Don't Give Up The Day Jobs, Guys! Quiz

Answer: Let's Go (Pony)

"Let's Go (Pony)" was written by Lanny Duncan/Robert Duncan. It was a number 19 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Routers in 1962. It only made it to number 32 on the UK singles chart the same year.

The Routers were formed in 1961 by Michael Z. Gordon who also formed another instrumental group, The Marketts, of "Out Of Limits" fame (a US number three hit in 1964). The Routers had one more minor hit with "Sting Ray" which peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963.

Answer: The Big Three

The Big Three in 1963 were, Brian Griffiths (lead guitar, vocals), Johnny Gustafson (bass guitar, vocals) and Johnny Hutchinson (drums, vocals). They had two minor hits on the UK singles chart: "Some Other Guy" written by Richie Barrett peaked at number 37 and "By The Way" written by Mitch Murray, peaked at number 22 on the UK singles chart in 1963. That was it, for one of the best groups in Liverpool that never made it. As well as the group's tendency to self destruct, a big part in their downfall was played by their manager at the time, Brian Epstein. He tried to mould them like he did with The Beatles; they rebelled against his ideas of how they should dress and what music they should play and parted company with him.

The original version of "Some Other Guy" by Richie Barrett never charted in the US. The song has become well known as sung by The Beatles in the earliest known film of them performing at the original Cavern club in Liverpool in 1962.

Answer: Tell Me When

"Tell Me When" was written by Les Reed/Geoff Stephens. It peaked at number seven on the UK singles chart for The Applejacks in 1964. It did not make the Billboard Hot 100.

The Applejacks were Martin Baggot (guitar), Phil Cash (guitar), Megan Davies (bass guitar), Gerald Freeman (drums), Don Gould (keyboards) and Al Jackson (Harry Llewellyn) (vocals). They were the first Birmingham (Brum Beat) group to have a UK Top Ten hit. On the UK TV show "Thank Your Lucky Stars" in 1964 they met The Beatles and Paul McCartney offered them a Lennon/McCartney song as a follow up single. The song was the un-published "Like Dreamers Do" but it only reached number 20 and their third single "Three Little Words" peaked at number 23 on the UK singles chart. The writing was on the wall and after their three UK chart entries in 1964 they faded from sight.

Answer: The Jelly Beans

"I Wanna Love Him So Bad" was written by Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich. It peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Jelly Beans in 1964. It did not chart in the UK.

The group were formed in 1962 while attending high school in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. They were Alma Brewer, Elyse Herbert, Maxine Herbert, Diane Taylor and Charles Thomas. In 1963 they signed up with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller at their Red Bird record label. Their follow up single (and in your humble quiz writer's opinion a better record than their first) was "Baby Be Mine" and despite it being written by Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich/Steve Venet and produced by Jeff Barry & Steve Venet it only reached number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. By 1965 The Jelly Beans were no more.

Answer: The Daytonas

"G. T. O." written by John Wilkin peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot for Ronny & The Daytonas in 1964. It did not chart in the UK.

Ronny was John Wilkin, son of country song writer Marijohn Wilkin. The only other permanent member of the group was songwriter and guitarist Lee Kraft. Manager of the group Bill Justis (of "Raunchy" fame), hired session musicians to record the song.

Ronny & The Daytonas had four more minor hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1964 and 1966. The highest charting of those was "Sandy" which peaked at number 27 in 1965.

Answer: California Sun

"California Sun" was written by Henry Glover. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Rivieras in 1964. It did not chart in the UK.

Lead singer Marty Fortson left the group shortly after the recording and joined the Marines. In 1986 he was reported as working on the assembly line at Bendix. In a 1999 an article by Bob Greene, then a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, it stated that Marty Fortson was the manager of a furniture store. Drummer Paul Dennert, a retired pipefitter, lived in South Bend, Indiana, where the group originated. Such is fame.

Answer: The Zombies

"She's Not There" was written by Rod Argent. It peaked at number 12 on the UK singles chart for The Zombies in 1964. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

The Zombies who formed in 1962 were Paul Atkinson (guitar), Rod Argent (keyboards, vocals), Paul Arnold (bass, replaced by Chris White), Colin Blunstone (vocals) and Hugh Grundy (drums). They had one more minor UK hit with "Tell Her No", which peaked at number 42 in 1965. That was it chart wise for The Zombies in the UK. They had more success in the USA, were "Tell Her No" reached number six and four years later in 1969 "Time Of The Season" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The Zombies' chart career ended with the '60s. Rod Argent formed the group Argent, Colin Blunstone had some solo success in the UK in the '70s and '80s and Paul Arnold became a doctor in Canada.

Answer: Tony Jackson

"Bye Bye Baby" was written by Mary Wells. It peaked at number 38 on the UK singles chart for Tony Jackson and The Vibrations in 1964. It did not chart in the US.

Tony Jackson left The Searchers in July 1964. Differences had arisen in the group especially between Jackson and Curtis. There was also Jackson's drinking and forceful personality so his departure may not have bean totally by choice. Jackson had been the lead singer on their first two UK hits "Sweets For My Sweet" and "Sugar And Spice" in 1963 and on their biggest US hit "Love Potion No.9" in 1965, (first released on the album "Meet The Searchers" in 1963). He decamped to London and formed his new band The Vibrations. Their three weeks on the UK singles chart was all there was. The Searchers (with new member Frank Allen) made their last appearance on the UK and US Top 20 a year later in 1965.

