Anatomy of an Album: "Magical Mystery Tour" Quiz

Answer: today

"Magical Mystery Tour" was Paul McCartney's concept and primarily written by him but credited to Lennon/McCartney.

The Beatles Sing:

"The Magical Mystery Tour is dying to take you away
Dying to take you away, take you today"

"Magical Mystery Tour" was released in the UK as a six track double E. P. (extended play single) in a gate-fold sleeve in December 1967. It has a different cover photo than the US import album and cost the pre-decimal price of 19 shillings and 6 pence which is approximately equal to £12-£14 in 2012. The E. P. reached number two on the UK singles chart and was kept out of the top spot by The Beatles own "Hello Goodbye" which was number one for seven weeks over the Christmas period 1967-1968.

Answer: the world spinning round

"The Fool On The Hill" was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon/McCartney.

Paul sings:

"But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning round"

"The Fool On The Hill" is another Beatles song that has been recorded by many artists. Petula Clark (1968), Vera Lynn (1968) and Shirley Bassey, who had a number 48 hit with the song on the UK chart in 1971, plus many others.

Answer: It was written by Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starr

Track three on The Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour" "Flying", was the first released song written by Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starr.

It was also their first instrumental release on the Parlophone record label. Their first instrumental and the first composition by any of The Beatles to be professionally recorded was "Cry For A Shadow". It was recorded for the Polydor record label in Germany in 1961 and had the very unusual songwriting credit of Harrison/Lennon with Pete Best on drums. It was released in 1964 and was the B-side of "Why" by The Beatles and Tony Sheridan which reached number 88 on the Billboard Hot 100. Neither side charted in the UK.

Answer: Blue Jay Way

Track four on The Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour" album "Blue Jay Way" was written and sung by George Harrison.

In August of 1967 George Harrison rented 1567 Blue Jay Way in the Hollywood Hills, California. George was waiting for Derek Taylor, the Beatles press officer, to arrive. There was a fog and Taylor was delayed so to pass the time George wrote the song while playing on a Hammond organ he had found in the house.

Answer: A long long time ago

Written by Paul McCartney "Your Mother Should Know" was credited to Lennon/McCartney.

Paul sings:

"Let's all get up and dance to a song
That was a hit before your mother was born
Though she was born a long, long time ago
Your mother should know (Your mother should...)
Your mother should know (...know)"

The first recording session for "Your Mother Should Know" was on the 22 August 1967. Abbey Road Studios were not available on that date so The Beatles used the Chappell Recording Studios at 50 New Bond Street London, UK. This was to be the last time that The Beatles manager Brian Epstein was to attend one of their recording sessions before his death. The Chappell Recording Studios opened in 1811 at 124 New Bond Street as a music publishing company. Beethoven sent them three sonatas to publish in 1819 and a few years later they moved to 50 New Bond Street. The building was gutted by fire in 1964 but a new building including a new recording studio was built, which opened in 1967. The Chappell Recording Studios closed its doors in 1979.

Answer: Hello, Goodbye

"I Am The Walrus" was the B-side of "Hello, Goodbye" which was number one for seven weeks on the UK chart in 1967/68. "Hello, Goodbye" was number one for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967. "I Am The Walrus" reached number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. Written by John Lennon, "I Am The Walrus" was credited to Lennon/McCartney.

In the UK while "Hello, Goodbye" was at number one the "Magical Mystery Tour" double E. P. was at number two on the singles chart. That meant that "I Am The Walrus" being the B-side of one record and a track on the other, occupied the top two positions on the UK chart. On its release in the US, Capitol records omitted the comma in the title of "Hello, Goodbye" on the single and the "Magical Mystery Tour" album.

Answer: I Feel Fine/She's A Woman

"I Feel Fine"/"She's A Woman" is the odd one out; it was not on the "Magical Mystery Tour" album.

"I Feel Fine"/"She's A Woman" was released in 1964 and was number one for five weeks over the Christmas period on the UK chart. It was number one for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. The B-side "She's A Woman" reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The other three alternative choices were all released in 1967. All eight songs are credited to Lennon/McCartney.

Answer: Penny Lane

"Penny Lane" was a Paul McCartney song credited to Lennon/McCartney.

"Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he's had the pleasure to have known"

"On the corner is a banker with a motorcar
The little children laugh at him behind his back"

"In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen"

"Behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout
The pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray"

It reached number two on the UK chart in 1967 as a double A-side single with "Strawberry Fields Forever", (kept off the top spot by Engelbert Humperdinck with "Please Release Me"). "Penny Lane" was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 and "Strawberry Fields Forever" reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

Answer: The Fool on the Hill

"The Fool On The Hill" was written by Paul McCartney but credited to Lennon/McCartney. It peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 for Sergio Mendes and Brazil '66 in 1968. It did not chart in the UK.

Brazilian Sergio Mendes was a pianist and bandleader, Brazil '66 were Lani Hall and Janis Hensen (vocals), Bob Matthews (bass), Jao Palma (drums) and Joses Soares (percussion). Lani Hall later married band leader Herb Alpert in 1973.

"The Fool On The Hill" peaked at number 48 on the UK Singles chart for Shirley Bassey in 1971. It did not chart in the USA. It was the second Beatles' song that Shirley Bassey charted in the UK, her previous release "Something" peaked at number four in 1971. She became a Dame in 2000.

Answer: Capitol

The remastered 2009 CD was released on the Capitol record label as a homage to the original US concept and release in 1967.

"Magical Mystery Tour" was released in the US as an 11 track album in November 1967. It included the six tracks from the BBC T. V. movie of the same name on side one. Side two of the album consisted of their previously released 1967 singles. The album was number one for eight weeks on the Billboard album chart. When released in the UK on the Capitol record label as a US import in 1968 it reached number 31 on the UK album chart but only stayed on the chart for two weeks.