Number One Hits of 1967 - Part 2 Quiz

Answer: "Massachusetts"

The Bee Gees achieved their first number one on the UK pop chart in October 1967 with "Massachusetts". The song was written by Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb. In fact, it was rare that a song by the Bee Gees that charted anywhere in the world was not written by at least one of the Gibb brothers. The boys had charted nine singles from 1962-1966 in Australia, where they had been raised, prior to leaving for England in late 1966.

Their first international charted single was "New York Mining Disaster 1941", followed by, "To Love Somebody". Then came "(The Lights All Went Out in) Massachusetts". The song was a top ten in Australia reaching number three. On the Billboard Hot 100 it peaked at eleven.

Answer: "It Must Be Him"

"It Must Be Him", a French song written by Gilbert Becaud with English lyrics by Mack David, was a number one hit for Vicki Carr in Australia. The record was a top ten, peaking at number two in the UK. On the Billboard Hot 100 the record got as high as number three, being kept out of the top spot by "Soul Man" and "To Sir With Love". Those two songs occupied positions one and two for three weeks.

Answer: "Let the Heartaches Begin"

Long John Baldry started in the early 1960s as a blues singer. He worked at most of the London blues clubs between 1962 and 1966. His backing band included, at various times, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Julie Driscoll, Nicky Hopkins and Brian Auger. These musicians left to further their own careers and left him without a band so he decided to go solo.

He was given a pop song, written by Tony Macauley and John McLeod, "Let the Heartaches Begin". The record went to the top of the UK singles chart. It barely scraped into the US Hot 100 stalling at 88, in Australia the song was on the national top forty for twelve weeks peaking at number fourteen.

In Sydney, the song became a staple for all the bands with a deep voiced singer.

Answer: "Ode to Billie Joe"

"Ode to Billie Joe", recorded by Bobbie Gentry, went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 within five weeks of its release. The record went to number four on the Australian Charts, while in the UK the song peaked at thirteen. "Ode to Billy Joe" was written by Bobbie Gentry. That recording earned her three Grammy awards.

Answer: "Release Me"

"Release Me" was written by Eddie Miller and Robert Yount in the late 1940s. The song was recorded by Miller with moderate success. Country star Ray Price had a top ten in 1954 with "Release Me", but the biggest success for the song was the version in 1967 by Engelbert Humperdinck. This version, Engelbert Humperdinck's first charted single, also his first UK number one hit, holding that spot for six weeks.

In Australia it was Number three for three weeks and reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The record sold in excess of three million copies.

Answer: "To Sir With Love"

Scottish pop singer Lulu had enjoyed half a dozen hits prior to recording "To Sir With Love". The song was written for the movie of the same name and starred Sydney Poitier and featured Lulu. The record was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard's number one song of 1967.

The record vicariously made the British charts as the flipside to "Let's Pretend" which reached number eleven. In Australia the song was a top twenty hit.

Answer: "Ooh La La"

Released in late 1966 "Ooh La La" was Normie Rowe's seventh consecutive top ten hit and his second number one, making it to the top of the Aussie chart in early 1967. The record was not released in the USA and although recorded in England it did not make the charts in the UK.

Answer: "Don't Sleep in the Subway"

Another hit for Petula Clark, "Don't Sleep in the Subway", again written by Jackie Trent and Tony Hatch. The record managed to keep Petula's top ten run going in Australia where it made it to number one. The song made top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number five, and did make number one on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart. Over in the UK the song just crept into the top ten.

Answer: "Puppet on a String"

Sandie Shaw, born in Essex in 1947, was one of the frontline British female pop stars of the 1960s. "Puppet on a String" provided Sandie with her tenth top forty hit and her second number one. "Puppet on a String" was selected as the United Kingdom's entry in the 1967 Eurovision song contest, which it subsequently won. "Puppet on a String", as mentioned hit number one in the UK.

The song made number ten in Australia and for some unknown reason it did not chart in the USA.

Answer: "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)"

Scott Mackenzie, real name, Phillip Blondheim III, grew up in Virginia where he befriended John Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas fame. John Phillips wrote and produced the recording of "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)".
According to some reports Phillips had written the song for The Mamas and The Papas, but instead gave it to Scott McKenzie to record. The record got to number four on the Billboard Hot 100. It made number two in Australia and reached the top spot on the UK charts.