That Was The Year That Was: Pop Music 1964 Quiz

Answer: Capitol

"I Want To Hold Your Hand" written by Lennon/McCartney was released on the Capitol record label in the US. It was number one for seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Beatles in 1964. It was number one for five weeks on the UK singles chart in 1963/64.

After a few false dawns in the '50s and early '60s the so called British invasion of the American pop charts began in earnest with The Fab Four in 1964. They were John Lennon (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, lead vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Richard Starkey (drums, vocals), from Liverpool, England. They dominated the pop music charts like no one had before, having the top five singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at one point. When you think that before The Beatles, the American charts except for one or two hits, were virtually closed to UK music en masse. Like them or not (and some people didn't) what The Beatles and their music achieved was seismic. Someone in the future may surpass the achievements of The Beatles but they will have to be good. Even as soloists the four members of The Beatles have all had number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

Between 1964 and 1969 The Beatles had 33 Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, 29 of which made the Top Ten, and 18 of those were number one hits. Their records were released in the US on the Vee-Jay, Capitol, Swan, MGM, Atco and Tollie record labels and that was just in 1964.

The Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

Answer: Over And Over

"Over And Over" written by Robert James Byrd (Bobby Day), was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 for The DC5 in 1965. It peaked at number 45 on the UK singles chart the same year.

The DC5 from London, England, were Dave Clark (drums, vocals), Mike Smith (keyboards, lead vocals), Lenny Davidson (lead guitar, vocals), Rick Huxley (bass guitar) and Denis Payton (guitar, saxophone, harmonica, vocals). They were the second British invasion group to enter the Billboard Hot 100 after The Beatles. They made 18 appearances on the "Ed Sullivan Show" and were among the pretenders to The Beatles' throne in the US. Although at one point they were more popular in the US than at home in the UK, in reality they came nowhere near to outdoing The Beatles.

Between 1964 and 1968 they had 14 Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 of which eight reached the Top Ten. Their only number one hit was "Over And Over", originally a number 41 hit for Bobby Day in 1958.

The Dave Clark Five were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

Answer: Love Potion Number Nine

"Love Potion Number Nine" written by Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Searchers in 1965. It was not released as a single in the UK.

The Searchers from Liverpool, England, were Chris Curtis (drums, lead vocals), Tony Jackson (bass guitar, lead vocals), John McNally (rhythm guitar, vocals) and Mike Pender (lead guitar, lead vocals). In the UK "Love Potion No.9" was only released on a four track EP with "Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya", "Farmer John" and "Alright". At the time in the UK many music papers had their own pop charts and the "Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya" EP peaked at number 12 on the singles chart of the New Musical Express. They had three number one hits on the UK singles chart with "Sweets For My Sweet" (number one for two weeks in 1963), "Needles And Pins" (number one for three weeks in 1964) and "Don't Throw Your Love Away" (number one for two weeks in 1964).

Between 1964 and 1966 The Searchers had three Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. "Love Potion Number Nine" was their only Top Ten hit.

Answer: Time Is On My Side

"Time Is On My Side" written by Norman Meade/Jimmy Norman. It peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Rolling Stones in 1964. It did not chart in the UK. (This recording was the first version by The Rolling Stones, recorded in London in June 1964).

The Rolling Stones, formed in London, England, in 1962 and named by Brian Jones, were, Mick Jagger (vocals), Brian Jones (rhythm guitar, harmonica), Keith Richards (lead guitar, backing vocals), Charlie Watts (drums) and Bill Wyman (bass guitar). Their first two singles in the UK "Come On" (number 21, written by Chuck Berry) and "I Wanna Be Your Man" (number 12, written by Lennon/McCartney) were not hits in the US.

The Rolling Stones in this lineup had 12 Top Ten hits on the UK singles chart between 1964 and 1968. Seven of these were number one hits including these five consecutive number one hits, "It's All Over Now" (one week in 1964), "Little Red Rooster" (one week in 1964), "The Last Time" (three weeks in 1965), "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (two weeks in 1965) and "Get Off Of My Cloud" (three weeks in 1965).

The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Answer: Lennon/McCartney

"A World Without Love" written by Lennon/McCartney was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 for Peter & Gordon in 1964. It was number one for two weeks on the UK singles chart the same year.

