Before the big suit, before the lights came up, David Byrne was alone in a room — moving like no one was watching. This newly surfaced compilation shows the Talking Heads frontman practicing his now-legendary dance moves for Stop Making Sense, and it’s every bit as hypnotic, awkward, and brilliant as you’d hope. It’s a peek behind the curtain of a performance that redefined what a concert film could be — and proof that genius sometimes starts with just one man and a mirror.
Magical Mystery Tour may have started as a chaotic, grief-fueled passion project, but it ended up becoming one of the Beatles’ most sonically adventurous and culturally significant releases. What began as an experiment in form and freedom turned into a vivid time capsule of 1967 — complete with genre-breaking sounds, surreal imagery, and a kaleidoscopic vision of what pop music could be. Whether you love it for its weirdness or its brilliance (or both), one thing’s certain: Magical Mystery Tour is more than just a psychedelic detour — it’s a key stop on the long and winding road of Beatles history.
The 20 Most Infamous “Paul Is Dead” Clues — And Why Beatles Fans Still Can’t Let It Go
In 1969, as Abbey Road climbed the charts, a strange rumor exploded across college campuses and late-night radio waves: Paul McCartney was dead. According to the theory, Paul died in a fiery car crash in late 1966, and rather than devastate fans worldwide, the remaining Beatles — with alleged help from British intelligence — replaced him with a lookalike named Billy Shears. To ease their guilt or slyly share the truth, they began leaving cryptic clues in lyrics, album artwork, and even backmasked recordings. The result? A full-blown pop culture phenomenon that had fans poring over Beatles records like ancient scrolls.
Here are 20 of the most iconic and widely cited “Paul is dead” clues that kept a generation of fans guessing.
1. “Turn Me On, Dead Man” – Revolution 9
When fans played the experimental White Album track Revolution 9 in reverse, many claimed to hear the phrase “Turn me on, dead man” repeated clearly. This eerie line, combined with the track’s already nightmarish soundscape, seemed to point directly to a hidden message about Paul’s death, sparking one of the theory’s most persistent audio clues.
2. Abbey Road as a Funeral Procession
The Abbey Road cover became Exhibit A for the conspiracy. John, dressed in white, was interpreted as a priest; Ringo, in black, the undertaker; George, in denim, the gravedigger; and Paul — barefoot, out of step with the others, and holding a cigarette in his right hand despite being left-handed — was seen as the corpse. Fans believed this “funeral procession” was a symbolic farewell to the real Paul.
3. The “LMW 28IF” License Plate
The Volkswagen Beetle parked on Abbey Road bore a license plate reading “LMW 28IF.” Conspiracy theorists claimed it meant “28 IF Paul had lived,” suggesting he would have been 28 years old (he was actually 27 at the time). “LMW” was interpreted as “Linda McCartney Weeps” or “Linda McCartney, Widow,” despite Paul not yet having met Linda in 1966.
4. “I Buried Paul” – Strawberry Fields Forever
At the end of Strawberry Fields Forever, John Lennon softly mutters something that many fans believed was “I buried Paul.” Lennon later insisted he was actually saying “cranberry sauce,” but the damage was done. The supposed confession became one of the most chilling pieces of “evidence” in the theory.
5. The OPD Patch on Sgt. Pepper
On the Sgt. Pepper album cover, Paul wears a patch on his uniform that reads “OPD.” American fans interpreted this as “Officially Pronounced Dead,” reinforcing the narrative. The band later clarified it actually said “OPP” for “Ontario Provincial Police,” a gift from a Canadian fan, but believers were unconvinced.
6. The Billy Shears Introduction
When Ringo begins “With a Little Help from My Friends” on Sgt. Pepper, he’s introduced as Billy Shears. This sparked theories that “Billy Shears” was the name of the Paul McCartney lookalike now standing in his place — an eerie musical wink to those paying close attention.
7. “The Walrus Was Paul” – Glass Onion
In Glass Onion, Lennon sings, “Here’s another clue for you all / The walrus was Paul.” Fans latched onto this line immediately, connecting it to the walrus in I Am the Walrus, which they claimed symbolized death. Lennon later admitted the lyric was meant to confuse people — and it absolutely did.
8. The Black Rose in Magical Mystery Tour
In promotional photos for Magical Mystery Tour, three Beatles wear red roses on their lapels, but Paul wears a black one. Conspiracists saw this as another mourning symbol — a visual cue to show that Paul had died and been replaced.
