Neil Young - i am a child, 1968

"This song, “I am a child,” comes from the last of the Buffalo Springfield’s non-retrospective albums, “Last Time Around” (1968). It is, of course, a Neil Young composition, and Young for once got to sing lead vocal. I doubt that most Buffalo Springfield or Neil Young fans would have this on their list of favorites, but I find it wonderful. Imagine this being a rock song in 1968, and written when Young was only 23."

The Moody Blues - a simple game single b-side, 1968

"Given the Four Tops’ history at Motown, I must admit I’d always imagined “A Simple Game” was another monster hit fashioned by Motown’s ace writing and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland, who wrote and produced many of what we would now regard as the classic Motown tracks. How wrong could I be... ?"

Bee Gees - i started a joke, 1968

"The melody to this one was heard aboard a British Airways Vickers Viscount about a hundred miles from Essen. It was one of those old four engine "prop" jobs, that seemed to drone the passenger into a sort of hypnotic trance, only with this it was different. The droning, after a while, appeared to take the form of a tune, which mysteriously sounded like a church choir. So it was decided! We accosted the pilot, forced him to land in the nearest village and there, in a small pub, we finished the lyrics [with Barry]. Actually, it wasn't a village, it was the city, and it wasn't a pub, it was a hotel, and we didn't force the pilot to land in a field ... but why ruin a perfectly good story?"

The Moody Blues - the best way to travel, 1968

"Keyboard player Mike Pinder’s (Thinking is) The Best Way to Travel on the In Search of a Lost Chord album is one of the great “show me the universe and get me home for tea” acid songs, and that quintet of late 60s albums is liberally peppered with memorable psychedelic moments."

The Moody Blues - a simple game, 1968

"A Simple Game" is a 1968 song by the progressive rock band the Moody Blues. Written and sung by Mike Pinder, it was released as a non-album B-side to "Ride My See-Saw", a track from the album In Search of the Lost Chord. The song was produced by Tony Clarke and arranged by Arthur Greenslade. The track was included in the band's 1974 compilation, This Is The Moody Blues, remixed and with an earlier fade than on the single. It was also included, with its original mix and length, in the 1987 compilation Prelude."

Johnny Cash - folsom prison blues live at folsom state prison, 1968

"While his live At Folsom Prison album and performance is one of Cash's most well-known, it wasn't the only penitentiary where Cash played for inmates during his career. Cash played San Quentin State Prison in 1958, which included amongst its audience, Merle Haggard. Haggard was inspired by the concert and post his release, went on to pursue music of his own. During the show, Cash performed the song "San Quentin," about an inmate's hatred of prison. The song received such an enthusiastic response from the audience that Cash immediately played an encore."

The Moody Blues - the actor, 1968

"Feelings, yes, solitude at night, lazy afternoons and rain, and the daydreaming that goes with them... and I love some of the lines (It's such a rainy afternoon, no point in going anywhere; the sound I have heard in your hello). The emotional weight of the music and the lyrics appeal to me."

Barry Ryan - eloise, 1968

"Eloise" is a song first released in 1968 on the MGM label. It was sung by Barry Ryan, and written by his twin brother Paul Ryan. Running for over five minutes, it features strong orchestration, melodramatic vocals, and a brief slow interlude. It sold three million copies worldwide, and reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart as published by Record Retailer, but hit No. 1 in the NME and Melody Maker charts. It topped the chart in 17 countries, including Italy, the Netherlands and Australia."

The Beatles - i'm so tired, 1968

"At the very end of the song, what seems to be nonsensical mumbling can be heard in the background. The mumbling, if played backwards can be imagined as something along the lines of "Paul is a dead man. Miss him. Miss him. Miss him." This only adds to the many supposed references to the "Paul is dead" conspiracy theory scattered throughout the White album. Mark Lewisohn has said that the mumbling is actually Lennon muttering, "Monsieur, monsieur, how about another one?"

Bee Gees - massachusetts, 1968

"There are two different memories, Robin remembers us doing it in a boat going around New York City. And I remember us checking in at the St. Regis with Robert, going to the suite, and while the bags were being brought in we were so high on being in New York, that's how 'Massachusetts' began. I think we were strumming basically the whole thing, and then I think we went on a boat round New York. I don't know if we finished it, but I think that's where the memories collide. Everybody wrote it. All three of us were there when the song was born."

Simon And Garfunkel - bye bye love cover live, 1968

"Simon & Garfunkel included a live version of the song on their 1970 album Bridge over Troubled Water. Following the end of filming of Catch-22 in October, the first performance of their tour took place in Ames, Iowa. The concert included "Bye Bye Love", backed by the audience's hand clapping. Simon & Garfunkel were fascinated with its sound, so they repeated it a second time for a recording; while the first try failed, they liked the second attempt and included it on Bridge over Troubled Water."

