Number One Question Songs of the '50s & '60s Quiz

Answer: Doggie

"(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window" was written by Bob Merrill. It was number one for eight weeks on the Billboard chart for Patti Page in 1953. It peaked at number nine on the UK singles chart the same year.

It was number one for one week on the UK singles chart for Lita Roza in 1953. It did not chart in the US.

"The Singin' Rage Miss Patti Page" was born Clara Ann Fowler in Claremore, Oklahoma, USA, in 1927. She had 15 records that sold over a million and is estimated to have sold over 100 million records during a career that spanned six decades. She was one of the few singers that survived Rock and Roll and the British invasion and had hits on the Billboard country chart up to the '80s. She died in Encinitas, California, USA, in 2013 aged 85 after suffering from heart and lung disease.

Lita Roza was born Lilian Patricia Lita Roza in Liverpool, Lancashire, UK, in 1926. In the '40s she sang with the Harry Roy Orchestra and then the Edmund Ros orchestra. At the age of 18 she had retired, married an American and moved to Florida. She was back in the UK in the late '40s and joined the Ted Heath Band but left for a solo career in the early '50s. "(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window" which she hated was her only UK Top Ten hit. She was the first British solo singer, the first British female singer and the first singer from Liverpool to achieve a UK number one hit. In 2001 she was invited to open the "Wall of Fame" in Matthew Street, Liverpool. On the wall is a bronze disc of every Liverpool singer and group to have had a number one hit on the UK singles chart. She died peacefully at home in 2008 aged 82.

Answer: Teenagers

"Why Do Fools Fall In Love" was written by Frankie Lymon/Jimmy Merchant/Herman Santiago. It peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon in 1956. It was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart the same year.

The Teenagers were Sherman Garnes, Frankie Lymon, Jimmy Merchant, Joe Negroni and Herman Santiago. Frankie Lymon was 13 years old when the song was recorded; he died of a drug overdose in 1968 aged 25. The song was originally written as "Why Do The Birds Sing So Gay". The group were named The Premiers with Herman Santiago as the lead singer. The head of Gee Records had the group rework the lyrics and when Santiago fell ill Frankie Lymon stood in as lead singer for the recording session.

The group toured the UK in 1957 and topped the bill at the London Palladium making Frankie Lymon the youngest person, up to then, to achieve that distinction. In the US they had two more Top 20 hits, "I Want You To Be My Girl" number 13 in 1956 and "Goody Goody" number 20 in 1957. In the UK they also had two more Top 20 hits, "I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent" number 12 in 1957 and "Baby Baby" number four in 1957.

Answer: Connie Francis

"Who's Sorry Now" was written by Ted Snyder/Bert Kalmar/Harry Ruby. It was a number four hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for Connie Francis in 1958. It was number one for six weeks on the UK singles chart the same year.

The story goes, that after a string of unsuccessful singles "Who's Sorry Now" was recorded during the last 20 minutes of her final recording session at MGM. At last, Connie Francis born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, USA, in 1938, had a hit record. She had first recorded for MGM records in 1955 but the only Billboard chart hit she had was the duet "The Majesty Of Love" with Marvin Rainwater. It peaked at number 93 and was on the chart for one week in 1957. By the time the decade ended she'd had 12 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 which included five Top Ten hits.

Among many hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the '60s were three number one hits, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" (1960), "My Heart Has A Mind Of It's Own" (1960) and "Don't Break The Heart That Loves You" (1962). Among her hits in the UK were two number one hits, "Who's Sorry Now" (1958) and "Carolina Moon"/"Stupid Cupid" (1958). Before acting in movies in her own right starting with "Where the Boys Are" (1961), she had provided the singing voices for Tuesday Weld in "Rock, Rock, Rock" (1956), Freda Holloway in "Jamboree" (1957) and Jayne Mansfield in "The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw" (1958).

Answer: What Do You Want?

"What Do You Want?" was written by Les Vandyke (also known as singer Johnny Worth). It was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart for Adam Faith in 1959. It did not chart in the US.

Adam Faith was born Terence Nelhams in London, England, in 1940. As a pop singer in the early '60s he had 11 UK Top Ten hits which included two number one hits with his first two chart entries "What Do You Want" (1959) and "Poor Me" (1960). He went on to have a career as an actor and a financial adviser. John Lennon was born in the same year as Adam Faith, Billy Fury (from Liverpool) and Cliff Richard, (three of the biggest pop singers in the UK at the time). The 19 year old Lennon must have wondered if it was ever going to happen for him and his partially formed group who had not even got their final name or line-up yet.

It is just a thought but we may owe Adam Faith a great debt, for without him we may never have heard of The Beatles. He recorded all of his UK hits (which included two number one hits) on the Parlophone record label. At the time he was the only pop singer on that label and that may have inspired Brian Epstein to approach Parlophone and George Martin. Epstein had not only been turned down most famously by Decca but also by both Columbia and HMV, which were owned by EMI who also owned Parlophone.

In an unusual twist for the time, an American singer made a cover version of a British hit. "What Do You Want" peaked at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 for Bobby Vee on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. It did not chart in the UK.

Answer: Ford

"What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For?" was written by Joseph McCarthy/Howard Johnson/Jimmy Monaco. It was number one for six weeks on the UK singles chart for Emile Ford and The Checkmates in 1960. It did not chart in the US.

Multi-instrumentalist Emile Ford was born Michael Emile Telford Miller in Castries, Saint Lucia, West Indies, in 1937. He moved to England in the mid-fifties and in 1959 formed Emile Ford and The Checkmates with his half-brother George Sweetnam-Ford (bass), Ken Street (guitar) and John Cuffley (drums). He became the first black male singer based in the UK to have a number one hit on the UK singles chart.

