Folk Songs of the Fifties and Sixties Quiz

Answer: Peter, Paul and Mary

Bob Dylan wrote the song in 1962 when he was part of the Greenwich Village folk scene. His manager, Albert Grossman, was grooming a folk super-group with a blond and two guys and thought it would be a good song for them to record. Their first album "Peter, Paul and Mary" included "500 Miles," "Lemon Tree," "If I Had a Hammer," and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" It was listed on the Billboard Top Ten list for ten months and in the Top One Hundred for over three years. Peter, Paul and Mary received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award from The Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.

The Three D's were a Capital label folk trio, The Chad Mitchell Trio was a California based folk group, and the Serendipity Singers sang "Crooked Little Man."

Answer: The Rooftop Singers

Erik Darling, Lynne Taylor and Bill Svanoe comprised The Rooftop Singers. Darling put the group together to record an uptempo version of a twenties-era Gus Cannon folk song, "Walk Right In". The record reached number one on the US charts in January, 1963. Erik was proficient on several instruments and was in demand as a session player. Lynne started singing at age 14 in the Philadelphia area, performing alongside such notables as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Bill Svenoe was a student at Oberlin where he learned the guitar and started playing in local clubs.

The New Lost City Ramblers were a staple of the hootenanny scene, The Swagmen was a Parkway label folk group and The Greenwood County Singers were the Kapp label's folk group.

Answer: Michael

"Michael" reached number one in September of 1961. The Highwaymen were fraternity brothers who auditioned for United Artists. Their first album contained the song about slaves who had to row from an off-shore island to work in Georgia. The record prompted offers to tour but the boys preferred to focus on their studies and after college they disbanded. "The Three Bells" was by the Browns. "Tom Bolynn" was recorded by The Swagmen and "The Meanest Man In The World" is a Tom Paxton song.

Answer: The Kingston Trio

The Kingston Trio went on to have many top twenty hits into the 1970s. An agent for Bob Hope's television show saw the group perform and their appearance on television was followed by a Columbia records contract. They are credited with paving the way for other folk singers. Dave Guard, Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds were college students when they began playing at The Cracked Pot as Dave Guard and The Calypsonians.

The New Lost City Ramblers did "Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms" at the Newport Folk Festival in 1960.

The Greenbriar Boys did "Darby Ram" and The Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band performed a song appropriately titled "Jug Band Music."

Answer: The New Christy Minstrels

The New Christy Minstrels started at Hollywood's Troubadour Club and went on to perform regularly on "The Andy Williams Show." They recorded the title song for the MGM movie "Wheeler Dealers." Group member and lead vocalist on "Green Green," Barry McGuire, later recorded "Eve of Destruction." The Serendipity Singers sang "Don't Let The Rain Come Down," The Paul Butterfield Blues Band covered Willie Dixon's "Mellow Down Easy" and The Staple Singers did "I Wish I had Answered."

Answer: Pete Seeger

Pete Seeger was a prolific songwriter who had many hits charted by other artists. He carried the poem from "The Book of Ecclesiastes" around with him and in a burst of inspiration he penned "Turn, Turn, Turn." "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?" was inspired by an old Ukrainian folk song called "Kokoda Duda." Jack Elliot did a folk version of "House of the Rising Sun." John Hammond was a notable folk singer who did a rendition of "Traveling Riverside" and Doc Watson was known for recording Appalachian folk music.

Answer: Joan Baez

Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer and songwriter known for her unique three-octave vocal style. Many of her songs deal with social issues. She is best known for hits such as "Diamonds & Rust" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." She is also well well known because of her association with Bob Dylan. Odetta is an African-American singer whose repertoire consists of folk music and spirituals.

In 1961, 22-year-old Judy Collins released her first album, "A Maid of Constant Sorrow." Buffy Sainte-Marie is a Canadian Indian folk singer.

Her song, "Until It's Time for You to Go," has been recorded by artists such as as Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Roberta Flack, Cher, and Bobby Darin.

Answer: The Chad Mitchell Trio

Organized in Spokane, Washington, in 1958, The Chad Mitchell Trio was very popular on the college campus circuit. The original members were Chad Mitchell, Mike Kobluck, and Joe Frazier (not the fighter). When Mitchell left the group to pursue a solo career he was replaced by a young John Denver. Roger McGuinn, later of the Byrds, was their accompanist for several years. Country Joe and The Fish performed "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag" at Woodstock.

The Three D's recorded a version of "I Won't Be Worried Long," and Clara Ward and Her Singers did "Twelve Gates to the City."

Answer: The Seekers

Fate played a hand in early 1964 when The Seekers were offered a chance to perform on cruises. A cruise brought them to London in May of 1964 for a ten-week stay. When they arrived, they learned that a top talent agency in London had already booked them on the strength of their recordings.

The Searchers were a British group who recorded "What Have They Done to the Rain?" We Five had success with "You Were on My Mind." Steeleye Span was a successful British folk-rock band. They combined traditional British folk material with rock arrangements and featured an excellent female lead singer, Maddy Prior.

Answer: The Limeliters

Along with the Kingston Trio, the Limeliters were one of the most successful folk groups of the early 1960s. The original group consisted of Glenn Yarbrough, Lou Gottlieb, and Alex Hassilev. Between 1961 and 1963, the Limeliters were one of the hottest acts in show business, making appearances on television, commercials, and embarking on an exhaustive touring schedule. Yarbrough was the first to leave to start a solo career.

He had a number 12 hit with "Baby the Rain Must Fall." The Carter Family was a renowned country act.

The Ian Campbell Group is a respected folk music group from Birmingham, England. The Springfields sang "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" before Dusty went on her own.