138 Fun Facts About The Beatles

How many members were in The Beatles?

The Beatles were a four-piece band: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

Which city in England were The Beatles from?

The Beatles formed in Liverpool in 1960. The city's vibrant music scene, known as Merseybeat, was central to their early development.

Which original bass guitarist left the Beatles to pursue a career as a painter?

Stuart Sutcliffe, the band's original bassist, left in 1961 to study painting in Hamburg under Eduardo Paolozzi; he died of a brain haemorrhage in April 1962, aged 21.

What was the name of The Beatles' first number-one hit in the UK?

'From Me to You' reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in May 1963, becoming The Beatles' first undisputed UK chart-topper.

Which Beatles song opens with the line 'all my troubles seemed so far away'?

'Yesterday' was written by Paul McCartney and released on the 1965 album Help! It is one of the most covered songs in music history.

Which Lennon song was released in February 1967 as a double A-side single with 'Penny Lane'?

'Strawberry Fields Forever' was paired with 'Penny Lane' in February 1967; the single stalled at number 2 in the UK behind Engelbert Humperdinck's 'Release Me', ending a run of eleven straight chart-toppers.

What was Ringo Starr's real name?

Ringo Starr was born Richard Starkey in the Dingle district of Liverpool in 1940; the nickname 'Ringo' came from the rings he habitually wore.

Which American TV show did The Beatles famously appear on in February 1964?

The Beatles made their live US television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show on 9 February 1964, opening with 'All My Loving' and igniting American Beatlemania.

Which Beatles album features the band walking across a zebra crossing on its cover?

The cover of Abbey Road (1969) shows John, Ringo, Paul, and George walking across the zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios. It is one of the most recognizable album covers in music history.

Which instrument did Paul McCartney primarily play in The Beatles?

Paul McCartney was the bassist and co-lead vocalist of The Beatles. His melodic bass lines became a hallmark of the band's sound.

What was the name of The Beatles' manager who discovered them?

Brian Epstein, who ran the NEMS record shop in Liverpool, saw the Beatles at a lunchtime show in November 1961, became their manager in January 1962 and secured their EMI recording contract.

Which Beatles song was their first to top the US Billboard Hot 100, in February 1964, launching the British Invasion?

'I Want to Hold Your Hand' entered the Hot 100 at number 45 on January 18, 1964, and reached number one on February 1.

What year did The Beatles officially break up?

Paul McCartney announced his departure from The Beatles on April 10, 1970, effectively ending the band. The legal dissolution followed in 1975.

Who was The Beatles' legendary record producer, often called 'the fifth Beatle'?

George Martin produced nearly all of The Beatles' recordings and was instrumental in translating their ideas into innovative studio productions. His classical music training and willingness to experiment helped define the band's sound.

Which Beatles studio album was the last to be released, in May 1970?

Let It Be (1970) was the last Beatles album released, though Abbey Road (1969) was actually the last one recorded. Let It Be was produced by Phil Spector from earlier sessions.

Which Beatles album is commonly known as 'The White Album'?

The Beatles' self-titled 1968 double album is universally known as 'The White Album' due to its minimalist plain white cover designed by Richard Hamilton.

In which German city did The Beatles famously hone their skills playing long sets in clubs?

In Hamburg the Beatles played gruelling club residencies at the Indra, the Kaiserkeller, the Top Ten Club and the Star-Club between 1960 and 1962, often performing for six or more hours a night.

What was the name of The Beatles' record label, founded in 1968?

Apple Records was founded by The Beatles in 1968 as part of their Apple Corps business venture. It served as the band's primary label for their later releases and continued as a functioning label after their breakup.

Which songwriter partnership is credited with the majority of Beatles songs?

The Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership produced the vast majority of Beatles songs. Even when songs were written primarily by one of them, they maintained the joint credit as agreed early in their career.

Which Abbey Road track did George Harrison write in Eric Clapton's garden in 1969?

George Harrison wrote 'Here Comes the Sun' in spring 1969 in Eric Clapton's garden at Hurtwood Edge after skipping an Apple Corps business meeting; it opens side two of Abbey Road.

