Klaatu

70s/80s Toronto band. Two claims to fame: around the time of Hope
(1977), rumors began to swirl that Klaatu was a super-secret Beatles reunion (a clue: Ringo Starr's The Day the Earth Stood Still motif for Goodnight Vienna); false, of course, and Klaatu wasn't taken seriously after that. Second, a song from that LP, "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", became a hit, in a cover version by the Carpenters - not good for one's rawk cred.

Klaatu, depending on who you ask, was formed in either 1972 or 1974. Either way, they were signed to GRT in 1974, and began recording and releasing singles. Apparently the band intended to remain anonymous, and nowhere were the musicians, songwriters, or producers named.

By 1976, the band had amassed enough material to release an album, 3:47 EST, also simply known as Klaatu.

Shortly after the release of 3:47 EST, a Rhode Island journalist noted that Klaatu, especially the song Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft, sounded like the Beatles, and the rumor quickly spread that Klaatu was, indeed a Beatles reunion.

Klaatu recorded a second album, Hope, in 1977 as sales of 3:47 EST began to take off. Hope was more like prog rock than Klaatu's earlier work, and was a concept album - it depicts the rise and fall of a space-faring extraterrestrial civilization, presumably originating on Venus. Hope was a commercial success, because of the press they'd gotten because of the Beatles rumor.

1978 saw the release of Sir Army Suit, which was a conscious attempt on behalf of the members of Klaatu to make more commercial music, as interest in the band was fading.

After the release of Sir Army Suit, someone thought to check the names of the songwriters in the Library of Congress. The Beatles rumor was smashed, and the new rumor was that Klaatu consisted of John Woloschuk, Dee Long, and Dino Tome.

Klaatu suffered a backlash after the Beatles rumor was proven false, and their fourth album, 1980's Endangered Species, was a commercial failure, and Klaatu was dropped from their American and international distributor, Capitol Records.

In 1981, Klaatu went public - the band consisted of John Woloschuk, Dee Long and Terry Draper. Magentalane, Klaatu's final album, was only distributed in Canada, and the inner sleeve included pictures of the band members.

After Magentalane was released, Klaatu went on their first and only tour. After the tour was finished, John Woloschuk decided to leave the band, and after a few occasional gigs, Dee Long and Terry Draper parted ways in 1982.

Discography:

3:47 EST (1976)
Hope (1977)
Sir Army Suit (1978)
Endangered Species (1980)
Magentalane (1981)