Would Sgt. Pepper's Have Been Very Different?

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri May 30, 2003 2:12 am

"The double album was supposed to announce the birth of The Beatles.Sounds like he's relating his story to Sgt.Pepper, which actually has the old Beatles waving good-bye and the new Beatles coming in."

You may be right Larry, however, this would not be the first time in The Beatles' history that a theme or song from years earlier was drawn upon. As you know, more than one early Lennon-McCartney song was used later in their career, at times as a filler to meet deadlines.

"I just think that too many years after the fact people start to enhance their story."

This is all too often the case Larry. But should Whitaker's description be a confabulation, why would he choose such a bizzare theme. The Beatles were frquently on the edge, compared to mainstream 1960s behaviour, and it is likely that such a theme appealed to them if even momentarily. Whitaker is also able to recall the comments of each Beatle, John accepting his idea, George rejecting it, Paul poking fun and Ringo perplexed. I think that Whitaker has contexutally embeded his comments within the pandemonium of the day. In the context of "Strawberry Fields, nothing is real" is his story so far-fetched?

Perhaps one additional point to consider. Capitol had a very great deal to lose over this venture. Surely they were aware of The Beatles' concerns over the changes made in the American releases. Knowning this, why would Capitol release the Butcher Cover. Was Capitol's myopic management so nearsighted that they missed the forest for the trees?

larrywassgren · Post by **larrywassgren** » Fri May 30, 2003 7:10 pm

The 60's were a different time and things could be slipped by much easier then than now. It's likely that the big-wigs at Capital wouldn't even know what the next Beatle album cover was until it was too late. When they were made aware of the album cover because of the shock(supposedly) from DJ's, the public, etc.(who did complain about that album cover?), they would then realize they had been 'had' by The Beatles. And really, when you think of it, who stopped the sale of this album because of the cover? I never even heard about the 'butcher cover' until many years after the fact. As a fan of The Beatles since seeing them on Sullivan, I would have bought the Butcher cover and had a laugh over it. It wouldn't have stopped me buying that album. I didn't even know(and nobody but the record companies in the USA knew) that Capital was butchering The Beatles British albums. All this came out much later and we can easily talk about it now. That's why it can't be merely coincidence that they would put this butcher cover on their butchered(filler) album. The big-shots at Capital had to be the ones to say change that cover and I believe they did this because they were ticked off and wouldn't want the public to know what that cover was all about. The fans could care less and would have enjoyed that cover. When The Beatles orchestrated the 'Paul is dead' idea into their albums they pulled that off and still haven't talked about it. I've always thought the Butcher Cover was the same, 'we'll get Capital in our own way' and we did it. It's much cooler to do it and then not have to talk about it. That's just the way I see it.

robj · Post by **robj** » Mon Jun 02, 2003 5:27 am

The Beatles orchestrated the "Paul is dead" idea into their albums.... So there was a conspiracy between the Beatles and a few disc jokeys in the Detroit/Ann Arbor, Michigan area?

larrywassgren · Post by **larrywassgren** » Mon Jun 02, 2003 4:58 pm

No, the disc jockey from Detroit was the first guy to pick up on the clues.

robj · Post by **robj** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 5:38 am

I grew up in the area and was taken in by the hoax as much if not more than most. I even taped every WABX and WKNR show I could during that period of time. By way of his radio show, Russ Gibb is generally credited with providing the massive exposure needed to fuel the rumors and speculation. The first "clues" were said to have been phoned in to his show,that's all pretty well documented history, but still my question is; Who did the Beatle's conspire with to pull this off if in fact the Beatles orchestrated the "Paul is Dead" idea? Someone would have had to been involved in the U.S.(more specifically in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area), and too my knowledge no credible person has come forward to lay claim to the role.

I think that the source was most likely a couple of college students/Beatles fans or fanatics (possibly chemically fueled) sitting around discussing the Paul is dead rumors which had been circulating at low levels since his car accident in the mid '60s, and started finding "clues" which were eventually phoned into the radio station.

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 10:52 am

I agree that the fabs probably had nothing to do with the Paul is dead thing. The chip in his tooth after the motor scooter accident started the first murmurings of it in my area. Mac being replaced with a look alike. Sheesh. 'Course the stones replaced Brian/M. Taylor with a Keef alike.

ricnvolved · Post by **ricnvolved** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 10:53 am

I remember a segment of some television program many years back that talked about the "Paul is Dead" subject. According to this particular report, a student deejay at the Hofstra University radio station on Long Island, New York supposedly is the one who began deciphering the "clues" in the various Beatles' songs and began broadcasting the story from the station. I don't remember the guy's name, but they went through a mock replay of when he originally "broke the story". The man in question seemed to be a bit of a publicity hound, but at no point in the story was there any serious challenge to his claim that he was one of the very first people here in the U.S. to theorize that Paul might be/was dead.

Did anyone else here see this program or is otherwise familiar with this story?