Pop Songs From Male Duos Through the Years Quiz

Answer: Don and Juan

Brooklyn natives Claude "Juan" Johnson and Roland "Don" Trone recorded Claude's composition, "What's Your Name" for Big Top Records in 1962. It was the only Top Forty US hit for the pair. In 1959 Claude Johnson had been a member of The Genies when they released "Who's That Knockin'". The song only reached Number 71 in the US.
Skip and Flip were actually Clyde "Skip" Battin and Gary S. Paxton. In 1959 they had a Number 11 hit with a cover of Marvin and Johnny's single, "Cherry Pie". They also recorded "Why Not Confess" as Gary and Clyde. The two singers met met while attending the University of Arizona in the fifties. Paxton went on to be a prolific producer known for hits such as "Alley Oop" (1960) and "Monster Mash" (1962).
Clyde Battin went on to play bass for The New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds.

Answer: Flying Saucer Part I and II

"Flying Saucer Part I and II" was released by Buchanan and Goodman in 1957. In 1956 Dickie Goodman created his first record, "The Flying Saucer Parts 1 and II", which he wrote with his partner Bill Buchanan. The song charted at Number Three in the US and was the duo's only Top Ten release. Goodman went on to record novelty songs based on hit television shows such as "The Untouchables" and "Batman".
As a solo artist Goodman released "Mr. Jaws" in 1975, reaching Number Four in the US. Five of his 17 solo released reached the Top Forty.
After Buchanan and Goodman broke up in 1959, Bill Buchanan composed "Please Don't Ask About Barbara" for Bobby Vee and wrote and produced records for several artists including The Three Stooges.
Jesse and Marvin released "Dream Girl" in 1953. Bob and Earl had a hit single with "Harlem Shuffle" in 1964. In 1957 "Over the Mountain, Across the Sea" was released by the female and male duo of Johnnie Louise Richardson and Joe Rivers recording as Johnnie and Joe.

Answer: Don't Throw Your Love Away

"Don't Throw Your Love Away" was a US Top Twenty release by The Searchers. "Yesterday's Gone" became a 1964 hit in the US for Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde. Chad composed the song with Wendy Kidd. Chad and Jeremy signed with Ember Records after John Barry had discovered them in a club. Barry was also a partner in Ember Records and produced "Yesterday's Gone" for the duo at Abbey Road Studios.
The record was not a resounding success in Britain and the duo was about to break up when "Yesterday's Gone" was released in the US by World Artists records and became a British Invasion hit. Chad and Jeremy followed up later the same year with the Number Seven "A Summer Song" and then released "Willow Weep for Me" which reached Number 15 in the US.
They became more successful in the US than in their native England and considered applying for citizenship until they realized they would be eligible for the draft.
Chad and Jeremy went on to appear on many US television shows, recorded soundtracks for films and have continued to reunite for concerts.

Answer: Brewer and Shipley

Mike Brewer and Tom Shipley were performing individually at coffeehouses in the Los Angeles area. In 1968 they joined forces and wrote material for two albums. The albums were not successful and they relocated to Kansas City, Missouri. While playing at a club in the town of Tarkio they recorded an album named after the town in 1970. "One Toke Over the Line" was hastily thrown together backstage and became their most successful single from the album.
The duo performed with acts such as Stephen Stills, Bruce Springsteen and Jerry Garcia. They continued to perform occasionally into the nineties. Tom Shipley became a member of the staff of Missouri University of Science and Technology. Michael Brewer relocated near Branson.
"God, Love and Rock and Roll" was released by Teegarden and Van Winkle in 1970. Ferrante and Teicher had a Number Ten hit in 1970 with the Instrumental them to "Midnight Cowboy". "Tennessee Bird Walk" was a Number 23 single by Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan in 1970.

