Girl Group Greats Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Shirelles

A group of four girls - school mates - from New Jersey who sang together in their school's talent show at the suggestion of one of their teachers formed what would become The Shirelles. The founding members were Shirley Owens, Doris Coley, Addie "Micki" Harris and Beverly Lee. Due to the success of their song, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (as mentioned in the question), the group has often been credited with beginning the careers and achievements of many, many other "girl groups".

In respect of their achievement(s) The Shirelles were given The Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation (in 1994) and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Answer: Please Mr. Postman

In addition to its number one spot mentioned in the question, "Please Mr. Postman" went to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot R & B Sides chart for the Marvelettes, too. Their version of the song credits a very young and unknown (at the time) drummer - Marvin Gaye - as a member of the Funk Brothers who provided the instrumentation as a session group for their song. "Please Mr. Postman" would garner attention again in the same decade when it was released on the Beatles' album, "With the Beatles" in mid-1963.

More than ten years later pop-singing brother and sister group, The Carpenters, would realize even greater success with the song as they took it the number one spot on several of the singles charts (considering charts from around the world) in November of 1974.

Answer: Joanie Sommers

After the success of her version of "Johnny Get Angry", Joanie Sommers received many accolades, some that included expectations of even greater success. For example, Cashbox magazine named her "Most Promising New Female Vocalist of 1962"; while other media billed her as "the voice of the sixties". Joanie Sommers may be worthy of her "One Hit Wonders" claim but she was hardly idle nor was she invisible, particularly during the 1960s.

She released several albums, appeared in more than a few feature films and television shows and sang the jingles for internationally popular products.

As the 1960s came to a end and Sommers entered her thirties, she withdrew from show business to dedicate her full time and attention to her family which (then) included her husband and three children.

Answer: The Loco-Motion

"The Loco-Motion" peaked at number one on the U.S. charts, Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, during August of 1962. The song realized similar chart success in Norway, Canada, and New Zealand at that time. Eva Narcissus Boyd aka Little Eva had moved from North Carolina to New York when she was a teenager and, as mentioned in the question, worked as a babysitter for King and Goffin.

The two writers soon noticed her talent and, as the cliché may say, a star would be born. "The Loco-Motion" would go on to be covered by several groups during the following decades. Those who enjoyed some success with the song included Grand Funk Railroad, (disco group) Ritz, Kylie Minogue and one of the song's authors, Carole King.

Answer: Claudine Clark

"Party Lights" was not the first record Claudine Clark released during the late 1950s/early 1960s. It was supposed to be the "B-side" of the record she released as "Disappointed" (which was written by Russ Faith and Robert Masrcucci) in 1962. Not to be too cliché but "Disappointed" proved to be a definite disappointment for Clark, the writers and her record label, Chancellor, but DJs were fond of the flip side of the record - i.e., "Party Lights" - and that song became a huge hit.

Unfortunately, it would prove to be the only record success during the era for Clark. Critics claim the poor choices of future songs, Clark's dispersal of her own talents (she wrote, performed and recorded music from several genres) and generally poor timing in her exposure led to her "One Hit Wonder" status. Maybe she was able to contribute more than she realized; she would not be the last "girl singer" to write her own songs!

Answer: Tell Him

When the singing group called The Exciters enjoyed their greatest popularity the group was that of three women and one man - Brenda Reid, Carolyn (Carol) Johnson, Lillian Walker, and Herb Rooney. As mentioned in the question, their only top ten hit was "Tell Him"; a song written and composed by prolific song writer/composer Bert Berns (aka Bert Russell) and originally titled "Tell Her".

As originally written the song had enjoyed very modest record sales for a couple of male singers (Johnny Thunder and Ed Townsend) before The Exciters released their revised version.

Theirs would not be the last to be recorded and released. Some who have covered the song since include: Sonny & Cher, (English glam rock band) Hello, Kenny Loggins, Bette Midler and Linda Ronstadt.

Answer: The Chiffons

The original members of The Chiffons were: Judy Craig, Patricia Bennett, Barbara Lee and Sylvia Peterson. Craig, Bennett and Lee were schoolmates in the New York city borough, The Bronx; Peterson met them - and joined their neophyte singing group - at the suggestion of a mutual friend and music producer.

The two songs mentioned in the question were by far the most popular among the many songs released by The Chiffons during the 1960s. Record sales of "He's So Fine" were extraordinary and the song remained a popular choice among "Oldies" lists for many years but the song was also a subject of widely publicized controversy.

In 1970 former Beatle George Harrison wrote, recorded and released the song, "My Sweet Lord". It would become the biggest selling single in the UK during the entire year of 1971. That same year Ronnie Mack - who wrote "He So Fine" for The Chiffons - accused Harrison of copyright infringement and a lawsuit began.

