A Beatle of a Different Insect Quiz

Answer: Jenny Ondioline

I have ripped off this song for two of my own songs over the years. Back in the later 80s, when I was in the market for a Jenny Ondioline a friend of mine (either Ron Kane or Zoogz Rift) sent me an 'audio letter' where they were playing a Jenny Ondioline with their foot in one channel while doing the letter in the other coincidentally! I myself have never seen one (but I would love to). In any case, it's the (for lack of a better term) 'arabesque' sounding keyboard instrument used on the song.

Yes: the other instruments do actually exist but I am not going to bother describing them (for the sake of brevity). Helpful hint: if you want to google it try "jenny ondioline" -stereolab

Answer: Peter Max

Peter Max was born in Berlin, Germany in 1937. A German Jew. His family fled Berlin in 1938 settling in Shanghai, China where they lived for ten years before moving to Haifa, Israel, where they lived for several years before moving further westward and winding up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

He began his formal art training at the Art Students League of New York in Manhattan in 1956. His fame exploded in the 60s and he became a very popular artist in the following decades. His health has severely deteriorated in the past decade.

A 2019 New York Times article mentioned he is suffering from advanced dementia and that his deteriorated mental state has been exploited in a massive art fraud scheme dating back to at least 2015.

Answer: Indica Bookshop and Gallery

The Indica Bookshop and Gallery was a counterculture art gallery in Mason's Yard where Yoko Ono was having an exhibit. It was located in London. Paul McCartney was dating Jane Asher at the time and helped set up the bookshop and gallery for Indica. So you see: you can directly blame Paul for John meeting Yoko!

Answer: Phil Spector

If the question were The Beatles and The Beach Boys and did not say 'creepy', it might be Charles Manson. But nope: it's Phil who gets the honours here. By all accounts he IS a creep and in 2003 he murdered Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra home. He produced both the Beatles' "Let It Be" album and Leonard Cohen's "Death Of A Ladies Man" album. I'm sorry, but I really do not like this man and have nothing else to say about him.

At least nothing positive. (Actually, as a kid, I met a few of the Manson Family, including Charlie, many times and they were anything but creepy and always friendly to me.)

Answer: Arson

According to the online site "The Beatles Bible", Paul McCartney and Pete Best were arrested on suspicion of arson and were held overnight at the St. Pauli police station. The next day they told to leave Germany. It is said that they set fire to a condom on a nail in a concrete corridor for light! Burn Baby Burn!

Answer: Preludin

Phenmetrazine, aka Preludin, was the upper of choice for the boys. It was a stimulant and appetite suppressant. It was a widely abused drug that is prescribed very rarely nowadays. In the Fifties and early Sixties however, it was a very popular stimulant.

By the way my source for this was a series of articles about the Beatles' days in Hamburg that appeared (among others) in a monthly magazine entitled "Rock Dreams" in Germany in the first half of the Seventies. It's been a LONG time but I seem to remember the German Teen magazine "Bravo" printing a series of the Beatles Hamburg days that also mentioned this.

Answer: Martha

"Martha My Dear", from 'The Beatles', (aka "White Album") was written about Paul's sheepdog Martha. She appears amongst the photos on his first solo album.

Answer: True

This is 100% true and caught on film in Bob Dylan's great unreleased movie "Eat That Document". In it, Bob is getting nauseous from the drugs and worried about throwing up with the whole thing being filmed. John (aka 'The Understander') is being a supportive companion by goading on Dylan and not taking the situation that seriously -- as one would expect of John. What more can I say?

Answer: Peter Fonda

Yeppers. The boys were taking acid with Peter Fonda at a party and Peter blessed the two with the information that he "knows what it's like to be dead". This inspired John Lennon to write the song 'She Said She Said' on the "Revolver" LP. According to the site "The Beatles Bible", Peter Fonda said the following:

"I told him there was nothing to be afraid of and that all he needed to do was relax. I said that I knew what it was like to be dead because when I was ten years old I'd accidentally shot myself in the stomach and my heart stopped beating three times while I was on the operating table because I'd lost so much blood.

John was passing at the time and heard me saying 'I know what it's like to be dead'. He looked at me and said, 'You're making me feel like I've never been born. Who put all that **** in your head?"

Answer: Apple green

This item of trivia was mentioned in the movie "The Beatles, Hippies And Hell's Angels". Apparently, Apple Corps had wall to wall apple green carpet with white walls. Very fashionable.

Answer: True

This is true. In 1968 George Harrison met members of the Hells Angels in San Francisco and invited them to the offices of Apple Corps in London to attend a Christmas party. George sent a memo to Apple Corps letting them know that some Hells Angels members would be guests at the Apple Corps offices "on the way to straighten out Czechoslovakia."

This odd story was written about by Rolling Stone founding editor David Dalton in a column "The Day the Angels Spent Christmas with The Beatles" on his site blacklistedjournalist.com

Answer: Raunchy

Paul McCartney has told this story many times, most notably in "George Harrison: Living in the Material World", the 2011 documentary film directed by Martin Scorsese.

In it Paul McCartney talks about this. He states that George auditioned with Bill Justif's "Raunchy" and nailed the audition. The other choices are by Link Wray and Eddie Cochran. Yeah. I know. "but there are four choices". Waaaah Waaaah! Robble Robble Robble. Well two of them are by Link Wray!

Answer: Photograph

In 1973, Ringo had a massive hit with the song "Photograph" from his equally massive LP "Ringo". It was co-written by George and Ringo. While "Octopus' Garden" From the "Abbey Road" album purports to be written by the two of them, Ringo's actual involvement in the writing of the song is in serious doubt. "It Don't Come Easy", Ringo's first number one single after the Beatles broke up was not written by both of them and "Good Night" from the "White Album" is a Paul McCartney track.

Oh how I wish my original question was allowed! Well... this substitute question was given to me by Adam Marsland.

Answer: Twist and Shout

"Twist and Shout" was recorded in one take. When George Martin was recording the Beatles for their first album for Parlophone Records, he saved this song to be recorded last because John had a severe sore throat, and the song was a tough one on his voice. John managed to nail the sucker on the first attempt. No further takes were needed and the first take was the one used on the album.

Answer: Lennon/McCartney

Sinatra called "Something" "the greatest love song of the past 50 years."

He was also known to mistakenly introduce it when he performed it live as his "favorite Lennon & McCartney song", even though it was written by George Harrison. I suppose we should count our blessings that he did not introduce it as being written by "Jimmy Carl Black, the Indian of the group" (I'll let you all figure out that reference and how it ever so loosely ties in with the Rutles).

I'd like to thank my friend Don Williams for coming up with the question.