Billboard Number Ones 1961 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Will You Love Me Tomorrow

Now I might be the only one, but I have always thought that this song was called 'Will You STILL Love Me Tomorrow' but I was wrong... The cover of the record definitely states that the title is 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow'.

*Useless information* This record was the first chart topping single, by an all girl band, in the US.

Answer: Blue

'Blue Moon' by the Marcels reached number one on April 3rd 1961, remaining in the top spot for 3 weeks.

*Useless information* 'Blue Moon' was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1934. It is presumed that the lyrics refer both to the English expression 'Once in a blue moon' meaning extremely rarely and as a play on words where 'blue' means sad and lonely.

Answer: Mother in law

Your wife's sister is your sister in law - her father is your father in law - his wife is your mother in law...

Ernie K-Doe's 'Mother in Law' was his first and only Billboard top 40 hit. Including the lyrics 'The worst person I know', 'Sent from Down Below' and 'Satan should be her name' you would think that Ernie didn't get on with the wife's mother. Actually he was married twice (two Mothers in law !Yikes!) and was buried in the same tomb as his second mother in law.

*Useless information* Ernie K-Doe was the owner of the famous 'Ernie K-Doe's Mother In Law Lounge' situated in New Orleans. The 'club' was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 but was re-opened on 29th August 2006 - the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Answer: Quarter to Three

Gary US Bonds first major hit was 'New Orleans' which reached number six in 1960. 'Quarter to Three' was his first, and only, number one hit.

*Useless information* Gary US Bonds was born as Gary Levone Anderson. It is alleged that a record producer, Frank Guida, changed Gary's name to 'US Bonds' in the hope of 'cashing in' on public service announcements which advertised the sale of government bonds and Gary's first three singles and his first album 'Dance 'til Quarter to Three' were credited to 'US Bonds'. The public thought that 'US Bonds' was the name of a group so Gary's name was again changed to 'Gary (US) Bonds' a name he recorded under until the 1980s when the brackets (Parentheses) were discarded.

Answer: Seven Weeks

'Tossin' and Turnin' spent seven weeks at number one and was named as 'Billboards top single for 1961'.

*Useless information* 'Tossin' and Turnin' was named as the 27th biggest song of all time, that charted on the Billboard charts, according to 'Billboard Magazine' in 2008.

Answer: Joe Dowell

Of course we all know that Elvis sang 'Wooden Heart' in the film 'GI Blues'. That version reached the UK charts in 1960 but was not released in the US until 1964 as the 'B' side to 'Blue Christmas'.
Joe Dowell sold over one million copies of his version of 'Wooden Heart' earning himself a gold disc.
*Useless information* Joe Dowell's version of 'Wooden Heart' was the first record released on the 'Smash Records' label, part of the 'Mercury' records group.

Answer: It's never mentioned

'I Wonder I wah-wah-wah-wah-wonder' Who could forget 'Runaway' with it's screaming organ and Del Shannon's vocals. But the name of the girl is never mentioned in the song.

*Useless information* Del Shannon was the first American to sucessfully record a cover of a Beatles song when, in 1963, his version of 'From Me to You' charted in the US before the Beatles own recording.

Answer: Baby

Bobby Vee is probably best known for his rendition of 'Rubber Ball' which was released in 1960 and reached number six on the Billboard charts. 'Take Good Care of my Baby' was his first number one hit in the US and reached number three in the UK.

*Useless information* on February 3rd 1959 an aeroplane carrying Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valance crashed at Clear Lake, Iowa while they were travelling to their next show at Moorhead, Minnesota. Robert Thomas Velline (better known now as Bobby Vee) was then a 15 year old student who had recently formed a band (The Shadows). They volunteered to 'fill in' for the deceased Buddy Holly and thus began a long and prosperous career for Bobby Vee

Answer: True

The story of 'Big Bad John' is well known, a miner, who killed a man, is working in a mine when a timber support cracks, John holds the timber in place while his colleagues escape and is killed when the support collapses.

*Useless information* Jimmy Dean's recording of 'Big Bad John' won the 'Grammy Award' for Best Country & Western Recording in 1962.
Jimmy Dean went on to become an actor playing 'Willard Whyte' in the 1971 James Bond film 'Diamonds are Forever'.
Today (so they say) he is probably best known as the creator of the 'Jimmy Dean sausage brand'

Answer: The Tokens

Also known as 'Wimoweh', 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' has been covered by many, many artists but was first recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda an African of Zulu descent.

*Useless information* 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' was originally written in 1929 under he name 'Mbube', meaning 'Lion' in the Zulu language, by Solomon Linda, a cleaner and packer for the 'Gallo Record Company'.