In August of 1976 a Canadian band calling itself Klaatu released 3:47 Est. Anyone listening could hear the obvious Beatles references leading some journalists to wonder if Klaatu were actually the Fab Four incognito. The wise executives at Capitol Records decided to say they didn't know the true identities of the band. Radio stations began playing Klaatu, asking listeners "Is it the Beatles?". Pat Martin of WSPT radio in Stevens Points Wisconsin claimed by playing the last two minutes of "Sub Rosa Subway" backwards, you can hear "It's Us, It's Us, The Beatles!"
What followed is Klaatu-mania and sales of several hundred thousand records all over the world. Rolling Stone magazine and other media outlets began asking questions. Capitol Records continued to shrug. Though they likely funded the airplane that flew around Chicago's Hancock building trailing a banner that read "Klaatu? Call any radio station".
Eventually we would learn the identities of Klaatu. Yep, just a trio of talented Canucks. But we also learned, long before the days of going viral on social media, that it isn't always the loudest statement that makes waves. Maybe John Lennon put it best in his Shaved Fish liner notes : "a conspiracy of silence speaks louder than words".
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