9. The Sgt. Pepper Drum Reflection
Some fans used a mirror trick on the Sgt. Pepper bass drum logo. When a mirror is placed across the center, it allegedly reflects the message “1 ONE 1 X HE DIE.” Whether coincidence or clever design, it gave conspiracy theorists another cryptic breadcrumb to chase.
10. “He Blew His Mind Out in a Car” – A Day in the Life
Lennon’s line from A Day in the Life — “He blew his mind out in a car” — became one of the most-cited lyrical clues. Though it referenced the death of Guinness heir Tara Browne, fans were convinced it was a veiled description of Paul’s fatal accident in 1966.
11. Paul’s Scar
Photographs taken after 1966 show what some say is a faint scar on Paul’s upper lip. Some claimed it was the result of cosmetic surgery to make the lookalike resemble Paul more closely, further fueling the theory that this was a different person altogether.
12. His Changing Voice
Die-hard Beatles fans pointed to subtle changes in Paul’s voice in post-1966 recordings. Some claimed he sounded deeper and less nasal. While vocal evolution is natural, believers argued that it was yet another sign of an impostor taking over the mic.
13. Backwards Message in “I’m So Tired”
At the end of I’m So Tired, Lennon mutters gibberish. Played backward, some fans heard the phrase “Paul is dead, man. Miss him, miss him.” It wasn’t long before audio analysts across America were rewinding their vinyl for more messages from beyond the grave.
14. Paul Out of Step on Abbey Road
On the Abbey Road cover, all four Beatles are stepping with their left foot — except Paul, who leads with his right. Fans took this as another subtle signal: Paul was different. Paul was… replaced.
15. One Costume Doesn’t Match – Magical Mystery Tour
On the Magical Mystery Tour cover, the four Beatles wear animal costumes. Three of the suits match in color and tone. One doesn’t — Paul’s. This anomaly led fans to claim that Paul was being visually separated from the rest of the group once again.
16. George Pointing to “Wednesday Morning at 5 O’Clock”
On the Sgt. Pepper back cover, George Harrison points to the line “Wednesday morning at five o’clock.” Some fans insisted this was the exact time of Paul’s alleged death or funeral, turning liner notes into a conspiracy timeline.
17. “Number Nine, Number Nine…”
The robotic repetition of “Number nine” on Revolution 9 became another centerpiece. When reversed, fans believed it sounded like “Turn me on, dead man.” Whether or not it was deliberate, it sent listeners scrambling to reverse every track they could.
18. The White Album’s Blankness
After the explosive color and detail of Sgt. Pepper, the stark white cover of The Beatles (aka the White Album) felt like a memorial. Conspiracists saw the minimalism as a symbol of death and absence — a subtle tribute to a fallen bandmate.
19. Paul Faces Away on Sgt. Pepper Back Cover
On the Sgt. Pepper back cover, the other three Beatles face forward, but Paul has his back to the camera. It was just enough to unsettle fans — especially in an era when every detail of a Beatles release was thought to be intentional and meaningful.
20. The Beatles’ Silence and Paul’s Retreat
At the height of the rumor, Paul had withdrawn from the press to spend time at his farm in Scotland. The Beatles’ management issued denials, but Paul’s silence — along with his scruffy, uncharacteristic appearance in paparazzi photos — only fueled suspicion. Why wasn’t he speaking out more loudly? Maybe… because he couldn’t?
So, Is Paul Dead?
Of course not. Paul McCartney is alive, touring, and still making music. But the “Paul is dead” theory endures because it taps into something more than just rock and roll — it’s about myth, mystery, and the joy of finding meaning where there may be none.
What began as a college prank evolved into one of the most enduring pop culture conspiracies of all time. And whether you believe it was a hoax, a metaphor, or a giant inside joke, one thing is clear: the Beatles were never just a band — they were a puzzle. And sometimes, puzzles make the best legends.
The Riptides Light the Fuse with “Bad Habit” From ‘Burn After Listening’ Album
If the world feels like it’s gone off the rails, it’s because it has—and The Riptides have the soundtrack for it. Fueled by a post-pandemic punk-rock panic attack and loaded with melodies that hit like a right hook, Burn After Listening is the Ottawa band’s most audacious record to date. Their third single “Bad Habit” is out now—an infectious slice of pop-punk perfection that slams like Green Day but with the heart and hangups of a bruised romantic. Think The Clash at their catchiest, Screeching Weasel at their wittiest, and The Queers with just the right amount of existential dread.
