Paperback Believer

Great Fab/Prefab mashup: I'm a Paperback Writer Believer (Thanks to John McEvoy for the link.)

As an inveterate Beatles trivia loon, I can't help pointing out that if you look carefully enough at Paul's mouth in the full-size version of that Beatles Paperback Writer vid, you'll see he's trying to hide a broken-off snaggle-tooth and a cut on his lip. This was a result of a mild motorcycle crash he'd had the night before while goofing around with Tara Browne, probably pretty stoned. He hadn't yet had a chance to get to a dentist to cap the tooth. Paul grew his Sgt. Pepper moustache to hide the healing cut.

That accident gave rise to the "Paul Is Dead" myth: Tara Browne was the guy who, a few months after, "blew his mind out in a car," not having "noticed that the lights had changed." (Wasted on acid, natch.) Sweaty obsessives figured that must have referred to Paul, not Reid.

One of the most amazing coincidences I've ever come across: The guy who arguably is responsible for the creation of the Paul Is Dead myth, Fred LaBour, went on to become bassist Too Slim in Riders in the Sky. I jack you not around.