That Was The Year That Was: Pop Music 1967 Quiz

Answer: The Buckinghams

"Kind Of A Drag" was written by James Holvay. It was number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Buckinghams in 1967. It did not chart in the UK.

The Buckinghams were Carl Giammarese (guitar), Nick Fortuna (bass), Dennis Miccoli (keyboards), John Poulos (drums) and Dennis Tufana (vocals). "Kind Of A Drag" was to be The Buckinghams' biggest hit and only US number one. They made the Billboard Top 20 another four times in 1967 and after a minor hit in 1968 that was it for them.

Answer: Let's Spend The Night Together

"Let's Spend The Night Together" was written by Mick Jagger/Keith Richards. It peaked at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Rolling Stones in 1967. It peaked at number three on the UK singles chart as a double A-Side with "Ruby Tuesday" the same year.

After Ed Sullivan objected to the suggestiveness of the lyrics "Let's spend the night together", Mick Jagger sang "Let's spend some time together". The year before, The Rolling Stones had performed "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" on the show without any objections.

Answer: Happy Together

"Happy Together" was written by Alan Gordon/Garry Bonner. It was number one for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Turtles in 1967. It peaked at number 12 on the UK singles chart the same year.

The Turtles were Howard Kaylan (vocals), Don Murray (drums), Al Nicol (keyboards), Chuck Portz (bass), Jim Tucker (guitar) and Mark Volman (vocals). "Happy Together" was The Turtles only US number one hit but had the added distinction of having knocked The Beatles' "Penny Lane" off the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The Turtles made the Billboard Top 10 five times, the last occasion was in 1969 with "You Showed Me" at number six.

Answer: Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever

"Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever" were written by John Lennon/Paul McCartney. They peaked at number two on the UK singles chart for The Beatles in 1967. "Penny Lane" was number one for one week and "Strawberry Fields Forever" peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

In the year of the summer of love, an old school crooner with the ridiculous name of Engelbert Humperdinck, kept The Beatles out of the number one position on the UK singles chart. He did it with "Release Me" which spent 56 weeks on the UK singles chart. This brought to an end a run of 11 consecutive number one hits for The Beatles, from "From Me To You" in 1963 to "Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby" in 1966.

Answer: The Shirelles

"Dedicated To The One I Love" was written by Lowman Pauling/Ralph Bass. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Shirelles in 1961. It did not chart in the UK.

It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Mamas & The Papas in 1967. It peaked at number two on the UK singles chart the same year.

The Mamas & The Papas were Denny Doherty, born Dennis Gerrard Stephen Doherty in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1940. Cass Elliot, born Ellen Naomi Cohen in Baltimore, Maryland, U. S. A., in 1941. John Phillips, born John Edmund Andrew Phillips in Parris Island, South Carolina, U. S. A., in 1935 and Michelle Phillips, born Holly Michelle Gilliam in Long Beach, California, U. S. A., in 1944.

Answer: Puppet On A String

"Puppet On A String" was written by Bill Martin/Phil Coulter. It was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart for Sandie Shaw in 1967. It did not chart in the US.

"Puppet On A String" was the first British entry to win the Eurovision Song Contest. It also gave Sandie Shaw her third UK number one hit, making her the first female singer to achieve three number one hits on the UK singles chart. Sandie Shaw was known for her daring performances while not wearing any shoes, well not wearing shoes was about it really. Three UK number one hits by a female singer was not equalled until 19 years later when Madonna achieved it with "True Blue" in 1986, then bettered it with "La Isla Bonita" in 1987.

Answer: Frankie Valli

"Can't Take My Eyes Of You" was written by Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for Frankie Valli in 1967. It did not chart in the UK.

Frankie Valli was born Francesco Stephen Castelluccio in Newark, New Jersey, U. S. A., in 1934. He was the lead singer of The 4 Seasons who had five number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1976. He also achieved two solo US number one hits with "My Eyes Adored You" (number one in 1975) and "Grease" (number one in 1978). He has appeared in various US TV shows including seasons five and six of "The Sopranos" as mobster Rusty Millio. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 along with original members of The 4 Seasons, Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio and Nick Massi.

Answer: Johann Sebastian Bach

"A Whiter Shade Of Pale" was written by Gary Brooker/Keith Reid/Matthew Fisher. It was number one for six weeks on the UK singles chart for Procol Harum in 1967. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

Johann Sebastian Bach's influence on the Hammond organ playing on "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" can be heard on his "Sleepers Wake" and "Air on the G String". Procol Harum definitely over achieved with "A White Shade Of Pale" and could never reach the same heights again. They made the UK Top 10 once more in 1967 with "Homburg" which peaked at number six. They made the UK Top 20 again in 1972 when "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" re-entered the UK singles chart and peaked at number 13. In 1975 "Pandora's Box" peaked at number 16 and that was the last we heard from Procol Harum.

