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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In Chapter 10 George Martin describes his disappointment with EMI, due to their unwillingness to pay him a bonus, using what British turn of phrase?
(a) Sod this for a lark.
(b) Sod this for a game of soldiers.
(c) Blow this for a lark.
(d) Let's blow this pop-stand.

2. George Martin converted a house in what New England town into a recording studio, to record Sea Train?
(a) Marblehead.
(b) Braintree.
(c) Plymouth.
(d) Cape Cod.

3. What three reasons does George Martin offer for some groups' desire not to work with a producer?
(a) They want the glory that comes with producing themselves; they do not want to surrender a large percentage of the profits to an outsider; and they may feel a producer will inhibit their creativity.
(b) They want the glory that comes with producing themselves; they may fear a producer will steal their ideas; and they may worry a producer will rewrite their songs.
(c) They want the glory that comes with producing themselves; they may worry a producer will rewrite their songs; and they may feel a producer will inhibit their creativity.
(d) They may fear a producer will steal their ideas; they do not want to surrender a large percentage of the profits to an outsider; and they may feel a producer will inhibit their creativity.

4. Why did George Martin ultimately agree, in 1976, to score the "Sergeant Pepper" film featuring the Bee Gees and Peter Frampton?
(a) His wife reminded him that if someone else did the job, he wouldn't be there to defend the music's integrity.
(b) The Bee Gees asked him to do it.
(c) He desperately needed money.
(d) The Beatles asked him to do it.

5. What sound near the end of "Good Morning" sounded remarkably like the guitar at the beginning of "Sergeant Pepper", allowing for an easy fusion of "Good Morning" and the "Sergeant Pepper Reprise"?
(a) A baby crying.
(b) A horse neighing.
(c) A man laughing.
(d) A chicken clucking.

6. In the 1950s studios had A&R men, meaning what?
(a) Audio and Recording men.
(b) Artists and Repertoire men.
(c) Acoustic and Reverberation men.
(d) Assimilation and Recruitment men.

7. What does George Martin describe as one of his biggest hurts, during the Pepper era?
(a) Paul McCartney found someone else to score "She's Leaving Home", because of a minor scheduling conflict.
(b) He and his first wife divorced.
(c) He was not invited to be on the cover of the "Sergeant Pepper" album.
(d) John Lennon found someone else to score "Day in the Life", because of a minor scheduling conflict.

8. In Chapter 8, in George Martin's layer cake metaphor, what was the fourth layer in a four-track recording?
(a) Harmonies, such as piano or guitar.
(b) Rhythm, such as drums and bass.
(c) Extra bits, called sweetening.
(d) The lead voice.

9. How many years after George Martin returned to England from America, did he finally receive his requested studio upgrades from EMI?
(a) Three.
(b) Four.
(c) Five.
(d) Two.

10. As described in Chapter 14, AIR built its first studio where?
(a) A yacht formerly owned by the Yugoslavian government.
(b) A private area in the Caribbean.
(c) At the top of an old department store in London, in what was once a restaurant for the gentry.
(d) A house in New England.

11. As described in Chapter 10, the British Post Office prevented the Mastersingers from singing a choral version of what?
(a) The history of British stamps.
(b) The telephone directory.
(c) Addresses of government officials.
(d) Postal employee regulations.

12. How far above the original floor does the studio floor at AIR's first studio float?
(a) Two feet.
(b) Two inches.
(c) One foot.
(d) One inch.

13. In the movie, "Yellow Submarine", what sound effect did George Martin contrive for the enormous monster that sucked up the yellow submarine and, eventually, the movie screen?
(a) Orchestral music played backwards.
(b) A dilruba.
(c) Piccolo trumpets.
(d) Small strips of tape, cut apart and spliced in random order.

14. Regarding orchestration, what does George Martin offer as the secret to good string writing?
(a) Writing for four parts, as if for four human voices.
(b) Writing a separate part for each musician.
(c) Writing as if for a piano, with parts for left and right hands.
(d) Writing all parts close to the piano's middle C.

15. The Beatles' friend, Magic Alex, came up with what hypothetical invention to replace lights?
(a) A curtain that would glow when connected by two anodes.
(b) A spray-on wall paint that would glow in the dark.
(c) A curtain that would glow in the dark.
(d) A spray-on wall paint that would glow when connected by two anodes.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which Beatles song was the first to feature other musicians, in addition to the four Beatles and George Martin?

2. At the time "All You Need Is Ears" was written, anyone wanting to become a professional record producer had what two options, according to George Martin in Chapter 12?

3. As mentioned in Chapter 12, where did George Martin first meet the then-unknown composer, Randy Newman?

4. What does George Martin describe as a lifetime ambition in Chapter 12, unfulfilled when the book was written?

5. What is the double meaning of the title of Chapter 15?

(see the answer keys)

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