Back in the U.S.S.R.

Back in the U.S.S.R. - Quiz

1. On what date did Apple Records release the album containing 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?

A) December 1982
B) 25 June 1976
C) 22 November 1968
D) September 2022

2. Which song follows 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' on the album?

A) Don't Pass Me By
B) Birthday
C) Dear Prudence
D) Helter Skelter

3. What is the B-side to the 1969 Scandinavian single release of 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?

A) Dear Prudence
B) Lady Madonna
C) Twist and Shout
D) Don't Pass Me By

4. In what year was 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' issued as a single in the UK to promote 'Rock 'n' Roll Music'?

A) 1976
B) 1968
C) 1969
D) 1973

5. Which song was the B-side for the 1976 UK single release of 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?

A) Don't Pass Me By
B) Birthday
C) Dear Prudence
D) Twist and Shout

6. What chart position did 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' reach in the UK Singles Chart in 1976?

A) 19
B) 64
C) 11
D) 86

7. In what year did the British Phonographic Industry award the song a silver certification?

A) 2006
B) 2018
C) 2010
D) 2022

8. What locations were used in the promotional film made by EMI for the release?

A) Canada and Scandinavia
B) The USA and the UK
C) Russia and France
D) Amsterdam and West Germany

9. Who recorded a version of the song that reached number 86 in Canada?

A) Chubby Checker
B) Little Richard
C) Chuck Berry
D) The Beach Boys

10. How did Alan Smith of the NME describe 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?

A) A half-hearted and limp parody
B) A fantastic piece of screaming excitement
C) A failed engagement with the rock audience
D) A rotten comedy song

11. According to David Griffiths, what purpose does the opening track serve?

A) Disorientating the average listener
B) Ignoring the basics of rock music
C) Celebrating the Beatles' fame
D) Promoting the Beach Boys

12. Geoffrey Cannon suggested that the Beatles failed to engage with the rock audience in the same way as which band?

A) The Rolling Stones
B) Frank Zappa
C) Jefferson Airplane
D) The Turtles

13. Who described the middle eight of 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' as 'pure surf-age Beach Boys but it's all half-hearted and limp'?

A) Jann Wenner
B) Richard Goldstein
C) Nik Cohn
D) Tim Riley

14. According to Jann Wenner, why is it too simple to call the song a parody?

A) It is a direct copy
B) It is not funny
C) It is technically inferior
D) It operates on multiple levels

15. Tim Riley describes 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' as 'Brian Wilson with' what?

A) Ironic distance
B) Political commentary
C) Hard rock vocals
D) Sex appeal

16. How does David Quantick characterize McCartney's musical ability in relation to the song?

A) A failed satirist
B) A master of pastiche and parody
C) Dependent on the Beach Boys
D) Too arty and far from the basics

17. What did John Bohannon praise specifically regarding the vocal performance?

A) The falsetto backings
B) The hilarious harmony vocals
C) A hard rock vocal delivered from below the belt
D) The satirical delivery

18. What ranking did Rolling Stone give the song in their 2010 list of '100 Greatest Beatles Songs'?

A) 26
B) 19
C) 85
D) 64

19. According to Billy Bragg, the song is a 'wonderful inversion' of which artist's song?

A) The Beach Boys
B) Jerry Lee Lewis
C) Chuck Berry
D) Little Richard

20. What sound opens and closes the song 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?

A) A turboprop aircraft landing
B) A Russian choir
C) A balalaika solo
D) A subway train

21. Which music critic describes the song as an 'aural cartoon'?

A) Tim Riley
B) John Winn
C) Doyle Greene
D) Ken Scott

22. Where was the flight in the song departing from?

A) Ukraine
B) London
C) Moscow
D) Miami Beach

23. Which airline is mentioned in the lyrics as the carrier for the flight?

A) Pan Am
B) British Airways
C) Aeroflot
D) BOAC

24. What instrument drives the song according to the text?

A) Harrison's bass
B) Lennon's rhythm guitar
C) Starr's drums
D) McCartney's uptempo piano

25. The song's bridge is said to parody the style of which band?

A) The Kinks
B) The Rolling Stones
C) The Byrds
D) The Beach Boys

26. Which band member walked out during the sessions for the 'White Album'?

A) Paul McCartney
B) George Harrison
C) Ringo Starr
D) John Lennon

27. Who was the recording engineer at EMI Studios during the sessions?

A) Geoff Emerick
B) George Martin
C) Phil Spector
D) Ken Scott

28. Which take of the basic track was chosen as the best?

A) Take 22
B) Take 3
C) Take 5
D) Take 1

29. What vocal style did McCartney describe using on the song?

A) Little Richard voice
B) Jerry Lee Lewis voice
C) Elvis Presley voice
D) Buddy Holly voice

30. What instrument did Lennon play on the basic track?

A) Lead guitar
B) Fender Bass VI
C) Piano
D) Acoustic guitar

31. Who played the guitar solo in the instrumental break?

A) Paul McCartney
B) Ken Scott
C) George Harrison
D) John Lennon

32. What specific type of aircraft recording was used for the sound effects?

A) Boeing 707 jet
B) DC-3 propeller plane
C) Viscount turboprop
D) Concorde

33. When did Ringo Starr rejoin the group?

A) 23 August
B) 4 September
C) 22 August
D) 1 September

34. What were the Beatles filming when Starr rejoined the group?

A) A television interview
B) A documentary
C) A promotional clip for 'Hey Jude'
D) A live performance

35. Who recalled hearing Lennon play the song during a break in filming?

A) Marc Sinden
B) Tim Riley
C) Ken Scott
D) John Winn

36. Which band recorded the song 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?

A) The Beach Boys
B) The Beatles
C) The Rolling Stones
D) The Kinks

37. Who wrote 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?

A) George Harrison
B) John Lennon
C) Paul McCartney
D) Ringo Starr

38. What was the original title McCartney considered for the song?

A) I'm Backing the UK
B) Back in the U.S.S.R.
C) I'm Backing the USSR
D) Back in the U.S.A.

39. Where were the Beatles when McCartney first played 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?

A) Russia
B) India
C) United Kingdom
D) United States

40. According to Mike Love, what should the bridge section focus on?

A) Politics
B) Girls
C) Food
D) Cars

41. Who suggested that the bridge should be in the style of 'California Girls'?

A) George Harrison
B) Mike Love
C) John Lennon
D) Donovan

42. McCartney described the song's perspective as that of a what?

A) Russian spy
B) Tourist
C) Western diplomat
D) Soviet soldier

Created with That Quiz — where a math practice test is always one click away.