Peter was Peter Asher, singer/guitarist/manager/record producer, born in Park Royal, London, England, in 1944. He was also a child actor and appeared in a number of movies in the '50s. Gordon was Gordon Trueman Riviere Waller singer/guitarist/songwriter, born in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1945. He died of a heart attack in Norwich, Connecticut, USA, in 2009 aged 64.

"A World Without Love" written by Paul McCartney but attributed to Lennon/McCartney was turned down by Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas. They did not turn down another Paul McCartney (attributed to Lennon/McCartney) track, "From A Window", (number ten in 1964). This was their final UK Top Ten hit.

Answer: Just One Look

"Just One Look" peaked at number 98 on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Hollies in 1964. It peaked at number two on the UK singles chart the same year.

The Hollies were formed in Manchester, England, by Allan Clarke (lead vocals) and Graham Nash (guitar, vocals), the rest of the group were Bobby Elliott (Drums), Eric Haydock (bass guitar) and Tony Hicks (lead guitar, vocals).

The Hollies' first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 "Just One Look" was not an auspicious start to their Billboard chart career. They had three Top Ten hits in the '60s and three in the '70s. They were one of the few '60s groups that were still having Top Ten hits in the '70s. It took them eight years to reach number two with "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)". They only achieved one number one hit but that was on the UK singles chart with "I'm Alive" in 1965.

The Hollies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Answer: How Do You Do It

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

Looking back, the British invasion seems to have been a lot shorter than I thought. Gerry & The Pacemakers are a good example of transient fame. Their hit making career in the UK lasted 32 months from 1963 to 1965, in the US it was even shorter, 28 months from 1964 to 1966. In the UK they had three consecutive number one hits, in the US they had none.

They had five Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, three of which made the Top Ten. The best was their first US hit "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" which peaked at number four in 1964. All of their US hits were released on the Laurie record label. Perhaps Brian Epstein their manager, concentrated on The Beatles too much and did not look after the rest of his stable too well.

Answer: Stuart/Clyde

Although Chad Stuart & Jeremy Clyde were a British duo they were not very well known in the UK. They only had one minor hit with "Yesterday's Gone" which peaked at number 37 on the UK singles chart in 1963.

How they became part of the British invasion is anyone's guess, maybe the fact that Jeremy Clyde is the great-great-great-grandson of Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington, had something to do with it. They did however, become popular in the US and appeared in many TV shows such as "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "The Patty Duke Show", "Laredo", "Batman" and "My Three Sons". Jeremy Clyde later became an accomplished actor.

Answer: True

"The House Of The Rising Sun" was written by Traditional/arr. Alan Price. It was number one for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Animals in 1964. It was number one for one week on the UK singles chart the same year.

Sometime in 1962 in Newcastle, UK, Eric Burden joined The Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo. Later, they became the Animals. The 1964 line up was Eric Burden (vocals), Chas. Chandler (bass guitar), Alan Price (keyboards), John Steel (drums) and Hilton Valentine (lead guitar).

Alan Price left the group in 1965 over personal and financial differences. He went on to have solo hits and collaborated with Georgie Fame on record and in TV shows. He also wrote film scores and became an actor.

The Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Answer: Manfred Mann

"Do-Wah-Diddy" written by Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich peaked at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Exciters in 1964. It did not chart in the UK.

The Exciters after some personnel changes were, Brenda Reid (lead vocals) and her husband Herb Rooney, Carolyn Johnson and Lillian Walker. Their only Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 was "Tell Him", which peaked at number four in 1963.

"Do Wah Diddy Diddy" was number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for Manfred Mann in 1964. It was number one for two weeks on the UK singles chart the same year.

The name of the group progressed from The Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers which became Manfred Mann and the Manfreds, then in 1963 became Manfred Mann. The 1964 line up was Mike Hugg (drums, vibes and piano), Paul Jones (vocals and harmonica), Tom McGuinness (bass guitar), Manfred Mann (keyboards) and Mike Vickers (guitar, alto saxophone and flute).

Mike Vickers was the first to leave and was replaced by Jack Bruce who was in turn replaced by Klaus Voorman. In 1966 vocalist Paul Jones left to pursue an acting and solo musical career, he was replaced by Mike d'Abo. None of these changes affected their chart career and they had 13 UK Top Ten hits between 1964 and 1969 which included three number one hits. They disbanded in 1969 and in 1971 Manfred Mann formed Manfred Mann's Earth Band.

Answer: John D Loudermilk

"Tobacco Road" written by John D Loudermilk peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Nashville Teens in 1964. It peaked at number six on the UK singles chart the same year.

