Klaatu: The Rock Band That Everyone Thought Were The Beatles! Were They Precursors to The Police?
Hey everyone!
The year was 1976, and a new album hit the record stores, receiving quite a bit of airplay especially on FM Radio!
They were just another new band without a large fan base leading up to this album hitting the airwaves!
The album’s title, ‘3:47 EST’ was mysterious, and the band’s name even more so!
KLAATU! WTF?
And even more mysterious was the fact that there were no liner-notes to the album to let you know just who Klaatu were!
Oh yeah, one other thing! They sounded very much like The Beatles!
After fans had gone through every single death-clue regarding Paul McCartney’s recent supposed passing, it didn’t take much to speculate that perhaps, just perhaps this was an album by The Beatles who wanted to remain anonymous!
Right away sales more than doubled, tripled, even quadrupling Klaatu’s previous sales!
Who were the members of this mysterious band? Why did they sound so close to ‘The Beatle Sound’? How many albums did Klaatu eventually release?
These and many more questions are discussed in tonight’s video!
Link To StartTonights Video Proper: 02:00
Kink to Routine Day by KLAATU: https://youtu.be/CWVeIVsjDrI
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-Michael Noland-
-The Bottom Line-
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Thanks Michael… Informative and accurate.
I knew it wasn't the Beatles!
THE best 'Calling Occupants' was performed by the Langley Elementary School choir in 1976.
That record caused quite a stir! We thought it was the Beatles!🤙
I had their first album on 8-tract…
Wow, how many times do you get an accolade on a YT video, from the subject artist! Thanks Terry Draper, for interjecting here, and much more importantly, making music that is the soundtrack of my youth. 3:47 EST is one of a few albums that are on my permanent playlist.
Anybody who likes the Beatles or Klaatu I would point them to Jellyfish- another fabulous band that never hit the heights they should have done.
Yeah, the ONLY correct Beatles era split is: early, mid, psychedelic, late!
Great vid. Cheers 👍
No one ever, ever thought that Klaatu were The Beatles
I visited my best mate from school after he had just emigrated to Toronto in around 1979, and he introduced me to the first Klaatu album. He told me the story about people thinking they were the Beatles and to be fair they sounded very much like them, especially in songs like Sub Rosa Subway (just like McCartney). I think I bought 4 of their albums in all, but on the 4th they went badly astray and starting playing newly in vogue funk type stuff. I hated it. I remember when I bought the first album once I was back in the UK, I had thought to take down the record number in order to present it to a UK store. I told the shop assistant that I wanted to buy a Canadian album by a band called Klaatu and then I gave him the number. 'Oh,' he said, 'That's good. I thought you were gonna start singing it like most of the others do.'
I never got why do many were fooled.I never thought it was the Fabs. I thought the album sucked.
My brothers knew a guy who had all of the records by this band.We All the same thing, THIS is the Beatles.
Heard of Klaatu when they first released their first album, really liked them (and I bought their first two albums). Never believed the "it's the Beatles" rumors. Liked their music.
I am old enough to remember when the first Klaatu LP was released (re-titled "Klaatu" in Australia). I was 16 at the time. There was an article in the local Sunday paper discussing the rumour it was a long lost Beatles album, originally to be called "Hot As Sun", recorded after Sgt Pepper but before the White Album. At least, that is the rumour we got in Australia. Being a huge Beatles fan I went out that week and purchased a copy. I listened intently for any confirmation that this is a long lost Beatles album. Although there were many "Beatlesque" moments, I realised fairly quickly it wasn't the Beatles. No matter, it was a great album. Many years went by and I was a DJ on a community radio station. The most popular songs on the LP are "Calling Occupants" and "Sub-Rosa Subway", but I chose to play one of my personal favourites, the rocking "True Life Hero". I played it a few times during my time at the station, as well as "Sub-Rosa Subway" on at least one occasion.
The first album is the best, and it's easy to understand why people might've thought this was The Beatles under a different name.
"A band that WERE"……"your response WERE……"????????? WHEN THE F-UCK DID PEOPLE GET BRAINWASHED ENOUGH TO TALK LIKE THIS??????? You can really tell who does and does NOT read books!!!!!!!
Again with this?? I think ELO sound more like Klaatu than the Beatles ever did, This story is MOOT!!
I've found a couple of psych tracks that were done in the early `60's. "Pitter Patter" by The Birdies (also known as The Ultra-Mates) springs to mind.
Did you notice how, the year before the first album, Ringo had one WITH Klaatu on the cover? Who's referencing who, here?
You got John's last name right.