Who replaced Pete Best as The Beatles' drummer in 1962?

Ringo Starr replaced Pete Best on August 18, 1962, just weeks before The Beatles recorded their first single 'Love Me Do'. Best had been with the band since 1960.

What was the title of The Beatles' first feature film, released in 1964?

A Hard Day's Night (1964), shot in black and white, followed the Beatles through a fictionalized 36 hours of their lives and was a critical and commercial success.

Which Beatles song features a sitar, one of the first uses of the instrument in Western pop?

'Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)' from Rubber Soul (1965) featured George Harrison playing sitar, marking one of the earliest uses of the Indian instrument in Western pop music and sparking Harrison's lifelong interest in Indian culture.

Which venue in Liverpool was The Beatles' regular performing spot before they became famous?

The Cavern Club, a Mathew Street cellar that opened in 1957 as a jazz venue, first hosted the Beatles at a lunchtime session on 9 February 1961; they played there nearly 300 times.

Which Abbey Road track ends abruptly because Lennon said 'cut it right there' at 7:44?

Lennon overdubbed a Moog 'wind' of white noise across the second half; the tape would have run out within another 20 seconds anyway.

At which San Francisco stadium did the Beatles give their last full public concert, on 29 August 1966?

Candlestick Park hosted the Beatles' last ticketed concert on 29 August 1966; fittingly, Paul McCartney played the stadium's final event in August 2014 before its demolition.

Which song was the A-side of the Beatles' first single, released on Parlophone in October 1962?

'Love Me Do' peaked at number 17 in the UK, a modest debut that gave little hint of the mania to follow. George Martin had signed them to EMI's Parlophone label.

At which outdoor venue did The Beatles set a concert attendance world record in August 1965?

The Beatles played Shea Stadium in New York on August 15, 1965, to approximately 55,600 fans, setting a world record for the largest audience at a concert at the time. The screaming was so loud the band could barely hear themselves play.

What meditation technique did The Beatles study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India?

The Beatles travelled to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram in Rishikesh, India, in early 1968 to study Transcendental Meditation. The visit was highly productive, yielding many songs on The White Album.

Which label rejected the Beatles' 1 January 1962 audition and signed the Tremeloes?

Decca turned the Beatles down after their 1 January 1962 audition and signed Brian Poole and the Tremeloes instead; five audition songs, including 'Searchin'' and 'Hello Little Girl', appeared on Anthology 1 in 1995.

Which keyboardist received a rare credit on a Beatles single, released as 'The Beatles with' him in 1969?

Billy Preston, who had met the Beatles in Hamburg in 1962 while touring with Little Richard, played electric piano on 'Get Back', issued in April 1969 as 'The Beatles with Billy Preston'.

Which Abbey Road song features Ringo Starr's only drum solo on a Beatles record?

'The End' from Abbey Road is generally considered the last song all four Beatles recorded together, with its famous round-robin guitar solos from Paul, George, and John, and Ringo's only drum solo on a Beatles record.

Which Beatles song was banned by the BBC for supposedly containing a drug reference in its title?

'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' from Sgt. Pepper's was widely interpreted as a reference to LSD due to its initials. John Lennon consistently denied this, saying the title came from a drawing by his son Julian of a classmate named Lucy.

Which track opens the Beatles' 1967 album named for a fictional band?

The album opens with the title track 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band', which introduces the fictional band concept. It segues directly into 'With a Little Help from My Friends', sung by Ringo Starr.

Which 1971 John Lennon album topped both the UK and US album charts?

Imagine (1971), Lennon's second solo studio album, was recorded largely at his Tittenhurst Park home studio and topped the album charts in both Britain and America.

Where did The Beatles perform their famous rooftop concert in January 1969?

On 30 January 1969 the Beatles played an unannounced lunchtime set on the roof of their Apple Corps headquarters in Mayfair, London; it was their final public performance and closes the Let It Be film.

Who photographed the Abbey Road zebra-crossing cover on 8 August 1969?

Iain Macmillan shot the Abbey Road cover on 8 August 1969 from a stepladder in the road while a policeman held up traffic; he took just six frames in about ten minutes.

