Trivia Time: Can You Tell the Difference Between Lennon and McCartney?
by Michael S. Rulle Jr.Time out from all things politics. Instead, let’s turn our attention to “all things Beatles trivia” for this short essay/game.
I went on Amazon yesterday to purchase The Beatles Stereo Box Set and was informed it was still on back order. Borders noted that the set will be available on a limited basis in October on a “first-come, first-served” basis. The Mono version, which sells for $30 more than the Stereo version, is also on back order. So the Beatles obviously remain popular.
One topic I have always found interesting is the distinction between Lennon’s songs and McCartney’s songs. Of the 200 plus songs the Beatles wrote, perhaps about 30 had some form of collaboration between the two, with maybe 20 being jointly written completely. Yet, I have always found this distinction very misleading. Their influence on each other was so deep that their individual songs really were effectively collaborations. Besides the obvious difference in sound between, say, Wings and McCartney written Beatles songs, I have constructed a “Beatles” trivia quiz below to demonstrate this point. I assert that we think we can tell the difference because most of us know the songs well. But in reality, they were highly influenced by the other and are more similar than we sometimes realize.
I think the quiz is of high difficulty. Of course, for some it may seem easy. Listed below are 12 YouTube links to well known Beatles’ songs. The object of the game is to guess the song writer. Being statistically oriented, to pass one needs to beat the “coin flip test.” The probability of guessing nine or more correctly by randomness alone is about 7% (I am ignoring some factors–see below). So 75% will be considered passing. My guess is the average score of all participants will be lower than that. You can cheat, of course, and do better.
Some hints.
One of the 12 songs was written jointly by Lennon and McCartney. I doubt anyone will guess this one. One song was written by neither. Guessing “neither” correctly results in a full point. Guessing “who” correctly gets another point; guessing “who” incorrectly subtracts 1/2 point. Three of the songs were written where, for example, one of the two was dominant with an “assist” by the other. These songs are also worth double points. These are usually listed as follows: “Lennon; with McCartney,” or vice versa. This means a total of 16 points can be earned and 9 still be passing. If one guesses “Lennon,” but it was really “Lennon; with McCartney,” one still gets a full point. A guess of an “assist” which is wrong subtracts 1/2 point. I doubt many will get extra credit. Seven of the 12 songs were written by either Lennon or McCartney.
A really good amateur should get 11 points. I assume even a good amateur will not guess the joint song. To achieve 12 or higher means you are either in the business, you cheated, you have a photographic memory, or you are way too into the Beatles. I thought I was a Beatles expert but I would be borderline to pass this. The best I could have possibly done was 11.
Answers to each question can be found at a link provided at the end. Feel free to submit your score. No cheating! I will attempt to list them from most easy to most difficult, but that is subjective of course. I begin with two very simple ones.
Here we go:
12) “I’ll Be Back”
This song is from Hard Day’s Night. If you miss this one, then your odds of passing are pretty slim. Still, the sound of this song is very similar to number 11.
Also from Hard Day’s Night.
10) Do You Want to Know a Secret?
Sung by George Harrison on the their first British hit Album “Please Please Me.” Is this a trick by me or a gift?
9) Day Tripper
This song was recorded during the Rubber Soul sessions, but was only released as a single with “We Can Work it Out” as a “double A sided” single.
I’m Happy Just to Dance with You
Also from the album Hard Day’s Night and sung by George Harrison. Is this a trick by me or a gift?
7) If I Fell
Fourth one from the Hard Day’s Night album. Is this a trick by me or a gift?
6) What Goes On
Sung by Ringo on the Rubber Soul album. Is this a trick by me or a gift?
5) Money
Recorded in 1963 and appeared on “The Beatles Second Album.” Is this a trick by me or a gift?
4) Bad To Me
One of three hits by Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, who were managed also by Brian Epstein. It was recorded in demo form by the Beatles but never released.
Never recorded by the Beatles but was the single biggest hit by the twosome, Peter and Gordon.
2) Good Night
This is the last song from the “White Album.” Ringo sings and is the only Beatle who appears on the song. Is this a trick by me or a gift?
This song was recorded live in 1967 at the Monterey Pop Festival by the Mamas and the Papas. The Beatles also previously recorded, and wrote, the song.
