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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What reason did George Martin offer, in Chapter 1, for marrying his first wife, Sheena?

2. In 1977, how did Paul McCartney compensate for sound differences when performing "Live and Let Die" in concert?

3. The composer Bach trudged hundreds of miles in a failed attempt to meet which other musician, according to George Martin in Chapter 2?

4. The original contract between the Beatles and Parlophone was set to last for how long?

5. George Martin guesses he was how old when his family got a piano?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did George Martin turn down Dick James' offer to take on a share in his company?

2. What were George Martin's first impressions of the Beatles when he met them for the first time at Abbey Road?

3. What is the strong warning behind George Martin's pun on a Beatles song, "All You Need Is Ears"?

4. How does George Martin describe the collaborative writing style of John Lennon and Paul McCartney?

5. Briefly summarize George Martin's experience at the Guildhall School of Music.

6. How did the Beatles come to change drummers before achieving success and fame, letting Pete Best go in favor of Ringo Starr?

7. How did George Martin come to record "At the Drop of a Hat" with Donald Swann and Michael Flanders, and what was unusual about the recording method he used?

8. How does George Martin compare the nature of singer/songwriters in the 1950s, when he started at Parlophone, with the situation in 1979, when "All You Need Is Ears" was published?

9. Whom does George Martin consider to be his fairy godfather, and how did the two meet?

10. Why, according to George Martin in Chapter 2, is pop music not a step down from classical?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are the highlights and lowlights of George Martin's childhood, living in a modest flat and having limited access to formal musical training?

Essay Topic 2

Compile a list of famous names in "All You Need Is Ears" that may be unfamiliar to Americans or to younger readers. Create a brief byline for each person, indicating why he or she is famous. Should subsequent editions of the book contain footnotes, elaborating on these celebrities' claims to fame?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the formation of AIR. Detail the design and construction of its first studio in London and its residential studio in Montserrat.

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