Which album's Peter Blake cover shows the band in colorful military-style uniforms?

The cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), designed by Peter Blake and Jann Haworth, features The Beatles in colorful satin uniforms surrounded by a collage of famous figures. It is considered one of the most influential album covers ever made.

Which Beatle wrote 'Something', which Frank Sinatra called 'the greatest love song of the past 50 years'?

George Harrison wrote 'Something' for the Abbey Road album (1969). Frank Sinatra famously praised it, though he initially and incorrectly attributed it to Lennon-McCartney. It was the first Harrison composition to appear as an A-side Beatles single.

Which 1966 Beatles album's cover, drawn by Klaus Voormann, won a Grammy for Best Album Cover?

Revolver's black-and-white cover, drawn by the band's Hamburg friend Klaus Voormann, won the 1967 Grammy for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts; Voormann later played bass on solo records by Lennon, Harrison and Starr.

What reverse-tape technique did The Beatles pioneer on 'Rain' and 'Tomorrow Never Knows'?

Backmasking — recording sounds and then reversing them on the final track — was pioneered by The Beatles and George Martin. John Lennon reportedly discovered it accidentally when he loaded a tape of 'Rain' backwards into his home recorder.

In what year did John Lennon say The Beatles were 'more popular than Jesus'?

John Lennon made the remark in an interview with the London Evening Standard in March 1966. It caused little stir in the UK but provoked massive backlash in the American South, including record burnings and protest rallies, when it was republished in the US that August.

What accompanies Paul McCartney's acoustic guitar on the 1965 recording of 'Yesterday'?

George Martin arranged a string quartet accompaniment for 'Yesterday', marking the first time The Beatles used classical musicians on a recording. The combination of McCartney's solo vocal and acoustic guitar with the strings created a new sound for pop music.

What was the name of The Beatles' 1967 television film that received poor critical reception?

Magical Mystery Tour, conceived and directed by the Beatles themselves, aired on BBC1 on Boxing Day 1967 and was savaged by critics, though its soundtrack songs sold strongly.

How many weeks did 'Hey Jude' spend at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100?

'Hey Jude' spent nine consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968, the longest run at the top for any Beatles single in the US.

Which Beatles album was recorded in a single day at EMI Studios on 11 February 1963?

Please Please Me was taped in one 585-minute session on 11 February 1963 – ten new songs added to the four already issued as singles; Mark Lewisohn called it history's most productive day of recording.

What was the working title for 'Yesterday' before Paul McCartney wrote the final lyrics?

Paul McCartney famously woke up with the melody in his head and initially set it to placeholder lyrics beginning 'Scrambled eggs, oh my baby how I love your legs'. He kept the working title for months until he wrote the final lyrics.

Which guitarist played the lead guitar solo on 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'?

Eric Clapton played lead guitar on 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' at George Harrison's invitation on 6 September 1968; reluctant at first ('Nobody plays on Beatles records'), he went uncredited on the White Album.

On which date was John Lennon shot dead in the archway of the Dakota, his New York home, aged 40?

Mark David Chapman shot him on December 8, 1980, in the archway of the Dakota, his Manhattan home; Lennon was 40.

Who directed both A Hard Day's Night and the Beatles' second film, Help!?

Richard Lester directed both A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965); his fast-cut style on the latter was later cited by MTV as a forerunner of the music video.

Which Beatles film was shot on location in the Bahamas and the Austrian Alps?

Help! (1965) was shot in colour in the Bahamas, the Austrian Alps and England, and had its royal premiere at the London Pavilion on 29 July 1965.

Who directed the 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine?

George Dunning, a Canadian animator, directed Yellow Submarine (1968); art director Heinz Edelmann designed its look, and the real Beatles appear only in a brief live-action closing scene.

Who are the music-hating villains that invade Pepperland in Yellow Submarine?

The Blue Meanies, led by their Chief Blue Meanie, invade Pepperland and freeze its music-loving citizens until the Beatles arrive by submarine to restore colour and song.

Which non-album double A-side single came out alongside Rubber Soul in 1965?

