Klaatu- Sub-Rosa Subway

[michellesupport89]

Does sound a bit like The Beratles but more like Wings.

[Danibolical]

i told my grandmother Suprise me for christmas in like the year this album came out and she did with this album

awesome

anus of uanus

who could resist LOL

[deansgatedora]

Great Beatles pastiche, even down to the Liverpudlian accent on the words "It's far too rude." Great song and like FrostyRSIFX notes, it's a definite nod to It's All Too Much. Love the sound of the underground train at the conclusion and the stereo effect of it travelling through the tunnel in my head, from one ear to the other.

[ElBlogDeUnVago]

the face of the sun looks like paul!

[FrostyRSIFX]

Sounds a lot like "It's All Too Much" from the Yellow Submarine Songtrack

[alexynere9]

Ladies and Gentlemen, ¡here are The Beatles!

[MrBolita76]

The whole album is amezing!! I never tought I will hear this song again. And yeah they kept their identeties a secret..Everybody thought they were The Beatles,The lead singer sound just like Paul Mc Cartney!!! Thank you,Thank you,Thank you!!!!

[chrisjamesgiannini]

S

U

B

100%

[Hibari9420]

Holy shit, it really sounds like McCartney

I'm already downloading the full album because it sounds pretty good.

[roberto20roberto]

Es curioso el dato en el que dice,que 4 años despues dieron sus nombres.Una forma para vender mas Discos pensando los Fans que podian ser los Beatles.La verdad es que el canta,tiene una voz muy parecida a Paul.

[roberto20roberto]

En 1976 se formo un grupo Canadiense llamado Klaatu que su forma de cantar y en su musica tenia un cierto parecido con The Beatles.En 1980 tras lanzar su 4 Disco se hizo publico los Nombres y nada que ver con los Bleatles.Muchos medios de comunicacion con el 1 Disco de Klaatu,titulado,Sud,Rosa Subway,pensaron que los Beatles habian vuelto a reunirse.Datos libro The Beatles.

[izzyizborn]

Just found this - brilliant!!! I remember reading a Circus mag article possibly tying them to Klaatu. As a kid, I'd really hoped it was true. Still think that 1 vocal in California Jam, singing the word "California" just before the guitar solo had to be McCartney. Still sounds like him to me.

[EMBpodcast]

always loved this tune!

[kitty9tales]

God, does this singer sound like Paul McCartney

[RosySuperBeatleFan]

woah 0-0 amazing song!!! I just discovered Klaatu... and I already like them:D

[Delmarvellous]

Song's high point is at 1:14. Klaatu is a cool character and cool band. First heard of band when I won their 1st album on a radio call in. Thought WTF @ the time, but listened anyway...and got hooked.

[SecretTimeWarp]

And yet, no one has ever explained why the trees at the bottom of that album cover spell out "BEATLES"...

[pudgemss]

sounds like it could slide right into the the Abbey road medley

[hkphanatic]

with the vocals sounding like Paul Mccartney and John Lennon it really could have convinced people that it was a beatles secret project, complete with bass lines that sound like Pauls, and guitar lines similiar to what John would play, this is my favorite track of the first Klaatu album, complete with the horns which kind of sound like the fade out of all you need is love.

[hkphanatic]

I bought the LP in 1976 because my cousin told me it was a covert beatles album, and after hearing this track, with its mix of sgt Pepper and Magical mystery tour sounding melodies I was almost convinced, Is it true that John Lennon helped produce and sang, it does sound like him on backing vocals.

[SecretTimeWarp]

@hkphanatic The Beatles had absolutely no connection this album, despite Klaatu's manager allegedly saying they did.

[juaniderosa]

Paul is live.... Thank god

[entrenadorjoaquin]

Excellent song! The Beatles would have been proud.

Thanks for posting.

[materrin]

OMG!! If I didn't know this wasn't a Beatles song or if I wasn't such a Beatles fan, I could have sworn that Paul McCartney sang this, specially the "Back in 1870" line.

[120255Denise]

What a fun little tune! If you Wiki Alfred Beach it even mentions this song. Thanks for the blast from the past!

