Diamonds and Rubies in Songs Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Rolling Stones

Released as a single from their "Between The Buttons" album in the USA. The song went straight to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The record made the top ten in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the UK.

Answer: The Beatles

It was fifty years ago today etc. Featuring on the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album, "Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds" was a great radio hit where it could be played. Some countries banned the song, as claims were made that the title was a thinly disguised reference to LSD.

In Australia the song received no airplay in 1967 for that reason. Ironically in early 1968 "Linda Sue Dixon" by the Detroit Wheels, with direct reference to LSD, was released and received much airplay. The Beatles' version of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" was not released as a single until 1996. Elton John recorded the song in 1974 and it rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: Gary Lewis & The Playboys

A number one hit for Gary Lewis and The Playboys in 1965. In the two year period of 1965-66 the group charted seven top ten and three other top thirty songs. Their hits included "Count Me In", "Save Your Heart for Me", She's Just My Style" and "Everybody Loves A Clown". "Save Your Heart For Me" (Originally recorded by Brian Hyland in 1963) made it to number two and was kept out of the top spot by "I Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher. All these entries appear in Joel Whitburn's "Top Pop Singles 1955-2015".

Answer: Jet Harris & Tony Meehan

Former Shadows, Jet Harris and Tony Meehan, topped the UK charts in 1963 with "Diamonds". Jet Harris was bass player and Tony Meehan a drummer with The Shadows from 1958 through 1962. Harris and Meehan followed this song with other hits, "Scarlet O'Hara" and "Applejack" among them.

Answer: Ruby Murray

In 1955 managed eight tunes in the British charts; seven of them made top ten including "Softly Softly" which claimed the top spot. Ruby continued to chart through the end of the 1950s.

Answer: Seals and Croft

Jim Seals and Dash Croft made the top ten on the Billboard pop charts in 1972 with "Summer Breeze" and followed the next year with "Diamond Girl". Both men were ex members of the Champs, as was Glen Campbell. Seals and Croft continued to chart all through the 1970s, although never with the same success as the two songs above.

Answer: Dion

Originally recorded by the Drifters in 1956, "Ruby Baby" was a number two hit in 1963 for Dion. Born Dion DiMucci in 1939, as lead singer of the doo-wop group Dion and the Belmonts he achieved teen idol status in 1959 with "Teenager in Love"; the group followed this with a top ten, "Where or When". Midway through 1960 Dion left the group for a solo career. From July 1960 through 1963 Dion placed 20 records on the Billboard pop charts, eight making the top ten, including the number one hit "Runaround Sue".

The hits dried up then and whilst Dion continued performing it was not until late 1968 that he made the charts again with the smash hit, "Abraham, Martin and John". The song was prompted by the assassinations in 1968 of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. Trivially, the song "Teenager in Love" was ably covered in England by Marty Wilde and gave him his biggest UK chart success.

Answer: Neil Diamond

"Cherry Cherry", released in 1966, gave Neil Diamond his first top ten hit. According to Joel Whitburn's "Top Pop Singles 1955-2015", Neil Diamond placed 56 songs on the charts between 1966 and 1968. Neil's hits include, "Song Sung Blue", "Sweet Caroline" "I Am, I Said", "Kentucky Woman" and "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (with Barbra Streisand).

He also wrote Number Ones for others such as "I'm A Believer" for the Monkees and "Red Red Wine", recorded by UB40.

Answer: Tom T Hall

"The Storyteller", Tom T Hall, recorded "Ravishing Ruby" in 1973 and sent into the top ten on Billboard's Country Music chart; the song just failed to crack the American pop chart. Tom charted six hits on the pop charts and 56 on the country chart. Tom was very popular in Australia and charted well.

His biggest hit in the USA was "The Year that Clayton Delaney Died". My personal favourite and a top ten in Australia, is "Old Dogs and Children and Watermelon Wine". Tom is probably best known for writing the crossover hit for Jeannie C Riley, "Harper Valley PTA".

Answer: Shirley Bassey

"Diamonds Are Forever" was the sixth James Bond movie and Shirley Bassey's second theme song. The five prior "Bonds" were "Dr No" (The theme was the "James Bond Theme" used in almost all Bonds since), followed by "From Russia With Love"-theme by Matt Monro, "Goldfinger" theme by Shirley Bassey", "Thunderball" theme by Tom Jones and "You Only Live Twice" theme by Nancy Sinatra.

The song "Diamonds Are Forever" was not successful on the charts.