Number One Hits of 1966- Part 6 Quiz

Answer: The Association

The Association had a number of hits in the latter part of the 1960s. Their first number one was "Cherish" which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in late September 1966 staying there for three weeks. The Association had achieved a top ten earlier in 1966 with "Along Come Mary" which some pundits suggested was code for marijuana. "Cherish" did not chart in the UK and and barely made a dent on the Australian top 40.

Answer: Lovin' Spoonful

"What A Day For A Daydream" is the opening line of "Daydream", a number one hit for the Lovin' Spoonful. The song made the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number two; the rival publication, Cashbox, listed the song at number one in April 1966.
Later in 1966 the Lovin' Spoonful topped both charts with "Summer in the City". "Daydream" made it to number two on the British chart, kept from the top spot by "Congratulations" by Cliff Richards. The song was a top ten hit in Australia.

Answer: Tom Jones

Written by 'Curly' Putnam in the early 1960s, "Green, Green Grass of Home" was originally a country number four hit for Porter Wagoner in 1965. The song was covered by Bobby Bare and Jerry Lee Lewis; it was from the Lewis album that Tom Jones picked out the song. Tom Jones recorded "Green, Green Grass of Home" in mid 1966 and it topped the UK charts in December of that year remaining in the top spot for seven weeks.

The song went to number one in Australia and peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: Tommy James and the Shondells

Written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich and recorded by them as The Raindrops in 1963, the song was the B-side to their minor hit, "That Boy John". The song was heard and liked by Tommy James who recorded it in 1964. After a number of releases the song ended up with Roulette Records who released it nationally.

The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in July of 1966. The record made number four on the Australian chart and number 38 in the UK.

Answer: Bobby and Laurie

Known originally as Laurie Allen and Bobby Bright, the duo came together in 1964 after both being in other groups. They released their first chart hit in 1965, "I Belong with You" which was a top ten hit. They then renamed as Bobby and Laurie and released their version of a Roger Miller song, "Hitch Hiker" to immediate success.

The song went to number one in Australia. Bobby and Laurie did not enjoy success outside Australia.

Answer: The Monkees

Written by Neil Diamond, then a Brill Building songwriter, working alongside Carole King, Cynthia Weil, Neil Sedaka and many others. The song was picked up by the producers of The Monkees and it became their second single release in 1966. "I'm A Believer" went to number one in Australia in 1966 and number one in the UK in early 1967.

It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks becoming the Monkees' biggest chart success.

Answer: The Spencer Davis Group

"Keep On Running" was the first song to top the British charts in January 1966 replacing the five week run at the top of "Day Tripper" by the Beatles. The Spencer Davis Group had recorded two previous singles with very modest chart success in 1965. With "Keep on Running", written by reggae star Jackie Edwards, the Spencer Davis Group finally cracked the charts.

The record made the top twenty in Australia and number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100

Answer: Peter and Gordon

Despite their popularity in the UK "Lady Godiva" only reached number sixteen on the UK chart for Peter and Gordon. The song was a big hit elsewhere, making it to number one in Australia and New Zealand. It also reached the top of the Canadian charts and was a US top ten, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the rival Cashbox.

Answer: The Monkees

Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, "Last Train to Clarksville" was another number one for The Monkees on the Billboard Hot 100. The record only climbed as high as 23 in the UK, while in Australia it made the top ten, peaking at number nine. I like to think it made the top ten because I bought four copies. One for a present, one I stepped on and rendered it unplayable, one as a replacement and one for my band to practice with.

Answer: Johnny Young and Kompany

Johnny Young could do no wrong in 1966. His version of the much covered "Let It Be Me" went to number one in Australia, and as Australian artists with a few exceptions could not get airplay outside of their home country, the record did not chart elsewhere.
The song was written and recorded by French artist Gilbert Becaud, who became known outside France for his 1975 top ten hit "A Little love and Understanding"
with English lyrics by Manny Curtis. The Everly Brothers in 1960 and the duet of Betty Everett and Jerry Butler in 1964 both made the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: Lou Christie

Lou Christie scored his only number one on the Billboard Hot 100 when in February of 1966 "Lightning Strikes" hit the number one spot. The single received a lot of airplay in Australia and as a result zoomed up the charts peaking at number four. In the UK the record made it to number eleven.

Lou Christie released some very good pop records in the 1960s including, "The Gypsy Lied", Two Faces Have I", "Rhapsody in the Rain", "Guitars and Bongos" and "I'm Gonna Make You Mine". Christie placed 21 singles on the US charts between 1963 and 1974.

Answer: Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs

"Lil' Red Riding Hood" was a big hit for Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, rising to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on both Cashbox and Record World. This followed their number one effort in 1965 with "Wooly Bully". This record did well in Australia rising to number three on the local chart, while in the UK the record only reached number 46.

The group continued performing through to the end of the 1970s and toured extensively.

Answer: B. J. Thomas

B.J. Thomas achieved chart success in Australia in mid 1966 when "Mama" topped the chart. He had a top ten hit earlier in 1966 in Australia and the USA with a version of Hank Williams, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". "Mama" only reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and did not chart at all in the UK.

Trivially, B.J. Thomas only charted twice in the UK 1970 and again in 1979 with the same song, "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head".

Answer: The Easybeats

The Easybeats left Australia during 1966 to try their luck overseas. Landing in the UK the boys recorded "Friday On My Mind". This record turned out to be their biggest hit and the most enduring, charting as high as number six in the UK and a top ten all over Europe. The record made it to sixteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and to number one in Australia and New Zealand. The song has reportedly sold over five million copies.

The driving force in the Easybeats was of course frontman Stevie Wright but the songwriters and guitarists for the band, Harry Vanda and George Young, were the powerhouse. George Young produced the first five albums for AC/DC which included his younger brothers, Angus and Malcolm.
Harry Vanda and George young wrote and produced many recordings in the 1970s and '80s for themselves as Flash and the Pan and for many local Australian acts. One of their many songs is "Love Is In the Air" recorded by John Paul Young and featured in the movie "Strictly Ballroom".

Answer: The Young Rascals

The Young Rascals or just The Rascals as they came to be known achieved their first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with their second release, "Good Lovin'". The song made the top forty in Australia but I can testify that every wannabe Beatles or Rolling Stones group in Sydney had that song in their repertoire. The song did not chart in the UK.