After a few years of legal entanglements, the suit ended with a ruling that Harrison had subconsciously (or unintentionally) plagiarized the song and he was required to share the royalties garnered by "My Sweet Lord".

Answer: I Will Follow Him

Who knew the huge hit from the 1960s, "I Will Follow Him" was originally written as an instrumental song titled, "Chariot"? The evolution of March's song included a few instrumental releases of that song. Popular British singer Petula Clark released a French version of "Chariot" that did very well for her. With a re-vamping of the lyrics veteran song writer, Norman Gimbel, gave us the version we heard from Little Peggy March.

It became a song that for many years set the standard of "teenage devotion" with lyrics that include: "I will follow him, wherever he may go ... near him I must always be ... he is my destiny." She recorded using the name Little Peggy March but she was given the name Margaret Annemarie Battavio when she was born in March of 1948 near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. March definitely enjoyed more success and (career) longevity in Europe and Asia than she did in America.

She spent many years of her adult life living in Germany but online sources mention that she returned to the U.S.A. in the late 1990s.

Answer: The Cookies

Music history sources report that there were two different line-ups who recorded and released songs using the moniker, The Cookies, during the mid to late 1950s. Even within the two somewhat separate groups there were some line-up changes and talent shifts.

By the time of the song mentioned in the question, "Don't Say Nothing Bad (About My Baby)", two of the three earliest members of The Cookies had begun what would become a lucrative career for them as back-up singers for Ray Charles. That group would become recognized - and, even record their own music - as The Raelettes.

Into the 1960s a separate girl group called The Cookies continued to record and release their own songs but they earned most of their commercial success as session singers for a variety of singers.

Answer: It's My Party

"It's My Party" not only introduced us to the singer,Leslie Gore, but it was the first production by someone who would benefit from a career in the music industry for more than seven decades - Quincy Jones. Leslie Gore had several charted songs but "It's My Party" was her most successful; it reached the number one spot on both pop and R&B charts.

More about the singer: One of the most admirable traits of Leslie Gore has been noted about how she approached her sexual orientation. She was known to be lesbian at a time when (as she has described it) "the music business was totally homophobic".

In an interview (in 2005) that was used to promote her own PBS series which focused on LGBTQ+ issues she said, "I just kind of lived my life naturally and did what I wanted to do." She added, "I didn't avoid anything, I didn't put it in anybody's face." Additional fun fact: How many of us remember Leslie Gore was featured in the 1960s television series, "Batman" (1966 - 1968)? She was seen on two episodes as Pussycat, one of Catwoman's underlings.

Answer: The Essex

The three men and one woman who recorded the extremely popular, "Easier Said Than Done", were all active duty Marines. The Essex would have a few more mildly successful songs (singles) and managed to have enough songs in their repertoire to record and release one album. Ultimately, what had brought them together proved to be their greatest stumbling block - the military.

As the singers completed their tours of duty - in different parts of the world - their separation became too much of a challenge to continue as a singing group. About the song: Their super-successful song, "Easier Said Than Done", had not been pegged for air-play.

It was given little attention at the time of recording; intending for it to be the B-side of their debut single, "Are You Going My Way".

The group admitted they had spent less than five minutes recording it. At only a few seconds over two minutes, producers believed it was too short for commercial airplay. Even its writers compared its beat to the sounds of their military base's communication room. Certainly, the song seemed to beat the odds; it continued to be a popular "Oldies" feature for many years after its initial popularity.

Answer: My Boyfriend's Back

What a fun song! It was written by the songwriting team of Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, and Richard Gottehrer. The success of "My Boyfriend's Back" was encouragement for the writers to attempt some other "girl group" sounds but their timing was rather unfortunate. Soon after the release of "My Boyfriend's Back" the world would be taken by the "British Invasion" and the music industry changed. Girls groups were no longer popular enough for those three writers to maintain a career writing songs in that style.

As demands changed, the three songwriters morphed in directions and into endeavors that would provide for them careers in the music industry for many years. For a treat and a peak at the singers of "My Boyfriend's Back", check some of the video sharing sites for The Angels performing their song on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in October of 1963. Ah, a salute to simpler times in so many ways.

Answer: Martha and the Vandellas

Martha and the Vandellas is an all-girl group with the original members hailing from the Detroit, Michigan (USA) area. Oddly enough Martha Reeves was NOT among the original line-up of who would become The Vandellas. That group called themselves The Del-Phis.

When one of the group's member resigned (from the singing group) Martha Reeves was asked to join. Those ladies who recorded/released "Heat Wave" lasted through several line-up changes and name changes and records that were less than successful before they enjoyed the triumph of that hit record.