From the pounding pulse of “Bad Habit” to the chaos-soaked cover art by Ottawa visual wizard Andrew Beck, The Riptides are taking no prisoners. “This record was born in the weirdest time,” the band shares. “There was so much uncertainty, and it gave us room to really go deep. Lyrically, it’s satire, reflection, and frustration—wrapped up in fast hooks and shout-along choruses.”
Written during the darkest days of lockdown, Burn After Listening is a punk-rock grenade lobbed directly into the absurdity of the world. The Riptides decamped to The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado, where engineer Andrew Berlin and mastering legend Jason Livermore (Descendents, NOFX) helped the band fine-tune every jagged edge. The result is a record that’s sharp, shiny, and primed to explode.
And explode it does. “Bad Habit,” with its punchy chorus—”You’re a bad habit that I don’t wanna quit”—is a full-blown power-pop anthem that’ll make you question every decision you’ve ever made at 2AM. It’s the type of song you scream along to while speeding down the highway with a broken heart and a pack of regrets. Teenage Bottlerocket’s drummer Darren Chewka and guitarist Kody jumps in on this one, and you can hear the adrenaline in every riff. “Having them on the track was unreal,” the band says. “We grew up on their stuff.”
But they didn’t stop there. The album also features guest vocals from Heavy Kevy of Insanity Alert and Merel from Dutch punk outfit Lone Wolf, each adding firepower to tracks like “Bottom Feeder” and “Get Over You.” “We called in some favours from friends we love and respect,” says the band. “They helped make this album bigger than we ever imagined.”
In their own words, “Every song has its own identity, but together they make up a record that keeps you on your toes. We still sound like us, but this one pushed us creatively—sometimes into uncomfortable places. But that’s what punk is all about, right?”
And Burn After Listening is punk with purpose—rebellion with a melody and a mission. It’s a middle finger to stagnation and a love letter to those still figuring it all out. “This is us pulling apart the mess and making something loud, fast, and real. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ve got killer harmonies and a ton of distortion.”
Catch The Riptides live when they bring their sonic mayhem to Ottawa very shortly. Expect sweat, shouting, maybe some spilled beer—and a whole lot of catharsis.
“You’re a bad habit that I just cannot quit…” And with songs this good, why would you even try?
Joe H Henry Embraces the Wild With New EP ‘Real Things’ and Upcoming East Coast Tour
With a voice “as powerful as a freight train” and a soul that carries the weight of his lived experiences, Indigenous singer-songwriter Joe H Henry unveils his latest EP, Real Things—a raw and deeply personal exploration of life’s honest moments. Fresh off nominations for ECMA Blues Recording of the Year, Americana Recording of the Year (NSMAs), and Indigenous Artist of the Year, Henry is set to bring his signature blend of gritty folk, blues, and Americana to audiences across Eastern Canada on his Spring 2025 tour.
Rooted in reflection and resilience, Real Things is a product of solitude and revelation. “I wrote this song last winter, looking out over the Bay of Fundy,” Henry recalls. “I was in a cabin our neighbors graciously offered me—away from the chaos of a house with five kids. It was my first time using this gorgeous guitar SGI sent me as part of an artist endorsement. In that moment, I realized—how did this once homeless, train-hopping, castaway of society find himself here, embraced by love and music?” (Real Things Concept)
From Keep the Fire Burning to Real Things, Henry has continued to channel his journey from a turbulent past into songs that pulse with authenticity. His voice—somewhere between Ray LaMontagne’s smokiness and Steve Earle’s grit—delivers every lyric with the conviction of someone who has been there. Tracks like “Only a Whisper,” co-written with Chris Kirby and Clara Blanchard, and “Bad Dude,” featuring Dave Gunning, pulse with the kind of folk storytelling that John Prine and Guy Clark made legendary.