Answer: John Phillips (The Mamas & The Papas)

"San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)" was written by John Phillips, (The Mamas & The Papas). It peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 for Scott McKenzie in 1967. It was number one for four weeks on the UK singles chart the same year.

This was the only time that the would be Monkees and later member of the reformed The Mama & The Papas Scott McKenzie, made the Top 20 on either side of the Atlantic. McKenzie and Phillips go back a long way, they were members of the folk group The Journeymen which disbanded in 1964. McKenzie then declined the opportunity to join The Mamas & The Papas but joined the reformed group in 1986. He finally made it to number one as co-writer of "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys which was number one for one week in 1988.

Answer: Double Trouble (with Annette Day)

The "Double Trouble" soundtrack album peaked at number 47 on the Billboard album chart for Elvis Presley in 1967. It peaked at number 34 on the UK album chart the same year.

"Double Trouble" starring Elvis Presley as Guy Lambert and Annette Day as Jill Conway was Elvis Presley's second of three movies released in 1967. "Double Trouble" was Elvis' 24th movie and the soundtrack was his 29th album.

What chance did "Double Trouble" have in 1967? Not only was it the summer of love and the music scene had changed so much but "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was released the day after. Elvis was churning out the same old stuff, he was phoning it in at this time and the fans ignored him.

Answer: White

"White Rabbit" was written by Grace Slick. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 for Jefferson Airplane in 1967. it did not chart in the UK.

Jefferson Airplane formed in 1965, were pioneers of psychedelic rock. The classic line up from October 1966 to February 1970 was Marty Balin (vocals), Jack Casady (bass), Spencer Dryden (drums), Paul Kantner (guitar, vocals), Jorma Kaukonen (lead guitar, vocals) and Grace Slick (vocals). They were the first group from the Bay Area of San Francisco to achieve international success. They appeared at the three most famous American rock festivals of the 1960s, Monterey (1967), Woodstock (1969) and Altamont (1969). They also appeared at the first Isle of Wight Festival in England (1968).

Answer: She Loves You

"All You Need Is Love" was written by John Lennon/Paul McCartney. It was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart for The Beatles in 1967. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. "She Loves You" was number one for six weeks on the UK singles chart for The Beatles in 1963. It was number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964.

"All You Need Is Love" was released in the UK as a non-album single in July 1967. It was written by John Lennon but credited to Lennon/McCartney. It was later included on the US album "Magical Mystery Tour". "She Loves You" was released in the UK as a non-album single in August 1963. In excess of 500,000 advanced orders had been placed for it. It passed 1,000,000 sales by November.

Answer: The Foundations

"Baby, Now That I've Found You" was written by Tony Macaulay/John McLeod. It was number one for two weeks on the UK singles chart for The Foundations in 1967. It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968.

Part of "Baby, Now That I've Found You" was written in the same bar of a Soho pub where Karl Marx is supposed to have written "Das Kapital". What Marx would have made of the pop scene in the '60s, I cannot even imagine. The Foundations on this recording were Eric Allandale (trombone), Pat Burke (saxophonist), Clem Curtis (vocals), Mike Elliott (saxophonist), Tony Gomez (keyboards), Tim Harris (drums), Peter Macbeth (bass guitar) and Alan Warner (guitar). They were the first multi-racial group to have a number one hit in the UK in the '60s.

Answer: Daydream Believer

"Daydream Believer" was written by John Stewart (a member of The Kingston Trio at the time). It was number one for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Monkees in 1967. It peaked at number five on the UK singles chart the same year.

The Monkees were Davy Jones (vocals), Micky Dolenz (drums, vocals), Michael Nesmith (guitar, vocals) and Peter Tork (Bass, vocals). Their only UK number one hit "I'm A Believer" had advance orders in excess of 1,000,000 in the US in 1966. Their other three UK Top 10 hits were, "A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You" (number three), "Alternate Title" (number two) and "Daydream Believer" (number five). They had their last UK hit of the '60s in 1969 with "Someday Man" (number 47) which peaked at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. How transient popularity is.

Answer: Justin Hayward

"Nights In White Satin" was written by Justin Hayward. It peaked at number 19 on the UK singles chart for The Moody Blues in 1967. It did not chart in the US. It re-entered the UK singles chart in 1972 and peaked at number nine. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. It re-entered the UK singles chart for the third time in 1979 and peaked at number 14.

The Moody Blues in 1964 were Graeme Edge (drums), Denny Laine (guitar, vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards), Ray Thomas (flautist, vocals) and Clint Warwick (bass guitar). They had a number one hit for one week on the UK singles chart with "Go Now" in 1965. They had to wait until 1970 for their next UK Top 10 hit but by then the line up of the group had changed. They became more of an album group after that.