For answers to the above questions one can go to this Wikipedia Link—List of The Beatles songs
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51 Comments
12: Lennon
11: McCartney
10:Lennon (written for George to fit his weak singing talent)
9: Lennon
8: L&M
7: L&M
6: Starr & Lennon
5: Neither
4: McCartney
3: McCartney (written for girlfriend Jane Asher's brother Peter)
2: Lennon (written for Ringo)
1: L&M
Does the Michael Jackson estate get a piece of this action?
Why do so many people want the mono box set that it's priced higher? This has been bothering me for weeks. Does anyone have an answer?
Er, um… "Imagine"…?
Purism, aka masochism.
It could be as simple as…there are more CD's in the mono set.
50%! Wow I thought I knew more then that!
I personally prefer mono. And it was also the way the songs were originally recorded.
SIr Paul is a Yankees fan, so he's OK in my book.
Because up until Abbey Road came out, mono was the industry standard. From Revolver on, the Beatles themselves started to get actively involved in the mixing process, but they only bothered to work on the mono versions. So technically, the mono versions of these albums are the definitive versions, with the stereo versions just an after-thought.
Me too Bennett!!!
So what does it say about me that I got 14 1/2 without even listening to the clips (and without cheating. Plus I knew the correct songwriters for #5)?
"Why do so many people want the mono box set that it's priced higher? This has been bothering me for weeks. Does anyone have an answer?
Speaking as someone young enough to remember staring at the television the first time Ed Sullivan cried "The Beatles!" to an audience, MY reason for getting the Mono is purely nostalgia. I heard the Beatles first in Mono – to hear it again brings back that awesome magic. Oh, man, I can remember the exact moment I heard them. I was in the kitchen getting a glass of water, I heard Ed Sullivan yell "The Beatles!", the girls were screaming and then – wham! That awesome music exploded! I dropped the glass in the sink, ran out of the kitchen and stared at the tv wondering who on earth was making that incredible music? The magic was Mono then – so when it comes back, it will be Mono again.
"Of the 200 plus songs the Beatles wrote, perhaps about 30 had some form of collaboration between the two, with maybe 20 being jointly written completely."
About 35 years ago I read an interview with one of them (Lennon I think) in which the issue of who really wrote what came up. According to him only one song was jointly written: "A Day in the Life" (what's funny about that is it is really like two songs stuck together). Plus, it's easy to tell who wrote what because they sang their own compositions.
Funny.
Most fans say the mono sounds better.
only a "narcissistic pompous ass bloated with self-importance" could have possibly written that puerile POS. the anthem of leftist morons everywhere.
Ahhh, really? Thanks.
I don't give a rat's backside, I didn't like the Beatles back then and I sure as heck will not buy any of it now. The Beatles was the beginning of the end of recorded music. It was garbage in 1964 and its still is.
Why did you bother reading this article or waste your time posting a message then? Is the truth, perhaps, that you're just jealous, because nobody gives a rat's backside about YOU?
Why did you read this article and post about it?
Just to insult Beatles fans? I bet you don't like
Paul Revere & The Raiders either, even if you
claim to be a conservative. That's un-American!
12. Lennon and McCartney___11. McCartney___10. George Harrison__9. McCartney 8. George Harrison
7. Lennon and McCartney
6. Starr
5 Carl Perkins
4 McCartney
3 McCartney
2 Starr
1 John Phillips
Yes, I can tell the difference; Lennon wasn't a narcissistic pompous ass bloated with self-importance.
I think it is because the sound is more compact and vibrant, especially in their earlier recordings, and not spread out. I'm not a recording engineer, or expert that is only my guess. If there are any experienced professionals in the recording industry out reading this thread, and are Beatles fans like myself, I'd be interested in hearing their opinions.
Elvis, Is that you?
I feel the same way, Carolyn. My sister and I were on pins and needles that night (we knew the boys would be on), and I remember our regular Sunday night t.v. treat of popcorn and ginger ale sat untouched as we impatiently bounced up and down in our nightgowns waiting for Ed to bring them out. And when they did … well, life as we knew it was BLOWN AWAY by the wail of electric guitars and strangely seductive beat of this new sound being made by 4 "mop tops" in Edwardian jackets, skinny ties, and pointy toed boots.
My sister and I screamed like the girls in the studio audience as they grinned and rocked their way into history, and my father threatened to shut the t.v. off and smack us if we didn't pipe down and act like ladies. We muted our teen angst, but the die was cast: that sound and those cute boys had cast a spell on us. And we remain under it to this day!!!
I'll play: Harrison wrote interesting songs. Lennon wrote dark songs. McCartney wrote pop songs. Ringo's contributions were funny, but he is underestimated. Together, they changed the world of popular music.
