TOTAL INFORMATION ANALYSIS

Sunday, January 23, 2005

A curious press release hit the wires 2005-01-21:

Last year, Hollywood-based filmmaker Jerry Rapp was anonymously mailed a voluminous cache of 1960s east Canadian music ephemera that included reel-to-reel tapes of The Poolies – a four-member group whose lives strangely paralleled those of another famous quartet, from the "other" Liverpool, but who failed to register even a blip on the radar of the pop music scene. ...

Bassist William Campbell who disappeared sometime around 1967...

In addition to launching ThePoolies.com, Rapp has enlisted the aid of producer and frequent collaborator Daedalus Howell to co-create a television series around the band ...

2005 promises to be the biggest year yet for the The Poolies who had only briefly gained international attention in 1966 when the tragic disappearance of Campbell added fuel to the "Paul is dead" conspiracy theories alleging the death and cover-up of a popular bassist from the other Liverpool. A spate of rumors suggested Campbell, who had occasionally participated in lookalike competitions, actually replaced the deceased musician.
[...]


Rapp and Howell are real people.

But the name "William Campbell" was made up of whole cloth by college newspaper columnist Fred LaBour in 1969.

Interestingly, however, there is evidence that indicates that whoever stepped in to the role of PAUL MCCARTNEY in late 1966 was indeed from Eastern Canada; in particular the Ontario Provincial Police badge which the McCartney clone sported during the photo sessions for the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band LP.

The press release and website seem to be part of a guerilla marketing campaign for an upcoming "Poolies" project from Rapp and Howell along the lines of "Spinal Tap"; either a television series, album, or both.

| Posted at 00:17 | PERMA-LINK |

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