We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper was released on 3 December 1965, the same day as Rubber Soul, and was the UK's Christmas number one that year.

Which Guinness heir's death inspired lyrics in 'A Day in the Life'?

Tara Browne, a 21-year-old Guinness heir and friend of the Beatles, died crashing his Lotus Elan in December 1966; Lennon drew on the newspaper report for 'A Day in the Life'.

What ensemble did George Martin arrange for 'Eleanor Rigby'?

George Martin scored 'Eleanor Rigby' for a double string quartet – four violins, two violas and two cellos – with no Beatle playing an instrument; he cited Bernard Herrmann's film scores as inspiration.

Which session musician played the piccolo trumpet solo on 'Penny Lane'?

David Mason played the piccolo trumpet solo on 'Penny Lane' on 17 January 1967 after McCartney saw him perform Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 on television; George Martin notated McCartney's hummed melody.

Whose mix of 'Let It Be' has the more aggressive guitar solo and louder orchestra?

Phil Spector's 1970 album mix of 'Let It Be' uses Harrison's more strident January 1970 guitar solo and pushes the brass and choir forward; George Martin's single mix keeps the gentler solo with the orchestra low.

Paul McCartney said 'Let It Be' came to him after dreaming about whom?

McCartney dreamed of his mother Mary, who had died of cancer in 1956 when he was 14; her reassuring words in the dream became 'Let It Be'.

Which psychologist asked Lennon to write a campaign song that became 'Come Together'?

Leary planned to run for Governor of California with the slogan 'Come Together – Join the Party!'.

Which 1969 single was the first Beatles release issued in true stereo in the US?

'Get Back', released in April 1969, was the first Beatles single issued in true stereo in the US; it spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Whose 1962 version of 'Twist and Shout' made it a hit before the Beatles covered it?

The Isley Brothers' 1962 recording, produced by Bert Berns, took 'Twist and Shout' into the US top 20; the Top Notes' 1961 original, produced by Phil Spector, had flopped.

McCartney has said the guitar part of 'Blackbird' was inspired by which Bach piece?

McCartney adapted the guitar figure of 'Blackbird' from Bach's Bourrée in E minor, a lute piece he and George Harrison had tried to learn as teenagers to show off.

Which Beatles song won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1967?

'Michelle', from Rubber Soul, won the Grammy for Song of the Year at the 1967 ceremony; McCartney modelled its finger-picking on Chet Atkins's 'Trambone'.

Which duo's 1969 cover of 'Ticket to Ride' reached number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100?

The Carpenters' slowed-down 1969 cover of 'Ticket to Ride', their debut single, peaked at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100; their first album was later retitled Ticket to Ride.

In which city's George V hotel did McCartney write 'Can't Buy Me Love'?

It was written under pressure just as 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' hit number one in America.

Which Beatles single sold the most copies in the UK during the 1960s?

She Loves You sold about 1.9 million copies in Britain, the Beatles' biggest UK seller and the top-selling UK single of the 1960s by any artist.

Which Frank Sinatra song interrupted 'Paperback Writer' at US number one in 1966?

Frank Sinatra's 'Strangers in the Night' held the Hot 100 top spot for one week in July 1966 before 'Paperback Writer' returned to number one; McCartney's Auntie Lil had challenged him to write about something besides love.

Which technique opens 'Eight Days a Week', a first for a pop studio recording?

'Eight Days a Week' opens with a fade-in, a first for a pop studio recording; McCartney has attributed the title phrase both to Ringo Starr and to a chauffeur who drove him to Lennon's house.

Whose 2016 documentary on the Beatles' touring years was titled Eight Days a Week?

Ron Howard directed The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years (2016), which won the Grammy for Best Music Film; it covers the band's concert years from 1963 to 1966.

Which 1977 John Lennon home demo did the surviving Beatles finish as their 1995 reunion single?

'Free as a Bird', built on a 1977 cassette demo Lennon recorded at the Dakota, was released in December 1995 to launch Anthology 1; its video is shot from a bird's point of view.

Which producer worked on both Anthology reunion singles with the surviving Beatles?