Do I win?
Sarcasm, right?
Does anyone here own "The Beatles: Rock Band" for Xbox 360? If so, let's play on Xbox Live! I normally play bass (Hard to Expert) or drums (Medium to Hard).
If you're under 60 and you don't like the Beatles then you don't like music. It's as simple as that.
I read that too. I think it was the Lennon interview in Playboy.
Here's a better idea. Why don't you buy a real bass and spend the time you would have wasted on Rock Band learning how to play it. It will be much more rewarding in the end
I got a 6. I thought I'd do better.
Lennon was also a mean-spirited bully, at least at the beginning
More of this please.
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Cool
Well no, learning an instrument is a rewarding experience and I've played three of the Medal of Honor games and not had to kill anybody. If that stuff had been around when I was a kid I never would have left the basement.
I know all about proper spelling, punctuation and grammar. I was a proofreader and typesetter for 20 years. I don't think it's necessary on sites like this when you're just trying to get a message across.
Nothing wrong with Guitar Hero/Band but it would be better if people playing it took an hour away from the game to maybe actually learn an instrument. My son's a pretty fair guitarist and he has a friend who somehow equates being really good at guitar hero with playing a real guitar. Seriously.
And I must admit, I don't have a clue what tense agreement is.
For a few bucks and 10% effort I sound 90% like all four of The Beatles. I'm sure you are also upset that those darn kids today are wasting time on "Call of Duty: World at War" rather than buying real flamethrowers and learning how to flush Japanese soldiers out of in a machine gun nest on Okinawa.
Additionally, it should be noted that proper English requires sentences (spoken, written, and typed) to have tense agreement and when you ask someone a question (even a rhetorical one) you must end that sentence with a question mark. So let me ask you:
Why didn't you buy Betty Schrampfer Azar's "Fundamentals of English Grammar" and spend the time you wasted incorrectly writing your sloppy, snide remark that needlessly insulted the fans of a game that has sold close to 1 million units in less than a month and is introducing The Beatles to a generation that won't ever buy that band's music on CDs?
I can't wait for the playoffs! Too bad C.C. couldn't win his 20th…
I hear that, about C.C., and I can't wait either. Tigers or Twins, who knows. Looks like the Detroiters got themselves in a jam.
"Plus, it's easy to tell who wrote what because they sang their own compositions."
Yeah, but they did harmonize a lot, and sometimes it's hard to tell which voice is dominant. Like on "Drive My Car," for instance, which I eventually figured was Paul's because it's so similar to "Obla Di Obla Da".
"Their influence on each other was so deep that their individual songs really were effectively collaborations"
I think this is impossible to reasonably argue for or against, and hence is BS. No matter how much someone else influences you, writing a song on your own, unless it's a blatant ripoff, is an act of individual genius. I don't care how close they were, or how much they liked the same things. Whatever came out of Paul's head was Paul's, and John's head John's. If Paul's songs contained things out of John's head and vice-versa, like Ä Day In the Life," that's one thing. But if they didn't, they songs belong to whoever's head they came out of.
I choose the complete opposite on each one! If it was John I said Paul. What does that mean???
C'mon, guy. You should have put more McCartney songs into the mix. I am not a Beatles fan but I was able to wag 6 of the songs where Lenon was the main writer and 1 song where McCartney was the writer.
Yes, he was. In fact a real dick.
The mono mixes are in fact the 'official' mixes for all the albums before the last couple. The mono mixes are *decidely* different from the stereo, and can be taken as the Fabs' plus Martin's vision for those tracks. For example the mono mix of "She's leaving home" runs noticeably faster and at higher pitch than the stereo; and in the monos the instrument balance is often more "present;" the mono mix of "Helter Skelter" lives up to the savage proto-metal concept where the stereo doesn't.
Besides, the first albums were mono releases only, and the stereo versions are "reprocessed.".
Ringo only ever wrote two Beatles songs (with a lot of help from George on Octopus's Garden).
You're overlooking the nature of the process that lies between writing a lyric with chords and a riff, and laying down a completed track. With the Beatles this was very collaborative; and songs weren't "ready" until there was general agreement on them. Shining example: "Tomorrow never knows" a Lennon song which would not be what it is without Paul's tape loops or George's drone. To claim that J or P wrote in a complete vacuum is complete tosh (especially Lennon in late 1968-1969, who usually came in with incomplete sketches of songs which everyone else had to fill out.)
Good to know! Thanks!
That makes sense to me.
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