Intertextuality -Research-

Intertextuality in postmodernism “what is real and what is fake?” No one truly knows anymore. Everything is interwoven, it's like a domino effect, when one idea is published another person comes and “paraphrases” that idea, it's not completely original, but rather inspired, it imitates the style of a previous work, this is called Pastiche. Pastiche is the friendly version of Parody, while Parody mocks the media text referenced, Pastiche celebrates it.  

“Any text is a result of prior text”

Research 

“Abbey Road” - The Beatles (August 8, 1969)

The Original Idea

The original working title for this album was Everest, and the legendary cover was never in the plan. They initially wanted to name their 11th album “Everest” as an inside joke after the brand of cigarettes smoked by their recording engineer, Geoff Emerick. The cigarette packet features a stark image of a mountain silhouette, the band became fond of the idea of their silhouettes against a white mountain. However this plan did not last. The band members didn’t want to travel all the way to Nepal, Himalayas for the album cover. 

Once the group decided that Nepal wasn’t realistic, Paul McCartney came up with the idea to take a photograph outside of EMI Studios on a break from recording. Below is a sketch by Paul of his idea, then Macmillan added a more detailed illustration from his perspective.

What actually happened

Abbey Road is the 11th and final studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. At the time the band was recording at EMI studio on Abbey Road on the morning of Friday 8 August 1969. Photographer Iain Macmillan took the iconic picture on Abbey Road. Macmillan was a freelance photographer and a friend of John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono. A policeman held up traffic as Macmillan photographed on a stepladder positioned in the middle of the road, he had 10 minutes to take the perfect photo, he took a total of 6 shots of the group walking across the zebra crossing, away from the studio. Paul later studied the photos with a magnifying glass before picking his ideal shot that would be used for the album (the third photograph was the chosen one) 

Abbey Road, 1969

Right → Left

1. John Lennon - 28 years old (born October 9, 1940) (in the early stages of the band he was considered the leader by their fans)

2. Ringo Starr - 29 years old (born July 7, 1940)

3. Paul McCartney - 27 years old (born June 18, 1942)

4. George Harrison - 36 years old (born February 25, 1943)

Now I am going to rant about the folklore of this masterpiece. 

The “Paul is Dead” Conspiracy 

The theory claimed Paul has died and been replaced by a look-alike

Paul McCartney “allegedly” died in 1966 

Clues supposedly hidden in Abbey Road album cover and Beatles’ songs

- THE “CLUES” -

John (white suit) = like a preacher or angel

Ringo (black suit) = a mourner 

Paul (barefoot, out of step, holding a cigarette in his right hand (he is left handed)) = the “corpse” 

George (denim) = the gravedigger 

Behind them was a white Volkswagen Beetle, the licence plate reads “28IF” (implying Paul would have been 28 if he’d lived) 

NONE of this was intentional but became part of music history folklore

What did The Beatles have to say

On November 7th 1969, Life Magazine published an article on the recent “Paul is Dead” rumour. The article contained the clues that everyone was fussing about and Paul’s own brief comments on the death rumours. At the time Paul and Linda (his wife) at their secluded farm. 

The death clues mentioned:

• OPD badge on his Pepper suit (which fans took to mean "Officially Pronounced Dead”

• Paul’s black flower in Magical Mystery Tour

• Paul’s barefooted appearance on the Abbey Road album cover

Paul’s Comments (in the magazine)

“It is all bloody stupid, I picked up that OPD badge in Canada. It was a police badge.”

“I was wearing a black flower because they ran out of red ones”

“On Abbey Road we were wearing our ordinary clothes. I was walking barefoot because it was a hot day. The Volkswagen just happened to be parked there”

“Perhaps the rumour started because I haven’t been much in the press lately.”

“I would rather be a little less famous these days”

“What I have to say is all in the music. If I want to say anything I write a song. Can you spread it around that I am just an ordinary person and want to live in peace?”

Other Comments from Band Members

Paul 1969

“Do I look dead? I am fit as a fiddle. I am alive and well and concerned about the rumors of my death. But if I were dead, I would be the last to know.”

Paul 1974

“Someone from the office rang me up and said ‘Look, Paul you’re dead’ And I said, ‘Oh, I don’t agree with that.’” 

John 1969 

“It’s a lot of nonsense. Paul McCartney couldn’t die without the world knowing it. The same as he couldn’t get married without the world knowing it. It’s impossible, he can’t go on holiday without the world knowing it. It’s just insanity. But it’s a great plug for “Abbey Road” 

George 1969

“The rumours are too stupid to bother denying”