My One and Only Trivia Quiz

Answer: Alley Oop

"Alley Oop" was written by Dallas Frazier in 1957, and was recorded three years later by lead singer Gary S. Paxton, using studio musicians as his backing band. The group needed a name for the songs release, so since their recording studio was located at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle Street, they decided on The Hollywood Argyles.

The single was a big hit, selling more than one million copies and topping the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in July of 1960, but The Hollywood Argyles' popularity was short-lived.

The same can't be said about the comic strip "Alley Oop". Created by V.T. Hamlin in 1932, it still appears in more than 600 newspapers.

Answer: Do You Love Me

"Do You Love Me" was written by Motown head Berry Gordy, Jr., who envisioned it becoming a hit for The Temptations, but due to a mix-up the group was unavailable when it came time to record it. Since Gordy wanted to release the song as soon as possible, he offered it to The Contours instead, and it became their first and only top 40 hit, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in October of 1962.

The song enjoyed a revival 26 years later when it was used in the 1987 film "Dirty Dancing". Due to the movie's popularity it was re-released and the song made its second appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, this time reaching number 11 in August of 1988.

Answer: Psychotic Reaction

Count Five was a garage rock band that formed in San Jose, California in 1964. At the outset the band performed mostly surf music, but once the British Invasion hit the US, the band decided to go in a different direction. "Psychotic Reaction" was actually released twice, first in February of 1965, where it found some local success in and around Los Angeles, and then again in July of 1966, where it became a national hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in October of that year. Although this was the group's only hit, it left a lasting impression.

In 2014 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included "Psychotic Reaction" on their list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".

Answer: Winchester Cathedral

"Winchester Cathedral" is a novelty song written by Geoff Stephens and replicated the type of music that was popular during the vaudeville era of the early 1900s. The song was recorded by The New Vaudeville Band, which consisted of lead singer John Carter backed by session players. Carter sang the song through a megaphone, a la Rudy Vallee, who was an extremely popular American singer in the 1920s.

Although the song was quite different from the majority of music being made in the mid '60s, you certainly can't argue with its success. "Winchester Cathedral" climbed all the way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, spending one week there in December of 1966.

Answer: Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead

"Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead" was written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg and is performed in the film by Dorothy, Glinda and the Munchkins, following the death of the Wicked Witch of the East. The Fifth Estate put their spin on it in 1967 and recorded it in five different languages, (Japanese, Italian, French, German and English), but it found the majority of its success in the US, where it reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July of that year.

Answer: Classical Gas

The song was originally called "Classical Gasoline", but was eventually shortened to its more familiar title. The tune featured Williams on guitar with backing instrumentation performed by the legendary group of session players known as The Wrecking Crew. Williams was not only a gifted musician, he was also a talented comedy writer.

While working for the controversial CBS variety show "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour", he created the political satire "Pat Paulsen for President" campaign, which was a very popular segment on the show during the 1968 season.

It was at this time that Williams recorded and released "Classical Gas", and it became a smash hit, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in August of 1968.

Answer: Summertime Blues

"Summertime Blues", which was also co-written by Cochran, became a teenage anthem and helped establish him as one of the premier rock acts of the 1950s. Sadly his career was cut short when he died in a traffic accident while on tour in the UK in 1960; he was only 21 years old. Blue Cheer formed in San Francisco in 1967, and was one of the first bands to be labeled as heavy metal, which became evident with their hard driving version of the song. Released in 1968, "Summertime Blues" became one of the first songs in that musical genre to chart in the US, peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: Angel of the Morning

"Angel of the Morning" was originally offered to Connie Francis, but she felt that the song was too risque and turned it down. Several artists released versions of the song in 1967, but none of these recordings were successful. Rush released her version in early 1968 and this time it found success, peaking at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. "Angel of the Morning" was written by Chip Taylor, who also wrote The Troggs' 1966 chart topper "Wild Thing". Taylor, whose real name is John Wesley Voight, is the brother of actor Jon Voight and the uncle of actress Angelina Jolie.

Answer: Get Together

The song was first recorded by The Kingston Trio during a live performance in 1964. It was included on their LP "Back in Town" under the title of "Let's Get Together", but it was never released as a single. Three years later The Youngbloods recorded their version and released it under the title of "Get Together", but it stalled at number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100.

However, the song received new life in 1969, when it was used in a radio public service announcement for the National Conference for Community and Justice. Radio listeners began calling in and inquiring about the song, so The Youngbloods' record label, RCA Victor, decided to re-issue the single.

This time it was a success, climbing all the way to number five in September of 1969.

Answer: Love (Can Make You Happy)

"Love (Can Make You Happy)" was released in April of 1969, and by the middle of July had already sold more than one million copies. The song spent two weeks at number two in the Spring of 1969, but was kept out of the top spot by The Beatles' mega hit "Get Back". To capitalize on the song's popularity the group quickly released a second single titled "Forever", but it flopped, stalling at number 79.