[orhanfish100]

Hey! I don't believe this. Back in 1979 my father worked on the bins in Liverpool and he came home one day with 3 white label albums in white sleeves. The one I really liked had the songs 'Knee deep in love' and 'Ican't help it'. I never found out the name of the band and as time went on I moved countries a few times and lost all my collection. Those two songs in particular always stayed in my mind. I just happened to type 'Knee deep in love' into Youtube and I found the songs. Fantastic-Thanks

[abbacraft]

All Klaatu fans ; please check out the new Klaatu wiki. And help it get better!

Just go to: klaatu-band.wiki.com

or go to the wikia home page and search for: klaatu-band!

[MisterEvasion]

The story of Alfred Beach would make good film. It's the type of near-miss success story that Hollywood likes to create.

[BBINGHAM032352]

Did you that the actor who played Klaatu in the 1951 movie later on in 1966 appeared in the first episode of The Time Tunnel as the captain of the Titanic?

[takfam07]

I bought this album as a 12-year-old back in 1976. I fell for the whole "is this secretly the Beatles?" hype, it was fun. And Klaatu was pretty good!

[Beatleboy62]

Ok, I can definitely see how people would think this was Macca's voice.

[zkxv]

Thanks for typing the lyrics. Excellent post.

[zerobeat18]

Ringo Starr's 1974 album cover [Goodnight Vienna] has him appearing as the alien Klaatu, beside Gort (the robot) directly from the 1951 film "The Day The Earth Stood Still". It looks like a pre-photoshop cut/paste of Ringo's face where Klaatu's was. This album cover certainly contributed to the erroneous claims that the band Klaatu consisted of Beatles members. I'm guessing that only people who have casual or zero listening experience of either band could mistake one for the other.

[juancastillonb]

they could be or not the Beatles, anyway, the likeliness is incredible, the chorus, the rhythms, some parts remember you "I'm the walrus" and other parts seem to be in "Yellow submarine soundtrack" Anyway it is, Klaatu made me be happy in that 77, dreaming in the brotherhood of man, the Beatles together again... however at Lennon only remain 3 years of life and nobody knew... thanks Klaatu.

[F011esGuy]

One of the reasons that people mistook Klaatu for the Beatles was that the band didn't like hierarchies and refused to have band members names listed on their first two or three albums. The band is listed on their later albums, and it clearly isn't the Beatles.

[1FineYoungCannibal]

Quite an addictive track this.

Probably been said already but this sounds a lot like 70's McCartney/Wings rather than the Beatles.

[Ypipable]

Their wind machine made me win a science project once.

[resiev15]

Sounds like Mccartney but far away from the Beatles

[LonelyVagabond]

This reminds me of something Jellyfish could've done, short-lived but revered power-pop band from the early 90's

[Suckerfly]

@LonelyVagabond Yeah exactly!

[bonehead1170]

All you people dont know crap....this is the Beatles. I have the original 8mm film of them recording this in my studio in Ontario.

[1FineYoungCannibal]

@bonehead1170 Of course you do

[chupathingy99]

I thought this was by the beatles at first...

[AdmrlLocke]

I love the harpsichord instrumental toward the opening.

[monodrack]

Hear the Lyrics... The one Who sing this song is Terry Draper, the one used by the Beatles for Paul McCartney (49), Who dies in 1966. Klaatu give more information about this... And it's because in this Album, Terry Draper is the one.

[monodrack]

Hear the Lyrics... The one Who sing this song is Terry Draper, the one used by the Beatles for Paul McCartney (49), Who dies in 1966. Klaatu give more information about this... And it's because in this Album, Terry Draper is the one.

[ToujoursLAmour]

I think this would fit in well with the medley on Abbey Road. But I don't think 'Klaatu is a ripoff of the Beatles. Klaatu has other songs that sound nothing like this.

[Sparrowhawk1161]

I don't think Klaatu has anything to do with the Beatles. This album was nothing more than a concept album by four guys who happen to sound similar to the Beatles. If you listen to their other albums, they are not as Beatle like. The're much more progressive and theatrical in their sound. They were trying to find there own nitch as a versatile, well rounded concept band.

[MrGeno502]

Wouldn't it be cool if Paul and Ringo got together and did a remake of this?

