Anatomy of an Album: "Rubber Soul" Quiz

Answer: True

"with the beatles" was the UK number one album at Christmas 1963, "Beatles For Sale" was the UK number one album at Christmas 1964 and "Rubber Soul" was the UK number one album at Christmas 1965.

"Rubber Soul" replaced The Beatles' own album "Help!" at number one on the UK album chart where it stayed for eight weeks. It remained on the UK album chart for 42 weeks in 1965/66. The album was hailed in various music circles as achieving a new musical sophistication and the most important artistic leap in The Beatles' career, (oh dear, they do get carried away, I just thought it was another great album by The Beatles). Brian Wilson, the leader of and musical genius behind The Beach Boys came up with the brilliant "Pet Sounds" album in response to "Rubber Soul", (I think "Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" was The Beatles response to "Pet Sounds" but then I'm just a simple record buying member of the public).

Answer: She does not have a car

These are the lyrics in the verse,

"I told that girl I could start right away
And she said, "Listen babe I got somethin' to say
I got no car and it's breakin' my heart
But I've found a driver and that's a start"

All together now, beep beep'm beep beep yeah (repeat to fade).

Answer: Norwegian Wood

"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" was the correct full title of track two on the "Rubber Soul" album.

Written by Lennon/McCartney, "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" was the first Beatle song that George Harrison played the sitar on. He first became interested in the sitar during the filming of the movie "Help!". He saw and heard musicians playing the instruments when there was a scene in an Indian restaurant. He bought a cheap sitar from a shop in London called India Craft and while learning how to play it, used it spontaneously and inspirationally on "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)".

Answer: Yellow Submarine

The song "Nowhere Man" was not released as a single in the UK but was in other counties in 1966. It reached number one in both Australia and Canada and number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.

The song appears in The Beatles animated movie "Yellow Submarine" but is not included on the album of the same name. In the movie it is sung about Jeremy Hillary Boob Ph.D, a fictional animated character voiced by British comedian/T. V. star/movie star Dick Emery. The character is said to have been inspired by poet J. H. Prynne and to be a parody of public intellectuals and polymaths such as actor/director/author/humorist/sculptor/T. V. presenter/doctor Sir Jonathan Miller.

Answer: Think For Yourself

Track five on The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" album "Think For Yourself" was written and sung by George Harrison.

In his 1980 autobiography "I Me Mine" George Harrison claimed that he could not remember who had been the inspiration for the song but thought it might have been the government of the day. Well he did have form having a go at the UK government with "Taxman" and "Piggies", (rock on George). An unusual feature on the record is that it has two base lines, a normal one and one with Paul McCartney's' bass guitar attached to a fuzz box.

Answer: Michelle

The Overlanders had a number one hit for three weeks on the UK chart with "Michelle" in 1966.

Although The Overlanders' version of "Michelle" did not chart in the US they did have a US number 75 hit with "Yesterday's Gone" in 1964. It did not chart in the UK. British duo David and Jonathan had a number 11 hit on the UK chart with "Michelle" in 1966. It reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. Both of these versions of "Michelle" entered the UK chart on the same day. None of the songs from The Beatles "Rubber Soul" album were released as singles by The Beatles in the UK.

Answer: It was written by Lennon/McCartney/Starkey

Ringo got his first songwriting credit on a Beatles record with the unique credit of Lennon/McCartney/Starkey.

John Lennon had written a version of the song way back when The Beatles were The Quarrymen. It then had been considered as a possible follow up single to "Please Please Me". I think The Beatles' career might not have worked out as it did if that had happened as I don't think it was strong enough for a single. When asked about his contribution to the song, Ringo joked that he had contributed about five words and had not done anything since. "What Goes On" was released as the B-side of "Nowhere Man" and reached number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966.

Answer: True

The Beatles name was not on the album cover. "Rubber Soul" was number one on the UK album chart for eight weeks in 1965/66.

The album cover photograph was taken by photographer Robert Freeman. He was projecting slides of the various photographs he had taken on an album sized card for The Beatles to choose from. The card slipped back from an upright position and their faces became slightly distorted and that was the image The Beatles chose for the album cover.

Answer: The Hollies

The Hollies had a number 20 hit on the UK chart with "If I Needed Someone" in 1965. It did not chart in the US.

After a run of seven UK Top ten hits (including a number one hit), The Hollies had their second lowest UK chart hit of the '60s with this song. Why The Hollies, (one of the UK's top groups) should have a minor hit with a Beatles song and an unknown group, (The Overlanders) should have a UK number one hit with a song from the same album, is a mystery. The Hollies soon regretted recording "If I Needed Someone", especially after George Harrison made dismissive comments about their version which caused friction between the groups. The Hollies version was released on the same record label (Parlophone) as The Beatles and on the same day as "Rubber Soul" in the UK. It was the first song written by George Harrison to enter the UK singles chart.

Answer: Yes

Yes! at last it is true. According to the read out on my Sony CDP-XB930 CD player "Rubber Soul" lasts 35.32, (Times may vary by a few seconds on other CD players but not enough to make the answer ambiguous).