Jungle Fever Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hank Mizell

Hank Mizell recorded "Jungle Rock" in 1958, when it failed to chart. It was released again in 1959, and again failed to chart. The same fate befell other records he made, and by the mid 1960s he had given up music and become a preacher. In 1971 a Dutch company put the record on a compilation album, but said the singer was Jim Bobo. Charly Records, who had a good success rate with re-releases in the UK, picked it up and released it in 1976, when it made number three on the UK singles chart.

Answer: Jimmy Nail

"Crocodile Shoes" was a 1994 BBC television series starring Jimmy Nail. He played a working man who wanted to become a country singer. He also recorded the theme tune, which gave him a number four UK chart single. In addition to starring in the series and having a hit with the theme song, Jimmy Nail was also the script writer and one of the Executive Producers.

As an actor he is best known to television audiences for his role in "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" (1983 - 2004).

Answer: Wimoweh

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and "Wimoweh" were both released in the same year, 1961. The Tokens had a number eleven UK single chart hit, and Karl Denver a number four. The song however is much older than that. It goes back to 1939 when it was written and recorded by Solomon Linda in South Africa under the title "Mbube".

This achieved good sales amongst black South Africans, both living in South Africa and abroad. Solomon Linda died of kidney failure in 1962. Despite the success of the song when recorded and used by other people neither he or his family had received any royalties.

This situation was finally put right in 2006 when a settlement was reached, just before a scheduled trial, to pay royalties to his heirs.

Answer: Frantic Five

Don Lang and the Frantic Five came to attention on the ground breaking BBC Television show, "Six-Five Special", for which he recorded the theme tune. It was the first time the BBC aired a music programme especially for young people. Although short lived it spawned a whole generation of music programmes still fondly remembered today such as "Oh Boy", "Boy meets Girl", "Jukebox Jury" and ultimately "Top of the Pops". Don Lang played the trombone and sang, and continued playing long after the dissolution of Don Land and the Frantic Five.

He can b heard playing trombone on "Revolution 1" on the Beatles "White Album".

Answer: Chills and Fever

Johnny Kidd and The Pirates had their biggest hit with "Shakin' All Over" when it reached number one on the UK singles chart in 1960. The group were theatrical, dressing in pirate costumes, complete with swords, and a feature of the act was Johnny Kidd sticking his sword into the stage at the end of shaking all over where it stood, quivering.

The rise of the Liverpool groups meant that their style of R & B went out of fashion, but even after the hits dried up the live act continued to be popular. Johnny Kidd died in a car crash in 1966 aged just 30.

Answer: Blackboard Jungle

The 1954 release of "Rock Around The Clock" became the anthem of rock and roll and made Bill Haley a household name. It is hard to believe now, but when it was used in the 1955 Glen Ford film, "Blackboard Jungle", it caused riots in cinemas across the United Kingdom. Seats were torn up to give people room to dance, and many local authorities refused permission to show the film at all.

When Bill Haley came over here for the first ever tour of Britain by an American rock and roll star thousands greeted his arrival and police had to control crowds at his concerts.

He went on to tour Europe, and one show in Germany saw the venue wrecked when police tried to stop fans dancing in the aisles. After that thing were never quite the same again.

Answer: Nellie

Recorded by child actress Mandy Miller "Nellie the Elephant is about a circus elephant who, one day, hears a call from another elephant and decides to leave the circus and go back to her herd. It was one of those songs that was never a hit, but was heard all the time on radio in the 1950s and early 1960s.

It was a special favourite on the Saturday morning request show, "Children's Favourites". As a child actress Mandy Miller appeared in several films, including "The Man In The White Suit" (1951) with Alec Guiness.

She retired at the age of 18, moved to New York, married and had three children.

Answer: I Go Ape

"I Go Ape" was the follow up to Neil Sedaka's first single "The Diary", and was a different from that as possible. It soon became clear that rock and roll was not his style as the single failed to make much impression in America, although it did do better in the UK. For subsequent singles he reverted back to catchy teenage love songs, which he became well known for.

A classically trained pianist, he has also released an album of classical music to which he has penned lyrics.

Answer: Lulu

Lulu sprang to prominence with her cover version of "Shout" in 1964, when she was only 15, but with an amazingly mature voice. Her career thrived in the 1960s, when she had her own television series and represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, where she tied with three others for first place. "I'm A Tiger" was released in 1968. Shortly before appearing in Eurovision she married Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees.

They divorced in 1973, but remained on good terms. She has remained successful, reinventing herself to stay fresh and current on a regular basis.

She has acted in several films, the best known being "To Sir With Love" (1967) for which she also recorded the theme song. She has appeared in several television shows including "Strictly Come Dancing" and "Absolutely Fabulous".

Answer: Gibbon

Bill Oddie, Graham Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor wrote and starred in "The Goodies", a sketch and situation comedy show that ran during the late 70s and early 80s. "Funky Gibbon" was a song used in one of the shows, and gave them a number four chart single on the UK charts. The music was written by Bill Oddie.
They also wrote three successful "Goodies" books. All three have written, both singly and in collaboration, for many other series including "Doctor In The House" and "At Last The 1948 Show". Bill Oddie became a well known naturalist and presenter of nature programmes.