Match The 1960s One Hit Wonders And Artists Quiz

Answer: Desmond Dekker and the Aces

'Israelites' hit number nine in the US in June of 1969. It was one of the first reggae/ska songs to reach the US top ten. Desmond Dekker and his band, The Aces, were one of the first Jamaican artists to produce an international hit. Dekker continued writing and performing until his death in 2006. The last Aces lineup continues to tour as a tribute band.

Answer: Inez and Charlie Foxx

Inez Foxx and her brother Charlie were an R&B duo from Greensboro, North Carolina. Their up tempo arrangement of a traditional lullabye, 'Hush Little Baby' was renamed and reached number seven on the Hot 100 in September of '63. Charlie and Inez never managed another hit, but 'Mockingbird' was covered over the years by artists such as Aretha Franklin, James Taylor and Carly Simon, Dusty Springfield, Etta James with Taj Mahal, and Toby Keith.

Answer: Billy Bland

After singing in the '50s with a group called The Four Bees, Bobby Bland went solo, recording for Old Town Records. Early in 1960 he was in the studio while another singer was recording 'Let The Little Girl Dance'. Bland took the microphone to show how the song should be sung. Producer Henry Glover recorded Bland's demonstration and later released it as a single which reached number seven in May of that year. Bland had no further success on the charts and soon left the music business. He moved to New York and later operated a soul food restaurant.

Answer: Jumpin' Gene Simmons

Morris Eugene (Jumpin' Gene) Simmons signed a recording contract after serving as Elvis' opening act in 1958. His number 11 1964 novelty hit, 'Haunted House', was his only appearance on the charts. Simmons co-wrote 'Indian Outlaw' which became a country hit for Tim McGraw in 1994. Bass player Gene Simmons of Kiss, born Chaim Witz, says he chose his stage name as a tribute to Jumpin' Gene.

Answer: Bob Kuban and the In-Men

'The Cheater' was an anomaly in the midst of the British Invasion. Bob Kuban And The In-Men was an eight member band with horns and a sound that was a throwback to the 50s. 'The Cheater' reached number 12 in March of '66.

Coming from St. Louis, the band featured leader Kuban on drums and was fronted by Walter Scott who, ironically given the topic of the song, was murdered by his wife's lover in the 80s. Bob Kuban And The In-Men are featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhibit of one hit wonders.

Answer: People!

'I Love You' was written by Zombies' bass player Chris White and was the B-side of 'Whenever You're Ready' which failed to chart in 1965. People! was formed in San Jose, California that same year. Their version of 'I Love You' reached number 14 on Billboard's Hot 100 in June, 1968.

Not long after their only chart success, People! split up. Four of the six members were involved in Scientology. Singers Larry Norman and Gene Mason claim they were pressured by their bandmates to join the church but refused. Norman later became a pioneer of the Christian rock genre, recording over 100 albums before his death in 2008.

Answer: The Springfields

The Springfields made 'Silver Threads and Golden Needles' the first record by a British artist to reach the US Top 20 in September of 1962. Two months later the Tornadoes topped them when 'Telstar' hit number one. The Springfields consisted of Dusty Springfield, her brother Tom and Mike Hurst. For a couple of years they were one of the most popular pop acts in Britain.

In 1963, feeling constrained, Dusty Springfield left for a solo career and the group folded.

Answer: The Mar-Keys

The Mar-Keys began as a high school band in Memphis in the late 50s. They were one of the first artists recording for Stax Records. "Last Night' was a number three hit in August of 1961. The band quickly became the Stax house band, backing artists such as Otis Redding, Carla Thomas and Wilson Pickett. Makeup of the band varied greatly depending on the needs of the recording artist.

They were the Mar-Keys when a horn section was called for but were known as Booker T. & The MG's when no horns were used. Notable members through the 1960s included Steve Cropper, Booker T. Jones, Duck Dunn, Isaac Hayes, Wayne Jackson, Floyd Newman and Al Jackson Jr.

Answer: The Music Explosion

The Music Explosion was a five member garage band from Mansfield, Ohio. the The band's second single, 'Little Bit O' Soul', reached number two during the summer of 1967. Several follow-up releases failed to climb the charts.

'Little Bit O' Soul' was first released in England in 1965 by a band called The Little Darlings. After The Music Explosion's hit, the song was covered by The Ramones and sampled in a cut by 2 Live Crew.

Answer: Ian Whitcomb

Ian Whitcomb was one of the more eccentric members of the British Invasion. He took 'You Turn Me On' to number eight in July of '65. The song's lyrics are more frankly sexual than songs of the era usually got away with. Whitcomb's high falsetto and what's been described as an "orgasmic vocal hook" pushed the record into the novelty category so it was not banned by radio stations.

Whitcomb has become a historian of pop music and has written several books. His memoir, 'Rock Odyssey: A Chronicle of the Sixties: Ian Whitcomb', drew positive reviews and has been called one of the best histories of the musical era.