Then their string of hit songs had just begun. Maybe you remember: "Jimmy Mack" or "Dancing in the Street" or "Nowhere to Run" - all songs recorded and released by Martha and the Vandellas.

Answer: Sally, Go 'Round the Roses

In the early 1960s all-girl groups were popular. Record producers were searching far and wide to have "the group" of girls to make the next "big hit" record. It seems The Jaynetts were "created" to release the song, "Sally, Go 'Round the Roses". A group of singers were called to perform the song and other (session) singers were added to make the song suitable for release.

Information available about the recording tells that it is unlikely the four women whose photo was released with record even sang on the recording. "Sally, Go 'Round the Roses" was a different sound than most songs had been at the time. That distinct (oft described as "haunting") sound was of interest to other artists who would cover the song through the years - including Grace Slick (as The Great Society), Donna Summer (as Donna Gaines), Judy Collins and Joan Baez.

Answer: Betty Everett

"Song facts" sources mention that Betty Everett was reluctant to record/release the song; some even go so far as to say she thought the song to be rather silly. Yet Everett's release of the song did well - it went as high as number six on the (US) "Billboard" charts and went to number one on the "Cashbox" (R&B) charts. Betty Everett may be remembered for her recording of "It's In His Kiss" but she also enjoyed success as a duet partner with soul, R&B great, Jerry Butler.

Their duet that achieved the best chart position(s) was "Let It Be Me" which was released in 1964.

Answer: Chapel of Love

Although Phil Spector was credited as one of the three co-writers (along with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich), as mentioned he had second thoughts about allowing Darlene Love's version of "Chapel of Love" to be released in 1964. Years later, Love did release the song but it was not the mega-hit it had been for The Dixiecups.

The version that became so popular in 1964 was produced by the amazing song writing team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Leiber and Stoller had begun their own record company, Red Bird Records and "Chapel of Love" fetched them gold on their first release. Yes, an actual gold record, because "Chapel of Love" would sell over one million copies. "Chapel of Love" has been covered by a variety of artists through the years and included on movie soundtracks - even into the 21st century.

Answer: The Supremes

Enough information and adoration has been written about The Supremes to fill volumes and volumes. Very few, if any, other singing groups have been recognized for their talent, their showmanship, their inspiration, their popularity and/or their drama as have The Supremes.

The original members of The Supremes were four young women who lived in the same public-housing area in Detroit, Michigan (USA) during the late 1950s/early 1960s. Prior to their release of "Where Did Our Love Go", The Supremes - by then pared to three members - had released several songs but all had failed to break into the top twenty of the charts.

Historical sources within the music industry agree: The Supremes were vehemently opposed to recording and releasing "Where Did Our Love Go".

They hated the song! Only after the fact were they glad they had been persuaded to record it. It certainly seems to have been a good career move.

Answer: Leader of the Pack

"Leader of the Pack" topped (US) "Billboard" Hot 100 chart late in the year of 1964. As mentioned in the question the song evoked the rebel attitude of that era. The song implied the love interest of the singer was the ultimate "bad boy" - someone her folks had "put down" and labeled as being "from the wrong side of town".

She is forced to end their relationship and soon thereafter her "Jimmy" is killed when his motorcycle crashes on a rain soaked road. With evocative background singers, sound effects that mimic revving motorcycles, the singer's woeful warning and her tearful regrets, the song was emotional and rousing at the same time. Song fact: Historically, a teenaged Billy Joel has been given credit for the piano part heard on this song. Even many years after the song's release Joel mentioned he did, indeed, record the piano's part on a soundtrack for what he assumed would be The Shangri-Las release but, Joel also admits, he was too young to be a member of the musicians' union and his part may have been re-recorded by someone who belonged to the union - as protocol would have necessitated - before the song was actually released/heard by the public.

Answer: The Ad Libs

The troubled record label of Red Bird Records, which was co-founded by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, released "The Boy From New York City" in late 1964; the song made its way into the top ten of the (US) charts by early 1965. As mentioned in the question, "The Boy From New York City" was the only venture of any record charting success for The Ad Libs. With several changes in personnel through the years, The Ad Libs continued to travel together, perform and record for at least twenty years after their "one-hit-wonder".

Answer: A Lover's Concerto

With lyrics that include: "How gentle is the rain that falls softly on the meadow. Birds high up in the trees serenade the clouds with their melodies", The Toys' song must have been received as a breath of fresh air. With its placid piano playing Perzold's/Bach's version of "Minuet In G" in the background it was so different from all of the doo-wop/be-bop and saccharine, lost-my-love songs that saturated the pop charts at the time of its release.