Those Memorable Solo Hits Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ricky Valance

Born David Spencer in 1939 in the small village of Ynysddu in the Sirhowy valley of Monmouthshire in southeastern Wales, he recording under the name Ricky Valance. He became the first male Welsh singer to top the UK Singles Chart, Shirley Bassey having become the Welsh female singer to do so in 1958 (with "As I Love You").

Written by American duo Jeff Barry and Ben Raleigh, Ray Peterson reached number seven in the US Billboard Top 100 in early 1960 with "Tell Laura I Love Her". Ricky Valance's version knocked The Shadows' classic "Apache" out of the number one spot in the UK in September 1960 before being unseated himself three weeks later by another classic, Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely". Quite exalted company for the relatively unknown Ricky Valance!

Answer: The Overlanders

The Overlanders were a folk band of the early 1960s led by the young Bedford-born vocalist Paul Arnold (born Paul Arnold Friswell in 1942). Their version of "Michelle" knocked the Spencer Davis Group ("Keep on Running") out of number one in the UK in January 1966. After a three-week stay at the top, they were replaced at number one by Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots are Made for Walkin'"). This was their only hit single and The Overlanders thus became the first British group to be dubbed 'one-hit wonders'.

Bristol duo David and Jonathan released their version of "Michelle" at the same time as The Overlanders. They reached number eleven in the UK, number eighteen in the US and topped the Canadian chart.

The only Beatles song to contain French lyrics, the group never performed it live. Paul McCartney, who was the song's main composer, included it in his set during his 1993 world tour and also performed it at a 2009 Washington D.C. performance in honour of Michelle Obama.

Answer: The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

Arthur Wilton Brown, born in Whitby, North Yorkshire in 1942, announced himself as "The God of Hellfire" in the opening of the song. That became his moniker as, for the next 45 years and more, he has toured the country playing gigs and making appearances on the back of the band's lone hit single. In 2010, the Crazy World of Arthur Brown played the Glastonbury Festival, and although in his late 60s still seemed just as much of a nutcase as ever.

"Fire" topped the singles chart in the UK and Canada, and peaked at number two in the US, earning the group a gold disc. It also made the Top 10 in charts around Europe. Unusual amongst other hits of the period, "Fire" featured a Hammond organ as the main instrument rather than guitar or bass.

Answer: Sugar Sugar

The concept for the group stems from "The Archie Show, a Saturday morning cartoon series that aired on US TV in the late 1960s. The music produced by the fictional rock band formed from the show's characters played a brand of bubblegum pop that was in vogue at the time.

Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim, "Sugar Sugar" carried The Archies to a 4-week stay at the top of the US Billboard 100 chart, knocking the Stones' "Honky Tonk Woman" out of the top spot. It also reached number one in both Canada and in the UK, staying at the top for eight weeks in the UK late in 1969. It was The Archies' only hit single.

A cover version of the song by soul singer Wilson Pickett then saw it back in the charts the following year.

Answer: Wand'rin' Star

"Wand'rin' Star" was written (as were the alternatives above, also from the same film) by Alan J. Lerner (lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music) for their 1951 stage musical "Paint Your Wagon". The 1969 film adaptation starred Oscar-winner Lee Marvin ("Cat Balou", "Dirty Dozen", "Wagon Train", "the Iceman Cometh") and Clint Eastwood.

Lee Marvin's "Wand'rin' Star" knocked Rosemary Clooney out of the number one spot in the UK in March 1970. It was replaced at the top three weeks later by a true classic, Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water", their third and last UK number one. Meanwhile, "Let it Be", which was a number one single in the US and in numerous other countries worldwide, never did reach the top spot in The Beatles' home country.

