Klaatu -

Klaatu was a Canadian symphonic art-pop trio that issued four 1973–75 singles, compiled with further material on their 1976 Daffodil–Capitol album 3:47 E.S.T. Rumored to be The Beatles, Klaatu’s members retained their anonymity on the 1977–80 albums Hope, Sir Army Suit, and Endangered Species, then unmasked on their 1981 swan song Magentalane.

Members: Terry Draper (vocals, drums, trombone, percussion, keyboards), John Woloschuck (bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals), Dee Long (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals)

Background

Klaatu formed in 1973 as the studio project of multi-instrumentalists Dee Long and John Woloschuck.They took their name from the alien who visits Earth in the 1951 sci-fi film The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Long cut the 1970 single “Toronto” (b/w “I’m Your Man”) with garage-rockers Bloodstone. Woloschuck hailed from the rock trio Whitemail with Dino Tome and Terry Draper. Their one single, “(I’m) Dreamdaying” (b/w “Lonely Lover”), appeared on small-press Prawn in 1971.

Klaatu debuted with the 1973 Long-composed single “Hanus of Uranus,” pressed in a painted sleeve with printed lyrics about an interplanetary cab ride. The b-side, “Sub-Rosa Subway,” is credited to “Chip Dale,” the collective pseudonym of Woloschuck and Tome. Its lyrics concern the Beach Pneumatic Transit, a precursor to the New York City subway conceived by 19th century American inventor Alfred Ely Beach.

Later that year, Klaatu issued “Doctor Marvello” (Dale) b/w “For You Girl” (Long). It was produced by Terry Brown, who went on to produce the 1975–82 studio output of Rush. Both singles appeared on GRT Canada. In 1974, “Marvello” reappeared on the Brown-produced a-side “California Jam” (Dale). That and the 1975 a-side “True Life Hero” (Long) appeared on the Canadian Daffodil Records label (Christmas, Crowbar, A Foot In Cold Water, Fludd).

Klaatu became three with ex-Whitemail multi-instrumentalist Terry Draper. After the fourth single, Daffodil president Frank Davies brokered them a stateside deal with Capitol Records.