Along Came Jones Trivia Quiz

Answer: Good Timin'

"Good Timin'" was written by Fred Tobias/Clint Ballard Jr. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 for Jimmy Jones in 1960. It was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart the same year.

Jimmy Jones was born James Jones in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, in 1937. He died in Aberdeen, North Carolina, USA, in 2012 aged 75. He was a tap dancer before joining a doo-wop group named the Berliners in 1954, they later changed their name to Sparks Of Rhythm. Jones co-wrote "Handy Man" in 1955 which was recorded by the Sparks Of Rhythm in 1956, after Jones left the group. He reworked "Handy Man" with Otis Blackwell who did the whistling on the record and it peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the UK singles chart in 1960. He had two more minor hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and three on the UK singles chart in 1960 and 1961 and that was it for Jimmy Jones.

That was it for the MGM record label too as far as UK number one hits went. They had to wait until 1972 for their next UK number one hit which was "Puppy Love" by Donny Osmond.

Answer: Jack Jones

"Wives And Lovers" was written by Burt Bacharach/Hal David. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 for Jack Jones in 1964. It did not chart in the UK.

Jack Jones was born John Allan Jones in Los Angeles, California, USA, in 1938. He is the son of singer/actor Allan Jones and was born on the night his father recorded his signature song "Donkey Serenade". Jack Jones attended University High School in West Los Angeles and studied drama and singing. He was discovered while performing at a San Francisco club and signed to Kapp Records. He had his first hit for Kapp records with "Lollipops And Roses" which peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962. He never had any hits on the UK singles chart but had five Top Ten albums on the UK album chart between 1972 and 1977.

Bacharach and David were asked to write a song on the theme of marital infidelity with the title "Wives And Lovers". It was to be used as a promotional tie-in for the 1963 movie "Wives and Lovers" starring Janet Leigh, Van Johnson and Shelley Winters. As with the song "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence" by Gene Pitney which was also written by Burt Bacharach/Hal David, the song did not appear in the movie but was used to promote it.

Answer: Green Green Grass Of Home

"Green Green Grass Of Home" was written by Claude "Curly" Putman Jr. It was number one for seven weeks on the UK singles chart for Tom Jones in 1966/67. It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.

Tom Jones was born Thomas Jones Woodward in Treforest, Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales, in 1940. In 1963 he became the frontman for a local beat group, Tommy Scott and the Senators. At a gig in Porthcawl supporting Billy J Kramer and The Dakotas they were more popular than the headliners. In 1964 they made some recordings with maverick producer Joe Meek but he refused to release them. Returning to Wales and playing at the Top Hat in Cwmtillery Tom Jones was spotted by London based manager/songwriter Gordon Mills.

Mills signed up Tom Jones and got him a recording contract with Decca UK. His first single "Chills and Fever", was released in 1964 but failed to chart. The follow up single however was a different story, "It's Not Unusual" written by Les Reed/Gordon Mills and featuring Jimmy Page on guitar went to the top. It was number one for one week on the UK singles chart in 1965. It peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. It was re-released in 1987 and peaked at number 17 on the UK singles chart. Tom Jones became Sir Thomas Jones Woodward OBE, after being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006.

Answer: Manfred Mann

"I've Been A Bad Bad Boy" was written by Mike Leander. It peaked at number five on the UK singles chart for Paul Jones in 1967. It did not chart in the US.

Singer/actor/harmonica player/radio personality/television presenter Paul Jones, was born Paul Pond in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, in 1942. He performed duets with Elmo Lewis as P. P. Pond in the early '60s at the Ealing Club in London. Elmo Lewis (aka future Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones), he and Keith Richard asked Paul Jones to become the singer in a group that they were forming but he turned them down, (I wonder what happened to that group?). Instead he joined Manfred Mann & the Manfreds in 1962, who after signing for the HMV record label in 1963 changed their name to Manfred Mann.

He left the group in 1966 to pursue a solo singing and acting career. He was replaced in Manfred Mann by Mike d'Abo and the group went on to have many more hits. After his first two UK chart hits, "High Time" number four in 1966 and "I've Been A Bad Bad Boy" number five in 1967, Jones had three minor hits between 1967 and 1969. He was cast as a pop singer (what else) opposite Jean Shrimpton in the 1967 movie "Privilege". He appeared in the West End show "Conduct Unbecoming" and the musicals "Kiss me Kate", "Cats" and "Pump Boys and Dinettes". A programme on BBC Radio2 called "Paul Jones' Hour of Rhythm & Blues" celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2011.

Answer: Manchester

"Rainy Jane" was written by Howard Greenfield/Neil Sedaka. It peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 for Davy Jones in 1971. It did not chart in the UK.

Davy Jones was born David Thomas Jones in Openshaw, Manchester, Lancashire, England, in 1945. He died of a severe heart attack due to atherosclerosis in Martin Memorial South Hospital in Stuart, Florida, aged 66. He made his television acting debut on the British soap opera "Coronation Street". He appeared as Colin Lomax, the grandson of one of the leading characters, Ena Sharples, in March 1961. Herman's Hermits' front man Peter Noone also appeared in "Coronation Street" as Stanley Fairclough, the son of another leading character, Len Fairclough, in December 1961.

