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The Mandela Effect: False Memory

Perhaps my all time favorite song. Certainly my favorite Beatles song. And as Lennon was a major fan of Lewis Caroll, "pleasant nonsense" was right up his alley.

From what I've read, both John and Paul had decided to write a song about childhood places. Lennon wrote about Strawberry Field(s), McCartney chose Penny Lane. And these two songs appeared on the same single.

Both psychedelic masterpieces IMO - but I think you can tell that Lennon at that stage inhaled a bit deeper and more frequently. And that's why you can't, you know, tune in. But it's all right.
That is, I think, it's not too bad.
Funny that these two songs should come up - the teacher in the next-door classroom to me was belting out Penny Lane to his little darlings the other day (because topical allusions like that keep the kids engaged, donchaknow), and it is quite a catchy number. So that sent me home with an earworm and the urge to play Magical Mystery Tour. And that reminded me that there was a ska number which incorporated the phrasing from the "Let me take you back" motif in Strawberry Fields, but I can't remember its title for the life of me. And Googling ska Beatles just takes you to Ob-la-di Ob-la-da, which I only now learn was Macca's attempt at a ska track. If I hadn't Googled it, I genuinely would never have guessed: like the taxidermist responsible for that infamous stuffed lion from a couple of hundred years ago, you have to ask whether Paul had ever actually heard any ska.
 
Funny that these two songs should come up - the teacher in the next-door classroom to me was belting out Penny Lane to his little darlings the other day (because topical allusions like that keep the kids engaged, donchaknow), and it is quite a catchy number. So that sent me home with an earworm and the urge to play Magical Mystery Tour. And that reminded me that there was a ska number which incorporated the phrasing from the "Let me take you back" motif in Strawberry Fields, but I can't remember its title for the life of me. And Googling ska Beatles just takes you to Ob-la-di Ob-la-da, which I only now learn was Macca's attempt at a ska track. If I hadn't Googled it, I genuinely would never have guessed: like the taxidermist responsible for that infamous stuffed lion from a couple of hundred years ago, you have to ask whether Paul had ever actually heard any ska.

"Can you take me back" features as a line in Revolution 9 on the White Album. Maybe that's what you're thinking of..
 
"Can you take me back" features as a line in Revolution 9 on the White Album. Maybe that's what you're thinking of..
No, it's definitely not a Beatles number. It was an old ska track that I had on one of those compilation albums, alongside the likes of It Mek, Double Barrel, Miss Jamaica and so on. I've still not tracked that particular song down, but I have been having a good time searching for it on Spotify.

 
It's a good job alamy stock photo have put subtle watermarks on this picture otherwise someone could steal it and then could claim that it wasn't the property of alamy stock photo.

But if only more sites would do it, it might lessen the number of 'Michaels David' I get appearing trying to friend me on Facebook, alleged widowed American army officers (in actuality scammers who've ripped photos from legit army sites). I once had the American Secretary of State, who appeared to have changed his name to something improbable and become a widowed man with one son... Or maybe that's the Mandela effect at work?
 
But if only more sites would do it, it might lessen the number of 'Michaels David' I get appearing trying to friend me on Facebook, alleged widowed American army officers (in actuality scammers who've ripped photos from legit army sites). I once had the American Secretary of State, who appeared to have changed his name to something improbable and become a widowed man with one son... Or maybe that's the Mandela effect at work?
Funny you should mention it, the Mrs has been getting scam friend requests from widowed American generals recently.
 
And I thought I was special...:crazy:
 
some good real-life examples of Mandela Effect for those who don't believe it...


1. Dolly in the James Bond Moonraker had races, but now if you look at that clip again, her braces are gone.


2. Was there 4 or 6 seats in JFK's car when he was assassinated? There are very old photos and footages showing its 4 seats but there are also other high pixel photos showing its 6 seats.


3. Publishers clearing house says on its website that they never hired Ed Mcmahon, the guy that everyone remembers giving out publishers clearing house checks on TV!


(3:52) is the Ed mcmahon part



You guys must have more, welcome to add to the list.
 
some good real-life examples of Mandela Effect for those who don't believe it...

1. Dolly in the James Bond Moonraker had races, but now if you look at that clip again, her braces are gone.

2. Was there 4 or 6 seats in JFK's car when he was assassinated? There are very old photos and footages showing its 4 seats but there are also other high pixel photos showing its 6 seats.

3. Publishers clearing house says on its website that they never hired Ed Mcmahon, the guy that everyone remembers giving out publishers clearing house checks on TV!

You guys must have more, welcome to add to the list.

Dolly's braces (or lack of) had their own thread at one point, so a well-known puzzle, at least on this board!

