More Popular Than The Beatles:Vol.1 UK Quiz

Answer: Gerry and the Pacemakers

"I Like It" by Gerry and The Pacemakers replaced "From Me To You" at number one on the UK singles chart on the 20th June 1963. It was number one for four weeks. It reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964.

"I Like It" was written by UK songwriter Mitch Murray who also wrote their first number one hit "How Do You Do It". Gerry and the Pacemakers turned the tables on The Beatles with "I Like It" after The Beatles had replaced their "How Do You Do It" at number one with "From Me To You".

Gerry & the Pacemakers hold a unique place in pop music history. "How Do You Do It" was the first number one by a Liverpool group on the UK singles chart. They were the first act from the Brian Epstein stable to have a number one hit on the UK singles chart. They were the first act to be replaced at the top of the UK singles chart by The Beatles. They were the first act to replace The Beatles at the top of the UK singles chart. They were the first act to reach the top of the UK singles chart with their first two and their first three single releases.

"From Me To You" was number one for seven weeks on the UK singles chart in 1963 and was the first of 11 consecutive UK number one hits by The Beatles. It reached number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 as the B-Side of "Please Please Me" on the Vee-Jay record label in 1964. It was the first Lennon/McCartney song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was a number 77 hit for Del Shannon in 1963.

Answer: Brian Poole and the Tremeloes

"Do You Love Me" by Brian Poole and The Tremeloes replaced "She Loves You" at number one on the UK singles chart on the 10th October 1963. It was number one for three weeks. It did not chart in the US.

"Do You Love Me" was written by Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. for The Temptations but it was recorded by The Contours. Brian Poole and The Tremeloes were auditioned by Decca records UK in 1962 and were chosen over another beat combo attending the audition called The Beatles. Brian Poole and the Tremeloes from London were contemporaries and early rivals of other southern groups like The Rolling Stones and The Dave Clark Five. They hit the UK singles chart before both of those groups and while their version of "Do You Love Me" was a number one hit, The Dave Clark Five version only reached number 30.

Winning the Decca audition over The Beatles was not the only unbelievable thing that happened to Brian Poole and The Tremeloes. Brian Poole decided to pursue a solo career in 1966 and promptly disappeared from the music scene. The Tremeloes carried on and were more successful than they had been as Brian Poole's backing group. They had seven UK Top Ten hits including the number one hit "Silence Is Golden" (a cover of the Four Seasons' 1964 B-Side).

Around 1970 the group decided they were going to change direction and move into progressive rock. Unfortunately while giving an interview to the UK music paper "Melody Maker", they stated that the fans who had bought their records up to this point had been "silly suckers". Their next record release "Hello Buddy" in 1971 only reached number 32 and they never bothered the UK chart again. It looks like the "silly suckers" spent their money on someone else's records after those comments.

"She Loves You" was number one for four weeks, dropped off the top for seven weeks and then returned to the top for a further two weeks on the UK singles chart in 1963. It was number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964.

Answer: I Want To Hold Your Hand

"I Want To Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles replaced "She Loves You" at number one on the UK singles chart on the 12th December 1963. It was number one for five weeks. It was number one for seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964.

"I Want To Hold Your Hand" was written by Lennon/McCartney. The Beatles replaced themselves at number one when "I Want To Hold Your Hand" replaced "She Loves You" after it had returned to the top of the UK singles chart for two more weeks. They then had seven consecutive weeks on top of the UK singles chart with consecutive number one hits.

"I Want To Hold Your Hand" has had world wide sales of over 10,000,000 and was the biggest selling UK single world wide until Elton John's re-recording of "Candle In The Wind" in 1997. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was the first US number one hit for The Beatles. The US B-Side was "I Saw Her Standing There", the UK B-Side was "This Boy".

