in a single overnight session after manager Tony Secunda told the band, who had just finished playing a concert, that he had a studio session lined up for the next morning and that they needed to record a single. Since Wood did not have any songs ready that he thought would be a good single, the rest of the Move left him alone in a hotel room (which they normally doubled up on) to write one.
“This Wheel’s on Fire” is a song written by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko. It was originally recorded by Dylan and the Band during their 1967 sessions, portions of which (including this song) comprised the 1975 album, The Basement Tapes. The Band’s own version appeared on their 1968 album, Music from Big Pink. In 1968, a version by Julie Driscoll with Brian Auger and the Trinity became a hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 5 and also reaching number 106 in the U.S. With its use of distortion, phasing, the evocative imagery of the song’s title and the group’s flamboyant dress, this version is closely associated with the psychedlic era in British music.
“Magic Carpet Ride” is a rock song written by John Kay and Ruston Moreve from the Canadian-American band Steppenwolf. The song was initially released in 1968 on the album The Second. It was the lead single from that album, peaking at number three in the US, and staying in the charts for 16 weeks, longer than any other Steppenwolf song. The 45 rpm version is not only an edit of the album version, but contains a different vocal take on the first verse.
“Big Yellow Taxi” is a song written, composed, and originally recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell in 1970, and originally released on her album Ladies of the Canyon. It was a hit in her native Canada (No. 14) as well as Australia (No. 6) and the UK (No. 11). It only reached No. 67 in the US in 1970, but was later a bigger hit there for her in a live version released in 1974,
