Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein, who was believed to have died of an accidental drug overdose in 1967, is now believed to have staged his death to join a Soviet-era psych-pop band. The following video has surfaced of a band in Sgt. Pepper’s-inspired (yet perfectly matching) outfits showing a thinner, more haggard looking Epstein (to the right of the screen) singing lead vocals. Little is known about the band and even less is known about the pronunciation of its name. Sov-pop experts suspect his knowing wink at the 46-second mark was a sign to Red-loving Paul McCartney, who had been toying with staging his own death and fleeing to the U.S.S.R. To date, no other signs of Epstein’s musical career or life beyond this point are known.
As an aside, the tall singer on the left side of the screen, who takes a solo at the 1:48 mark, is American actor Paul Benedict, best known for his role as the eccentric English neighbor Harry Bentley on The Jeffersons. Sadly, Benedict died in 2008, 3 years too soon to explain his participation in this band and any knowledge he might have had of his actual English bandmate.
Another piece of the puzzle – “Back in the USSR” was inspired by the secret good-bye note that Brian left behind for Paul. However, lines like “Well, the Ukraine boys really knock me out/They leave the West behind” underwent a gender change in Paul’s hands to make the song more radio-friendly.
I heard rumors that these guys inspired the Rolling Estonians to start writing their own songs. Big mistake.
Hey, band. You do not play songs at party; party plays songs at YOU!
I’d say that he was jus’ as well known for painting numbers on people & things on Sesame Street.