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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) 25 June 1976
B) 22 November 1968
C) December 1982
D) September 2022
  • 2. Which song follows 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' on the album?
A) Dear Prudence
B) Birthday
C) Don't Pass Me By
D) Helter Skelter
  • 3. What is the B-side to the 1969 Scandinavian single release of 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?
A) Lady Madonna
B) Dear Prudence
C) Don't Pass Me By
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) 1976
B) 1969
C) 1973
D) 1968
  • 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) Twist and Shout
C) Dear Prudence
D) Birthday
  • 6. What chart position did 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' reach in the UK Singles Chart in 1976?
A) 86
B) 64
C) 11
D) 19
  • 7. In what year did the British Phonographic Industry award the song a silver certification?
A) 2010
B) 2022
C) 2018
D) 2006
  • 8. What locations were used in the promotional film made by EMI for the release?
A) Russia and France
B) Amsterdam and West Germany
C) Canada and Scandinavia
D) The USA and the UK
  • 9. Who recorded a version of the song that reached number 86 in Canada?
A) The Beach Boys
B) Chuck Berry
C) Chubby Checker
D) Little Richard
  • 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 rotten comedy song
C) A failed engagement with the rock audience
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) Ignoring the basics of rock music
C) Promoting the Beach Boys
D) Disorientating the average listener
  • 12. Geoffrey Cannon suggested that the Beatles failed to engage with the rock audience in the same way as which band?
A) Frank Zappa
B) Jefferson Airplane
C) The Rolling Stones
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) Richard Goldstein
B) Jann Wenner
C) Tim Riley
D) Nik Cohn
  • 14. According to Jann Wenner, why is it too simple to call the song a parody?
A) It operates on multiple levels
B) It is technically inferior
C) It is not funny
D) It is a direct copy
  • 15. Tim Riley describes 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' as 'Brian Wilson with' what?
A) Hard rock vocals
B) Sex appeal
C) Political commentary
D) Ironic distance
  • 16. How does David Quantick characterize McCartney's musical ability in relation to the song?
A) A failed satirist
B) Too arty and far from the basics
C) A master of pastiche and parody
D) Dependent on the Beach Boys
  • 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 hilarious harmony vocals
D) The falsetto backings
  • 18. What ranking did Rolling Stone give the song in their 2010 list of '100 Greatest Beatles Songs'?
A) 19
B) 85
C) 26
D) 64
  • 19. According to Billy Bragg, the song is a 'wonderful inversion' of which artist's song?
A) Jerry Lee Lewis
B) Little Richard
C) Chuck Berry
D) The Beach Boys
  • 20. What sound opens and closes the song 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?
A) A balalaika solo
B) A Russian choir
C) A turboprop aircraft landing
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) Miami Beach
C) Moscow
D) London
  • 23. Which airline is mentioned in the lyrics as the carrier for the flight?
A) BOAC
B) British Airways
C) Pan Am
D) Aeroflot
  • 24. What instrument drives the song according to the text?
A) McCartney's uptempo piano
B) Harrison's bass
C) Starr's drums
D) Lennon's rhythm guitar
  • 25. The song's bridge is said to parody the style of which band?
A) The Beach Boys
B) The Byrds
C) The Rolling Stones
D) The Kinks
  • 26. Which band member walked out during the sessions for the 'White Album'?
A) Paul McCartney
B) George Harrison
C) John Lennon
D) Ringo Starr
  • 27. Who was the recording engineer at EMI Studios during the sessions?
A) Phil Spector
B) Ken Scott
C) George Martin
D) Geoff Emerick
  • 28. Which take of the basic track was chosen as the best?
A) Take 3
B) Take 5
C) Take 1
D) Take 22
  • 29. What vocal style did McCartney describe using on the song?
A) Buddy Holly voice
B) Elvis Presley voice
C) Jerry Lee Lewis voice
D) Little Richard voice
  • 30. What instrument did Lennon play on the basic track?
A) Piano
B) Acoustic guitar
C) Lead guitar
D) Fender Bass VI
  • 31. Who played the guitar solo in the instrumental break?
A) John Lennon
B) George Harrison
C) Ken Scott
D) Paul McCartney
  • 32. What specific type of aircraft recording was used for the sound effects?
A) Viscount turboprop
B) DC-3 propeller plane
C) Concorde
D) Boeing 707 jet
  • 33. When did Ringo Starr rejoin the group?
A) 23 August
B) 4 September
C) 1 September
D) 22 August
  • 34. What were the Beatles filming when Starr rejoined the group?
A) A documentary
B) A television interview
C) A live performance
D) A promotional clip for 'Hey Jude'
  • 35. Who recalled hearing Lennon play the song during a break in filming?
A) Ken Scott
B) John Winn
C) Tim Riley
D) Marc Sinden
  • 36. Which band recorded the song 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?
A) The Kinks
B) The Beatles
C) The Rolling Stones
D) The Beach Boys
  • 37. Who wrote 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?
A) Ringo Starr
B) George Harrison
C) Paul McCartney
D) John Lennon
  • 38. What was the original title McCartney considered for the song?
A) I'm Backing the USSR
B) I'm Backing the UK
C) Back in the U.S.A.
D) Back in the U.S.S.R.
  • 39. Where were the Beatles when McCartney first played 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?
A) Russia
B) United Kingdom
C) United States
D) India
  • 40. According to Mike Love, what should the bridge section focus on?
A) Cars
B) Girls
C) Food
D) Politics
  • 41. Who suggested that the bridge should be in the style of 'California Girls'?
A) John Lennon
B) Mike Love
C) Donovan
D) George Harrison
  • 42. McCartney described the song's perspective as that of a what?
A) Western diplomat
B) Russian spy
C) Tourist
D) Soviet soldier
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