Paul is Dead... again
Our previous post about the Paul is Dead myth generated multitudes of traffic and is the most popular post on our entire blog. It is then only fitting that a follow-up episode is published, further delving into the greatest Beatles mystery. There is still plenty of untouched material and supposed 'clues' circulating out there to sustain another great episode.
Like I mentioned in the previous post, there are many videos on YouTube providing their 'evidence' of Paul's replacement with Faul. A lot of them closely analyse photographs from different years, picking out tiny differences between chin shape, nose shape or even a tooth. Some videos try to brainwash viewers into believing Paul was replaced while others try to steer viewers away from the myth. Digging through YouTube, some pathetic and laughable fabrications were found. It is obvious in some that the creators were scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for evidence. Here are some favourites that were dug up:
This one is all about Paul's teeth... or should we say, the many different Pauls' teeth. The video scrutinises footage over the decade, pointing out how the 'real' Paul has misaligned upper-left molars whilst Faul has nicely aligned ones. It then goes further to suggest that many different Pauls were used right from 1963. The legend suggests that he was replaced in 1966, but this video shows some Pauls in '63 with straight teeth and some with crooked teeth. So what does this mean? That Paul was simply not Paul right from the beginning? Unlikely.
What a lovely, sense-filled analogy. This video actually crushes theories (watch the video for more 'clues' not mentioned our other post) by providing explanations for what they really are. At the end they even ask a contemplative question: "What on earth would the other Beatles have gained from such an elaborative 'cover-up'?" They would've survived fine without Paul if he really did die, so what need would there be for a replacement to cover up his death?
Now, this rubbish still believes in a Faul, but this time 'Billy Shears' is someone who's has plastic surgery to become the new Paul. But guess who they claim "Phil Ackrill" (they are inconsistent by saying he is Billy Shears one minute and next minute says he is Phil Ackrill) is...? Neil Aspinall! The Beatles' road manager/personal assistant turned head of Apple Corps. So that basically means that not only was Paul replaced, but so was Neil. More drivel!
There are many others, but here is a clip of Paul himself discussing the rumour on the David Letterman show.
A mockumentary named Paul McCartney Really is Dead: The Last Testament of George Harrison was released as a result of a package arriving at the offices of Highway 61 Entertainment containing two cassette tapes dated December 30, 1999. They were labelled The Last Testament of George Harrison. A voice similar to George's tells the 'story' of how Paul died in 1966 and was replaced by a double and MI5 forced The Beatles to cover it up to avoid mass suicides of Beatles fans. The voice even claims that John Lennon was killed because he threatened to reveal the secret.
So, the ever-continuing urban legend still circulates. The internet is filled with even more barbaric clues and videos featuring both similar and different content than the ones above. The big question is:
Is Paul really dead?
Like I mentioned in the previous post, there are many videos on YouTube providing their 'evidence' of Paul's replacement with Faul. A lot of them closely analyse photographs from different years, picking out tiny differences between chin shape, nose shape or even a tooth. Some videos try to brainwash viewers into believing Paul was replaced while others try to steer viewers away from the myth. Digging through YouTube, some pathetic and laughable fabrications were found. It is obvious in some that the creators were scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for evidence. Here are some favourites that were dug up:
This one is all about Paul's teeth... or should we say, the many different Pauls' teeth. The video scrutinises footage over the decade, pointing out how the 'real' Paul has misaligned upper-left molars whilst Faul has nicely aligned ones. It then goes further to suggest that many different Pauls were used right from 1963. The legend suggests that he was replaced in 1966, but this video shows some Pauls in '63 with straight teeth and some with crooked teeth. So what does this mean? That Paul was simply not Paul right from the beginning? Unlikely.
What a lovely, sense-filled analogy. This video actually crushes theories (watch the video for more 'clues' not mentioned our other post) by providing explanations for what they really are. At the end they even ask a contemplative question: "What on earth would the other Beatles have gained from such an elaborative 'cover-up'?" They would've survived fine without Paul if he really did die, so what need would there be for a replacement to cover up his death?