Answer: Summer Breeze

"Summer Breeze" was Seals and Crofts' debut single and reached Number Six on the US charts. James Seals and Darrell Crofts were Texas natives who met when Crofts was playing drums for a local band. Seals was working with another band that eventually recruited Crofts. The duo went on to join The Champs, known for their 1958 instrumental hit, "Tequila". After leaving The Champs Dash Crofts, Jimmy Seals, Glen Campbell and other musicians formed a band called Glen Campbell and the GCs for two years. When that band broke up Seals and Crofts were unable to hook up with a successful band and decided to perform as a duo.
In 1972 they released the "Summer Breeze" album and continued to release successful singles until they dissolved in 1980 after their Warner Brothers contract expired.
"I'll Play for You" was a 1975 Top Twenty by Seals and Crofts. "Get Closer" reached Number Six the following year. "We May Never Pass This Way (Again)" peaked at Number 21 in 1973.

Answer: England Dan and John Ford Coley

Texas natives England Dan and John Ford Coley were Danny Wayland "England Dan" Seals and John Edward "John Ford" Coley. The pair became friends wile attending high school in Dallas, Texas, where they performed in local bands. When they formed a duo Dan's nickname had become "England Dan" because he was a huge Beatles fan. John Colley's last name was spelled Coley and Ford became his middle name. They signed with Atlantic's subsidiary, Big Tree Records.
"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" peaked at Number Two in the US and became their highest charting single. They went on to record six Top Forty singles between 1972 and 1979 and released 11 albums before Dan began a solo career in Country music in 1980.
Pratt and McClain reached Number Five in 1976 with the theme to "Happy Days". "Slow Dancin' Don't Turn Me On" was released by The Addrisi Brothers in 1977. The Sanford/Townsend Band had a Number Nine single in 1977 with "Smoke from a Distant Fire".

Answer: Cousins

James Lee Purify joined his cousin Robert Lee Dickey to form James and Bobby Purify in 1965. Robert assumed his cousin's surname when they were signed to Bell Records the following year. They gained immediate success with "I'm Your Puppet", recorded at the Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They followed with a version of "Shake a Tail Feather" and later singles that failed to gain significant chart traction.
The duo stayed together until Robert Lee Dickey parted due to health challenges. James worked as a soloist for the next few years.

Answer: Mel and Tim

Mississippi cousins Melvin McArthur Hardin and Hubert Timothy McPherson moved to Chicago and began performing together. They were discovered by Gene Chandler, an artist who had a hit with "Duke of Earl" in 1962. Mel and Tim wrote "Backfield in Motion" and it was released by Bamboo Records. The single sold over a million records and topped out at Number Ten. They followed with "Good Guys Only Win in the Movies" and released an LP with the same title.
They switched to Stax records and released their last Top Forty release, the Number 19 "Starting All Over Again", in 1972.
Sam and Dave released "Hold On, I'm Comin" in 1966. "Tick Tock" was a 1954 single by Marvin and Johnny. Don and Dewey recorded "Farmer John" in 1958.

Answer: Immigration Man

"Immigration Man" is from the "Graham Nash/David Crosby" album and was the only US Top Forty single from the LP. When CSNY broke up in 1970 the members became involved in various projects. David Crosby and Graham Nash recorded their first album together and dedicated it to Joni Mitchell. The album featured many guest artists including Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Leland Sklar and Russell Kunkel. Dave Mason provided the guitar solo on "Immigration Man".
Nash composed "Immigration Man" after a contentious incident while going through customs. He became a naturalized US citizen in 1978.
"Just a Song Before I Go", "Fair Game" and "Too Much Love to Hide" were releases by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

Answer: True

Brian Wilson composed "Surf City" with a working title of "Goody Connie Won't You Come Back Home". In July of 1963 "Surf City" topped the charts for two weeks. The Beach Boys had several Surf genre hits but did not reach Number One until the following year with "I Get Around". Jan and Dean released their first single, "Jennie Lee", in 1958. For the next few years they released a number of singles but didn't achieve significant chart success until 1963 with "Linda" and "Surf City".

The duo continued to release several successful singles and were even considered for their own television shows, taping pilots for "Surf Scene" in 1963 and "On the Run" three years later.