Answer: Mick Jagger/Keith Richard

"So Much In Love" was written by Mick Jagger/Keith Richard. It peaked at number 46 on the UK singles chart for The Mighty Avengers in 1964. It did not chart in the US.

The Mighty Avengers were formed in Coventry, England, in 1962. They were Dave Beech (drums, vocals), Tony Campbell (lead guitar, vocals), Mike Linnell (bass guitar, lead vocals) and Kevin Mahon (Guitar, harmonica). They were recorded by The Rolling Stones' manager, Andrew Loog Oldham. Rubbing shoulders with the great and good was nothing to them but they didn't know it at the time. On the day that "Love Me Do" by The Beatles was released The Mighty Avengers were on the same bill as them at the Nuneaton Co-op Hall. Also on the bill were The Diplomats fronted by future Wings member Denny Lane. The group disbanded in 1966 and Beech, Mahon and Campbell later formed Jigsaw. They had a number nine hit on the UK singles chart with "Sky High" in 1975. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

Answer: New York

"The Boy From New York City" was written by George Davis/John T. Taylor. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Ad Libs in 1965. It did not chart in the UK.

The Ad Libs were formed as The Creators in Bayonne, New Jersey, USA, in 1964. They were Danny Austin, Norman Donegan, Hugh Harris, Mary Ann Thomas and Dave Watt. They recorded into the '80s but they only had one more minor hit on the Billboard Hot 100 when "He Ain't No Angel" scraped in at number 100 for one week. "The Boy From New York City" took on a life of its own and was a number two hit on the UK singles chart for The Darts in 1978. It was a number seven hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Manhattan Transfer in 1981.

Answer: Goldie and The Gingerbreads

"Can't You Hear My Heartbeat" was written by John Carter/Ken Lewis. It peaked at number 25 on the UK singles chart for Goldie and The Gingerbreads in 1965. It did not chart in the US.

Goldie and The Gingerbreads were Ginger Bianco (drums), Margo Lewis (keyboards), Carol MacDonald (guitar, vocals) and Genya Zelkowitz (Goldie, vocals). Although all of the group members were American they never had any hits on the Billboard Hot 100. "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat" was their only hit on the UK singles chart. Unfortunately for Goldie and The Gingerbreads, a version of the song by Herman's Hermits was released in the US a few weeks prior to their own. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965 and scuppered any chance of the Goldie and The Gingerbreads' version being a hit.

Answer: The Sir Douglas Quintet

"She's About A Mover" was written by Doug Sahm. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the Sir Douglas Quintet in 1965. It peaked at number 15 on the UK singles chart the same year.

The original group members were Jack Barber, August Meyers, Frank Morin, Johnny Perez and Doug Sahm. They were formed in San Antonio, Texas, USA, in 1964 but moved to California at the time of the psychedelic rock scene of the mid 1960s in San Francisco. "She's About A Mover" was the only Billboard Top 20 hit for the Sir Douglas Quintet although they did have three minor hits between 1966 and 1969. It was their only entry on the UK singles chart.

Answer: My Friend Jack

"My Friend Jack" was written by Geoff Gill/Mal Luker/John Lund/Mick Rowley. It peaked at number 45 on the UK singles chart for The Smoke in 1967. It did not chart in the US.

The Smoke were Geoff Gill (drums), Mal Luker (lead guitar), John Lund (bass) and Mick Rowley (lead vocals). Although "My Friend Jack" was a big hit in Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland at the time, its low placing on the UK singles chart may have been due to it being banned by the BBC. It was banned because of its perceived reference to LSD such as in the lyrics "My friend Jack eats sugar lumps". The Smoke continued to release records until the mid '70s but never troubled the UK singles chart again.

Answer: The Herd

The Herd were formed in 1965 in London, UK. The group had a number of personnel changes in their short career which included Peter Frampton and Andy Bown. They had three hits on the UK singles chart, "From The Underworld", number six in 1967, "Paradise Lost", number 15 in 1967 and "I Don't Want Our Loving To Die", number five in 1968.

Peter Frampton left the group at the end of 1968 to form the short lived Humble Pie with Steve Marriott. In 1976 he had a number ten hit on the UK singles chart with "Show Me The Way"; it peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. He had a number six hit on the UK album chart with "Frampton Comes Alive!" in 1976, and it was number one for ten weeks on the Billboard album chart the same year. Andy Bown also left The Herd and played keyboards as a session man for Status Quo in 1973, joining them as a full member in 1977.

Answer: The Paper Dolls

"Something Here In My Heart (Keeps A Tellin' Me No)" was written by John MacLeod/Tony Macaulay. It peaked at number 11 on the UK singles chart for The Paper Dolls in 1968. It did not chart in the US.

The Paper Dolls were Pauline Bennett (Spyder,) born in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, England, in 1948, Susan Marshall (Copper), born in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, in 1948 and Susanne Mathis (Tiger), born in London, England, in 1947. I wonder if their nicknames inspired another UK female group of the '90s. Fate played a hand in their demise, when they missed a recording session that had been booked for them. Possibly due to a misunderstanding they never turned up to record the song "Build Me Up Buttercup". The song was then given to The Foundations who had a number two hit on the UK singles chart with the song in 1968.