Now, this rubbish still believes in a Faul, but this time 'Billy Shears' is someone who's has plastic surgery to become the new Paul. But guess who they claim "Phil Ackrill" (they are inconsistent by saying he is Billy Shears one minute and next minute says he is Phil Ackrill) is...? Neil Aspinall! The Beatles' road manager/personal assistant turned head of Apple Corps. So that basically means that not only was Paul replaced, but so was Neil. More drivel!
There are many others, but here is a clip of Paul himself discussing the rumour on the David Letterman show.
A mockumentary named Paul McCartney Really is Dead: The Last Testament of George Harrison was released as a result of a package arriving at the offices of Highway 61 Entertainment containing two cassette tapes dated December 30, 1999. They were labelled The Last Testament of George Harrison. A voice similar to George's tells the 'story' of how Paul died in 1966 and was replaced by a double and MI5 forced The Beatles to cover it up to avoid mass suicides of Beatles fans. The voice even claims that John Lennon was killed because he threatened to reveal the secret.
So, the ever-continuing urban legend still circulates. The internet is filled with even more barbaric clues and videos featuring both similar and different content than the ones above. The big question is:
Is Paul really dead?
Cirque du Soleil - LOVE
Many people across the universe have seen Cirque du Soleil's Love show at The Mirage in Las Vegas. Debuting in 2006, the show combines remixed Beatles tracks with circus-based performances. George Martin, the magical producer behind The Beatles' music, teamed up with his son Giles to remix 130 song samples, both unreleased and released, for the show. The only piece specifically recorded for the show was the orchestral strings on While My Guitar Gently Weeps, which was composed by George Martin. The show is most days and the specially built theatre seats 2,013. But little do many people know, the origins of the Love show.
In 2000, guitarist George Harrison met with his friend Guy Laliberte, co-founder of Cirque du Soleil. They discussed ideas for turning The Beatles' music into a Cirque show. Three years later, after the death of Harrison in 2001, and Apple Corps., Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison (representing the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison, respectively) had negotiated with MGM Mirage and Cirque and thus the Love show was born.
At the one year anniversary of the show, McCartney, Starr, Olivia and Yoko unveiled a plaque at the Mirage Hotel in honour of George and John. There is a merchandise store at the Mirage.
In 2000, guitarist George Harrison met with his friend Guy Laliberte, co-founder of Cirque du Soleil. They discussed ideas for turning The Beatles' music into a Cirque show. Three years later, after the death of Harrison in 2001, and Apple Corps., Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison (representing the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison, respectively) had negotiated with MGM Mirage and Cirque and thus the Love show was born.
At the one year anniversary of the show, McCartney, Starr, Olivia and Yoko unveiled a plaque at the Mirage Hotel in honour of George and John. There is a merchandise store at the Mirage.
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Pick the Beatles References
This creative picture features references to 70 Beatles songs. See if you can name all 70! If you're stumped, go here for the answers and click on each picture to hear a short clip of each song!
Note: the above link no longer works. Upon request, I will post my own answers with the songs I have found.
Update: I have now found made my own answers which can be found here!
Paul's near disaster in helicopter mishap
Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy were just two feet away from disaster when the pilot of their helicopter became 'disorientated' in bad weather and plunged towards trees. (on May 3, 2012)
They avoided a potentially fatal crash with just a split second to spare when the pilot dramatically lifted the chartered Sikorsky S-76C away from the rain-lashed tree tops.
The drama happened as the aircraft, with the couple on board, attempted to land at night on a helipad at their East Sussex estate.
The helicopter eventually touched down safely after diverting to a nearby airport.
They avoided a potentially fatal crash with just a split second to spare when the pilot dramatically lifted the chartered Sikorsky S-76C away from the rain-lashed tree tops.
The drama happened as the aircraft, with the couple on board, attempted to land at night on a helipad at their East Sussex estate.
The helicopter eventually touched down safely after diverting to a nearby airport.
