A Gem of A Song Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Stroll

In 1957 The Diamonds took "Little Darlin'" to the Top Forty. Later the same year the group released "The Stroll", a song composed by singer Brook Benton. Dave Somerville was the lead singer of the Canadian quartet. They played local venues until their manager secured them a spot on the US television showcase, "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts". Their appearance led to a contract with Coral records. They released several cover songs with only regional success.
When they recorded their version of a song originally recorded by The Gladiolas titled "Little Darlin'", the release raced up the charts. They were the first band to record "The Stroll" and their appearance on Dick Clark's television show kicked off the dance craze nationally.
"The Wah-Wahtusi" was a Number Two hit by The Orlons in 1962. "Pony Time" went to Number One for Chubby Checker in 1961 and The Olympics released "Hully Gully" in 1959. The Dovells also released a single titled "Hully Gully Baby".

Answer: The Birds and the Bees

Jewel Akens released records as Jewel and Eddie with Eddie Daniels for Silver Records the early sixties. A number of his recordings featured singer Eddie Cochran on guitar. After going solo Akens recorded "The Birds And The Bees" in 1965 for Era Records. Following the success of "The Birds And The Bees" Akens toured with The Monkees and released a song called "Georgie Porgie" that only made it to Number 68. He continued to record until the early seventies but never equaled the success of "The Birds And The Bees". He became known as one of Rock and Roll's one-hit wonders and continued to perform at nostalgia shows.
"Bird Dance Beat" was a 1964 Number 30 release by The Trashmen.
"Birdland" reached Number 12 for Chubby Checker in 1963.
"The Bird's the Word" was released in 1963 by The Rivingtons.

Answer: Joan Baez

"Diamonds and Rust" reached the Number 35 spot for Joan Baez in 1975. "Diamonds and Rust" was also the title of her 1975 album. The song has created conjecture as to whom it was written about.
Joan Chandos Baez was a native of Staten Island, New York. Her family relocated frequently and when she was in her teens her father worked in Boston. Joan started performing in coffee houses and busking while embracing the burgeoning Folk Music scene in the late fifties. She met Bob Gibson and Odetta and considered Odetta an inspiration. She performed with Bob Gibson at the Newport Folk Festival in 1959 and recorded her first album for Vanguard Records within a year of her performance with Gibson.
Joni Mitchell began performing in small venues in her native Toronto area and recorded her first album in 1968 after relocating to New York.
In 1961 Seattle native Judy Collins released her first album titled "A Maid of Constant Sorrow".

Answer: True

Neil Leslie Diamond was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Abraham Lincoln and Erasmus Hall High Schools and sang in the school choir with Barbra Streisand while attending Erasmus Hall High School. He went to NYU on a fencing scholarship to study medicine. His first professional recording was in 1962 as a duo with his high school friend, Jack Packer. Neil and Jack recorded two singles that failed to get noticed. Neil then signed as a solo artist to Columbia Records but was dropped from the label when he failed to release a successful record.

He became a songwriter at The Brill Building and later signed with Bang Records, releasing his first hit, "Solitary Man", for the label in 1966. After "Solitary Man" hit the charts he followed with "Cherry, Cherry" and a string of hits over the next few decades.

Answer: Kenny Rogers and The First Edition

Kenny Rogers and The First Edition was not the first group to record the Mel Tillis composition, but they had the most successful release. The group had previously issued psychedelic songs such as "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" and was pursuing a more Country oriented sound. Johnny Darrell and Waylon Jennings had released versions of the song in 1967. Kenny Rogers and The First Edition recorded their rendition with Rogers singing lead vocals. The song reached Number Six on the US Billboard charts. After going solo in 1977 Kenny Rogers recorded another version.
"This Girl is a Woman Now" by Gary Puckett and The Union Gap went to Number Nine in 1969.
Classics IV featuring Dennis Yost took "Traces" to Number Two in 1969.
In 1969 "Worst That Could Happen" was a Number Three hit for Brooklyn Bridge featuring Johnny Maestro.

Answer: Pink Floyd

Roger Waters composed the lyrics to the nine-part composition in 1974 as a tribute to former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett. Waters also sang lead vocal. Richard Wright and David Gilmour contributed the music. Syd Barrett actually visited the studio while they were recording tracks for "Wish You Were Here" at Abbey Road Studios. He had gained weight and shaved all the hair from his head so nobody in the band recognized him for a while.
Barrett attended Gilmour's wedding later the same day. After he abruptly left the reception no member of the band saw him again. Barrett passed away in July, 2006.
The song was initially done in 1974 on tour as "Shine On". Later that year they introduced the song as "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" when performing live.

Answer: Elton John

John Lennon and Elton John had become friends in the early seventies. Elton John invited John Lennon to the sessions when he recorded "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" at The Caribou Ranch. Lennon contributed backing vocals using his pseudonym, Dr. Winston O'Boogie. The John Lennon composition, "One Day (At at Time)", was the flip side of the single.
When "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" topped the charts in 1975 it became the second Lennon-McCartney composition recorded by an artist other than the Beatles to reach Number One. The first was "World Without Love" by Peter and Gordon in 1964.
Frampton released his "Frampton" album in 1975.
That same year Peter Gabriel left Genesis and drummer Phil Collins became their lead vocalist.

Answer: Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters

"Baby Don't You Weep" and "For Your Precious Love" were other Top Forty hits for Garnet Mimms and The Enchanters. Mimms began singing as a young man in various Gospel groups and upon his discharge from the service in 1958 he sang with a Doo-wop group called The Gainors.
Three years later Mimms and fellow Gainor member Sam Bell formed Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters with Zola Pearnell and Charles Boyer. By 1966 Mimms had gone solo and recorded "Take Good Care Of You". In 1967 he worked with Jimi Hendrix. In the seventies Garnet formed a Funk band called Garnet Mimms and the Truckin' Co. In the eighties he began ministering to prison inmates.
"Cry Baby" was also done by Janis Joplin later in the sixties.
Barry and The Tamerlanes recorded "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" in 1963. "Sugar Shack" was a Number One hit for Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs the same year.
"Talk to Me" was a Top Twenty hit released by Sunny and The Sunglows in 1963.

Answer: Our Day Will Come

"Our Day Will Come" spent one week at the top spot in 1963. It was first release by Ruby and the Romantics and has since been covered by many artists.
Ruby Nash formed all-girls groups while in high school and performed at local dances in the fifties. A member of a male singing group invited her to sing with them and they eventually got a deal with Kapp Records. They recorded several hits such as "Hey There Lonely Boy", "Hurting Each Other", "My Summer Love" and "When You're Young And In Love" before breaking up in 1971. "Our Day Will Come" was their only Number One.
"Come and Get These Memories" went to Number 29 for Martha & The Vandellas in 1963.
"Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)" was a Top Ten by The Cookies in 1963 and "The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget" was a Number 17 by The Raindrops the same year.

Answer: Detroit Emeralds

Brothers Ivory, Abrim, Raymond and Cleophus Tilmon formed The Emeralds in Little Rock, Arkansas. Cleophus and Raymond left and the remaining brothers reformed the group, relocated to Detroit and renamed themselves The Detroit Emeralds. As a trio the group had an R and B hit titled "Show Time" in 1968.

In 1970 they switched labels and released "You Want It, You Got It", "Do Me Right", and "Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms)". Abrim "Abe" Tilmon composed and arranged all of their hits, including their biggest hit, "Feel The Need In Me".

By the mid-seventies the band was splintering and eventually stopped recording and touring. They were considering a reunion when Abrim Tilmon died at the age of 37 from a heart attack in 1982.