Jeff Lynne co-produced both Anthology reunion singles in 1995 and 1996; he had already produced George Harrison's Cloud Nine (1987) and played alongside him in the Traveling Wilburys.

McCartney imagined 'The Long and Winding Road' being sung by which artist?

McCartney wrote 'The Long and Winding Road' at his Scottish farm imagining Ray Charles singing it; he later cited Phil Spector's orchestral overdubs on the track in his 1970 High Court suit to dissolve the partnership.

Whose boat in Sardinia inspired the idea for 'Octopus's Garden'?

Ringo Starr got the idea aboard Peter Sellers' yacht in Sardinia in 1968: served squid instead of the fish and chips he had ordered, he heard the captain describe how octopuses gather stones into gardens.

Which anthem opens the Beatles' 'All You Need Is Love'?

'All You Need Is Love' opens with a burst of 'La Marseillaise', the French anthem, arranged by George Martin; the song was Britain's contribution to the June 1967 global broadcast Our World.

What was the B-side of the 1967 single 'All You Need Is Love'?

'Baby, You're a Rich Man', recorded at Olympic Studios in May 1967 with Lennon on clavioline, was the B-side of 'All You Need Is Love'.

Which BBC producer conceived the 1967 global broadcast Our World?

Aubrey Singer, a BBC producer, conceived Our World, the 25 June 1967 broadcast carried by four satellites to an estimated 400 to 700 million viewers.

Roughly how many Americans watched the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964?

An estimated 73 million Americans watched the Beatles' first Ed Sullivan Show appearance on 9 February 1964, a record audience for a US television broadcast at the time.

Which booking agent first sent the Beatles to Hamburg in 1960?

Allan Williams, who ran Liverpool's Jacaranda club, booked the Beatles into Hamburg's Indra club in August 1960 after his other act, Derry and the Seniors, had done well there.

Why was George Harrison deported from Hamburg in 1960?

George Harrison, then 17, was deported in November 1960 because he was underage for the clubs' late hours; McCartney and Pete Best were expelled days later over a small fire at the Bambi Kino.

John Lennon's pre-Beatles skiffle group the Quarrymen took its name from what?

The Quarrymen took their name from a line in a school song – the anthem of Quarry Bank High School, which Lennon attended: 'Quarry men, old before our birth'.

Which Buddy Holly song did the Quarrymen record in their 1958 amateur session?

The Quarrymen's 1958 acetate, cut at Percy Phillips's home studio in Liverpool, paired Buddy Holly's 'That'll Be the Day' with 'In Spite of All the Danger', credited to McCartney and Harrison.

In what year was EMI Recording Studios renamed Abbey Road Studios?

EMI Recording Studios was officially renamed Abbey Road Studios in 1976, seven years after the Beatles' album made the address famous; the band favoured its Studio Two.

Which Beatles roadie was shot dead by Los Angeles police in 1976?

Mal Evans, the Beatles' roadie and personal assistant from 1963, was shot dead by Los Angeles police on 5 January 1976 after brandishing an air rifle during a confused stand-off at his apartment.

Which former road manager ran Apple Corps from 1970 to 2007?

Neil Aspinall, a Liverpool Institute schoolmate of McCartney and Harrison who drove the band to early gigs in a Commer van, ran Apple Corps from 1970 until he retired in April 2007.

Which venue, opened by Pete Best's mother in her cellar, hosted early Quarrymen shows?

The Casbah Coffee Club opened in August 1959 in the cellar of Mona Best's house in West Derby, Liverpool; the Quarrymen played its opening night and helped paint the walls.

Yoko Ono was involved with which New York avant-garde art group in the early 1960s?

Yoko Ono was a leading figure in Fluxus, the New York avant-garde network around George Maciunas, staging events in her Chambers Street loft in 1960–61; 'Cut Piece' (1964) is her best-known work.

Linda McCartney was the first woman to have a photograph on the cover of which magazine?

Linda McCartney's shot of Eric Clapton made her the first woman photographer with a Rolling Stone cover, in May 1968; she was the unofficial house photographer at New York's Fillmore East.

