Remember These Novelty Songs? Who Sang Them? Quiz

Answer: Gary Paxton

Kim Fowley produced the "Alley Oop" recording session with Sandy Nelson as the percussionist. Lead singer Gary Paxton, with his unique voice, belted out the lyrics to this entertaining song. "Alley Oop" became a US Billboard Hot 100 number one hit in 1960. Dallas Frazier wrote the lyrics based on the comic strip by the same name. Norm Davis spends his time, in the early 2000s, reading poetry in Rochester, N.Y. coffee houses. According to Norm, he was paid around $25.00 to sing "Alley Oop".

Answer: Buzz Clifford

Buzz Clifford was born on October 8, 1941 as Reese Francis Clifford III. As a teen he won many talent competitions and signed with "Bow Records" when he was a youthful 15 years old. With no success he eventually signed with "Columbia Records" and released "Baby Sittin' Boogie" in 1961. The lyrics were written by Johnny Parker and the voice of the baby, on this song, was believed to be that of Johnny's son. Buzz Clifford became a songwriter, writing songs that have been sung by such greats as Lou Rawls, Petula Clark, Kris Kristofferson and more.

Answer: The Four Lads

The popular Canadian males singing quartet known as The Four Lads released their version of this song on February 27, 1954, which reached #18 on the Billboard Best Seller chart on July 3, 1954. This recording was released on the Columbia Records label.
Having earned many gold singles and albums, this group is well known for such hits as "Moments to Remember" (1955) and "Standin' on the Corner" (1956).
While singing in local clubs they were soon recruited to go to New York where Mitch Miller hired them. Their popularity grew from there. Their first single was "The Mocking Bird" (1952). They made their own first gold record in 1953, "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", which turned them into stars in both the U.S.A. and Canada.

Answer: The Playmates

The Playmates, who were students in the University of Connecticut, started touring in Canada in 1952 as the "Nitwits". It took them four years but they transformed into a musical group and called themselves 'The Playmates". In July 1958 their recording "Beep, Beep (the Little Nash Rambler)" reached #4 on the Billboard Top 40 chart, remaining on the charts for twelve weeks. Having sold over a million copies it was awarded a gold disc. Prior to this hit they had two singles called "Jo-Ann" (1958) and "Don't Go Home" (1958).

They released "What is Love" (1959) and "Wait For Me" (1960). In 1964 The Playmates broke up.

Answer: Merry Macs

In 1943 Milton Drake, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston composted the song "Mairzy Doats." Al Trace and his Silly Symphonists performed this song first but it was the version by the Merry Macs in 1944 which reached #1 as a Top Ten. The song was covered by other artists such as Spike Jones.

The Personality Boys were made up of three brothers, Ted, Judd and Joe McMichael. In the 1930s they added Cherry MacKay to their group and became the Merry Macs. They eventually replaced Cherry with singer Helen Carroll, who was later replaced by Mary Lou Cook.

Their first hit was "Ta Hu Wa Nu Wa" in 1939 after which Cook left the group and was replaced by permanent member Marjory Garland.

Answer: Bobby "Boris" Pickett

Bobby "Boris" Pickett sand with a band named The Cordials at night. He spent his days aspiring to be an actor, going to auditions. One night Bobby Pickett imitated Boris Karloff while singing "Little Darlin'" (1957) and the crowd loved the performance.

This led to Bobby and a fellow band member, Lenny Capizzi, to compose "Monster Mash." In 1995 a movie musical based on "Monster Mash" starred Pickett.

Answer: The Ames Brothers

"Rag Mop" (1950) was a novelty song written by Johnnie Lee Wills and Deacon Anderson. The Ames Brothers recorded the most popular version of the song with Coral Records. The Ames Brothers were made up of Joe, Gene, Vic and Ed who were from Malden, Massachusetts.

They worked at The Fox and Hounds nightclub in Boston for several months under the name of the Amory Brothers. Later, in New York, bandleader Art Mooney hired them. In 1949 they recorded for Coral Records, with their name shortened to the Ames Brothers.

Their first hit, "Rag Mop" was a huge success for them. In 1956 they starred in their own television show called "The Ames Brothers Show", which was the very first syndicated television program to be shown in a few foreign countries.

The group disbanded in 1960, but was inducted into the "Vocal Group Hall of Fame" in 1998.

Answer: Sheb Wooley

The "one-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater" was the description of "The Purple People Eater" which was recorded by Sheb Wooley. Sheb Wooley's life was from April 10, 1921 to September 16, 2003. In 1946 he changed professions and became a country and western musician as well as an actor.

He appeared in movies and television programs such as "High Noon" (1952), "The Cisco Kid" (1950 - 1956), "Stories of the Century" (1954), "The Adventures of Kit Carson" (1951) and "My Friend Flicka" (1956 - 1957).

He played the role of Pete Nolan, the frontier scout, in "Rawhide" (1959-1966). Wooley's wife's cousin, Roger Miller (a star in his own right), taught Sheb how to play guitar and bought him a fiddle. Wooley set off on a recording career in the late 1950s with the song that made him famous as a singer, "The Purple People Eater" (1958)!

Answer: Ray Stevens

"The Streak" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. This was the second such hit for Ray Stevens. Harold Ray Ragsdale (Ray Stevens) was born on January 24, 1939 and was well known for his novelty songs such as "Ahab the Arab" (1962), "Harry the Hairy Ape" (1963), "Along Came Jones" (1969) and "The Streak" (1974).

In 1969 his "Gitarzan" was a Top 10 pop hit. His biggest country hit was "Misty" (1975), which earned him a Grammy award. It reached #3 on the country chart and #14 on the pop chart. Ray Stevens has won countless awards for hit songs, comedian of the year, videos and more. Songs which earned him gold singles include "Gitarzan" (1969), "Everything is Beautiful" (1970) and "The Streak" (1974).

Answer: Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs

Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs' leader Domingo "Sam" Samudio wrote "Wooly Bully" and the group released this hit in 1965. It reached #2 on the American Hot 100 where it remained for eighteen weeks. This song was named Billboard's "Number One Record of the Year" without ever reaching #1.

This impressive feat remained for 35 years before another recorded was named "Number One Record of the Year" without ever being #1. In 1966 they had another hit which was called "Little Red Riding Hood". Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs record, "Wooly Bully", sold three million copies and earned a gold disc. Eleven months after this hit, the group split up. Sam went out on his own releasing an album called "Sam, Hard and Heavy" (1970).

In 1980 Sam worked with Ry Cooder on the soundtrack for "The Border" (1982). Sam later became a non-denominational bible teacher.