"What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For?" was written in 1916 and first released in 1917 by Ada Jones and Billy Murray on Victor Records. The song was featured in the 1945 movie "Nob Hill", (starring George Raft and Joan Bennett) sung by Vivian Blaine.

Answer: Anthony Newley

"Do You Mind" was written by Lionel Bart. It was number one for one week on the UK singles chart for Anthony Newley in 1960. It peaked at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. It was the 100th number one hit on the UK singles chart.

Anthony George Newley was born in London, England, in 1931. He got his break in show business when he answered an advert for child actors at the Italia Conti Stage School founded in London, in 1911. In his third movie "Oliver Twist" (1948) he played the Artful Dodger opposite Alec Guinness as Fagin and Robert Newton as Bill Sykes. He appeared in many UK radio shows and movies in the '50s such as "Cockleshell Heroes" (1955), starring Jose Ferrer and Trevor Howard, "Above Us The Waves" (1956), starring John Mills and Donald Sinden and "X The Unknown" (1956) starring Dene Jagger and Leo McKern.

The movie that changed the direction of Newley's career was "Idol On Parade" (1959), starring William Bendix and Lionel Jeffries. Newley plays Rock 'n' Roll singer Jeep Jackson who is called up for his national service in the British army. The movie is based on the 1958 novel "Idle on Parade" by William Camp which was inspired by Elvis Presley's conscription into the US Army. A single from the movie "I've Waited So Long" was released and peaked at number three on the UK singles chart in 1959. A week after the single entered the chart, an EP from the movie which included "I've Waited So Long" entered the UK singles chart and peaked at number 13. I hope that David Bowie has acknowledged how his vocal style owes a lot to Anthony Newley.

Answer: Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there

"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was written by Roy Turk/Lou Handman. It was number one for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for Elvis Presley in 1960/61. It was number one for four weeks on the UK singles chart in 1961.

"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was written in 1926 and recorded by many singers; the first was by Charles Hart on the Harmony record label in 1927. The idea for Elvis to record the song came from his manager Col. Tom Parker, as it was a favourite of his wife Marie. On the Billboard Hot 100 it was Elvis Presley's third of six number one hits he had in the '60s. On the UK singles chart it was the second of 11 number one hits he had in the '60s.

The B-Side "I Gotta Know" peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 but did not chart in the UK. It was written by singer/songwriter/guitarist Paul Evans who had Top Ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with "(Seven Little Girls) Sitting In The Back Seat" (1959) and "Happy-Go-Lucky-Me" (1960). He also wrote "When", a number one hit on the UK singles Chart for the Kalin Twins in 1958 and "Roses Are Red (My Love)", a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for Bobby Vinton in 1962.

Answer: Gerry and The Pacemakers

"How Do You Do It?" was written by Mitch Murray. It was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart for Gerry and The Pacemakers in 1963. It peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964.

The song nearly didn't get recorded by Gerry and The Pacemakers. It was originally offered to Adam Faith then Brian Poole and The Tremeloes who turned it down, then George Martin offered it to The Beatles. After "Love Me Do" had only peaked at number 17 on the UK singles chart in 1962, George Martin was not convinced that Lennon/McCartney could write hit songs. The Beatles did record "How Do You Do It?" but it was shelved until 1995 when it was released on The Beatles album "Anthology 1"; they came up with "Please Please Me" instead.

The song was then given to Gerry and The Pacemakers at last and was produced by George Martin who had also produced The Beatles' version. It became the first UK number one hit by a Liverpool group and the first of three UK number one hits for Gerry and The Pacemakers with their first three releases.

Answer: Brian Poole and The Tremeloes

"Do You Love Me" was written by Berry Gordy Jr. It was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart for Brian Poole and The Tremeloes in 1963. It did not chart in the US.

Berry Gordy Jr. the writer of "Do You Love Me" and Motown CEO had intended the song to be recorded by The Temptations but they were not available. While looking for them he bumped into The Contours and gave it to them to record. Their version peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962. In 1988 after being featured in the movie "Dirty Dancing" starring Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey and Gerry Orbach, "Do You Love Me" re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 11. It was their only Top 40 hit.

There have been many cover versions of "Do You Love Me". The Dave Clark Five version entered the UK singles chart a month after the version by Brian Poole and The Tremeloes but only struggled to number 30. Unlike the Brian Poole and The Tremeloes version, The Dave Clark Five version did reach the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 11 in 1964.

Answer: The drummer was a girl

"Have I The Right?" was written by Ken Howard/Alan Blaikley. It was number one for two weeks on the UK singles chart for The Honeycombs in 1964. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

The Honeycombs were formed in 1963 as The Sheratons and were Dennis D'Ell (vocals, harmonica), Ann "Honey" Lantree (drums), John Lantree (bass guitar), founder Martin Murray (rhythm guitar), replaced in 1964 by Peter Pye and Alan Ward (lead guitar). At the time it was unusual to have a female member of an otherwise all male group. The record was produced by the eccentric Joe Meek in his recording studio/apartment. "Have I The Right?" was the last of three UK number one hits produced by Joe Meek in his apartment, the other two were "Johnny Remember Me" by John Leyton (1961), and "Telstar" by The Tornados (1962).

The final released version of "Have I The Right?" was speeded up, much to the regret of vocalist Dennis D'Ell who could not reproduce the sound on stage. It was number one in Australia, Canada and Sweden and sold over two million copies worldwide. The group recorded a German version and both the English and German versions peaked at number 21 on the German pop chart.