Sundays in the Sixties Trivia Quiz

Answer: Spanky and Our Gang

After releasing a cover version of the Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing" that failed to chart, Spanky and Our Gang bounced back with the Number Nine hit, "Sunday Will Never be the Same". Although they had other successful Top Forty chart hits including "Lazy Day", "Sunday Mornin'" and "Like to Get to Know You" they did not have another Top Ten US Billboard hit before breaking up in 1969.
Other cover songs on albums recorded by the group included "Stardust", "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?", "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and "Everybody's Talkin'".
When the Tikis released Leon Russell's arrangement of "Feeling Groovy" they changed their name to Harpers Bizarre. Harpers Bizarre drummer John Peterson had already tasted success when he was with The Beau Brummels. In 1967 "Hello, Hello" became a hit single from Sopwith Camel's eponymous debut album.

Answer: Nat "King" Cole

The year 1963 was a good year for veteran singer Nat "King" Cole. He also had a Top Ten US hit with "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer".
Joe Sherman and George David Weiss composed "That Sunday, That Summer" in 1963. The song has been recorded by over 20 artists including Natalie Cole, Johnny Mathis and Dinah Washington but Nat "King" Cole's version reached the highest spot on the US Billboard Charts.
"Two Tickets To Paradise" was a Top Forty release by Brook Benton in 1963. Lloyd Price's "Misty" went to Number 21 the same year and "The Good Life" by Tony Bennett made it to Number 18.

Answer: Jay and The Americans

John "Jay" Traynor was a member of the original Jay and the Americans when they formed in 1960. He sang lead on "She Cried" in 1962 but left the group after their next two singles flopped.
David Black of The Empires was recruited and brought his guitar player, Marty Sanders, to the group. David agreed to change his stage name to Jay Black and sang on the successive hit singles by the group. The first hit released with him taking over lead vocals was "Only In America".
In 1968 a cover of The Drifters' "This Magic Moment" was their final Top Ten entry into the US Billboard charts. The group's chart success declined over the next few years but they were a popular concert draw until they split up in 1973.
"Make It Easy on Yourself" was a 1965 Top twenty by The Walker Brothers. In 1965 "Let's Hang On" was one of several sixties hits by The Four Seasons. "Just Once in My Life" was a 1965 Top ten by The Righteous Brothers.

Answer: True

"Never on Sunday" was a story of a Greek prostitute and an American scholar from Middletown, Connecticut. Manos Hadjidakis composed the song which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, the first for a foreign song since the category was formed in 1934.
Melina Mercouri also garnered an Academy Award for her leading role of of Ilya. Jules Dassin directed the film and also played Homer Thrace.
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and Dick Dale have also recorded instrumental versions of the song.
The Chordettes released a Top Twenty vocal version of "Never on Sunday" in 1961. It has also been recorded by by Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Lena Horne and Andy Williams to name a few of the American renditions. "Never on Sunday" has also been recorded by many artists internationally.

Answer: Micky Dolenz

Session musician "Fast Eddie" Hoh played drums on the recording session for "Pleasant Valley Sunday" allowing Mickey Dolenz to handle lead vocal duties. George Michael "Micky" Dolenz, Jr. had never played drums before becoming part of the band but learned from taking lessons, becoming competent enough to tour as the drummer when they began playing their own instruments on the road.
Michael Nesmith double-tracked the lead guitar riff on "Pleasant Valley Sunday", Peter Tork played keyboards, producer Chip Douglas played the bass while Davey Jones provided backing vocals.
The song was included on their fourth album, "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd", released in 1967.
Gerry Goffin and Carole King were inspired to compose the song while living on a street called Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange, New Jersey .

Answer: The Clique

The Clique was from Beaumont, Texas. Gary Zekley was a producer and songwriter who used primarily session musicians for recording. They released an album titled "The Clique" on White Whale Records in 1968 which contained the single releases "I'll Hold Out My Hand" and "Sugar on Sunday". "Sugar on Sunday" was their biggest hit. "I'll Hold Out My Hand" made it to Number 45. A 1970 follow-up titled "Sparkle and Shine" barely dented the charts and the group failed to released another hit.
The flip-side of "Sugar on Sunday", "Superman" was covered by R.E.M. on their 1986 LP, "Life's Rich Pageant".
"Smile A Little Smile For Me" was a Top Ten by The Flying Machine in 1969, the same year "Nothing But a Heartache" was a Top Forty by The Flirtations. "My Pledge of Love" went to Number 14 for The Joe Jeffrey Group in 1969.

Answer: Oliver

William Oliver Swofford was born in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. He took his rendition of "Good Morning Starshine" from the Musical, "Hair" to Number Three on the US Billboard chart. In the same year he took a Rod McKuen tune titled "Jean" from the movie "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" to Number Two. He released a string of singles until his last charted release, "Early Morning Rain" in 1971.
Using the name Bill Swofford he began touring primarily college venues until 1976, when he left the music business to sell real estate.
Smith was the name of a group that had a 1969 Top Five hit with "Baby It's You". "Little Arrows" was a 1968 Top Twenty by Leapy Lee. In 1966 Keith had a Number Seven single titled "98.6".

Answer: Peppermint

The Peppermint Rainbow formed in 1967 in Maryland using the name New York Times. Cass Elliot of the Mamas and Papas heard them and was instrumental in getting them signed to Decca Records. After they changed their name to reflect their pop sound they released their first single, "Walking in Different Circles". The record failed to chart but when "Will You Be Staying After Sunday?" was released it broke the Top Forty, peaking at Number 34.
A follow-up single, "Don't Wake Me Up in the Morning, Michael", made it to Number 54 and the band broke up in 1970.

Answer: Ray Stevens

Ray Stevens recorded the first single release of "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" in 1969, the same year he had success with "Gitarzan". A year later he topped the charts with "Everything is Beautiful". His first US hit was the 1962 Top Five release "Ahab the Arab".
"Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" did better for Stevens on the Country charts but reached Number 81 on the US Pop Charts. The song was a single release from his 1969 "Have a Little Talk With Myself" LP, his third album recorded at Monument Records.
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes released a cover of "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" in 2006 on their "Love Their Country" album. Kris Kristofferson composed the song and recorded it in 1970 on his first album for Monument Records. Johnny Cash took it to Number One on the US Country charts in 1970.

Answer: Etta James

"At Last!" was Etta James's debut album after she signed with Chess Records in 1960. "I Just Want to Make Love to You" and "Stormy Weather" were two other standards she included on the album, but when "At Last" was released as a single it became her signature tune, becoming a crossover hit on the US Billboard Pop and R and B charts.
Despite battling drug addiction Etta James recorded for Chess Records until 1978. Her career faltered for a few years and in 1992 she released an album called "The Right Time". In 1993 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Dee Clark had a 1961 Top Forty with "Your Friends". "Wonderland by Night" was a Top Twenty single by Anita Bryant in 1961 and Connie Francis went to Number Four with "Where the Boys Are".
Dion also recorded a version of "Sunday Kind of Love" on his 1969 "Wonder Where I'm Bound" album.