Anatomy of an Album: "The Beatles" Disc 1 Quiz

Answer: BOAC

British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was merged with British European Airways (BEA) in the '70s which then became British Airways (BA).

"Back In The U. S. S. R." was written by Paul McCartney but credited to Lennon/McCartney.

Paul Sings:

"Flew in from Miami Beach BOAC
Didn't get to bed last night
On the way the paper bag was on my knee
Man I had a dreadful flight"

The Beatles were in Rishikesh, India, in 1968 studying Transcendental Meditation when Paul McCartney wrote "Back In The U. S. S. R.". The song is a tribute to, or a parody/pastiche of "Back In The U. S. A." by Chuck Berry and "California Girls" by The Beach Boys, (it depends on your point of view really). Beach Boy Mike Love was also in Rishikesh at the same time as The Beatles. He suggested to Paul McCartney that he sing about girls from all over Russia as The Beach Boys had done about American girls in their song "California Girls". Although it was only for a fortnight, Ringo Starr became the first member of The Beatles to leave the group when he walked out of the studio. John, Paul and George all played bass and drums at some point during the recording of "Back In The U. S. S. R.". Ringo does not play on the track.

Answer: Penny Lane

Besides the title of the song "Glass Onion", there are four Beatles song titles referenced in the song. They are "Strawberry Fields Forever" (not "Penny Lane"), "Lady Madonna", "The Fool On The Hill" and "Fixing A Hole".

John Sings:

"I told you about strawberry fields
You know the place were nothing is real"

"Standing on the cast iron shore-yeah
Lady Madonna trying to make ends meet-yeah"

"I told you about the fool on the hill
I tell you man he's living there still"

"Fixing a hole in the ocean
Trying to make a dove-tail joint-yeah"

Answer: Marmalade

"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" was number one for three weeks on the UK chart for Marmalade in 1969. It failed to chart in the US.

Formed as Dean Ford and The Gaylords in the early '60s, Marmalade were the first Scottish group to top the UK chart. "Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, bra", was an expression used by a Nigerian acquaintance of Paul McCartney, conga player Jimmy Scott-Emuakpor. He later tried to claim a songwriters credit but dropped the claim after Paul McCartney paid his legal fees on another unrelated matter.

Answer: The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill

"The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill" was written by John Lennon but credited to Lennon/McCartney.

The song is about the exploits of Richard A. Cooke III (Rik) on a tiger hunt in Rishikesh, India. Rik was visiting his mother Nancy Cooke de Herrera at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Rishikesh at the same time that The Beatles were there. Rik and his mom apparently got on fine with The Beatles except for John Lennon. He wrote the song after Rik had posed for a photograph with a tiger he had shot on the hunt he had gone on with his mother. The story is that Rik had shot the tiger after it had attacked the hunting party. Whatever happened, Rik has been immortalised as Bungalow Bill in the song. A fame of sorts, I suppose.

Answer: Gibson Les Paul

Written and sung by George Harrison, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is his first contribution to "The Beatles" (The White Album).

George Harrison wrote "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at his mother's home in Warrington, then in Lancashire, UK. Although The Beatles had recorded the song a number of times George was unhappy with the results. He then asked his friend Eric Clapton to play lead guitar on the track. At the time the group were having internal troubles. Eric Clapton's presence in the studio had a sobering effect on The Beatles, making them behave better and pull together.

Answer: Dear

"Martha My Dear" was written by Paul McCartney but credited to Lennon/McCartney. Paul McCartney played the piano, bass, guitar, drums and also did handclaps. None of the other Beatles appear on the track.

"Martha My Dear" is probably about Paul McCartney's one time girlfriend and sister of Peter, actress Jane Asher. It was inspired however, by his Old English sheepdog Martha, praise indeed. Peter Asher was one half of the UK singing duo Peter and Gordon. They had a UK and US number one hit with "World Without Love" in 1964, written by Paul McCartney but credited to Lennon/McCartney. The song was not considered good enough for The Beatles and even their stablemate Billy J. Kramer turned it down.

Answer: Walter Raleigh

"I'm So Tired" was written by John Lennon but credited to Lennon/McCartney.

John Sings:

"I'm so tired, I'm feeling so upset
Although I'm so tired, I'll have another cigarette
And curse Sir Walter Raleigh
He was such a stupid get"

"Get" or "Git" in this context means an unpleasant or contemptible person or it can mean a person that has made a silly mistake, a "Stupid get/git" It can also be used among friends, as in a person doing something the wrong way but everything turning out OK. They would be described as a "Lucky get/git" or a "Stuffy get/git".

Answer: Piggies

George Harrison's second contribution to disc one of "The Beatles" (The White Album).

Although written by George Harrison, his mum Louise and John Lennon contributed lines to the song.
Louise Harrison added "What they need's a dam good whacking"
John Lennon added "Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon".
There is another verse to the song but it was left out of the album recording.
"Piggies", is a commentary on class and corporate greed and was sequenced between two other animal songs "Blackbird" and "Rocky Raccoon" by John Lennon and Paul McCartney when deciding the running order on the album.

Answer: Dan

"Rocky Raccoon" was written by Paul McCartney but credited to Lennon/McCartney.

Paul Sings:

"Her name was Magill and she called herself Lil
But everyone knew her as Nancy
Now she and her man who called himself Dan
Were in the next room at the hoe down"

The Beatles record producer George Martin plays the honky-tonk piano on the track. Jimmy Buffet, Andrew Gold, Richie Havens, Ramsey Lewis and Maureen McGovern are among others that have recorded versions of this song.

Answer: Don't Pass Me By

"Don't Pass Me By" was written and sung by Ringo Starr. It was the first published song written by Ringo Starr to be released on a Beatles album.

Ringo Starr was writing this song as long ago as 1964. On a BBC radio programme in 1964, Ringo was asked if he had written any songs and Paul McCartney mocked Ringo by singing "Don't pass me by, don't make me cry, don't make me blue." The only other Beatle playing on the track is Paul McCartney on bass guitar and grand piano. Canadian born Jack Fallon (violin, double bass, bass guitar) who had played with such people as Ted Heath, Ronnie Scott, George Shearing, Django Reinhardt, Count Bassie, Stephane Grappelli, Sarah Vaughan and Lena Horne, played the fiddle on this track.