Abbey Road photo negatives found after 42 years
Source: The Sun, UK
Our Feature on the Beatles Blog Carnival
We've been lucky enough to feature in The Beatles Blog Carnival's third installment. The blog features reviews of Beatles blogs and ours was reviewed! Jim, the author, praises our blog and, especially, our 'Paul is Dead' article. Visit his blog here to read about more Beatles blogs.
Note: the Beatles Blog Carnival unfortunately no longer exists
Note: the Beatles Blog Carnival unfortunately no longer exists
Rolling Stone lists Paul as third greatest bassist of all time
It's universal knowledge that Paul was the bassist for The Beatles (hypothetically) and Rolling Stone magazine has listed the legend as number 3 in their list of Top Ten Greatest Bassists of All Time. He comes in third to John Entwistle and Flea. It's no surprise, really, with him pegging the epic basslines on the iconic 'Paperback Writer', 'Hey Bulldog' and 'Come Together'.
Paul reluctanly stepped up as The Beatles' bassist after the band's orignial bassist Stu Sutcliffe left in 1961. He eventually ventured to other instruments, notably the guitar and piano - that's his work you can hear on the guitar solo of 'Taxman'! He even played the drums briefly during the White Album sessions in 1968 when Ringo left for a while.
Do you agree with Paul's placement in third?
Paul reluctanly stepped up as The Beatles' bassist after the band's orignial bassist Stu Sutcliffe left in 1961. He eventually ventured to other instruments, notably the guitar and piano - that's his work you can hear on the guitar solo of 'Taxman'! He even played the drums briefly during the White Album sessions in 1968 when Ringo left for a while.
Do you agree with Paul's placement in third?
Paul McCartney gives rare 1hr interview to David Frost - "Yoko did not break up the Beatles"
Paul McCartney, who has a reputation for giving 15 minute interviews and keeping his personal life private, gives a rare 1 hour interview to David Frost to be broadcast next month.
In the longer style of conversation, Paul goes into more depth about the Beatles, Yoko and his personal life. He reveals that Yoko did not break up the Beatles and that part of that blame lies with Brian Epstein's successor, Allen Klein. The acrimonious and very public divorce with Mills is not discussed, instead jumping from Linda Eastman, wife number 1 to Nancy Shevell, number 3... but then again, who can blame him! Paul also talks openly about his coolest thing... being a father of five and grandfather of eight.
This latest meeting between the two British legends is one not to miss.
Image www.radiotimes.com
Paul to feature on new Christmas Album
Paul is confirmed to feature on ‘Holidays Rule’, a new Christmas compilation released on 30th October. Paul’s contribution - ‘The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)’ - conjures up the warmth of the fireside and is one of 17 new recordings set to be released through Hear Music / Concord Music Group. Others confirmed for the release include The Shins, Rufus Wainwright, Eleanor Friedberger and Holly Golightly.
Fans can now stream Paul's track ‘The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)’ at Rolling Stone magazine's website HERE!
Source paulmccartney.com and rollingstone.com
Fans can now stream Paul's track ‘The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)’ at Rolling Stone magazine's website HERE!
Source paulmccartney.com and rollingstone.com
Live Kisses
Own it on DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital Video from November 12th 2012. Pre-order coming to PaulMcCartney.com soon.
Source PaulMcCartney.com
Paul is Dead
The famous urban legend is no secret. The 'Paul is dead' myth has been circulating since 1969. The legend is that the bassist died in 1966 in a car crash and was replaced by William Campbell, the winner of a Paul McCartney look-a-like contest. In 1969, shortly after the release of Abbey Road, an American university newspaper published an article describing rumours that Paul was dead and that certain 'clues' could be found on the Beatles' songs. A radio station later discussed the clues on-air with callers. Paul was actually involved in an accident in late 1965, resulting in a chipped tooth, which can be clearly seen in the 'Rain' and 'Paperback Writer' promotional videos released in 1966.
