Klaatu (band)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | John Woloschuk, Dee Long |
| Headquarters | Canada |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
| Website | www |
Klaatu () was a Canadian rock ensemble established in 1973 by John Woloschuk and Dee Long. The group's name was inspired by an alien envoy from the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. After releasing two singles that failed to chart, they incorporated drummer Terry Draper, completing the trio that would define their studio recordings.
Within Canada, Klaatu gained recognition for tracks such as "California Jam" (1974), "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" (1976), and "Knee Deep in Love" (1980). In the United States, their only chart appearance was with "Calling Occupants," coupled with "Sub-Rosa Subway," which reached No. 62 in 1977.
Globally, Klaatu’s fusion of pop and progressive rock earned them the moniker "Canadian Beatles."
Musical style
Klaatu’s musical identity is a synthesis of progressive rock, psychedelic pop, pop rock, and space rock. Their blend of accessible pop melodies with progressive and art rock elements has invited comparisons to the Beatles, Queen, electronic music innovator Wendy Carlos, 10cc, as well as orchestral rock groups such as the Moody Blues and Electric Light Orchestra. The British publication Shindig! commended their "ethereal take on progressive pop."
Early releases
Starting as a studio duo comprising Woloschuk and Long, the band issued the singles "Anus of Uranus/Sub-Rosa Subway" and "Dr. Marvello/For You Girl" through GRT Records in 1973. Subsequently, they signed with Daffodil Records, led by president Frank Davies. Upon adding Terry Draper on drums, they released "California Jam" and "True Life Hero." Dee Long received writing credits on multiple songs; others, including "Sub-Rosa Subway," "Dr. Marvello," and the successful "California Jam," were attributed to "Chip Dale," a pen name used by Woloschuk and co-writer Dino Tome. "California Jam" climbed to No. 36 on Canada’s Top 40 chart. Despite not performing live, Klaatu promoted their work through a Canadian television appearance on Music Machine. By 1975, Davies and producer Terry Brown secured a contract with Capitol Records for U.S. distribution.
First three albums and Beatles rumours
Their first album, 3:47 EST (released as Klaatu in the U.S. to simplify marketing), debuted in September 1976 throughout North America. The band intentionally excluded photographs, individual credits, and biographies from the album packaging; all compositions were collectively credited to "Klaatu," including those previously attributed to Long or Woloschuk and Tome. While receiving moderate critical attention, sales stalled by the end of the year.
In 1977, journalist Steve Smith wrote in the Providence Journal suggesting that 3:47 EST was actually a clandestine reunion of the Beatles using an alias, igniting widespread speculation. This theory was fueled by factors such as the album’s release on Capitol Records—the Beatles’ North American label—the absence of any credits or images, no live performances by Klaatu, and a sound reminiscent of the Beatles. Additionally, Ringo Starr’s 1974 album Goodnight Vienna featured cover art that referenced Klaatu from The Day the Earth Stood Still. Following this buzz, Klaatu’s tracks "Sub-Rosa Subway" and "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" saw moderate success in 1977; notably, the latter was covered by the Carpenters, achieving international Top 40 status.
While working on their second album in England, Klaatu remained aware yet indifferent to these rumours—especially after NME dismissed them with an article titled "Deaf Idiot Journalist Starts Beatle Rumour." Capitol Records capitalized on the mystery by issuing ambiguous statements that preserved anonymity. The speculation was ultimately disproven when WWDC program director Dwight Douglas confirmed the band members’ true identities via the U.S. Copyright Office.
Their sophomore album, Hope, released in 1977, featured orchestral arrangements performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. The third release, Sir Army Suit, included "Silly Boys," a track containing backward-masked lyrics taken from their earlier single "Anus of Uranus." Both albums continued Klaatu’s approach of maintaining anonymity—eschewing individual credits and refraining from live performances to promote these works.
Animated film project
In 1977, Capitol Records commissioned Al Guest and Jean Mathieson of Rainbow Animation to produce an animated music video for the track "A Routine Day". This video was broadcast on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert and also shown as a short film in Los Angeles alongside the movie Animal House.
Following this, Guest and Mathieson secured rights to create a half-hour television special featuring Klaatu’s music, titled Happy New Year Planet Earth, intended for annual New Year’s broadcasts. The production integrated rotoscoped footage of Klaatu with an astronaut-themed narrative framing six songs. Although the project was completed, the creators self-funded it after losing their Canadian film investment support, and it was never officially released.
In 2005, Klaatu granted permission for the unfinished film to be screened at the KlaatuKon convention in Toronto. Portions of the incomplete animation were later included on the 2013 bonus disc of Sir Army Suit.