[AdmrlLocke]

Back when this album first came out one of my buddies thought this song was about Batman because during the lines "It's Alfred" the music sounds reminiscent of the them from the campy 1960s Batman TV show. Back in the 1970s we had no handy Internet to dispel such misunderstandings, and nor to look up Alfred Beach. I told my buddy though that the lyrics clearly talked about "America's first subway" though, so I thought any resemblance to Batman just coincidental. :-)

[augusto727]

They became fairly popular in Mexico way back when. I liked them but then they dissappeared. Wish them luck

[nosferatu388]

Always liked this song, though i could never decode the morse code?

[JennylovesMJ]

@nosferatu388 it says (according to Klaatu.org:

From Alfred, heed thy sharpened ear,

A message we do bring,

Starship appears upon our sphere,

Through London's sky come spring.)

[nosferatu388]

@JennylovesMJ Thanks Jenny for the info, a nice little touch from an awesome song & pretty damn good album. /O-O\

[FuckngBastard]

To all those who consider Sub-Rosa Subway Beatles-like... Duh.

Klaatu was deliberately evoking Sgt. Pepper-era Beatles here.

The "shoop shoop" sound (ala I Am The Walrus) and the sound montage are dead givaways - nothing coincidental or mysterious about it.

Klaatu was not particularly creative or original, and definitely was not cool.

[soundman4545]

I bought this album as a kid when it came out. Klaatu's Sub Rosa Subway always sounded very Penny Lane-ish to me because of the horn arrangements.

The 3:17est is a very well produced record.

[JUANMO94]

I can understand why people thought this was from the Beatles!!

[LouieBeethoven]

Yeah, that's right. That's why Klaatu are legends in their time. If I go on ebay and type in "Klaatu" I come up with thousands of items. The Beatles? Nada. You must be a member of Klaatu, and I'm sincerely not knocking you, but history speaks for itself.

[rosskstar]

@LouieBeethoven what r u smoking?

[LouieBeethoven]

As you can see by my name, I'm much more interested in Beethoven than either The Beatles or Klaatu. Sub-Rosa Subway is an interesting song on many levels and I enjoy it. Anus of Uranus, however, was not my cup of tea. Wherever Klaatu got its name, it's creative, and no matter who thought up the idea that Klaatu was the reincarnation of The Beatles, I have to admit it was a fantastic publicity stunt.

[LouieBeethoven]

Oh,. yeah, I'm sure the members of Klaatu (taken from Ringo's album) were just furious at Steve Smith for those ghastly, horrible rumors that they were The Beatles in disguise. Right, why not try to sell someone the Brooklyn Bridge? Maybe Klaatu produced 5 albums, but guess what? Four of them bombed and the album above ONLY succeeded because of the rumors about the Beatles.

I was there friend. I remember.

[CompleatBeatles]

The name Klaatu was not taken from a Ringo Starr album. It was, in fact, the name Klaatu was taken from the 1951 film, "The Day the Earth Stood Still". In that film, the main character is named Klaatu. Klaatu (The band) was influenced by science fiction films as much as they were influenced by The Beatles.

Also, Klaatu's second album, "Hope" was a moderate success, as was their 1980 single, "Knee Deep In Love".

[gpietsch]

@CompleatBeatles You're half right. Klaatu is from "The Day the Earth Stood Still", but I thought it was from a command given to the robot Gort in the movie: "Gort, Klaatu Barakta Nikto".

[CompleatBeatles]

@gpietsch

Klaatu is also the protagonist in the film. The band's name was not derived from an excerpt from that quote. It was based on the main character and his role in the film.

[drafishy]

@CompleatBeatles Interesting! I want to check out the SF film.

[kitty9tales]

@gpietsch Don't forget, that was also used in Army of Darkness

[acholl980]

@CompleatBeatles I believe he was thinking that they were inspired by the cover of Ringo's album Goodnight Vienna which featured the robot Klaatu on it. That might also have spread all those rumors over a Beatles reunion.

[acholl980]

@acholl980 I reiterate. The robot was called Gort.

[mariovas1766]

@CompleatBeatles your'e totally tre... in fact, there were rumours meaning klaatu were the beatles using ather name!!!! that was false and the true was revealed when klaatu were seen in a TV show... thanx for the video...