Which model married George Harrison in 1966 and later Eric Clapton, inspiring songs by both men?

Pattie Boyd inspired Harrison's 'Something' and Clapton's 'Layla' and 'Wonderful Tonight'.

Which sitar player co-organised the Concert for Bangladesh with George Harrison?

Ravi Shankar, Harrison's sitar teacher, asked him for help with the Bangladesh refugee crisis; the two Concert for Bangladesh shows at Madison Square Garden on 1 August 1971 drew 40,000 people.

Which Moody Blues alumnus was a core member of Wings alongside Paul and Linda McCartney?

Denny Laine, singer of the Moody Blues' chart-topper 'Go Now', stayed with Wings from 1971 to 1981; the band went through three lead guitarists and four drummers, but the McCartney–Laine core trio never changed.

Which singer did the Beatles back on the 1961 Polydor recording 'My Bonnie'?

Tony Sheridan recorded 'My Bonnie' in Hamburg in June 1961 with the Beatles as his backing group, credited on the Polydor single as the Beat Brothers; it was the first commercial release to feature them.

Where did the Let It Be rehearsals begin on 2 January 1969?

The Get Back/Let It Be sessions began on 2 January 1969 on a cold soundstage at Twickenham Film Studios; the ill-tempered rehearsals there led George Harrison to walk out on 10 January.

Which engineer's rejected mixes of the Get Back album circulated widely as bootlegs?

Glyn Johns compiled Get Back albums in May 1969 and January 1970 that the band rejected; acetates leaked and were widely bootlegged before Phil Spector was handed the tapes in March 1970.

In what format was Magical Mystery Tour first released in the UK in December 1967?

In Britain Magical Mystery Tour came out on 8 December 1967 as a pair of EPs holding the six film songs; the US Capitol LP added five 1967 single sides.

Which LP was the band's first release on their own Apple Records label?

The White Album, released in November 1968, was the first Beatles LP on Apple Records; Richard Hamilton's plain white sleeve was a deliberate contrast to Sgt. Pepper's crowded cover.

Which song on With the Beatles was George Harrison's first recorded solo composition?

'Don't Bother Me', written by George Harrison while ill in a Bournemouth hotel in August 1963, was the first song solely credited to him on a Beatles record.

Which fashion photographer shot the cover of With the Beatles?

Robert Freeman shot the half-shadowed With the Beatles portrait in a Bournemouth hotel corridor in August 1963; a blue-tinted version became the cover of Meet the Beatles! in the US.

Which Beatles song was inspired by a Kellogg's Corn Flakes television advertisement?

Lennon took the title and refrain of 'Good Morning Good Morning' from a Kellogg's Corn Flakes TV jingle; the Sgt. Pepper track ends with animal sounds sequenced so each creature could eat the one before.

Which guitar did George Harrison play on A Hard Day's Night, later influencing the Byrds?

George Harrison played a Rickenbacker 12-string (the 360/12) throughout A Hard Day's Night; Roger McGuinn bought one after seeing the film, shaping the Byrds' jangle.

Which 1964 album marked a departure from the band's upbeat tone due to touring exhaustion?

Beatles for Sale (December 1964), recorded between tours, has a weary, downbeat tone and leaned on six cover versions; its sessions also produced the feedback-opening single 'I Feel Fine'.

Which Help! track features a flute section?

'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away', Lennon's Dylan-influenced acoustic number, ends with a flute passage played by session musician John Scott on tenor and alto flutes.

Which 1966 US Beatles album is remembered for its withdrawn 'butcher cover' of white smocks, raw meat and doll parts?

Some read Yesterday and Today's cover as a protest at Capitol 'butchering' the band's albums for North America.

How many weeks did Meet the Beatles! spend at number one on the US album chart in 1964?

Meet the Beatles! topped the Billboard album chart for eleven weeks from February 1964 and was displaced only by The Beatles' Second Album.

Which EMI head ordered Capitol to start releasing Beatles records in the US in 1963?

Sir Joseph Lockwood, EMI's chairman, instructed Capitol's president Alan Livingston in November 1963 to issue the band's records, after Capitol had repeatedly refused requests from Brian Epstein and George Martin.

