Capitol of the World Trivia
April 14, 2015
Today’s trivia questions come from the “Capitol of the World” chapter in the revised and expanded digital edition of “The Beatles’ Story on Capitol Records, Part One: Beatlemania and the Singles.”
- What British recording artist had four singles on Capitol before the group signed the Beatles and whose management turned down a Lennon-McCartney original? Hint: She headlined a 1962 Beatles tour.
- What song appeared both on a 1957 Capitol single of an EMI Parlophone artist and on a Beatles album? What was the name of the artist? Hint: The Beatles album was issued in 1970.
- What British singer had two singles issued on Capitol before the label signed the Beatles and later had an affair with John Lennon? Hint: She was the first person to hear Paul play Yesterday on the piano.
- What Parlophone recording artist had two singles on Capitol before the label signed the Beatles and later co-starred with a Beatle in a movie? What was the movie? Hint: He recorded comedy records for George Martin.
- What EMI British recording artist had a single issued on Capitol before the label signed the Beatles and later played on a Beatles recording? Hint: No hint could help you with this one!
- Capitol issued the following Helen Shapiro singles during 1961 and 1962: Don’t Treat Me Like A Child; You Don’t Know; Walkin’ Back To Happiness; and Tell Me What He Said. Although big hits in the U.K., the Capitol discs sold 101 units, 3,365 units, 18,919 units and 4,149 units respectively. Her management turned down the Lennon-McCartney original Misery.
- Maggie May was the B-side of a single by the Vipers Skiffle Group, which was signed to Parlophone by George Martin. During the Get Back sessions, the Beatles recorded part of the song which was included on the 1970 album Let It Be. The Capitol single sold 449 copies.
- Alma Cogan had two singles on Capitol, Last Night On The Back Porch and (He Couldn’t Resist Her With Her) Pocket Transistor. Although she placed 20 songs on the U.K. charts, including the number one hit Dreamboat, her Capitol singles sold 132 and 154 copies. She briefly had an affair with John Lennon. The melody for the song Yesterday came to Paul in a dream. Concerned that the melody might not be his own, he played the song for Alma on the piano at her mother’s house, asking her if she had previously heard the tune. Alma told him she did not know what is was and that it was beautiful.
- Peter Sellers had two comedy singles issued by Capitol before the label signed the Beatles. His Capitol single A Drop Of The Hard Stuff sold 138 copies. Capitol paired his two U.K. hit singles with Sophia Loren, Goodness Gracious Me and Bangers And Mash, on a single that sold 186 copies. He later co-starred with Ringo Starr in the film The Magic Christian. George Martin later produced a Peter Sellers single containing his comedic interpretations of A Hard Day’s Night and Help!
- Capitol released the rockabilly-influenced Ramshakle Daddy by Don Lang and His Frantic Five, which sold 599 copies. Although less than a thousand people bought Lang’s single, several million more purchased The White Album, which contains his trombone on Revolution 1.
