Which one was it? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison recorded "Today's Teardrops" as the flipside to "Blue Angel" in 1960. In Australia "Today's Teardrops" was the bigger hit. The song was written by Gene Pitney who did not release it as a single. Ironically a version (my favourite) was released by Ricky Nelson in Australia and was covered by local boy Col Joye; they jointly took the song to the top ten on the Aussie chart and a local Sydney radio station had it as the number one song for a week.

Answer: Gene Pitney

The Oscar nominated song from the movie of the same name "Town Without Pity" was a number thirteen hit for Gene Pitney in 1961. The song just made the top forty in Australia and made it to number thirty two in the UK. Renowned as a songwriter, Gene did not write this song.

Answer: Del Shannon

Del Shannon's fourth single release in 1961 was "Hey Little Girl"; it was a solid rocker that reached number two in the UK in early 1963. The record made the top forty on the Billboard Hot 100 and number sixteen in Australia.

Answer: Roy Orbison

"It's Over" was a top ten hit for Roy Orbison in 1964 making it to number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK the record made number one for two weeks. In Australia "It's Over" climbed to number fourteen and was one of six charted hits for Roy down under in 1964.

Answer: Roy Orbison

"Dream Baby" sometimes known as "Sweet Dream Baby" was a top ten for Roy Orbison rising to number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The record was a number two hit for three weeks in the UK, waiting for "Wonderful Land" by the Shadows to leave the top spot, but alas that did not happen as the Shadows held on for eight weeks at number one.
In Australia "Dream Baby" peaked at number three but stayed on the charts for a respectable seventeen weeks.

Answer: Bobby Vee

"Stayin' In" was by Bobby Vee, with its memorable line "So I let him have it in, the cafeteria". The song made 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the flipside "More Than I Can Say" only made it to number 61. In Australia it just made the top twenty, however in the UK the record went to number thirteen and the flipside made it to number four.

The song "More Than I Can Say" was written by Jerry Allison and Sonny Curtis of the Crickets, whose version had made the charts in 1960. In 1980 Leo Sayer took the song to number one in Australia and number two on both the UK charts and The Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: Del Shannon

Famous as the first song written by the Beatles to enter the charts performed by someone else, Del Shannon was that someone else when his version of "From Me to You" hit the charts in 1963. The song hit number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and did not chart in the UK. In Australia the song went to number six outperforming the Beatles whose original peaked at number nine.

Answer: Bobby Vee

Bobby Vee recorded "How Many Tears" in 1961. The song was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and made number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100; it was a top ten for Bobby in the UK. In Australia Bobby was very popular and although this song only crept into the top forty, the flipside "Baby Face" made it to number four on the chart.
A note to his popularity and longevity in Australia - around 2008 or 09 Bobby Vee was in Sydney Australia for cabaret concerts and so popular was he that one venue which held 400 people had to schedule four more shows all of which sold out.
Note: Little Richard, Brenda Lee, Bobby Darin and The Beau Marks all made the Aussie charts with a version of "Baby Face" during 1960-61.

Answer: Bobby Vee

Number one in Australia "Rubber Ball" was Bobby Vee's first chart entry in this country. In the USA the song went to number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and went to number four in the UK. Around the same time in the UK a good cover version by Marty Wilde also made the UK top ten. The song was co-written by Gene Pitney and Aaron Schroeder.

Answer: Del Shannon

Del Shannon scored his third number one on the Australian charts with "Little Town Flirt". This record was his third number one down under having previously hit the top spot with "Runaway" in 1960 and "Little Swiss Maid" in 1962.