Do You Know The Lyric? 1960 Trivia Quiz

Answer: 16

Might as well list all the reasons from the lyric of "Sixteen Reasons"
1. The way you hold my hand
2. Your laughing eyes
3. The way you understand
4. Your secret sighs
5.-8. are in the question
9. Snuggling in the car
10.Your wish upon a star
11.Whispering on the phone
12.Your kiss when we're alone
13.The way you thrill my heart
14.Your voice so neat
15.You say we'll never part
16.Our love's complete

Connie Stevens only had two big hits - this one and "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" from 1959 which tied into the TV series that she occasionally performed in, "77 Sunset Strip". The highlight of her acting career was playing Cricket Blake on "Hawaiian Eye" from 1959 to 1963. Thereafter, and up to the present time, she's made fairly regular appearances in the movies and on TV primarily in fare that is decidedly light weight... just like her music! But, she's an active humanitarian and has been duly honored for her part in creating the "Windfeather" project to promote the awarding of scholarships to Native Americans. She also is in business, opening the Connie Stevens Garden Sanctuary Executive Day Spa in Los Angeles in the late 1990s.

Answer: sailing

Darin was a star crossed performer. Born with a rheumatic heart, he was aware as a child that living to an old age was a dubious prospect for him. Hence, he chose to rev his life up to the "red line" and accomplish as much as he could in the time given him.

This meant testing himself constantly, diversifying his interests and taking risks that others might not. It shows in how he is remembered now... some see him as a rocker, others recall him as a folk singer of sorts, still others as a Vegas lounge lizard. Whatever, he left behind a varied portfolio and a lot of musical memories.

Answer: mule skinner

The Fendermen were classic one hit wonders... thay never had another song chart on the Billboard Hot 100! Consisting of only two singers, Jim Sundquist and Phil Humphries with their Fender guitars, hence the name, they recorded the song on the cheap in their native Wisconsin.

It slowly went from a regional success to a nationwide smash. They later added a bassist and drummer to the ensemble but within two years, the lads went their separate ways.

Answer: good timing

The song title - "Good Timin'". In Jones' words, David had good timin' to be near the stone to kill Goliath before the giant squashed him and similarly, Columbus had good timin' when Queen Isabella decided to finance his explorations. He goes on to tell his lover that both of them had the same "good timin'" when they happened to meet lest they would have spent the rest of their days on "Misery Street". Be at the right place at the right time is the message!

Answer: Paul Anka

Anka's lyrics were never of paramount concern. They were always simple songs that seven year olds could understand and sing along to. But he had a knack of connecting those lyrics with listenable music and he would churn out hit after hit from 1957 with his debut "Diana" right up to 1963, then make a strong comeback in the mid 1970s with precisely the same formula. Altogether, he's had a total of 33 songs chart top forty in his career. Blending this song writing talent with a stage act that's a big Vegas draw and an undeniable business acumen has resulted in this son of a Lebanese immigrant to become one of the wealthiest men in his native Canada.

Answer: his dog walked the rounds with him

"The Old Lamplighter" was a romantic ballad that suited the vocal talents of the Browns' lead singer Jim Ed Brown perfectly. One might justifiably ask "Why would the old lamplighter pass a lamp and leave it dark? Wasn't his job to light those lamps?" Well, he'd pass a lamp if a couple of young lovers were underneath one, not wanting to impinge on their privacy. He remembered the days when he was young!

Originally a hit for both Sammy Kaye (#1) and Kay Kyser (#3) during the winter of 1945-6, The Browns version peaked at #5, their second biggest hit after the #1 "The Three Bells".

The Browns hung in there for quite awhile although this would be their last charting hit. In 1967, the two female voices, Maxine and Bonnie, Jim Ed's sisters, retired to family life while Jim Ed soldiered on, primarily performing country and inspirational music.

Answer: New Orleans

The lyricist "For Way Down Yonder In New Orleans" was Henry Creamer, one of the few black lyricists of his era to create popular music. He primarily collaborated with J. Turner Layton, his vaudeville partner in the late 1910s, early 1920s.

Probably the most famous of their collaborations, other than this one, was "After You've Gone", written in 1918 and most notably performed by Bessie Smith in 1927 and Bing Crosby with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra in 1930.

Cannon was an entertainer always true to his rock and roll roots. EVERTHING he did rocked and he would have fit right in with such precursers as Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry. "Ballad" was not in his repertoire. It is reported that Cannon can still bring it on whenever he chooses to do a gig on the oldies tour... and he turned 65 in Dec. 2004!

Answer: New Orleans

Now what are the odds that I'd do that in back to back questions? I was tempted to go for the triple header... 1960 was also the year that Fats Domino had a #6 hit, "Walking To New Oreans"

New Orleans is one fabulous place to go for a musical vacation! Preservation Hall and many of the clubs in the Basin Street area specialize in Dixieland music of course... this is it's birthplace. But if you look for it, and you don't have to look hard, you can find Delta blues, rhythm and blues, zydeco and cajun music, nouveau jazz, and so on and so on. In my opinion and in no particular order, there are five American cities at the forefront of historical musical traditions: Chicago, Memphis, Nashville, New York and New Orleans.

Answer: Delaware

"Oh what did Della-wear boy, what did Delaware
What did Della-wear boy, what did Delaware
She wore a brand New Jersey"

And so it went until fifteen States were obliquely mentioned in this fashion. The composer and lyricist was one Irving Gordon. Other hits from his pen included "Mama From The Train" by Patti Page and the classic "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole and later, his daughter Natalie.

Answer: Bismarck

Horton didn't become a professional musician until the early 1950s but his rock-a-billy style found favor among country music fans. He crossed over to the pop charts with his classic #1 "Battle of New Orleans" (there's that place again!) in 1959. "Sink The Bismarck" was his second hit, a #3, followed by the #5 "North To Alaska". There would be no others!

"North To Alaska" entered the top forty charts on October 17, 1960. On November 5, 1960, Horton was fatally injured in a car wreck travelling along a foggy Texas road from what would be his last performance. He was only 35 years old.