Anatomy of an Album: "A Hard Day's Night" Quiz

Answer: Seven

These are the seven tracks on the "A Hard Day's Night" album that are featured in the movie of the same name.

Track 1. "A Hard Day's Night"
Track 2. "I Should Have Known Better"
Track 3. "If I Fell"
Track 4. "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You"
Track 5. "And I Love Her"
Track 6. "Tell Me Why"
Track 7. "Can't Buy Me Love"

These are all of the songs that can be heard in the movie "A Hard Day's Night".

"A Hard Day's Night"
"I Should Have Known Better"
"I Wanna Be Your Man"
"Don't Bother Me"
"All My Loving"
"If I Fell"
"Can't Buy Me Love"
"And I Love Her"
"I'm Happy Just to Dance with You"
"Tell Me Why"
"She Loves You"

Answer: George

Did you have to look at the album or did you remember it was George who has the back of his head showing?

As usual with The Beatles album's, "A Hard Day's Night" has another memorable cover. This time The Beatles are seen in black and white on film strips of five frames each with blue borders. From top to bottom are John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. George Harrison is the only Beatle with the back of his head showing. It is the centre frame of his film strip. The cover was designed and photographed by Robert Freeman.

Answer: ok

The full verse is:

"You know I work all day
To get you money to buy you things
And it's worth it just to hear you say
You're going to give me ev'rything
So why on earth should I moan
'Cause when I get you alone
You know I feel ok"

Answer: I Should Have Known Better

"I Should Have Known Better" was track 2. on The Beatles third UK album "A Hard Day's Night".

In the movie sequence when The Beatles are playing cards and singing in the guard's/luggage van, there are a bunch of giggling girls watching them. One of those girls is George Harrison's future wife Pattie Boyd. Although the song is credited to Lennon/McCartney it was written by Jonn Lennon and influenced by John's new found interest in Bob Dylan and his album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan".

Answer: Ringo

Although it was already a well known expression in the UK, Ringo was responsible for it becoming the title of the movie and album.

Ringo made the remark after a hard day's filming and it was taken up for the title of the album and the movie. He still never got to sing a song on the album. He did have his own sequence with his own tune, "Ringo's Theme" (an instrumental version of "This Boy") in the movie though.

Answer: I'm Happy Just To Dance With You

George Harrison gets to sing lead vocal on track 4. of the "A Hard Day's Night" album, "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You".

This is the only track on the "A Hard Day's Night" album sung by other than Paul McCartney or John Lennon. Ringo Starr does not get to sing a song and all the songs are credited to Lennon/McCartney. This is the first Beatles album with all of the songs credited to Lennon/McCartney. "A Hard Day's Night" was the first Beatles album to be recorded on a four track tape machine. It was number one for 21 weeks on the UK album chart.

Answer: Can't Buy Me Love

"Can't Buy Me Love" hit the number one spot in the UK in April 1964 and remained there for three weeks. It was number one for five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

"Can't Buy Me Love" had advance orders of 1,000,000 in the UK and 2,000,000 in the US. It reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in two weeks which was a record at the time. When it reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 it completed The Beatles domination of the chart with the top five positions.

The Billboard Hot 100 top 5 the week of April 4 1964.

1. "Can't Buy Me Love"
2. "Twist And Shout"
3. "She Loves You"
4. "I Want To Hold Your Hand"
5. "Please Please Me"

Answer: Things We Said Today

"Things We Said Today" credited to Lennon/McCartney from the album "A Hard Day's Night" was the B-side of the UK release of "A Hard Day's Night" single.

Many of The Beatles songs credited to Lennon/McCartney were written by them individually. "Things We Said Today" was written by Paul McCartney while on holiday with his then girlfriend Jane Asher, Ringo Starr and his future wife Maureen Cox. "I Should Have Know Better" was the B-side of the US "A Hard Day's Night" single. "I'll Cry Instead" was written by John Lennon for the breakout sequence in the "A Hard Day's Night" movie but it was never used and relegated to side two of the album. The director of the movie Richard Lester preferred "Can't Buy Me Love".

Answer: You Can't Do That

"You Can't Do That" credited to Lennon/McCartney from the album "A Hard Day's Night" was the B-side of "Can't Buy Me Love" in both the UK & US.

As in the previous answer although "You Can't Do That" was credited to Lennon/McCartney, it was actually written by John Lennon. "You Can't Do That" was originally considered for a Beatles A-side before Paul McCartney came up with "Can't Buy Me Love". The song was filmed for the Scala theatre concert sequence in the "A Hard Day's Night" movie but was dropped from the final cut. It has been covered by such artists as The Supremes in 1964, Nilsson in 1967 and The Head Cat in 2011.

Answer: Back

"I'll Be Back" credited to Lennon/McCartney was the 13th and last song on the "A Hard Day's Night" album. It was not included on the movie soundtrack.

"I'll Be Back" another John Lennon song, is said to be based on the chords of the Del Shannon 1961 No.1 hit "Runaway". Author Bill Harry said, quote: "He (Lennon) just reworked the chords of the Shannon number and came up with a completely different song", end quote. Bill Harry attended the Liverpool college of Art with fellow pupils John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe. We all owe Bill Harry a debt, he was the creator of what became the "Teenagers Bible" on Merseyside, the Liverpool music paper Mersey Beat in 1961. He was the guy that arranged for Brian Epstein to see The Beatles perform at a lunchtime session at the Cavern club in Liverpool, in November 1961. Thanks Bill!