Whose Line Was It Anyway: UK Number Two Hits Quiz

Answer: Johnny Preston

"Cradle Of Love" was written by Jack Fautheree/Wayne Gray. It was Johnny Preston's second and last Top Ten hit in the UK, his first one being the number one hit "Running Bear" written by J. P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) who died in the same plane crash as Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens in 1959. Johnny Preston had five hits on the UK Singles Chart and they all came in 1960. He had five hits on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1959 to 1961, each one getting progressively lower until his last hit "Free Me" peaked at number 97 for one week in 1961.

After coronary artery bypass surgery in 2010, Johnny Preston died of heart failure in Beaumont, Texas, USA, in 2011 aged 71.

Answer: Ricky Nelson

"Travellin' Man" was written by Jerry Fuller. Rick Nelson had four UK Top 20 hits and three Top Ten hits between 1958 and 1959. The double A-Side "Hello Mary Lou"/"Travellin' Man" in 1961 was his biggest hit and only number two hit in the UK.

"Travellin' Man" was originally written for Sam Cooke but Cooke's manager was not impressed with the song. It was given to Ricky Nelson who then achieved his second number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with it, in 1961. He was accompanied on the record by The Jordanaires. For future releases Ricky Nelson dropped the y from his name and became the grown up Rick Nelson.

Rick Nelson died in a plane crash in De Kalb, Texas, USA, in 1985 aged 45. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Answer: Chris Montez

"Let's Dance" was written by Jim Lee. It was the biggest hit and the first of three Top Ten hits for Chris Montez on the UK Singles Chart in the '60s. It was his only Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 when it peaked at number four in 1962.

"Let's Dance" was re-issued in 1972 and peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart. It was re-issued in the UK again, in 1979 and peaked at number 47.

Answer: The Beatles

"Please Please Me" was written by John Lennon but credited to Lennon/McCartney. It was The Beatles' first Top Ten hit on the UK Singles Chart and was followed by three consecutive number one hits in 1963. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964.

"Please Please Me" reached number one on the pop charts in the UK music papers "Melody Maker" and "New Musical Express". It only reached number two on the "Record Retailer" chart, which later evolved into the official UK Singles Chart.

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

Answer: The Dave Clark Five

"Bits And Pieces" was written by Ron Ryan but credited to Dave Clark/Mike Smith. In the UK it was the DC5's third hit on the singles chart. They would not reach the same heights until 1967 when "Everybody Knows" peaked at number two, (a different song to their 1965 number 37 hit "Everybody Knows").

In the USA, it was their second hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number four in 1964. This was two places higher than their first hit two months earlier, "Glad All Over".

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

Answer: The Everly Brothers

"The Price Of Love" was written by Don Everly/Phil Everly. The Everly Brothers previous UK Top Ten hit was "Cryin' In The Rain" in 1962. The Beatles-led British invasion ended the chart career in the USA and UK of many American and British acts so this was a last hurrah for The Everly Brothers.

"The Price Of Love" was released in the USA but only bubbled under the Billboard Hot 100 at number 104 in 1965.

Phil Everly died of respiratory disease at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, USA, in 2014 aged 74.
Don Everly died of an undisclosed cause in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, in 2021 aged 84.

The Everly Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Answer: The Mindbenders

"A Groovy Kind Of Love" was written by Toni Wine and Carole Bayer Sager. The Mindbenders without their lead singer Wayne Fontana had their only UK Top Ten hit with "A Groovy Kind Of Love". Eric Stewart, later a founder member of 10cc, sang lead vocal on the record.

The song was originally offered to Lesley Gore but her producer Shelby Singleton rejected it. After he turned it down, it was recorded by the American duo Diane & Annita in 1965 but their version failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 or the UK Singles Chart.

Answer: The Kinks

"Waterloo Sunset" was written by Ray Davies. In 1967 it became the The Kinks' second number two hit on the UK Singles Chart in the '60s. It was released in the USA but never charted.

In a 2010 interview with the "Liverpool Echo" Ray Davies stated that the original title of the song was "Liverpool Sunset". He had fallen in love with Liverpool and the "Merseybeat Sound" and loved performing in the city.

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

Answer: Tom Jones

"Delilah" was written by Les Reed/Barry Mason, it was the third consecutive number two hit on the UK Singles Chart for Tom Jones in the '60s. It peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968.

"Delilah" was also number two in the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and Sweden. The song did manage to reach number one in eight other countries.

In 1968, the writers of "Delilah", Les Reed and Barry Mason, won the Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.

Answer: Dean Martin

"Gentle On My Mind" was written and recorded by John Hartford. Dean Martin had his fourth number two, but only Top Ten hit of the '60s, on the UK Singles Chart with "Gentle On My Mind" in 1969. It did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA.

"Gentle On My Mind" was also recorded by the writer of the song John Hartford; his version did not chart in the USA or UK. In the USA, Patti Page and Aretha Franklin had minor hits with the song but it is mostly associated with Glen Campbell who had a number 39 hit with it on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968.

Dean Martin died of acute respiratory failure, resulting from emphysema, in Beverly Hills, California, USA, in 1995 aged 78.