As Covered by The Beatles Trivia Quiz

Answer: Baby It's You

This song was a big hit for The Shirelles, which is probably why it was chosen as the title of a Broadway jukebox musical based on the life and career of Florence Greenberg, the founder of their record label, Tiara Records.

It was a live favourite for the Beatles as early as 1961, and an obvious choice to go on their first UK album. On the album recording, the celesta is played by producer George Martin.

Answer: The Isley Brothers

This song appears on The Beatles' first UK album ("Please, Please Me") which was recorded in a single day. This song was recorded in a single take (a second take was attempted and abandoned), right at the end of the session. Lennon's voice was ragged from singing all day - he practically had to shout the vocal, but turned in one of his greatest performances. Listen carefully to the end and you can hear a triumphant, disbelieving "Hey!" from McCartney.

Answer: Postman

Written and recorded by the Marvelettes in 1961, "Please Mr Postman" was picked up by The Beatles who added it to their live set. They recorded it for their second UK album ("With The Beatles") in 1963. By this time they had already ditched the song from their live set, and it needed a fair amount of studio polishing before it was ready for release. The song would later go on to be a big hit for The Carpenters.

Incidentally, The Beatles did go on to write a song addressed to a female traffic warden (referred to as a meter maid). It was called "Lovely Rita" and features on their 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".

Answer: The Music Man

In "The Music Man" this song is sung by a librarian (Marian Paroo) to her con artist lover (Prof. Harold Hill).

Despite not being an obvious choice for a rock and roll group it was one of the songs from The Beatles' original audition for Decca - an audition they famously failed, because "guitar bands were on the way out".

Answer: Berry Gordy

This was the song that kickstarted Berry Gordy's Motown career - a label that would go on to make superstars of the Jackson 5.

The Beatles' version was recorded on a single day in July 1963, with George Martin dubbing the piano later. The song was also a reflection of Lennon's professional ambition at the time - in interviews he said what he wanted to was to be 'rich and famous'.

Answer: Long Tall Sally

According to Rolling Stone magazine, Little Richard was put out that Pat Boone had seen bigger chart success with Richard's "Tutti Frutti" than Richard himself. He thus wrote "Long Tall Sally" in an attempt to write a song too fast for Boone to sing. (It didn't work; Boone's version got to number six.)

"Long Tall Sally" was one of a collection of songs The Beatles recorded for "A Hard Day's Night", although it was left off the final version and released instead on an EP. The Beatles did perform "Tutti Frutti" live on occasion, but no known recording survives.

Answer: Buddy Holly

While not a big hit in its original version, the little-known Buddy Holly gem "Words of Love" is famous for being an early (and possibly the first) example of double-tracked vocals, in which Holly is harmonising with himself.

The Beatles' version was recorded in 1964 for their fourth UK studio album ("Beatles For Sale"), at which time the group were suffering from burnout and resorted to covers to pad out their own material. That clapping effect in the background is Ringo slapping a packing case.

Answer: Crowded House

A live favourite of the group, The Beatles recorded this Chuck Berry classic in a single take. Berry's original has been credited as one of the most influential rock and roll tracks in history; as well as REO Speedwagon, Manic Street Preachers and Bryan Adams, it has also been covered by the Beach Boys and Bill Haley.

The song also featured in 80s comedy "Young Einstein", where it's performed by Australian group Mental As Anything.

Answer: Ringo

"Act Naturally" was supposedly born after Johnny Russell had to cancel a date and had to explain to his then-girlfriend what he was doing in Los Angeles - he'd told her they were going to put him in the movies. The Beatles version is notable for being a lead for Ringo, who would go on to include it in his solo tours. Gonzo the Great performed the song on "The Muppet Show" in 1979.

Answer: Liverpool

This bawdy tale had been in circulation for years before the Beatles got hold of it, with the earliest known versions referring to "Nelly" and probably being set in London. The song started to reach a wider audience in the late 1950s when a skiffle version (in which Maggie plies her trade on Lime Street in Liverpool) was recorded by The Vipers Skiffle Group. At the time the song was banned by BBC Radio because of its sexual content, despite attempts to tone it down!

The Beatles were singing the song live when they were still The Quarrymen, and tinkered with it during the listless and difficult "Let It Be" sessions. They eventually released a half-finished version on the album which was cut from the remastered 2003 release.