With drummers Geoff Arsenault and Patrick Murphy, bassists Ron Hynes and Dave Gunning, and engineering by Lil Thomas (Sonic Temple) and John McLaggan (Parachute Mastering), Real Things captures the essence of Henry’s philosophy: to find solace in life’s simplest and truest moments. “Maybe the wilds of our minds feed the tide and keep rivers flowing.” (“Real Things”)
Henry’s Spring 2025 tour will see him perform alongside acclaimed artists like Brian Borcherdt (Holy F*, Dusted) and deliver his own intimate solo and trio sets. With stops including The Carleton (Halifax, NS – SOLD OUT), Trailside Music Hall (Charlottetown, PEI), and the East Coast Music Awards in St. John’s, NFLD, Henry is ready to take the road once again, bringing his stories and songs to audiences ready to listen.
2025 Tour Dates:
April 12 – Lunenburg Folk Harbour Concert Series @ Lunenburg Opera House – Lunenburg, NS
April 19 – East Coast Amateur Boxing Club – Halifax, NS
April 26 – House Concert – Miramichi, NB
May 2 – Sea-Esta House Concerts – Canning, NS
May 7-12 – East Coast Music Awards (Showcasing Artist) – St. John’s, NFLD
May 16 – Paddlefest Music & Nature Festival – Saint Andrews, NB
June 13 – Osprey Arts Centre (Trio) – Shelburne, NS
June 14 – King’s Theatre (Trio) – Annapolis Royal, NS
June 22 – North Mountain United Tapestry – Berwick, NS
Bohemian Flute-Sody! Marie-Véronique Bourque Reimagines Queen’s Classic With a Jazzy Twist
Just picture it: Wayne and Garth pile into their trusty AMC Pacer, headed for points unknown to get into some of their trademark hesher mischief. Wayne flicks on the radio, cranks up the volume, and out come the familiar strains of … a flute?
It’s an entirely likely scenario, now that Regina jazz flutist and singer-songwriter Marie-Véronique Bourque has recorded her own version of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Just like the original, her rendition has the power to get any weekend warrior’s head banging—as long as there’s an open mind in there beneath all the hair.
Bourque’s “Fantasy for Solo Flute on Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody” is exactly what the title promises: a one-woman tour de force in which this accomplished instrumentalist performs every element of the rock radio classic, from Freddie Mercury’s operatic vocal lines to Brian May’s iconic guitar solo. All six minutes of it, in one take.
“As someone raised in a francophone family, I wasn’t allowed to listen to Anglophone music during my childhood,” says Bourque, who was born in Québec and earned First Prizes in flute and chamber music at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec. “My first encounter with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was through my daughter, who sang it with her school choir. I was deeply moved by its emotional depth, its stunning melodies, and its blend of theatricality and sadness.”
So when she was accepted into Pro7ect, a retreat for songwriters and producers held at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Wales, she knew a 50th-anniversary tribute to Queen’s finest moment was what she wanted to lay down. After all, Rockfield is the same studio where Mercury composed and recorded the song back in 1975. She was even booked into his old room, purely by coincidence. Walking in his shoes, however, proved a bit more challenging.
“I had to master incredibly crazy technical passages, fast intervals, dramatic dynamics, and unique techniques like singing into the flute to mimic the electric guitar,” she explains. “The hardest part was delivering the soft, emotional final melody while utterly out of breath and exhausted from the intensity of the preceding passages.”
But she did it, two times straight through, without a single snafu. The second take is the one you hear on the record, with the added enhancement of overdubbed bass flute lines and harmonies, recorded with producer Mario Lepage back home in Saskatchewan.
Rising to a challenge is nothing new for this boundary-breaking artist, nor is reaching across genre lines to enrich the listening experience. Her classical training stands her in good stead as a member of the Regina Symphony Orchestra and the Quarter Tones Flute Ensemble, but it’s her parallel passion for jazz that has enabled her to really make her name. She’s honed her skills at the Carleton University Jazz Camp, Dordogne International Jazz Summer School (France), Ambrose University Jazz Camp, and the Ali Ryerson Jazz Flute Seminars in California; the result is a rich repertoire of original songs and uniquely reinterpreted jazz standards that make up a musical genre she describes as “Metis Jazz.” Both of her albums, Entre Québec & Saskatchewan (2021) and her debut Une porte s’ouvre (2018), were ranked among the top five Best Albums of the Year in Saskatchewan, and her 2021 single, “The Shovel Shuffle,” garnered 13,000 views on her YouTube channel.
