Adam Faith Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Worried Men

Adam, or Terry Nelhams-Wright as he was then called, sang with the Worried Men in coffee bars after work. They became the resident band of 21s Coffee Bar, where they appeared on the BBC television show 'Six Five Special'. Jack Good, a British television and music producer, saw talent in the young singer and signed him up to record a solo single with HMV, under the name of Adam Faith.

Answer: False

Adam's first release, 'Heartsick Feeling', and his second record, 'High School Confidential', were both flops He had a brief spell on the stage show of 'Six Five Special' with the John Barry Seven, but when the show folded he went back to work as a cutter at the Elstree films studios.

Answer: There was no publicity due to a printer's strike.

Although he had not had a record in the charts, Adam was becoming popular due to his television appearances. He had a rather different style to Cliff Richard and most of the other young pop idols of the time. They were mostly dark and he had blond hair which he wore brushed forward rather than in the style most of the young pop singers had copied from Elvis.

Answer: What Do You Want?

This was a number one hit in the U.K. charts, and Adam's pronunciation of the word baby as 'bey-beh' became a trademark. The song was written by Les Vandyke and produced by John Barry and this launched John Barry's musical career. It was also Parlophone's first number one hit as Adam Faith was the only pop artist on their label.

Answer: Beat Girl

During his long wait for stardom Adam took acting and elocution lessons and was able to gain a part in this movie in which he sang 'Beat Girl' and several other songs including 'The Off Beat' and 'I Did What You Told Me'. John Barry produced the music. Shirley Ann Field also appeared in the movie.

Answer: Poor Me

'Poor Me' hit the number one spot on the British charts in March 1960. 'Someone Else's Baby' followed shortly after and reached number two. This established Adam Faith as a significant pop star and a rival to Cliff Richard, who was the top pop star in the U.K. at the time.

Answer: Lonely Pup in a Christmas Shop

'Lonely Pup in a Christmas Shop' reached number four in the U.K. charts, but Adam never liked it. He felt that it was too cloying and sentimental to fit with his image, and was angry with his manager Eve Taylor because he felt that she had pressured him into doing it. However it won him a silver disc in the U.K.

Answer: The American Civil War

This was a popular song at the time when the Civil War was coming to its end, and everyone was longing to see their loved ones arrive home safely. In 1942 Allan Jones made a musical called 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home'. It starred himself as a war hero who found the adulation of his admirers overwhelming, and went away to hide in a theatrical boarding house. Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan also appeared in this movie.

Answer: It's Alright

In 1964 Adam benefitted from the British invasion of the U.S. when everything British was popular. He released 'It's Alright' and was in the top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100. He never released that single at home in the U.K. Most of the lyrics of the song are the phrase 'It's alright'.

Answer: The Roulettes

Adam hired The Roulettes to try to harden up his sound but his time at the top was coming to an end. It had lasted from 1959 until 1964, a remarkable achievement for a pop star of that era. His musical career was very tied up with producer John Barry and song writer Les Vandyke.

They were inspired by Buddy Holly and his hiccoughing pizzicato style as demonstrated in 'It Doesn't Matter Any More'. Adam was able to deliver this style of singing and the three achieved many hits together. Adam continued to work as an actor and later became a financial advisor and was hired by the Daily Mail to write a column on money matters.

He died aged 62 from a heart attack.