1967 - The Happening Trivia Quiz

Answer: Apple, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie

The song was a #6 hit for this band from Allentown, Pa. Jay Proctor, a black fellow, teamed up with an all white band to form this group and it was one of the few interracial bands around at the time. They would only have one more reasonably big hit later in the year, "Keep The Ball Rolling". As of 2004, Jay is still active and last recorded an album in 1998.

Answer: Alfie

"Alfie" was about a philandering playboy played by Michael Caine and the title song was sung and recorded by Cher. Her version peaked at #32 in 1966. Warwick put a different spin on the song and her rendition proved more successful - a #15 hit. Cilla Black's version was just a #95 blip on the Billboard charts in 1966 but I suspect it probably was the biggest hit in the U.K.

A new version of the movie was released in 2004 with Jude Law as Alfie. This time the title song is performed by Joss Stone... of whom I know nothing!

Answer: I Was Made To Love Her

Outside of his debut #1 hit from 1963, "Fingertips - Pt 2", this would be Wonder's biggest hit up to this point in time, peaking at #2. He would really hit the big time in the early to mid 1970's.

Answer: Snoopy

Yes, there was Snoopy flying his doghouse (a Sopwith Camel, don't you know) locked in mortal combat with the German ace. The Royal Guardsmen developed a cottage industry singing about Snoopy and his exploits and even had sufficient material to record a whole album on the topic. Eventually, the novelty wore off and apparently the band itself also became burned out performing this "one-trick puppy".

They called it quits within a couple of years. Incidently, the song was enormously popular in Australia - it stayed at #1 for seven weeks down under!

Answer: The Happening

"The Happening" would be The Supremes fourth #1 song in a row during the late 1966, early 1967 period. It was also the title song for a movie starring Anthony Quinn who portrays a reformed gangster who is kidnapped by hippies just for kicks. I guess it's as bad as it sounds. The movie was also the screen debut for Faye Dunaway.

Answer: This Is My Song

"This Is My Song" came from the movie "A Countess From Hong Kong" starring Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren. It was Charlie Chaplin's swan song and he wrote and directed it and even wrote the musical score, including this number. It was a #3 Billboard hit but went #1 for six weeks in Australia while another version performed by Harry Seacombe was #1 in the U.K. Petula also recorded the song in Italian, German and French for the European markets - it truly was an international hit!

Answer: Pleasant Valley Sunday

It's well documented that the first recordings the group did consisted of their voices with session musicians providing the music. This annoyed the boys to no end, none more so than Mike Nesmith who fancied himself an accomplished instrumentalist and composer.

By the time this song was released, The Monkees were doing it all, at least for the most part, and the guitar licks on this number were definitely Nesmith's.

Answer: Society's Child

Janis Ian wrote the song and the fact that it only could reach #14 on the charts belied its popularity and impact. To begin with, Ian actually wrote the song in 1965 when she was 14 although it wasn't recorded until 1967. The lyrics pertained to interracial dating and the views parents had on the subject which, naturally, opposed those of the kids who were doing it. Ian insists that the song is not biographical and stresses that her own parents told her she could date purple people so long as they treated her right.

The reasons why the song didn't fare better than it did are numerous and varied: some stations wouldn't play it; it initially didn't have broad appeal throughout the nation - it had more impact in areas where the population was diverse; by the time the song was promoted and became a national hit, sales and airplay didn't reflect the fact that it had already peaked in other markets.

Despite all that, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2001. Ian, meanwhile, would have one more big hit, "At Seventeen" in 1975, another song with provocative lyrics.

In 2003, when Ontario enacted legislation permitting gay marriage, Ian made news when she and her partner of many years went to Toronto to get legally hitched. She is still actively engaged in the music industry.

Answer: Come On Down To My Boat

Well, the group wasn't exactly a one hit wonder... they did have three other songs crack Billboard's Hot Hundred at #46, #93 and #96, their last chart entry coming in January 1968. It seems after that, they just vanished into the æther. Another Google search that came up empty!

Answer: Tell It Like It Is

Aaron Neville recorded this plaintive ballad. He was and remains a vital component of the Neville Brothers R&B group which originally formed under the leadership of Art Neville in their hometown of New Orleans in 1954. This was his only successful solo effort. Later, in 1989, he recorded a few duets with Linda Ronstadt, one of which, "Don't Know Much", was a million selling Gold Record. Ronstadt states that Aaron has the most amazing singing voice in the business.

Answer: Hello Goodbye

"Hello Goodbye" was #1 in the U.S. for three weeks, in the U.K. for six weeks. The song was generated as the result of a conversation between McCartney and a friend when they started playing a little game. One would say something, the other the opposite.

Hello... goodbye. Apparently, Lennon hated the song and was livid when his own composition, "I Am The Walrus" was chosen as the "B" side for the release.

Answer: 98.6

Keith, born James Barry Keefer in Philadelphia, had three songs place in Billboard's top forty and they all charted between September 1966 and March 1967. This was his second release and the biggest hit of the three. Eventually, in the early 70's, he moved to California and was the lead singer of Zappa's Mother's Of Invention.

He left them in the mid 70's and ever since has dabbled in the industry as a producer/engineer while doing occasional gigs as a performer.

Answer: Little Ole Man

Cosby would occasionally release a novelty record now and again and this was, by far, the most popular of those. Throughout the mid and late 60's, he recorded a number of comedy albums and would altogether garner 7 Gold Records and 9 Grammies for his efforts. Of course, he would later star in an immensely popular sit-com.

Answer: Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

The song was written by Joe Zawinul who was the piano player for Cannonball Adderley at the time. In fact, Adderley recorded the song himself, an instrumental version recorded live at the Playboy club in Chicago that charted at #11. The Buckinghams, another Chicago based act, would release their vocal version about five months later.

The original Buckinghams broke up in 1969 but another version of the group is still active as of 2004 performing the old group's classics like "Kind Of A Drag", "Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)", "Susan" and this one.

Answer: Silence Is Golden

The Tremeloes recorded this song, a #1 hit in their native Britain for three weeks. The group was originally formed to back up singer Brian Poole but when he left in 1966, the group carried on independently and had two significant hits - this one and "Here Comes My Baby" a #13 hit earlier in the year.

The song was originally recorded in 1964 by the 4 Seasons, the "B" side to "Rag Doll". The Tremeloes continue to perform as of 2004, mostly in the U.K. and Europe, with one original member, drummer and vocalist Dave Munden.