Other 1960 Hits and Memories Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lonnie Donegan

Recorded in early 1960, "My Old man's A Dustman" was a number one for Lonnie Donegan in March 1960 in the UK. The song remained in the top position for four weeks and was a number one in Australia. The record was a departure from Donegan's well known skiffle style, being more in the music hall vein. After "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight)?" had been a chart success in the USA in 1959, a good performance was expected from "My Old Man's a Dustman", however the record failed to chart.

In 1960 Tommy Steele had a Top 40 hit with "The Writing on the Wall", originally recorded by Adam Wade. Also in 1960, Charlie Drake had a hit with a cover of Larry Verne's, "Mr Custer". Bernard Cribbins did not enter the charts until 1962 with "Right Said Fred".

Answer: Rod Lauren

A moody James Dean look alike, Rod Lauren was primarily an actor in 'B' movies. He did however, have a small brush with musical fame in 1960 when "If I Had a Girl" made the top thirty in the USA. The record had better success in Australia reaching number five on the charts. Rod Lauren did not chart any song in the UK.
Tab Hunter's chart hits had stopped by 1960, George Maharis had a minor pop hit in 1962 with "Teach Me Tonight" and Carl Dobkins Jr had a huge hit in 1959 with "My Heart is an Open Book" but only a minor hit in 1960 with "Lucky Devil".

Answer: The Everly Brothers

"When Will I Be Loved" was one of four Everly Brothers hits to make the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. The song was a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and both the Australian and UK charts.
Between 1958 and 1964 the Everlys placed 46 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 most of them in the top twenty, with three, "Wake Up Little Susie", "All I Have to Do is Dream" and "Cathy's Clown" all hitting the number one position.

The Kalin Twins had a hit in 1960 in Australia with "Sweet Sugar Lips", Santo and Johnny Scored a top forty hit with "Bullseye" while Paul and Paula had to wait until 1962 for their shot at chart immortality.

Answer: Johnny Kidd and The Pirates

"Shakin' All Over", written and recorded by Johnny Kidd and The Pirates, was a UK number one in 1960. Johnny Kidd had an impressive but short career; he was tragically killed in a head on collision in 1966 at age 30. "Shakin' All Over" did not chart in the UK or USA at the time; however in 1965 in Australia, Normie Rowe, the reigning teen idol, took the tune to number one. Also in 1965 the Canadian group, Guess Who, took the song to the top of the Canadian chart and to number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Merv Benton, an early Australian Rock star from Melbourne, recorded the song and featured it in his live shows to great acclaim. Billboard lists the Johnny Kidd original recording as a non charting Classic.

Answer: Lonnie Lee

"I Found A New Love" was Lonnie Lee's third successive top ten hit in 1960. His first was "Ain't It So" followed by "Starlight Starbright". In the late 1960s Lonnie moved to the USA where he had some success as a songwriter. Lonnie was a pioneer Rock 'n' Roll/Rockabilly performer in Australia. As of 2017 Lonnie was still performing and running his company, Starlite Records.

Shane Fenton, real name Bernard Jewry, did not chart till 1961. He of course achieved greater fame in the 1970s when he changed his stage name again, to become Alvin Stardust. Johnny O'Keefe had a number of hits in 1960 and produced Lonnie Lee's first three hits under pseudonym of 'Eddie Cash Jr'.
Buddy Knox had a top forty hit in the USA and Australia with "Lovey Dovey" during 1960.

Answer: The Brothers Four

There were, in the late fifties and early sixties, many folk singing groups. Many of these achieved some chart success. One such was The Brother Four; their recording in 1960 of "Greenfields" was a top ten in Australia and on the Billboard Hot 100, it was a top forty hit in the UK. The Brothers Four, as of September 2018, continue to tour and perform at home and internationally.

Answer: Brook Benton and Dinah Washington

Brook Benton and Dinah Washington were both stars in their own right. Dinah had a huge hit worldwide in 1959 with "What A Diff'rence A Day Made". Brook had charted twelve songs on the Billboard Hot 100 by the time "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall In Love)" was released in mid 1960.

The pair had charted earlier in 1960 with their top ten hit "Baby (You've Got What it Takes)". Both of these songs made the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, the UK and Australian charts. The other duets mentioned above had pop hits but not in our banner year of 1960.

Answer: Johnny Horton

"Sink the Bismarck" was inspired by the 1960 film of the same name. Johnny Horton and his manager, Tillman Franks wrote the song. "Sink the Bismark", shown on the early releases as Bismark and not Bismarck, was top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, the Australian and UK charts.

The song was number one in New Zealand and Canada. Ironically, although not included in the movie the song was used (according to Tillman Franks biography) in promoting the film in the USA. Later that year Johnny Horton recorded "North to Alaska" which was the theme for the John Wayne movie of the same name.

Answer: Jimmy Clanton

Jimmy Clanton had scored a big hit in 1958 with "Just A Dream". Recorded in 1959 and entering the Billboard Hot 100 in the same year, "Go Jimmy Go" became Clanton's second top ten hit when it reached number six in 1960. The song was a top ten in Australia and did not chart in the UK. Jimmy continued to have Billboard Chart success; in 1963 he had a top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Venus in Blue Jeans", a cover version by England's Mark Wynter was a top ten in both the UK and Australia, although some Aussie radio stations played Clanton's record in preference to Mark Wynter.

Answer: Duane Eddy

The television crime show "Peter Gunn" premiered in the USA in 1958 with a powerful theme by Henry Mancini. The theme recorded by Ray Anthony and his Orchestra was a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. Duane Eddy with his twangy guitar style recorded the song for his album "Especially for You" in 1959.

The song was quickly released as a single in the UK and reached number six on the charts. The song was released as a single in the USA and Australia in the latter part of 1960 and made the top twenty on the billboard Hot 100 and was a top ten hit in Australia. As an absolutely trivial fact of no consequence, "Peter Gunn", copied from Duane Eddy's version, was the first tune this author learned on guitar.