The Long and Winding Conspiracy

I just bought a re-mixed version of the 1966 album, Revolver, by the Beatles. You know, that band from the '60s that older white parents try to convince their kids is still relevant. They were like the biggest boy band of the '60s, but with actual talent. I still love The Beatles, but let's face it, they haven't had a hit in decades; yet I still keep buying new copies and formats of the same old albums every decade, so what does it matter?

And speaking of parents, have you noticed how we boomers are obsessed with The Beatles? We behave as if we were there when John, Paul, George, and Ringo were writing "Hey Jude." It's like we want partial credit for being alive during the same time period.

My old high school English teacher from the 70s, Mr Russ Gibb, passed away not too long ago. During his radio days in Detroit he helped hype the whole "Paul is dead" conspiracy. I don't know about you, but at first I was skeptical that Paul McCartney died and was replaced by a look-alike… then I realized Beatle Paul suddenly began playing the bass more creatively and writing even better songs than he did pre-1966. Maybe the strain on the fake Paul, AKA Billy Shears, became too much. The original Paul wouldn’t have cranked out things like the faux disco “Silly Love Songs” that reached #1 on the billboard charts for 5 weeks in 1976. The song featured a repetitive bass pattern and the same silly phrases sung over and over again, as if Paul was trying to hypnotize us. What’s worse is that the #1 hit was repeated over and over again on pop radio. Something strange was going on.