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From the idealistic inception of the band in 1973, back when DEE LONG and John Woloschuk worked side-by-side in an electronics factory,
KLAATU (who added TERRY DRAPER in 1974) decided that the trappings of fame and the "star trip" posturing wasn't for them. No chest beating or flag waving PR stunts. No megalithic stage productions.
No promo photos. No credits. No names to attach any non-musical significance to...just a decided focus on aural presentation packaged with effective and complimentary album artwork by Ted Jones.
From
the beginning Terry Brown had been holding the production reigns. Along with business partner Doug "Doc" Riley (of Dr. Music fame), Brown took KLAATU through its paces of current production and
recording techniques at Toronto Sound Studios in Canada. With only a fistful of half-conceived songs, the band worked nearly two years meticulously crafting each single for release as part of an established
production deal along with speculative publishing representation. Together, Team KLAATU found an ally in Frank Davies -- then working for GRT Records in Canada and home to KLAATU's first two singles
"Hanus Of Uranus" and "Doctor Marvello".
By 1975 Davies had taken the band into the fold at his own imprint -- Daffodil Records -- for another 7" single release ("True
Life Hero"). It was only then that a full-length album became a conscious concern. Davies agreed to shop a major label deal in the USA on behalf of the band but with one large stipulation: the label
must not be told KLAATU's true identities. A tough order at best, but Frank was successful in getting Capitol-EMI in Los Angeles to bite.
KLAATU's collection of radio ignored singles (which were too
British sounding for the defenders of radio's fledgling Canadian content regulations) would be bumped from their 16-track lodgings and given a new 24-track makeover. The record would then be augmented with
longer album tracks to create what would soon become one of the most auspicious debut LP's of all time.
3:47 EST debuted to little fanfare in August of 1976. Pleasant and encouraging reviews began to
appear throughout Canada, but the original artwork -- which had no band name listed or song titles -- baffled Capitol-EMI in the US. The artwork was altered and the record's title changed to the eponymous
Klaatu so as to not confuse record buyers unfamiliar with the original title's reference to the famous movie The Day The Earth Stood Still.
"Calling Occupants" was released as the lone
single but by Christmas 1976 the album had lost what little momentum it had garnered leaving KLAATU to resign themselves to recording their follow-up record.
Fate being what it is, a small speculative
story about KLAATU's true identities graced the pages of The Providence Journal newspaper in February of 1977. Writer Steve Smith had opined in print that KLAATU might actually be The Beatles. The world was
aghast and curious to find out just how true this rumour might be...
The band dug in its heels and shot back with an appropriate quote from one of their earliest reviews: "Listen to KLAATU and
know there is Hope"...
For more info:
http://klaatu.org
president@bullseyecanada.com |