The zany clues are derived from apparent messages in backwards lyrics and imaginative imagery on album covers. According to legend, the other three Beatles planted the clues on purpose to alert everyone that the 'real' Paul is dead and that he had been replaced. Here's a list of the supposed 'clues':
The zany clues are derived from apparent messages in backwards lyrics and imaginative imagery on album covers. According to legend, the other three Beatles planted the clues on purpose to alert everyone that the 'real' Paul is dead and that he had been replaced. Here's a list of the supposed 'clues':
- "Turn me on, dead man" is apparently heard when 'Revolution 9' is played backwards
- John Lennon says "I buried Paul" in the last bit of 'Strawberry Fields Forever' (Paul revealed the words were actually "cranberry sauce")
- The lyrics of 'A Day in The Life' document the events of Paul's death
- On the back of the Sgt. Pepper album, Paul's back is turned to the camera, whereas John, Ringo and George face the camera
- The line "you were in a car crash and you lost your hair" from Ringo's White Album song 'Don't Pass Me By'
- At the end of the Magical Mystery Tour film, when performing 'Your Mother Should Know', Paul wears a black carnation whilst the other three Beatles wear red ones
- "The walrus was Paul" in 'Glass Onion'
- The supposed Paul replacement, William Shears Campbell, ironically shares the same name as Ringo's alter ego Billy Shears on 'With a Little Help From My Friends'
The Abbey Road album cover is most abundant in 'clues' and supposed hidden meanings. The four Beatles crossing the road is said to resemble a funeral procession. George, dressed casually in denim, is the gravedigger. John, dressed in white, is the 'heavenly figure'. Ringo, dressed in black, is the mourner. And Paul... Paul is out of step with the rest, he's barefoot and he carries a cigarette in his right hand (Paul is left-handed) - so, obviously, he is an imposter Paul. Also, the numberplate of the white Volkswagen Beetle in the background says 28IF - Paul would be 28 years old IF he were alive.
Many investigative videos found on YouTube attempt to brainwash viewers into believing that Paul really is dead by going as far to show pre-1967 photos next to post-1967 photos and pointing out the facial differences such as his nose or chin shape or which hand he is using to play his guitar.
In late 1969, Paul came back into the spotlight (his absence from the media sparked more reasons why he was, in fact, a replacement), appearing on a magazine cover with wife Linda, adopted daughter Heather and newborn daughter Mary. In the magazine report, Paul fervently denied the 'Paul is dead' rumours, stating that he had not been in the press lately as he would like to be "a little less famous these days".
There have been hundreds of 'clues' reported. However, it seems completely barbaric that 'Faul' could've penned number one hits such as 'Hey Jude' and 'Let it Be'. These supposed clues are only made up by people with imaginative minds with nothing else better to do with their lives. After all, how could someone purposely make a song say something backwards?
Read the sequel to this post here.
Read the sequel to this post here.
The All Starr Band Tours
Ringo and his All Starr Band are set to tour the Pacific Rim (Australia, New Zealand and Japan) in early 2013. The tour comes in the wake of his recently-completed North American tour, featuring the same line up of All Starrs. These dates and locations have been confirmed:
Feb 7 – CBS Canterbury Arena, Christchurch, New Zealand
Feb 9 – Vector Arena, Auckland, New Zealand
Feb 25 & 26 –Zepp Arena, Tokyo, Japan
Feb 27 – Zepp Hall, Nagoya, Japan
March 1 – Zepp Hall, Osaka, Japan
The dates for Australia are yet to be announced on October 26.
Peace and Love!
Feb 7 – CBS Canterbury Arena, Christchurch, New Zealand
Feb 9 – Vector Arena, Auckland, New Zealand
Feb 25 & 26 –Zepp Arena, Tokyo, Japan
Feb 27 – Zepp Hall, Nagoya, Japan
March 1 – Zepp Hall, Osaka, Japan
The dates for Australia are yet to be announced on October 26.
Peace and Love!
Top 10 Beatles Songs of All Time
As compiled by Rolling Stone, the following is a list of the Top 10 Beatles Songs of All Time. Does your favourite Beatles song make the top 10 and what is it?