The Moody Blues - the best way to travel bbc top gear session in search of the lost chord two thousand and eight release, 1968

"If the Moody Blues' most brazen, brave, and bold November 1967 mixture of conceptual rock and broad classical arrangements known as Days of Future Passed both saved their career and opened newer doors of sonic perception for them (and us) to walk through, then their mind-expanding July 1968 follow-up, In Search of the Lost Chord, truly cemented their position as purveyors of some of the headiest of mixes to essentially usher in a new era of progressive music."

The Moody Blues - legend of a mind, 1968

"The song's lyrics are about 1960s LSD icon Timothy Leary. Leary was an advocate for the use of the drug, enjoying its spiritual benefits, with one of his catchphrases being "Turn on, tune in, drop out." A re-recorded version of the song, with different lyrics, "Legend of a Mind (Timothy Leary Lives)" appears on the 1996 album Beyond Life With Timothy Leary. The song is perhaps best known for its opening lines: "Timothy Leary's dead / No, n-n-no he's outside looking in", which allude to Leary's use of eastern mysticism (most notably The Tibetan Book of the Dead) to frame the psychedelic experience."

The Mamas And The Papas - midnight voyage, 1968

"The song Midnight Voyage which closes the album has the distinction of being one of a very few Mamas and Papas tracks to be released with false starts and studio chatter, giving the listener a brief snippet of how a song comes together."

The Beatles - revolution, 1968

"Revolution" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Three versions of the song were recorded and released in 1968, all during sessions for the Beatles' self-titled double album, also known as the "White Album": a slow, bluesy arrangement ("Revolution 1") included on the album; an abstract sound collage (titled "Revolution 9") that originated as the latter part of "Revolution 1" and appears on the same album; and the faster, hard rock version similar to "Revolution 1", released as the B-side of "Hey Jude". Although the single version was issued first, it was recorded several weeks after "Revolution 1", intended for release as a single. A music video for the song was shot using the backing track from the single version, their appearances reflecting the song's atmosphere, along with live-sung lyrics that more closely resemble the album version."

The Moody Blues - ride my see-saw, 1968

"Ride My See-Saw" is a 1968 single by the English progressive rock band the Moody Blues. It was written by the band's bassist John Lodge, and was first released on the Moody Blues' 1968 album In Search of the Lost Chord. It was the second of two singles from that album, the other being "Voices in the Sky". On the album, the song is preceded by a spoken word introduction called "Departure" that was written by Graeme Edge. Billboard described the single as a "blockbuster rocker" that "comes on strong with all the ingredients to spiral [the Moody Blues] to the top in short order" and a "mover from start to finish." Cash Box called it a "dance track with powerful teen attraction" and "polished vocals."

Harpers Bizarre - the drifter, 1968

"Harpers Bizarre's third album continued their mildly eccentric soft rock direction, remaining as mildly eccentric ever, but growing ever softer. In truth, this skirts adult contemporary Muzak almost as it does anything that could be considered rock music, and is rather a dark day in the annals of sunshine pop."

Bee Gees - i've gotta get a message to you, 1968

"This is about a prisoner on Death Row who only has a few hours to live. He wants the prison chaplain to pass on a final message to his wife. There's a certain urgency about it. Myself and Barry wrote it. It's a bit like writing a script. Sometimes you can sit there for three hours with your guitar and nothing will happen. Then in the last ten minutes something will spark."

The Beatles - revolution one, 1968

"Revolution" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Three versions of the song were recorded and released in 1968, all during sessions for the Beatles' self-titled double album, also known as the "White Album": a slow, bluesy arrangement ("Revolution 1") included on the album; an abstract sound collage (titled "Revolution 9") that originated as the latter part of "Revolution 1" and appears on the same album; and the faster, hard rock version similar to "Revolution 1", released as the B-side of "Hey Jude". Although the single version was issued first, it was recorded several weeks after "Revolution 1", intended for release as a single. A music video for the song was shot using the backing track from the single version, their appearances reflecting the song's atmosphere, along with live-sung lyrics that more closely resemble the album version."

The Beatles - long long long, 1968

"Long, Long, Long" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 album The Beatles (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by George Harrison, the group's lead guitarist, while he and his bandmates were attending Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation course in Rishikesh, India, in early 1968. Although Harrison later stated that he was addressing God in the lyrics, it is the first of his compositions that invites interpretation as both a standard love song and a paean to his deity.!