Of course Davy Jones will always be best known as a member of the '60s group The Monkees. The Monkees TV show was produced by Screen Gems who already had Davy Jones under contract and he was short listed for the show. The other members of the group were Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork. They had six Top Ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1966 and 1968. This included the three number one hits "Last Train To Clarksville (1966), "I'm A Believer" (1966) and "Daydream Believer" (1967). The Monkees had four Top Ten hits on the UK singles, all in 1967, which included the number one hit "I'm A Believer".

Answer: Chuck E.'s In Love

"Chuck E.'s In Love" was written by Rickie Lee Jones. It peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 for Rickie Lee Jones in 1979. It peaked at number 18 on the UK singles chart the same year.

Rickie Lee Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, in 1954. Her family moved to Arizona in 1959, then to Washington where her father abandoned them. At the age of 18 she moved to California and enrolled in Santa Monica College, studying anthropology and music.

By 1977 she was performing original material at the Ala Carte club in Hollywood and in 1978 met Dr. John and Little Feat's Lowell George. Then she met Tom Waits and Chuck E. Weiss, who figured prominently in her early career. "Chuck E.'s In Love" was the only Top Ten hit that she had in the US and UK. Her album "Rickie Lee Jones" peaked at number three on the Billboard Album chart and number 18 on the UK Album chart in 1979. Her second album "Pirates" peaked at number five on the Billboard Album chart and number 37 on the UK Album chart in 1981.

Answer: Howard Jones

"Things Can Only Get Better" was written by Howard Jones. It peaked at number six on the UK singles chart for Howard Jones in 1985. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

Howard Jones was born John Howard Jones in Southampton, Hampshire, England, in 1955. His family moved to Canada when he was a teenager and there he joined the Progressive Rock group Warrior. He and his brothers Martin, Paul and Roy had their own group in the late '70s and early '80s called Red Beat. On returning to the UK he attended the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

His first hit on the UK singles chart was "New Song" which peaked at number three in 1983. It peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984. He had six Top 10 hits on the UK singles chart between 1983 and 1985. He had two Top Ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, one in 1985 and one in 1986.

Answer: The Snowman

"Walking In The Air" was written by Howard Blake. It was a number five hit on the UK singles chart for Aled Jones in 1985. It did not chart in the US.

"The Snowman" is a children's picture book by English author Raymond Briggs, published in 1978. In the UK it was runner up for the Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association and in the US it made the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award list. "The Snowman" was adapted by the late animation director Dianne Jackson as a 26-minute animated television special. It was nominated for the 1982 Academy Award for Animated Short Film.

The song "Walking in the Air" is sung in the film by a 13 year old chorister named Peter Auty. He was not credited on the original version but was given credit on the 20th anniversary remastered version in 2002.

Answer: The Rain

"The Rain" was written by Vincent Bell. It peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 for Oran "Juice" Jones in 1986. It peaked at number four on the UK singles chart the same year.

Oran "Juice" Jones was born in Houston, Texas, USA, in 1957. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1981 and was only the second African-American Brigade Commander in Naval Academy history. He served as a sniper officer in the United States Marine Corps until 1986.

He had no other successful singles and retired. To date he remains a one hit wonder.

Answer: Catherine Zeta Jones

"True Love Ways" was written by Buddy Holly/Norman Petty. It peaked at number 38 on the UK singles chart for David Essex and Catherine Zeta Jones in 1994. It did not chart in the US.

David Essex was born David Albert Cook in Plaistow, London, England, in 1947. He released several records in the '60s without any success and had small parts in such movies as "Assault" and "All Coppers are...". His big break came when he played the lead in the stage musical "Godspell" in 1971. In 1973 he starred in the movie "That'll Be The Day" with Ringo Starr, Keith Moon and Billy Fury. Also in 1973 he had his first hit on the UK singles chart when "Rock On" peaked at number three. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. He had ten Top Ten hits on the UK singles chart between 1973 and 1983. This included the number one hits "Gonna Make You A Star", number one for three weeks in 1974 and "Hold Me Close", number one for three weeks in 1975. Both number one hits were written by David Essex and produced by Jeff "War of the Worlds" Wayne.

Catherine Zeta Jones was born in Swansea, Wales, in 1969. At the age of 11 she was a British tap dancing champion. She then attended the Arts Educational Schools in Chiswick, West London, for a three year course in Musical Theatre. In the '80s she appeared in various shows such as "The Pyjama Game" at the Haymarket Theatre, Leicester, "42nd Street" at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London and "Street Scene" at the London Coliseum Theatre. She came to the public's attention when starring in the TV series "The Darling Buds of May" with David Jason and Pam Ferris which ran from 1991 to 1993. She had two minor solo hits on the UK singles chart with "For All Time" at number 36 in 1992 and "In the Arms Of Love" at number 72 in 1995. Her international career took off after her performance as Elena Montero in the 1998 movie "The Mask Of Zorro" with Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas.