In the fall of 1979-as Paul McCartney and Wings were touring the UK on "Wings over Europe tour"-a radio show was hitting the airways in the United States, called "Is Paul dead? Turn me on dead man". This program aired just as the second wave of Beatle Mania hit in full stride. When Beatle John Lennon was killed in December 1980, the show was pulled off the airways. 1980 would turn out to be a hard year for the Beatles and their fans. With Paul's drug bust in Japan and his world tour cancelled, it seemed that the hope of the Beatles was gone. Then in the summer of 1981 interest in the radio program "Is Paul dead? Turn me on dead man" revived again. The show was aired again in the fall of 1981 and then it was gone off the airways just as fast as it came.
In the late 1990's, as Paul McCartney's publishing company MPL started asking media from around the world for anything related Paul McCartney and Wings, like radio files, news clips, pictures, or anything the public had on Wings for the making of the documentary "Wingspan, An intimate Portrait". Durning this time, I stumble upon a gem: an old taping of "Is Paul dead? Turn me on dead man". On the box it read, "Aired November 15, 1981 Radio station K96". When we played it, I was shocked that I could hear anything at all with large fads in and outs, sounds levels all above the unnecessary fades, unchecked sound levels, and noise. Did I mention noise?!
We began restoration of the tape. In an effort to remain true to the original recording and radio program, we decided to leave the tape just as it aired on the radio with all the commercials intact. Despite a few challenges with splicing and deterioration, we managed to restore the tape to near-original sound quality. The remaining fades and variation in tone help to maintain the true feel of the radio program and to bring it to life. You might feel as though you are back in 1980! I hope you enjoy this program as much as I did when I first heard it on the radio in my youth. I was just getting into the Beatles as this program hit the airways and I remember how it brightened the fire I felt for the Beatles and their music.