"She Loves You" had over 300,000 advance orders and with sales of over 1.5 million was the top selling single of the '60s in the UK. In a reverse of the UK chart positions "She Loves You" replaced "I Want To Hold Your Hand" at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: The Dave Clark Five

"Glad All Over" by The Dave Clark Five replaced "I Want To Hold Your Hand" at number one on the UK singles chart on the 16th January 1964. It was number one for two weeks. It reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

"Glad All Over" was written by Dave Clark/Mike Smith. After a slow start with their version of The Contours' "Do You Love Me" (UK number 30), The Dave Clark Five hit the big time with "Glad All Over". It charted again in the UK, when re-issued in 1993 it reached number 37. They had eight UK Top Ten hits, which included one number one hit between 1963 and 1970.

The group were very popular in the US and for a while rivaled The Beatles. They appeared 18 times on the "Ed Sullivan Show" and appeared in the 1965 movie "Catch Us If You Can" ("Having A Wild Weekend" in the US). The group broke up in 1970. Dave Clark and keyboard player/vocalist Mike Smith continued to record as Dave Clark and Friends until 1973. In 1986 Dave Clark co-wrote and produced the London stage show "Time" which ran for two years. It starred Sir Lawrence Olivier and Cliff Richard, later replaced by David Cassidy.

"I Want To Hold Your Hand" gave The Beatles a number one hit for five weeks on the UK singles chart in 1963/64. It was number one for seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was The Beatles' first Billboard Hot 100 entry and first US number one hit.

Answer: Peter and Gordon

"World Without Love" by Peter and Gordon replaced "Can't Buy Me Love" at number one on the UK singles chart on the 23 April 1964. It was number one for two weeks. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

Although credited to Lennon/McCartney, "World Without Love" was written by Paul McCartney but not specifically for Peter and Gordon. After deciding it was not strong enough for The Beatles he offered it to Billy J. Kramer who turned it down.

Peter Asher and Gordon Waller were two middle class boys educated at The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, better known as Westminster School. It is one of the UK's top independent schools and also has the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rates of any secondary school or college in the world. They had one other big advantage, Peter was the brother of actress Jane Asher who at the time was the girlfriend of Paul McCartney.

"Can't Buy Me Love" had advance orders of 1,000,000 in the UK and 2,000,000 in the US. It was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart in 1964. It was number one for five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. In its second week at number one in the US, The Beatles were in the unprecedented position of having the top five singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: Manfred Mann

"Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann replaced "A Hard Day's Night" at number one on the UK singles chart on the 13th August 1964. It was number one for two weeks. It was also number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

"Do Wah Diddy Diddy" was written by Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich. It was first recorded by The Exciters and reached number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 eight months before the cover version by Manfred Man. First they were the Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers playing gigs at Clacton-on-Sea, UK, then Manfred Mann and The Manfreds, then Manfred Mann and finally in the '70s Manfred Mann's Earth Band. What's in a name?

The formation of the group at the time of this hit was Manfred Mann, born Manfred Sepse Lubowitz in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1940. Mike Hugg, born Michael John Hugg in Gosport, Hampshire, UK, in 1942. Paul Jones, born Paul Pond in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK, in 1942. Mike Vickers, born Michael Vickers in Southampton, UK in 1940. Tom McGuinness, born Thomas John Patrick McGuinness in Wimbledon, London, UK, in 1941.

"A Hard Day's Night" was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart in 1964. It was number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. The "A Hard Day's Night" single and album were both number one hits on their respective charts at the same time in the UK and in the US. The UK and US "A Hard Day's Night" albums had different track listings.

Answer: Yeh Yeh

"Yeh Yeh" by Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames replaced "I Feel Fine" at number one on the UK singles chart on the 14th January 1965. It was number one for two weeks. It reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

"Yeh Yeh" was written by Rodgers Grant/Pat Patrick/Jon Hendricks. Georgie Fame played alongside British and American rock and rollers which included Joe Brown, Marty Wilde, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent in the late '50s and early '60s. He then played piano in Billy Fury's backing group The Blue Flames. The backing group got the sack in 1961 and became Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames. They had six hits on the UK singles chart between 1964 and 1966 which included two number one hits.