Prolific songwriter John D. Loudermilk also wrote such songs as "Abilene", "Angela Jones", "Ebony Eyes", "Indian Reservation", "Language of Love", "Norman" and "Sittin' in the Balcony".

If you don't remember the British invasion group The Nashville Teens, you are not alone. They were John Allen (guitar), John Hawkes (keyboards), Barry Jenkins (drums), Ramon Phillips (harmonica), Pete Shannon (bass guitar) and Arthur Sharp (vocals). Besides their Top 20 hit "Tobacco Road" they only achieved one more minor hit on the Billboard Hot 100 when "Find My Way Back Home" peaked at number 98 in 1965.

They did not do too much better on the UK singles chart were they had two Top Ten hits "Tobacco Road" (number six in 1964) and "Google Eye" (number ten in 1964). After three more minor hits they went back to their day jobs.

Answer: The Honeycombs

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

The Honeycombs from London, England, (another minor invasion group) were Denis D'Ell (lead vocals, harmonica), Honey Lantree (drums, vocals), John Lantree (bass guitar), Martin Murray (rhythm guitar) and Alan Ward (lead guitar). They only had one more minor hit on the Billboard Hot 100 when "I Can't Stop" peaked at number 48 in 1965.

They did slightly better at home; after "Have I The Right" they had two minor hits on the UK singles chart and then in 1965 with their last UK chart entry they peaked at number 12 with "That's The Way". They were very popular in Japan and had two number one hits in Sweden.

Answer: False

"You Really Got Me" written by Ray Davies peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Kinks in 1964. It was number one for two weeks on the UK singles chart the same year.

"Lola" written by Ray Davies peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Kinks in 1970. It peaked at number two on the UK singles chart the same year.

The Kinks from London, England, were Mick Avory (drums), Dave Davies (lead guitar, vocals), Ray Davies (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Pete Quaife (bass guitar). They had hits on the Billboard Hot 100 for two decades but never had a number one hit. Between 1964 and 1984 they had seven Top 20 hits, five of which made the Top Ten, "You Really Got Me" (number seven in 1964), "All Day And All Of The Night" (number seven in 1965), "Tired Of Waiting For You" (number six in 1965), "Lola" (number nine in 1970) and "Come Dancing" (number six in 1983). They had three number one hits on the UK singles chart, "You Really Got Me" (number one for two weeks in 1964), "Tired Of Waiting For You" (number one for one week in 1965) and "Sunny Afternoon" (number one for two weeks in 1966).

The Kinks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

Answer: Not

"She's Not There" written by Rod Argent peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Zombies in 1964. It peaked at number 12 on the UK singles chart the same year.

The Zombies were formed in St. Albans, England, in 1961 by Rod Argent, as The Mustangs. After some personnel changes and a change of name, the group were Rod Argent (keyboards, vocals), Paul Atkinson (lead guitar), Colin Blunstone (lead vocals), Hugh Grundy (drums) and Chris White (bass guitar).

Between 1964 and 1969 they had three hits on the Billboard Top 20 and all three made the Top Ten, "She's Not There" (number two in 1964), "Tell Her No" (number six in 1965) and "Time Of The Season" (number three in 1969).

The group disbanded in 1967, Rod Argent formed the group Argent who had a number five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK singles chart in 1972 with "Hold Your Head Up". Argent also had a number 18 hit on the UK singles chart in 1973 with the original version of "God Gave Rock And Roll To You". Colin Blunstone had two Top 20 hits on the UK singles chart with "Say You Don't Mind" (number 15 in 1972) and "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted" (number 13 in 1981).

Answer: I'm Into Something Good

"I'm Into Something Good" written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 for Herman's Hermits in 1964. It was number one for two weeks on the UK singles chart the same year.

Herman's Hermits were formed in Manchester, England, in 1964. They were after a number of personnel changes, Karl Green (bass guitar, vocals), Keith Hopwood (rhythm guitar, vocals), Derek Leckenby (lead guitar), Peter Noone (lead vocals) and Barry Whitwam (drums). They were very popular in both the UK and US and at one time they also became so called pretenders the The Beatles' throne in the US.

They had 14 Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1964 and 1967, eleven of which were Top Ten hits and these included the two number one hits "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" (number one for three weeks in 1965) and "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" (number one for one week in 1965).