Answer: Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs

Formed in 1976, Manchester duo Brian Burke and Mick Coleman began performing as a comedy duet using the name Burke and Jerk. By the time they released the Coleman-penned single "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" in late 1978, they had changed their stage name to Brian and Michael. Just weeks after the single was released, Burke left the duo and local guitarist and songwriter Kevin Parrot teamed up with Coleman; of course, the name Brian and Michael was on the record by then, so they continued to perform under that name.

"Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" lives on today, as an anthem sung by the fans of Glasgow Celtic F.C.

Of the alternatives, "There's No-one Quite Like Grandma" was the sole hit by the aforementioned St Winifred's School Choir in 1980; "In the Year 2525" was a 1969 number one for another pair of one-hit wonders, Zager and Evans; "A Day in the Life" is a Lennon/McCartney composition that appears on The Beatles' "Sgt Pepper" album.

Answer: Eye Level

Born in 1946 in the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough, Simon Park is a music graduate of Worcester College at Oxford University. although best known as the leader of the orchestra that reached number one in 1972 with "Eye Level", he also co-wrote the theme tune for the ITV drama series "Crown Court" as well as making musical contributions to numerous other British TV series.

Dutch composer Jan Stoeckart wrote "Eye Level", which is based on a German/Dutch nursery rhyme. Matt Monro had a minor UK hit (his last single) in 1973 with lyrics added and the title changed to "And I Smiled".

The alternatives are three more hits by one-hit wonders: originally a hit single by Joni Mitchell, "Woodstock" reached number one in the UK in 1970 as a cover by Matthews' Southern Comfort; "Nut Rocker" was a 1962 UK number one by the beautifully-named instrumental group B. Bumble and the Stingers; and "Doop" was a 1994 hit for a Dutch duo recording under the same name as the song title.

Answer: Ring My Bell

Memphis-born schoolteacher Anita Ward topped the singles chart on both sides of the Atlantic in 1979 with disco favorite "Ring My Bell". Ward spent two weeks as UK number one before being displaced by another one-hit wonder, Tubeway Army with "Are Friends' Electric?".

"Ring My Bell" was written by American RB singer and songwriter Frederick Knight who, curiously, is himself also a one-hit wonder. Knight's only hit single as a performer, "I've Been Lonely For So Long", reached number 22 in the UK Singles Chart in 1972.

Of the alternatives, "Move Closer" was a UK number one for Phyllis Nelson in 1985; "The Stonk" was a charity single in aid of Sport Relief released in the UK in 1991 by Hale and Pace; and "Touch Me", a UK number one in 2001, was the only hit single by Portuguese producer and DJ Rui da Silva.

Answer: Edison Lighthouse

Tony Burrows was born in Exeter, Devon and named his ensemble cast of musicians Edison Lighthouse as a play on the name of the Eddystone Lighthouse, located off the county's southern coast.

Written by English duo Tony Macaulay and Barry Mason, "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" topped the UK chart for five weeks, reached number three in Canada and number five in the US Billboard 100, earning a gold disc in the process. In the UK, it replaced Rolf Harris's "Two Little Boys", the final number one of the 1960s, and was eventually knocked out of the top spot by another of our one-hit wonders, actor Lee Marvin.

Of the alternatives, The Beginning of the End peaked at number 15 in 1971 in the US chart with their only hit single, "Funky Nassau - Part 1"; The Hillside Singers had a hit in 1972 in the US with the song from the Coca-Cola advert, "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" at the same time as The New Seekers were doing the same in the UK; and The S.O.S. Band reached number three in the US in 1980 with their only hit, "Take Your Time (Do It Right)".

Answer: Sheriff

Founded in Toronto, rock band Sheriff released their only album, self-titled, in 1982. Of the two singles released from the album, "When I'm with You" climbed to number eight in the Canadian singles chart and made little impact anywhere else. Four years later, A DJ in up-state New York started playing the single and listener feedback encouraged the record company to re-release it. Lead vocalist Freddy Curci was delivering pizzas in 1989 when he heard that his band's single had ousted Phil Collins from the number one spot in the US chart.