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Back in the U.S.S.R. - Quiz
Contributed by: Woolley
  • 1. On what date did Apple Records release the album containing 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?
A) December 1982
B) 22 November 1968
C) 25 June 1976
D) September 2022
  • 2. Which song follows 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' on the album?
A) Don't Pass Me By
B) Helter Skelter
C) Dear Prudence
D) Birthday
  • 3. What is the B-side to the 1969 Scandinavian single release of 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?
A) Don't Pass Me By
B) Lady Madonna
C) Dear Prudence
D) Twist and Shout
  • 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) 1973
B) 1976
C) 1969
D) 1968
  • 5. Which song was the B-side for the 1976 UK single release of 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?
A) Twist and Shout
B) Don't Pass Me By
C) Birthday
D) Dear Prudence
  • 6. What chart position did 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' reach in the UK Singles Chart in 1976?
A) 19
B) 86
C) 11
D) 64
  • 7. In what year did the British Phonographic Industry award the song a silver certification?
A) 2006
B) 2022
C) 2018
D) 2010
  • 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) Little Richard
B) Chubby Checker
C) The Beach Boys
D) Chuck Berry
  • 10. How did Alan Smith of the NME describe 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?
A) A failed engagement with the rock audience
B) A rotten comedy song
C) A half-hearted and limp parody
D) A fantastic piece of screaming excitement
  • 11. According to David Griffiths, what purpose does the opening track serve?
A) Celebrating the Beatles' fame
B) Disorientating the average listener
C) Ignoring the basics of rock music
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 Turtles
B) Frank Zappa
C) The Rolling Stones
D) Jefferson Airplane
  • 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) Nik Cohn
C) Richard Goldstein
D) Tim Riley
  • 14. According to Jann Wenner, why is it too simple to call the song a parody?
A) It is not funny
B) It is technically inferior
C) It is a direct copy
D) It operates on multiple levels
  • 15. Tim Riley describes 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' as 'Brian Wilson with' what?
A) Sex appeal
B) Hard rock vocals
C) Political commentary
D) Ironic distance
  • 16. How does David Quantick characterize McCartney's musical ability in relation to the song?
A) Too arty and far from the basics
B) A master of pastiche and parody
C) Dependent on the Beach Boys
D) A failed satirist
  • 17. What did John Bohannon praise specifically regarding the vocal performance?
A) The satirical delivery
B) A hard rock vocal delivered from below the belt
C) The falsetto backings
D) The hilarious harmony vocals
  • 18. What ranking did Rolling Stone give the song in their 2010 list of '100 Greatest Beatles Songs'?
A) 85
B) 64
C) 19
D) 26
  • 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 subway train
B) A balalaika solo
C) A turboprop aircraft landing
D) A Russian choir
  • 21. Which music critic describes the song as an 'aural cartoon'?
A) Ken Scott
B) Doyle Greene
C) John Winn
D) Tim Riley
  • 22. Where was the flight in the song departing from?
A) London
B) Moscow
C) Ukraine
D) Miami Beach
  • 23. Which airline is mentioned in the lyrics as the carrier for the flight?
A) British Airways
B) Aeroflot
C) BOAC
D) Pan Am
  • 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 Beach Boys
C) The Rolling Stones
D) The Byrds
  • 26. Which band member walked out during the sessions for the 'White Album'?
A) John Lennon
B) George Harrison
C) Paul McCartney
D) Ringo Starr
  • 27. Who was the recording engineer at EMI Studios during the sessions?
A) Phil Spector
B) Ken Scott
C) Geoff Emerick
D) George Martin
  • 28. Which take of the basic track was chosen as the best?
A) Take 3
B) Take 1
C) Take 5
D) Take 22
  • 29. What vocal style did McCartney describe using on the song?
A) Buddy Holly voice
B) Little Richard voice
C) Elvis Presley voice
D) Jerry Lee Lewis voice
  • 30. What instrument did Lennon play on the basic track?
A) Acoustic guitar
B) Lead guitar
C) Fender Bass VI
D) Piano
  • 31. Who played the guitar solo in the instrumental break?
A) Ken Scott
B) John Lennon
C) George Harrison
D) Paul McCartney
  • 32. What specific type of aircraft recording was used for the sound effects?
A) Boeing 707 jet
B) Concorde
C) Viscount turboprop
D) DC-3 propeller plane
  • 33. When did Ringo Starr rejoin the group?
A) 4 September
B) 1 September
C) 23 August
D) 22 August
  • 34. What were the Beatles filming when Starr rejoined the group?
A) A promotional clip for 'Hey Jude'
B) A documentary
C) A live performance
D) A television interview
  • 35. Who recalled hearing Lennon play the song during a break in filming?
A) Ken Scott
B) Marc Sinden
C) John Winn
D) Tim Riley
  • 36. Which band recorded the song 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?
A) The Beach Boys
B) The Kinks
C) The Beatles
D) The Rolling Stones
  • 37. Who wrote 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?
A) Ringo Starr
B) Paul McCartney
C) John Lennon
D) George Harrison
  • 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) Back in the U.S.A.
D) I'm Backing the USSR
  • 39. Where were the Beatles when McCartney first played 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?
A) United Kingdom
B) India
C) Russia
D) United States
  • 40. According to Mike Love, what should the bridge section focus on?
A) Cars
B) Politics
C) Girls
D) Food
  • 41. Who suggested that the bridge should be in the style of 'California Girls'?
A) Donovan
B) John Lennon
C) Mike Love
D) George Harrison
  • 42. McCartney described the song's perspective as that of a what?
A) Western diplomat
B) Tourist
C) Russian spy
D) Soviet soldier
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