A 2023 Trille Or nominee and winner of the National Flute Association (NFA) Jazz Flute Big Band Competition, Bourque was also nominated in the Saskatchewan Music Awards in 2018 and 2021. In addition to her own recordings, she contributed to Will Cox’s A Darkling Shore album (2019) alongside renowned artists like Orlando Harrison (Alabama 3) and Lily Dior. On the live front, she’s opened for jazz legends such as Carol Welsman (2018) and Derrick Gardner (2022), as part of a touring regimen that’s taken her across Switzerland, France, Québec and Western Canada. She’s even done a stint in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police band (she was a police officer for over 25 years).
On May 9 of this year, Bourque will release a full jazz album, in collaboration with JUNO-nominated, Montreal-based guitarist Christine Tassan. But for right now, it’s all about “Bohemian Rhapsody”—and tipping her hat to a certain pop trailblazer who didn’t let categories define him either.
“I sincerely hope that Freddie Mercury is smiling from above at what I’ve done with his iconic song,” she says. “Happy 50th anniversary, Queen!”
Bert Kreischer Talks Kool-Aid, Snoop Dogg, Santa Schemes, and a 5-Day Cruise with His Biggest Fans
Bert Kreischer once found out his daughter was smoking pot while he was hanging out with Snoop Dogg. Naturally, Snoop gave him parenting advice. Add in gallons of Kool-Aid, Santa-level lies, and a 5-day cruise? You’ve got classic Bert.
Watch Aretha Franklin and Tom Jones Trade Soul and Swagger on This Is Tom Jones
Aretha Franklin joins Tom Jones for a powerhouse duet on This Is Tom Jones — from “See Saw” to “Spirit in the Dark,” it’s pure soul magic.
“This Guitar Has Seconds To Live” Captures The Chaos and Glory of The Who in Stunning Oral History
‘This Guitar Has Seconds To Live’ by Richard Houghton is an oral history of The Who.
They smashed Rickenbackers, drum kits, hotel rooms and occasionally each other. Never before had a band created such wanton destruction on stage. Never before had a band smashed their instruments into pieces, or used feedback as a weapon to manipulate their audiences. But there had never been a band like The Who before, and no other band has ever brought the same level of danger, excitement, chaos and sheer volume to live performance.
Singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend and bassist John Entwistle started out as The Detours in 1962. Joined in 1964 by Keith Moon, whose explosive drumming style fired the band along until his untimely death in 1978, this is the story of over 380 Who concerts told through almost 700 eyewitness accounts. It charts The Who’s rise from their West London roots to become one of Britain’s top chart acts (with 14 Top Ten hits) and a gig schedule that saw them play virtually everywhere in the UK before conquering North America and the world via mammoth concert tours and attention-grabbing appearances at the Monterey, Woodstock and Isle of Wight festivals.
The Who’s albums Tommy, Who’s Next and Quadrophenia all rank in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The Who’s legacy is undiminished by time. And the sound of feedback runs through this book as fans and admirers of the band recount seeing them in action through a series of fascinating and heartwarming anecdotes and photographs.
John Robb Chronicles 40 Years of Alt-Rock Evolution in “Do You Believe in the Power of Rock & Roll?”
Do You Believe in the Power of Rock & Roll? is a history of alternative rock from John Robb, with the music still ringing in his ears. This collection follows John’s journey from the late 1970s, when he was first caught up in punk’s high-octane thrill, to the present day, via the early days of the rave scene, the birth of electronic and techno, and myriad bands that spun off on their own idiosyncratic paths.
John was the first person to write about Nirvana, he coined the term Britpop, and he documented the Stone Roses’ rise out of Manchester before anyone else was interested. He was at every pivotal gig, and has interviewed every key player in the business, including Jordan, the queen of punk, founding father of new American rock Steve Albini, goth-rock guitarist Daniel Ash, infamous Oasis co-founder Noel Gallagher, and music greats like Lemmy and Poly Styrene.
Few others have witnessed first-hand so many important moments of the last forty years of rock history. Here, they come together to form the essential history of a personal quest to document the ever-changing soundtrack of the modern world.
John Robb is an award-winning journalist, author, TV presenter and boss of the music website Louder Than War. In a forty-year career, John has written for every major music magazine and national newspaper, interviewing thousands of bands from all around the world. He formed the seminal punk/alt-rock band the Membranes in 1977, and still tours with them and as lead singer of his band Goldblade. He has written highly acclaimed biographies of the Stone Roses and the Charlatans, as well the extraordinary Punk Rock: An Oral History.
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Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.
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