Which Revolver track takes its title from one of Ringo Starr's malapropisms?

'Tomorrow Never Knows', Revolver's closing track, took its title from a Ringo Starr malapropism, like 'A Hard Day's Night'; it was the first song recorded for the album, in April 1966, built on home-made tape loops.

How long was the Beatles' rooftop set before police asked them to turn down?

The rooftop set ran 42 minutes on 30 January 1969 before police, responding to noise complaints, asked them to stop; Lennon signed off hoping they had 'passed the audition'.

At which street address was the Apple Corps building used for the rooftop concert?

Apple Corps bought the Georgian townhouse at 3 Savile Row in Mayfair in 1968; its basement studio hosted the final Get Back sessions and its roof the 30 January 1969 concert.

On which London thoroughfare was the short-lived Apple Boutique?

The Apple Boutique opened at 94 Baker Street in December 1967 behind a psychedelic mural by The Fool, and closed in July 1968 with the remaining stock given away.

Klaus Voormann was the bassist for which band from 1966 to 1969?

Klaus Voormann replaced Jack Bruce as Manfred Mann's bassist in 1966 and stayed until the group split in 1969, playing on hits such as 'Mighty Quinn'.

Which Hamburg photographer was engaged to Stuart Sutcliffe and shot the early Beatles?

Astrid Kirchherr photographed the Beatles in Hamburg in 1960 and became engaged to Stuart Sutcliffe; she is often credited with inspiring the mop-top haircut, though she said Jürgen Vollmer cut Lennon's and McCartney's first.

Which businessman managed the Rolling Stones and later the Beatles, founding ABKCO?

Allen Klein, whose ABKCO company handled the Rolling Stones' business affairs, became the Beatles' manager in 1969 over McCartney's objections; that dispute fed the legal break-up.

Which engineer worked on Revolver, Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road but quit in 1968?

His 2006 memoir Here, There and Everywhere drew criticism for factual errors.

Which 1969 single was the Beatles' last UK number one until 'Now and Then' in 2023?

'The Ballad of John and Yoko', cut by Lennon and McCartney alone in April 1969, topped the UK chart that June; some US stations banned it for its 'Christ' and crucifixion lines.

Which journalist's remark prompted Lennon to write about his childhood in 'In My Life'?

Kenneth Allsop, a BBC journalist, told Lennon in 1964 that his songs should be as personal as his book In His Own Write; the result was 'In My Life', with George Martin's sped-up piano bridge.

Which 1964 book, based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead, inspired 'Tomorrow Never Knows'?

Lennon lifted lines for 'Tomorrow Never Knows' from The Psychedelic Experience (1964), Timothy Leary's LSD manual adapted from the Tibetan Book of the Dead; part of his vocal was fed through a Leslie speaker.

Which Scottish musician taught Lennon the finger-picking style used on 'Julia'?

Donovan taught Lennon a claw-hammer finger-picking style in Rishikesh in 1968, heard on 'Julia', which Lennon wrote there about his mother, killed by a car in 1958.

What was the original working title of 'Hey Bulldog'?

'Hey Bulldog' began as 'Hey Bullfrog'; McCartney's ad-libbed barking during the 11 February 1968 session, filmed for the 'Lady Madonna' promo, changed the title.

Which 1871 Lewis Carroll poem partly inspired a Lennon song on Magical Mystery Tour?

Lennon drew 'I Am the Walrus' partly from 'The Walrus and the Carpenter', the poem in Through the Looking-Glass (1871); the Mike Sammes Singers added the nonsense lines and shrill whoops.

Which Beethoven piece did Lennon say inspired 'Because'?

Lennon wrote 'Because' after hearing Yoko Ono play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and asking her to play the chords backwards; the three-part harmony was tracked three times to make nine voices.

Which Abbey Road track did the drummer call 'the worst session ever'?

Ringo Starr called 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' 'the worst session ever'; McCartney drove the band through days of takes on the jaunty murder ballad in July and August 1969, while Lennon sat most of it out.