[dytakeda]

@CompleatBeatles BUT Ringo used the flying saucer and robot image from the "Day the Earth Stood Still" movie for the cover of his Goodnight Vienna album.

[fratleyiskewl]

@dytakeda Goodnight Vienna was released after the first few Klaatu singles, which came out in 1973.

[dorn2100]

@LouieBeethoven..No I don't think you were there...personally I think you are getting your info from Wikipedia..either that or you were a very naive young child at the time..This album scored because it had some very catchy tunes...later recorded by other artists,.not because of some hokey rumour. People weren't that stupid, .in any case why would the Bealtes hide themselves?..it' not like they were Donny Osmond.who had to hide his return. If you don't like their music,.fine but don't diss it.

[FuckngBastard]

@dorn2100 - I was "there"... Nobody listened to Klaatu more than once. They were not very interesting or particularly good.

[benlorenc]

@LouieBeethoven no offence dude and i see where you're coming from, but you're being a dick. if they like obscure prog rock bands (not saying there is anything wrong with obscure prog rock bands, they kick ass) that didn't have much commercial success then don't hate on em. go dislike baby by justin bieber or something :P

[AllCanadiaReject]

@LouieBeethoven yeah but we all love their albums.  We would have bought them had we been there.

[LouieBeethoven]

This album was put out as a hoax. The group tried to pass itself off as the Beatles after the split - the Beatles supposedly got back together and recorded this album. Klaatu was taken from one of RIngo's post-Beatles albums. I bought this stinker and realized right away it wasn't the Beatles, although this song sounds a bit like them.

[CompleatBeatles]

@LouieBeethoven

Klaatu did NOT try to pass itself off as The Beatles. Steve Smith (A journalist) wrote an article that indicated that Klaatu may have been The Beatles. He provided a series of "clues" to back up his claim. Klaatu never claimed they were The Beatles, and stayed as far away from the rumor as possible. They never started the rumor, nor was the group formed as a hoax. Steve Smith is the cause of the rumor.

P.S, Klaatu released a total of 5 albums, all of which are wonderful.

[thediamonddoggie]

@CompleatBeatles I remember hearing that crap on the radio in 1976. What great marketing promo. It made me a fan. Thanks for posting this! I just started relistening to my all vinyl and this was one of the first albums on my new turntable.

[VernianProcess]

@LouieBeethoven I'm sorry but this song is way more creative than most of The Beatles material. And I like The Beatles quite a bit.

[FuckngBastard]

@VernianProcess - This song is way more creative than most of the Klaatu material.

[Rampant7990]

@VernianProcess You're musically uneducated, seriously.

Way more creative than the Beatles huh? I love this band, but isn't it funny? how many arrangements, various instrumental riffs and , various other sounds and yes even the voices were direct copy of the Beatles existing works.

I like this group very much, but your comment is that of a moron or a lying sociopath. Either way, I suggest never attempting for any career that involves music.

[VernianProcess]

@Rampant7990 Way to make a blanket statement about someone you know absolutely nothing about. I pity the future of mankind, when assholes like you walk the earth bringing everyone else down. Who give a rats ass what my education is, I own every single album The Beatles ever released, and I still like this song way more than most of their material. That is my opinion, you don't have to agree with it. Either way, I suggest never attempting a career where you have to speak to others.

[dorn2100]

Is it Paul? naah..but a delightlful/catchy song from a great album, that I still find myself humming to 33 years later !

[TerryXart]

I was there when the whole "Klaatu is the Beatles" hysteria was going on back in the 70's....gah...I'm f**kin old!! XD XD

[concordvinyl]

If only Wings had been able to make records like this ...

[DarkeningSkies1]

@concordvinyl You ain't kiddin': if Macca had gone in this direction a bit more after the Beatles, it would be his solo work that was my favorite and not John's. ;)

[qsarpadoh]

@concordvinyl what about band on the run dude!



[kevinmichaelwilliams]

yah, it's good to hear the whole thing down to it's beatle endings ... how many songs are in there ... ?

[runexwalsh]

So good! Beatles-esque. Love it! Thanks for putting this up! :]