#1's from the 60s Trivia Quiz

Answer: Percy Faith

Percy Faith was born in Canada. He was a child prodigy at the piano until he burnt his hands in a fire. He then switched to composing and conducting. He made over 85 albums.

"Theme from a Summer Place" is the theme song for a movie titled "A Summer Place" It won a Grammy for Record of the Year. The film featured Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue.

To date, it is the most popular instrumental in history.

Answer: Bobby Lewis

Bobby Lewis was a one hit wonder. The song was used on the soundtracks for "American Graffiti" and "Animal House". Lewis did a follow-up song "One Track Mind", but it never achieved the popularity of "Tossin' and Turnin'" and Lewis sort of faded away.

Answer: Acker Bilk

Acker Bilk, not the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, was the leader of the British invasion of America. Bilk was a clarinet player. The song was part of Apollo 10's soundtrack in 1969.

Answer: Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs

The Fireballs were an instrumental group from New Mexico. They got their name from playing "Great Balls of Fire". Jimmy Gilmer was a controversial figure because he and the late Buddy Holly had the same producer; some speculated that Gilmer used some of Holly's unrecorded material.

"Sugar Shack" was their first vocal recording. The Fireballs were the last band to top the charts before the British invasion the following year. Fireballs' recordings can be found on the soundtracks of "Forrest Gump", "From Dusk Til Dawn", and many others.

Answer: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (1964)

"I Want to Hold Your Hand" marked the beginning of the British Invasion and started "Beatlemania" in America. The Beatles sang that song on the "Ed Sullivan Show" while it was number one on the charts. The booking took place before that, so the group was paid a lot less. John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the song in the basement of Paul's girlfriend's house.

Answer: Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs

Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs somehow managed to slow down the British invasion in 1965. The song was featured in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (sung by Sean Penn), "Ricki Flash" (sung by Meryl Streep), and "Full Metal Jacket".

Answer: "Ballad of the Green Berets" (1966)

Staff Sargent Barry Sadler was a medic with the U.S. Army's Special Forces (Green Berets). He left the Army in 1967. In 1978 Sadler shot and killed a man in Nashville. He served only 30 days in jail. In the 1980s he moved to Guatemala. In 1988 he was shot in the head; after treatment he was confined to a hospital bed with brain damage.

Answer: "To Sir, With Love" (1967)

Lulu, real name Marie McDonald Lawrie, was born in Scotland. After her hit with 'To Sir, With Love" she sang the title song to the "Man with the Golden Gun".
Lulu made her film debut in the movie "To Sir, With Love", which also featured Sidney Poitier.

Answer: The Beatles

In 1968 The Beatles again topped the chart with arguably their most popular hit, "Hey Jude".
"Hey Jude" was written by Paul McCartney after he had visited John Lennon's son, Julian. John and Julian's mother were going through a divorce and Paul was concerned about the boy. It seems that John was having an affair with Yoko Ono.

Answer: The Archies

The Archies were a group of studio musicians who played background for the "Archie" TV show. Two members of the group wrote the song for the show. It became a hit, beating out The Beatles, Elvis, and The Rolling Stones.