Most of their Beatle sounding vocals sound like George, to me.
It's Rubblesby, not Rugglesby. Well, it was the last time I looked at my copy! I ALWAYS thought it was Rugglesby until I saw the title on the record! Now, it's been switched back to Rugglesby!
Did you also ever notice how there's a tiny squeak at the end of the first album and the start of the second? Could this be in reference to the mouse on the covers?
Sub Rosa Subway also has a Morse Code message in it.
Dear Christine, Juicy Lucy and A Routine Day were the singles from the third album.
The lyrics of Silly Boys are actually the lyrics to Anus Of Uranus played backwards, chopped up and edited together in a completely different order.
Howl At The Moon was the best song on the 4th album and you missed the last song on the album! The 2nd best song on the album.
Magenta Lane was their worst and Endangered was their 2nd worst. They were both MUCH too commercial!
By the way, there's a few non-album single cuts!
Except for the few that made it, the music industry NEVER gives the really good bans a chance!! There's COUNTLESS great bands that nobody's ever heard of!! That's why I'd LOVE to get a radio show where I play all that great stuff nobody's ever heard!!
There's been a number of bands that did psych over the last few decades: The Pillbugs, The Dukes Of Stratosfear, XTC, Vibrasonic, Alice's Orb, The Bevis Frond, Prince & The Revolution (to a degree), Ozric Tentacles, Baby Woodrose, Super Furry Animals (a couple tracks), Walter Ghoul's Lavender Brigade, Spirit, and I'm sure there's others I just don't recall off the top of my head (I've been away from my massive psych collection for over a year).
Forgot to mention, some DJ from the mid-west (I think) announced on the radio when he played the first album on his show that he thought they were The Beatles recording under a different name.
And foidda more…Dee and Terry have released a few solo albums and the entire band got together to play on some of those songs so, there ARE newer Klaatu releases, they just aren't touted as such. I talked very briefly with either Terry or Dee a few years ago and he said that John went back to doing woodwork and isn't very much interested in music anymore, except to play on an occasional solo project song with the others.
I was 16 when there first album came out bought it and it wasn't removed from my turntable for 3 months. Songwriting was insanely great , but when Hope came out to me it's still in my top 5. These guys were songwriting geniuses. That album blew me away. Thanks for doing this. They should have been one of the biggest bands at the time. Thanks again!!!!
Everyone thought they were The Beatles? No, only the stupid thought that…
And The Police connection… more twaddle!
But Klaatu were The Wombles backing band… hand on heart that's true!
Got 1st Klaatu album bc we liked the cover, don't remember Beatles rumors. Good stuff
Just found your channel. Subbed.
Polyphonic copy
Living in Germany I bought the first Klaatu album loved it but it got lost in the progressive madness when I got back to the states but i'll think I will pick up that 1st album again thanks
Klaatu All I remember about this band is their name. They should have wrote a few hit songs. Seriously. This isn't the Beatles either, but it's got a heartbeat to it ===>>> https://youtu.be/mXyoWw7b2xo
I loved Klaatu… I NEVER thought that were the Beatles, though I heard people thought they were… weird
Toronto during the seventies was cool and 'Sub Rosa Subway' is still a fave of mine. Great history lesson… "… from frescoed walls and goldfish fountains… " But also a great tribute to the Sgt. Pepper's era Beatles.
I first heard of Klaatu In 1985…!!!! Listened to this album on Cassette…!!!! I found an original copy of the album in 2007 at Black Dog Records In Houston,Tx…!!!! A treasure in my collection…!!!!
Been a Klaatu fan since the start, I have all the albums. Being a huge Beatles fan I never thought thay were the Beatles but were obviously influenced by the Fab Four.
I disagee. Revolver had the first psychedelic type songs with Harrison playing the earliest backwards lead guitar parts. Tomorrow Never Knows, Yellow Submarine and Rain, which was recorded during the sessions, used many new effects and techniques. Automatic double tracking, use of a Leslie speaker on vocals , and tape loops were some other new element they incorporated. Geoff Emerick was the sound engineer, and worked with them for the first time. He contributed many new ideas.
Great video. I bought all their albums, starting in 1977 after I read in a music magazine about them. I am a big Beatles fan. To me their highlights are Hope, brilliant psychedelic rock and Sir Army Suit, maybe in the top ten of perfect pop albums. Terribly underrated group. A pity they never got a chance, slammed for the Beatles rumor they did not create. I never understood why they never got back together. Especially John Wolochuk is a fantastic songwriter. A wasted genius! I am very proud to own the remastered CD of Sir Army Suit with their signatures.