Later years
With their 1980 release Endangered Species, Klaatu credited individual members and songwriters for the first time. Under pressure from Capitol Records, they recorded in Los Angeles using session players to enhance commercial viability; however, the album did not succeed critically or commercially, resulting in Capitol dropping the band. Afterwards, Long and Draper formed FUNN, a classic rock cover group that performed frequently in Toronto.
Klaatu then signed with EMI Canada, Capitol’s Canadian branch, releasing their final album, Magentalane, in 1981. Returning to their Beatles-inspired pop/rock style, they were contractually obligated to perform live for the first time. This led to a Canadian tour with an expanded six-member lineup including Gary McCracken (drums), Mike Gingrich (bass), and Gerald O'Brien (keyboards). In April 1982, Dee Long departed due to discomfort with live shows. Woloschuk and Draper briefly continued with new members before Klaatu officially disbanded in August 1982.
Reunions
The trio reunited briefly in 1988 at George Martin's AIR Studios in London alongside John Jones to record "Woman," a single written by Paul Vincent Gunia for the German TV series Tatort. Initially, Long wished to release it under the Klaatu name alone but required unanimous consent from all members. Issued exclusively in West Germany, the single failed to chart and remains a rare collector’s item; Draper confirmed it was intentionally left off rarities compilations by mutual agreement.
A second attempted reunion took place in 1991 to promote a planned compilation album; however, disagreements with distributor BEI caused the project to fall through.
On May 7, 2005, Klaatu briefly reunited for a performance at Toronto's KlaatuKon, playing six songs including "At the End of the Rainbow" and "Magentalane."
Post-Klaatu
Klaatu’s albums were issued on CD relatively late, with various labels—Capitol Records among them—releasing editions that altered track sequences. Bullseye Records later collaborated directly with the band to reissue albums maintaining their original order and also produced the tribute compilation Around the Universe in Eighty Minutes.
In 2005, Bullseye released Sun Set, a two-disc set featuring rare tracks, demos, early singles, and the original version of Hope which restored most of the London Symphony Orchestra parts omitted from earlier mixes. The package included a 40-page booklet containing interviews with all former band members.
That same year, Bullseye issued Raarities on vinyl, consisting of alternate mixes and single versions. The CD edition titled Solology, which added live concert recordings, was released in March 2009.
On March 15, 2011, Klaatu launched their own label, Klaatunes Records, along with an official website. The label’s initial releases included a reissue of Solology plus remastered editions of their first three albums: 3:47 EST, Hope, and Sir Army Suit.
On May 15, 2025, Terry Draper passed away from leukemia at age 73.
Band members
- John Woloschuk – lead vocals, bass guitar, piano, keyboards, acoustic guitar (1973–1982, 1988, 2005)
- Dee Long – lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards (1973–1982, 1988, 2005)
- Terry Draper – drums, percussion, keyboards, backing vocals (1973–1982, 1988, 2005)
Studio albums
- 3:47 EST (released as Klaatu outside Canada) (1976 Canada No.40, US No.32)
- Hope (1977 Canada No.49, US No.83)
- Sir Army Suit (1978)
- Endangered Species (1980 Canada No.55)
- Magentalane (1981 Canada No.26)
Compilations
- Klaatu Sampler (1981)
- Klaasic Klaatu (1982)
- Peaks (1993)
- Sun Set (2005)
- Raarities (2005)
- Solology (2009)
Singles
External links
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN RPM Top 100 |
CAN RPM A/C |
US Billboard Hot 100 |
NLD | ||||
| 1973 | "Anus of Uranus" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Doctor Marvello" | – | – | – | – | |||
| 1974 | "California Jam" | 36 | – | – | – | ||
| 1975 | "True Life Hero" | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1976 | "Calling Occupants" | 45 | – | 62 | – | 3:47 EST | |
| "Sub-Rosa Subway" | – | – | 62 | – | |||
| 1977 | "We're Off You Know" | – | – | – | – | Hope | |
| "Hope" | – | – | – | – | |||
| "The Loneliest of Creatures" | – | – | – | – | |||
| 1978 | "Dear Christine" | 74 | – | – | – | Sir Army Suit | |
| 1979 | "Juicy Luicy" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "A Routine Day" | 84 | – | – | 44 | |||
- Canadian progressive rock bands
- Rock groups from Toronto
- Musical acts formed in 1973
- Musical acts disbanded in 1982
- The Beatles influence
- Musical groups reunited in 1988
- Canadian psychedelic rock bands
- 1973 establishments in Ontario
- 1982 disestablishments in Ontario
- Canadian musical trios
- Capitol Records artists
- Musical groups disestablished in 1982