- "A Day in the Life"
- "I Want to Hold Your Hand"
- "Strawberry Fields Forever"
- "Yesterday"
- "In My Life"
- "Something"
- "Hey Jude"
- "Let It Be"
- "Come Together"
- "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
Let It Bieber
Reigning teen idol Justin Bieber paid tribute to the legacy of the Beatles with a performance of Let It Be behind the scenes of a recent episode of The X Factor. In the video clip which can now be seen on line, although it's off-the-cuff, he seems to know the song pretty well, performing it without the aid of sheet music or written lyrics.
Source: Ultimate Classic Rock
Source: Ultimate Classic Rock
Ringo's Starrt
On this day, October 15, in 1960 Paul, John and George recorded on a demonstration tape with Rory Storm and The Hurricanes member Lu Walters in Hamburg. The Hurricanes' drummer Ringo Starr also played for this session. They recorded a number of songs in this session but none of the tapes are known to have survived.
This session would be the first time the four final Beatles would record together.
It would be two years before Ringo joins The Beatles in their final line-up of the epic quartet.
This session would be the first time the four final Beatles would record together.
It would be two years before Ringo joins The Beatles in their final line-up of the epic quartet.
'Living in the Material World' wins 2 Emmys
Martin Scorsese's 2011 documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World was nominated for six awards at this year's Emmys and won two of them. The documentary, which runs for over three hours, came out on top with the award for Outstanding Nonfiction Special and Outstanding Director for Nonfiction Special.
George Finances 'Life of Brian'
George's friendship and respect for Eric Idle was so strong that when the Monty Python crew were struggling to finance their new movie, George stepped up to the plate by mortgaging his home to finance the making of the now-famous classic 'Life of Brian'. George makes a cameo appearance in the movie as well as other Monty Python productions. It is then no surprise to see some of the Monty Python crew making an appearance at the Concert for George along with Tom Hanks performing 'I'm a Lumberjack'.
Yoko Ono presents Lady Gaga with LennonOno Peace Grant Award
John's wife Yoko Ono presented Lady Gaga with the LennonOno Peace Grant award in Iceland on Tuesday, on what would've been John's 72nd birthday. Dubbed two of the 'queens of pop culture weirdness' in this article, the two wore matching outfits. Gaga was recognised for her peace activism and the setting up of the not-for-profit Born This Way Foundation. She donated her $50,000 prize money to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Ridiculous Theory of Beatles' Changing Image
A Christian website called Christwire.org has posted a ridiculous and 'humorous' article about how the Fab Four's changing hairstyles directly correlate with their association with Satan - what association? - and attempts to steal nuclear secrets from America. Of course, this imaginative piece is obviously fictitious and trying to poke fun at the great band - we hope! Read it here.
Lost Items in The Beatles' Australian Collection
An article by WA Today from October 5th delves into some 'lost' items of the Fab Four's catalogue in Australia - including long-forgotten exclusively Australian compilation albums. Read the article here.
Paul McCartney: On The Run
This November, Sir Paul is set to jet off to the US and Canada for his On The Run tour. Between the 11th and the 29th, he is performing five concerts in Houston, St Louis, Vancouver and Edmonton.
Purchase tickets here.
Purchase tickets here.
20 Greatest Hits
On this day, October 11, in 1982 The Beatles' compilation album 20 Greatest Hits was released to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of their first record, "Love Me Do" in 1962. The album contains 20 of their number one hits and is not dissimilar to the 1 album released in 2000. Tracks on the album include favourites such as "Ticket To Ride", "Day Tripper", "Hello, Goodbye", "Hey Jude" and the song that made them famous in America, "I Want To Hold Your Hand" - all Lennon/McCartney penned songs. All of their singles were written by John and Paul, save for "The Inner Light", "Old Brown Shoe" and "Something", George Harrison's 1968 and 1969 songs. It took George five years to finally get one of his songs released as a single.
