The Beatles, Geographically Speaking Quiz

Answer: Red Square

Red Square was not included in the list of Russian cities mentioned in "Back in the U.S.S.R.". "Back in the U.S.S.R." was written by Paul McCartney while he was in India but attributed to Lennon-McCartney. Mike Love of The Beach Boys was also in India with Paul and suggested that Paul list all the places that Russian girls could be from. The background harmonies had a Beach Boys influence.
The song was the opening song to the Beatles' double album commonly referred to as "The white Album".
The Russian authorities did not approve of the Beatles so Paul McCartney did not get to sing "Back in the U.S.S.R." in Russia until 2003.
Miami Beach was mentioned in the beginning of the song.

Answer: The Ballad of John and Yoko

"The Ballad of John and Yoko" was released as a single with "Old Brown Shoe" as the "B" side on May 30, 1969. George Harrison was away on holiday and Ringo Starr was busy filming "The Magic Christian" so John and Paul recorded "The Ballad of John and Yoko" together. The song was a Number One single on the UK charts but topped out at Number Eight in the US.
"The Ballad of John and Yoko" chronicled the events John Lennon and Yoko Ono experienced such as their "Bed-In" at the Amsterdam Hilton and other locations they visited.

Answer: LA

The opening lines of the song "Blue Jay Way" were "There's a fog upon LA and my friends have lost their way". The song was recorded for the group's 1967 "Magical Mystery Tour" album. Number 1567 Blue Jay Way was a home George Harrison rented in August, 1967. The home had a scenic view of Los Angeles but was a difficult navigate when it was foggy.
George was waiting for someone to get to the home during a fog and began writing the tune to pass the time.

Answer: It was credited to The Beatles with Billy Preston.

When "Get Back" was released as a single in April, 1969, it was credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston". "Get Back" was the Beatles' first single recorded for release in the US in stereo. "Get Back" was originally created as a protest song but the lyrics were modified before the final recording to the form in which it was released.
There were several takes of the song with Billy Preston on Fender Rhodes electric piano over a few days before they finally had a consensus on a favorite.
In January, 1969, the song was part of the Beatles' rooftop concert.
"Don't Let Me Down" was selected as the flip-side when the single was released. The "Let it Be" album mix differs from the single release in several ways.

Answer: Hollywood

The lyrics were "Come and show me the magic of your Hollywood song". Although Paul wrote the entire song it was attributed to Lennon/McCartney. Harry Klein played the clarinet solo which had been arranged by George Martin. Crackles were added to the third verse to replicate the sound of a 78 RPM record.
John Lennon played the guitar solo.
Dom DeLuise tap-danced to the song in thee 1978 movie "Sextette".

Answer: Liverpool

"Maggie Mae" was a traditional Folk song about the prostitutes that frequented Lime Street in Liverpool arranged by The Beatles for the "Let it Be" LP. The group had been performing the song since the days when they were known as The Quarrymen.

Answer: Dakota

The very first line of "Rocky Raccoon" was "Now somewhere in the black mining hills of Dakota there lived a young boy named Rocky Raccoon". The character's original name was "Rocky Sassoon" but Paul changed it to Raccoon to emulate a cowboy feel for the song.
"Rocky Raccoon" was the last song recorded by the band to feature John Lennon on harmonica. George Martin played the honky-tonk piano section. The song was recorded in 1968 and became part of the group's "White Album".

Answer: Isle of Wight

In verse six the lyrics were "Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear". Paul McCartney had written "When I'm Sixty-Four" when he was in his teens. The song featured clarinets, with one of the clarinets harmonizing with Paul McCartney on the final verse.
After the song was originally recorded in the key of C Paul McCartney suggested the tape be sped up until the pitch was D flat in an effort to make his voice sound a little younger.

Answer: Magical Mystery Tour

"Penny Lane" was originally scheduled to become part of the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". It was decided to release the song as a single backed with "Strawberry Fields Forever" early in 1967. Both songs were later included on side two of the "Magical Mystery Tour" LP. George Martin once remarked that "Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever" was the best double sided release the Beatles had released.
Strawberry Field was a Salvation Army Children's Home near John Lennon's home in Liverpool.
David Mason played the piccolo trumpet solo on "Penny Lane". The trumpet fetched 10,846 pounds at a Sotheby's auction 1987.

Answer: Little Richard

"Kansas City" was originally listed on the "Beatles for Sale" LP as simply "Kansas City" without acknowledging "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey". When attorneys for Venice Music petitioned the group the title was changed to reflect Little Richard's medley rendition of the song that he released in 1959 and credited him as author. The Beatles had been performing the medley since their days in Hamburg the way Little Richard had recorded it.
"Beatles for Sale" was released in the US as "Beatles '65".
Trini Lopez released a single of "Kansas City" in 1963, James Brown's rendition was a 1967 single and Muddy Waters recorded a version in 1979 on his "Muddy 'Mississippi' Waters - Live" album.