Which Nigerian musician's catchphrase gave 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da' its title?

Jimmy Scott, a Nigerian conga player on the London scene, used 'ob-la-di, ob-la-da' as a catchphrase; he tried and failed to win a composing credit, and a take with him on congas is on Anthology 3.

Which Who single, called their 'loudest, rawest, dirtiest', spurred 'Helter Skelter'?

McCartney read Pete Townshend describing 'I Can See for Miles' as the Who's loudest, rawest, dirtiest record and set out to top it with 'Helter Skelter', later hailed as a proto-metal landmark.

Which Beach Boy suggested the verse about Soviet girls in 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'?

Mike Love of the Beach Boys, a fellow guest at Rishikesh in 1968, suggested McCartney add a verse about Soviet girls in the style of 'California Girls'; 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' opens the White Album.

'Lady Madonna' was the last Beatles single released in the UK on which label?

'Lady Madonna' (March 1968) was the last new Beatles single on Parlophone in the UK; from 'Hey Jude' that August the singles carried the Apple label.

Which matching Fender guitars did Harrison and Lennon play on 'Nowhere Man'?

Harrison and Lennon played matching sonic blue Stratocasters, bought in 1965, for the chiming guitar lines of 'Nowhere Man'; it was one of the first Beatles songs entirely unrelated to romance.

Which song title did McCartney say was an old blues euphemism for sex?

McCartney said 'Drive My Car' was an old blues euphemism for sex; the lyric originally began 'You can buy me golden rings' until Lennon dismissed the line as a cliché.

Which director made the 2021 documentary series The Beatles: Get Back?

Peter Jackson assembled The Beatles: Get Back (2021) from 60 hours of Michael Lindsay-Hogg's 1969 footage; it runs nearly eight hours across three episodes covering 21 days.

How many songs on 1994's Live at the BBC had never been issued by the Beatles before?

Live at the BBC (1994) holds 56 songs from 1963–65 radio sessions, 30 of them never released by the Beatles before; most are covers from their pre-fame stage set.

Roughly how many copies has the 2000 compilation 1 sold?

1 has sold over 31 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling album of the 2000s decade; it collects 27 UK and US number-one singles.

Which Liverpool band did Ringo Starr leave in August 1962 to join the Beatles?

Ringo Starr left Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, with whom he had played Butlin's summer seasons, in August 1962 after George Martin had criticised Pete Best's drumming at the band's first EMI session that June.

In which Florida city did the Beatles refuse to play a 1964 show unless the audience was integrated?

The Beatles refused to play Jacksonville's Gator Bowl on 11 September 1964 unless the audience was integrated; officials relented, and later US tour contracts barred segregated audiences.

How many Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles did the Beatles score between 1964 and 1970?

The Beatles scored 20 Hot 100 number ones between February 1964 and 'The Long and Winding Road' in June 1970; no other act had matched that total by 2025.

Which Beatles album was the first not to show the band's name on its cover?

Rubber Soul (1965) was the first Beatles LP without the band's name on the front; its stretched cover photo happened when the card Robert Freeman was projecting the slide onto tipped backwards.

McCartney said the 1965 album's title came from hearing whose singing described as 'plastic soul'?

McCartney recalled an American soul musician dismissing Mick Jagger's singing as 'plastic soul', and twisted the phrase into Rubber Soul; biographer Philip Norman read the title as a sly dig at the Rolling Stones.

At which Las Vegas casino resort did the Cirque du Soleil show Love open in 2006?

Love opened at The Mirage in June 2006, with George Martin and his son Giles as music directors; it was the first stage production Apple Corps partnered on.

Liverpool's Speke Airport took John Lennon's name in which year?

Speke Airport was renamed Liverpool John Lennon Airport in 2001, the first UK airport named after an individual; its motto, 'Above us only sky', quotes 'Imagine'.

Which studio developed the 2009 video game The Beatles: Rock Band?

Harmonix developed The Beatles: Rock Band, published by MTV Games on 9 September 2009 – the same day as the remastered CDs – with replica Rickenbacker, Gretsch, Höfner and Ludwig controllers.