Paul is dead

A magazine exploiting the rumour^[1]

"Paul is dead" is an urban legend alleging that Paul McCartney of the English rock band The Beatles died in 1966 and was secretly replaced by a look-alike. Rumours began in September 1969 when American students published articles claiming that clues to McCartney's death could be found among the lyrics and artwork of The Beatles' recordings, and rapidly grew to become an international phenomenon. It was rebutted by a contemporary interview with McCartney published in November 1969^[2] but continues to attract some interest.

Beginnings

The first known printed article on the subject "Is Paul McCartney Dead?", was written by Tim Harper in the Drake University paper, the Times-Delphic, on 17 September 1969.^[3][4] A few weeks afterwards, on 12 October, a caller to WKNR-FM (Detroit) radio DJ Russ Gibb announced that McCartney was dead and asked Gibb to play "Revolution 9" backwards; Gibb thought he heard "Turn me on, dead man."^[5] Two days later, having heard the WKNR broadcast, Michigan students Fred LaBour and John Gray published in the Michigan Daily a satirical review of The Beatles' Abbey Road album called "McCartney Dead; New Evidence Brought to Light", itemising various "clues" of McCartney's death on Beatles album covers. The students had invented many of the "clues" and were astonished when the story was then picked up by newspapers across the United States.^[6]

Growth

On 21 October 1969, Roby Yonge, a disc jockey on the New York radio station ‘WABC’, discussed the rumour on air (and was immediately fired for doing so).^[7][8] The broadcast could be heard clearly in 38 US states and as far away as Africa's Atlantic coast;^[9] soon afterwards, national and international media picked up the story.

Singer Terry Knight had witnessed The Beatles' White Album session during which drummer Ringo Starr had walked out and, in May 1969, released a song — "Saint Paul" — about the impending break-up of the band. The song entered the Billboard chart at #114 in late June but was quickly forgotten until, a few months later, it was picked up by radio stations as "a tribute to the late Paul McCartney".^[10]

In a television programme broadcast in New York on 30 November 1969, celebrity lawyer F. Lee Bailey cross-examined LaBour and other "experts" on the rumour but left it to the viewer to decide. Prior to recording the programme LaBour informed Bailey that his article had been intended as a joke; Bailey replied "Well, we have an hour of television to do; you're going to have to go along with this."^[6]

The Abbey Road album cover ‘funeral procession’

The ‘clues’

Hundreds of supposed clues to McCartney's death were reported by fans and followers of the legend; they include messages perceived when listening to a song being played backwards, and symbolic interpretations of both lyrics and album cover imagery.^[11] Oft-cited examples are the belief that the words spoken by McCartney's band-mate John Lennon in the final section of the song "Strawberry Fields Forever" are "I buried Paul"^[12] (Lennon and McCartney each later said that the words spoken are actually "Cranberry sauce")^[13] and the belief that the Abbey Road album cover symbolises a funeral procession (Lennon is shown dressed all in white, supposedly like a clergyman; Ringo Starr in a black suit, like an undertaker; George Harrison in blue jeans, supposedly symbolising a gravedigger; and McCartney is dressed in a blue suit without shoes, and is walking out of step with the other Beatles as, supposedly, a corpse would).^[14]

The story

The ‘clues’ were used to suggest the following story: Three years previously (on 9 November 1966), McCartney, after an argument during a Beatles' recording session, had angrily driven off in his car which he had subsequently crashed, and had died. To spare the public from grief, his place had then been taken by ‘William Campbell’, the winner of a McCartney look-alike contest.^[15]

The magazine report that rebutted the rumours

Rebuttal

In November 1969, Life magazine published an edition with a cover story entitled "The case of the ‘missing’ Beatle: Paul is still with us" which included a contemporary interview with McCartney.^[2] McCartney said:

^[16]

Aftermath

Both Lennon and McCartney subsequently referred to the legend in their music: Lennon in his 1971 song "How Do You Sleep?" (describing those who had spread the rumour as ‘freaks’)^[17] and McCartney with the title and cover of his 1993 live album Paul Is Live (parodying the Abbey Road cover and its "hidden clues").^[18]

As well as being the subject of several books, films, and analyses (see below), there have been many references to the legend in popular culture. Examples include a parody of the story published in a 1970 Batman comic book^[19], comedic references in television programmes such as The Simpsons (1990)^[20] and Battlestar Galactica (2006),^[21] being discussed in a 2006 episode of the Catalan soap opera El Cor de la Ciutat,^[22] and a 2009 Wired Italia magazine article by forensic scientist Gabriella Carlesi et al. which concluded that selected photographs of McCartney, taken before and after his alleged demise, might not be of the same person (but noting that there was less certainty than with cases that allow a rigorous analysis of a corpse).^[23]

Notes

References

External links

• The "Paul Is Dead" Rumor Details, history and analysis of the legend.
• Details, Secrets, & Theories of the Beatle's Paul-Is-Dead Mystery Analysis and lecture by Doctor Lev.
• Who Buried Paul? Lecture including images and audio clips by Brian Moriarty.

Films

• Paul Is Dead (2000) at the Internet Movie Database: German drama by Hendrik Handloegten.
• Who Buried Paul McCartney? (2005) at the Internet Movie Database: Dutch documentary by Wouter van Opdorp.
• Paul McCartney Really Is Dead: The Last Testament of George Harrison (2010) at the Internet Movie Database: American documentary by Joel Gilbert.

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Naked · Love Box sets The Beatles Collection · The Beatles: The Collection · The Beatles Box · The Beatles Box Set · The Capitol Albums (vol. 1 · 2) · The Beatles in Mono · The Beatles Stereo Box Set The Beatles compilation discography Bert Kaempfert recordings My Bonnie (w/ Tony Sheridan; GER, 1962) • The Beatles with Tony Sheridan & Guests (1964) • Ain't She Sweet (1964) • The Beatles' First (GER, 1964 / UK, 1967) • In the Beginning (Circa 1960) (1970) • The Early Tapes of The Beatles (1984) • Beatles Bop – Hamburg Days (2001) Hits A Collection of Beatles Oldies (1966) • 1962–1966 (1973) • 1967–1970 (1973) • 20 Greatest Hits (1982) • The Number Ones (1983) • 1 (2000) Themes Rock 'n' Roll Music (1976) • Love Songs (1977) • The Beatles' Ballads (1980) • Reel Music (1982) Non-album tracks Hey Jude (US, 1970 / UK, 1979) • Rarities (UK, 1978) • Rarities (US, 1980) • Past Masters, Volume One (1988) • Past Masters, Volume Two (1988) Alternative versions Yellow Submarine Songtrack (1999) • Let It Be... 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Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With a Little Help from My Friends" / "A Day in the Life" 1995 "Free as a Bird" / "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" 1996 "Real Love" / "Baby's in Black" UK only (Parlophone, Apple) 1962 "My Bonnie" / "The Saints" · "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You" 1964 "Ain't She Sweet" / "If You Love Me, Baby" 1976 "Yesterday" / "I Should Have Known Better" · "Back in the U.S.S.R." / "Twist and Shout" US only (Vee-Jay, Swan, Tollie, Capitol, Apple) 1964 "Twist and Shout" / "There's a Place" · "Do You Want to Know a Secret" / "Thank You Girl" · "Love Me Do" / "P.S. 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