John Lennon's 72nd birthday brings fans to his Hollywood star
Had he lived, John Lennon would have turned 72 on Tuesday. On Tuesday evening, about 50 people showed up at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Beside his star, they signed a birthday card and ate birthday cake, and Sienna Niniz, 13, of Highland Park, cried because she would never, ever get to meet him. October 10th is also John's son Sean's birthday - he turned 37 on Tuesday. On a side note, the day was also Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell's first wedding anniversary.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Roll Up for the Mystery Tour
It was the day after the death of their manager Brian Epstein. The Beatles had gathered in Ringo Starr's London flat to discuss what to do next. Deeply shocked, they were all in a bit of a daze. They should go to India and meditate, Harrison suggested.
But McCartney had a different idea. They should do something. Show the world they were still up for it. They should make a film, the film they had discussed with Brian. They should make Magical Mystery Tour. Now. Right now.
McCartney had seen a crew film the Maharishi at the London Hilton. Work like that, and the Beatles could have a film out within weeks. They had some fabulous songs already.
Epstein had died on August 27, 1967. By September 6, McCartney was meeting Bernard Knowles, a friend of a friend, and hiring him as director and cameraman. The following Monday he was sitting in a London Transport cafe, waiting for a 60-seater coach to show up and take him, the other Beatles and an eclectic cast of out-of-work actors on a magical mystery tour. The moment the stars were on board, filming began.
Encompassed in this story is most of what you need to know about how the Beatles' most heavily criticised project came to be. It was shown on the BBC on Boxing Day 1967 and some older viewers found it baffling. The colour scenes, drug-influenced and meant as a tour of the Beatles' vibrant imaginations, didn't work in black and white.
It's not hard to understand what the critics objected to but Magical Mystery Tour -- reissued this week -- is a fabulous slice of 60s history, unmissable for anyone who wants to understand the Beatles. The music is also among their best.
Without Epstein, the making of Magical Mystery Tour was predictably chaotic. The idea was to film a bus tour similar to the ones the band remembered from their youth -- you bought a ticket, got on and you didn't know where you were going. The trip usually ended at Blackpool with beer and a singsong.
So the coach would wend its way through the countryside and they would film what came up. But this was the Beatles. They might wish to just drive off in a coach, but they couldn't. The bus caused traffic jams and got stuck on a narrow bridge. The press followed in cars and fans stole the posters from the sides, at any rate the ones John Lennon hadn't ripped off in fury when the bus was immobilised yet again.
There was no script. In a new documentary about the film, Starr holds up a piece of paper with a circle drawn on it. This was their plan, he said. By the time they got going they had filled in the circle with segments, each denoting a scene. As to how they fitted together, nobody was sure.
Some Beatles historians link the haphazard physical arrangements with this lack of a proper script to make the whole thing a story of confusion and lost direction. But the lack of a script was quite deliberate. While the other Beatles had retreated to palatial family homes in and around Weybridge in Surrey, McCartney had stayed in London, soaking up the art scene. He'd been making his own short movies, inspired by art-house experimentation. He was after spontaneity and a home movie effect. McCartney, not Lennon, was the avant-garde Beatle.
The Magical Mystery Tour is his work in two other ways. The first is that it is never pretentious or cynical. One of McCartney's most important doctrines, if that isn't too grandiose a term, is that cynicism isn't cool. This distinguishes him as a pop artist and is simultaneously the key to his genius and the most strongly criticised aspect of his work.
The second point is an allied one. Everything the Beatles did is now so freighted with meaning that when McCartney calls them a decent little rock band it sounds coy. But he means it. Yes, Magical Mystery Tour came after Sgt Pepper, just as their work was being reassessed as art. But it was also a Christmas show. A few songs for the fans, a joke or two, lots of larking about, and the band enjoying itself.
What emerged was messy but fun. While it would be a mistake to overanalyse it, it is quite an important part of their catalogue. It is a deeply English film, a film about vicars and tug-of-war teams at village fetes, of seasides and fat women, fish and chips and beer on the coach.
In other words, it puts on display provincialism, humour, nostalgia and music hall, the influences that mark out mid-60s British psychedelia from the more po-faced US scene.
The Times
The Times
Magical Mystery Tour is released on Blu-ray on Monday.
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