The group disbanded in 1966 and Georgie Fame had six solo hits on the UK singles chart between 1966 and 1969. In 1971 he teamed up with the ex-leader of and keyboard player for The Animals, Alan Price; they had a number 11 hit with "Rosetta" on the UK singles chart. Georgie Fame has a unique achievement on the UK singles chart, his only Top Ten chart entries: "Yeh Yeh" in 1964, "Getaway" in 1966 and "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" in 1967 all went to number one.

"I Feel Fine" was number one for five weeks on the UK singles chart in 1964/65. It was number one for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964/65. In the UK the record had over 750,000 advance orders and was the second successive Christmas number one hit for The Beatles.

Answer: Roger Miller

"King Of The Road" by Roger Miller replaced "Ticket To Ride" at the top of the UK singles chart on the 13th May 1965. It was number one for one week. It reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year

"King Of The Road" was written by Roger Miller and it was his biggest hit. It was number one on the Billboard Country chart and number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Miller was inspired to write "King Of The Road" after seeing a sign that read "Trailers For Sale or Rent" while in Chicago, Illinois. The song earned him a Gold Record for 1,000,000 sales.

Before his first hit "Dang Me" in 1964 he had been a bellhop, a fireman, worked for Ray Price, Minnie Pearl and Faron Young. He wrote songs for various country stars including "Billy Bayou" which was number one for five weeks on the Billboard Country chart for Jim Reeves in 1959. Del Shannon had one of his biggest UK hits with the Roger Miller penned "Swiss Maid" which reached number two on the UK singles chart in 1962.

"Ticket To Ride" was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart in 1965. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. Although "Ticket To Ride" was in the movie and on the album "Help!" it was released four months before the album. During its chart run The Beatles were awarded their MBEs in the Queen's birthday honours list in June 1965.

Answer: Sonny And Cher

"I Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher replaced "Help!" at the top of the UK singles chart on the 5th August 1965. It was number one for two weeks. It was number one for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

"I Got You Babe" was written by Sonny Bono and was their only number one hit. Singer/songwriter/producer/arranger/actor/politician Salvatore Phillip Bono was born in 1935. Singer/actress Cherilyn Sarkisian was born in 1946. They met in 1962 when Sonny was working for record producer Phil Spector. They first recorded together as Caesar and Cleo in 1964 but were unsuccessful.

In 1988 Sonny became Mayor of Palm Springs, California and in 1994 became Congressman for California's 44th congressional district. Cher went on to become a musical superstar and win the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as Loretta Castorini in the 1987 movie "Moonstruck".

"Help!" was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart in 1965. It was also number one for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. While "Help!" was at number one The Beatles performed their now famous show at Shea Stadium in New York the then home of the New York Mets. Shea Stadium was demolished in 2009 and is now car parking space for the new home of the New York Mets, Citi Field Stadium.

Answer: From Me To You

"From Me To You" gave The Beatles a number one hit for seven weeks on the UK singles chart in 1963. It reached number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964.

"From Me To You" was written by Lennon/McCartney. It was The Beatles' first UK number one hit. This fact is still disputed by many people including me. "Please Please Me" was number one on the most popular chart at the time published in the music paper the "New Musical Express". It was also number one on the chart published in another music paper the "Melody Maker". Unfortunately it only reached number two on the chart published in the UK music trade newspaper the "Record Retailer" which became the official UK singles chart.

"From Me To You" hit the top of the UK singles chart on the 2nd May 1963 and "Help!" left the top of the UK singles chart on the 19th August 1965. During that period The Beatles spent a total of 35 weeks at number one on the UK singles chart with eight number one hits. ("She Loves You" counts as one number one hit even though it returned to the top after seven weeks).