JFK's car - do you mean 6 seats as in 2 rows of 3, or 3 rows of 2? That's intriguing enough for me to Google it, though I suppose I'll only find what is available in the current reality...

For your third example, I'm afraid I have no context for this "Mandela" example, as I'd never heard of Ed McMahon or the
PCH lottery. A quick Google tells me that it's a well-known staple of American popular culture - as a Brit, I've never come across it.

My own (and possibly only concrete example, to me at least) clearest experience of this supposed effect - and I've probably mentioned it twice on this thread already - regards the piece of music "O Fortuna" from Orff's Carmina Burana being used in the the original film of The Omen. This is such a well-known fact that it was even referenced in an episode of the UK sitcom Only Fools and Horses when Del decided to call his son Damien. Even if the name of the piece of music means nothing, you'll know the tune, and if you've seen The Omen, you'll know how it was used to such menacing effect.

Except it wasn't in the film at all.
 
Quite, because the music in the Omen was written by Jerry Goldsmith and was (is) still under copyright. Carmina Burana was written in 1935, so was probably out of copyright (or at least the rights would have been very cheap) by the time OFAH got hold of it.

Goldsmith's main theme - Ave Satani - does sound broadly similar though, esp in orchestration.

Dolly's braces (or lack of) had their own thread at one point, so a well-known puzzle, at least on this board!
Still does, here.
 
For me, the music from Carmina Burana, while similar to The Omen theme, was *never* used in The Omen. I remember the episode of Only Fools And Horses and, being a teenager and big fan of The Omen at the time, was outraged that it was used to reference The Omen. ("THAT'S NOT THE THEME FROM THE OMEN!!!!!!!!" or teenage-angsty words to that effect). In fact, it still winds me up whenever I hear the Carmina Burana music in reference to The Omen....

Although am I right in thinking it was used to advertise Old Spice aftershave in the 1970's? The advert with the surfer?
 
For me, the music from Carmina Burana, while similar to The Omen theme, was *never* used in The Omen. I remember the episode of Only Fools And Horses and, being a teenager and big fan of The Omen at the time, was outraged that it was used to reference The Omen. ("THAT'S NOT THE THEME FROM THE OMEN!!!!!!!!" or teenage-angsty words to that effect). In fact, it still winds me up whenever I hear the Carmina Burana music in reference to The Omen....

Although am I right in thinking it was used to advertise Old Spice aftershave in the 1970's? The advert with the surfer?

Yes, it was used in the Old Spice ads. The Mark... of a Man! Not the Mark... of the Devil!
 
I definitely DO remember 'of the world' being at the end of the song.
I'm wondering now if that was a special version for a football world cup series that was on?

Edit: The thing is, the 'of the world' version fits so well. Leaving it hanging at the end... that seems 'wrong'.
 
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I definitely DO remember 'of the world' being at the end of the song
Ditto snap
I'm wondering now if that was a special version for a football world cup series that was on?
More probably Live Aid (or, in a related sense, an oft-repeated live performance, so therefore, not present in the original and subsequent re-mastered studio versions)
 
This one's been answered, there were playings of it broadcast to the masses, it did happen so hence the confusion I expect.

 
The 1973 'bike' Hovis advert had a Yorkshire accented voiceover, possibly by Joe Gladwin who played Wally Batty in 'Last of the Summer Wine'.
Except that it didn't, it had a Westcountry voiceover.
What did have a Yorkshire voiceover was a 1978 parody of the advert by the Two Ronnies, but is that the origin of the misperception?
Both here, one after the other:

 
Triv point: it was directed by Ridley “Alien” Scott.

maximus otter

steve-buscemi-fdny.jpg
 
The 1973 'bike' Hovis advert had a Yorkshire accented voiceover, possibly by Joe Gladwin who played Wally Batty in 'Last of the Summer Wine'.
Except that it didn't, it had a Westcountry voiceover.
What did have a Yorkshire voiceover was a 1978 parody of the advert by the Two Ronnies, but is that the origin of the misperception?
Both here, one after the other:


Years ago there was a Guardian article which mentioned this advert and the misconception that it was filmed in Yorkshire rather than Somerset or wherever. Wasn't the brass band playing the New World Symphony a famous Yorkshire one?
 
Years ago there was a Guardian article which mentioned this advert and the misconception that it was filmed in Yorkshire rather than Somerset or wherever. Wasn't the brass band playing the New World Symphony a famous Yorkshire one?

Filmed here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Hill,_Shaftesbury

But as I've never been there, it reminds me of a place I have been (most recently last month):

Mermaid-Street-b.jpg
 
That looks lovely, where is that?
 
Not saying I believe in the Mandela effect, but this video got a few questions which needs to be answered.
It's interesting and absolutely worth watching to the end. There are photos of Jackson 5 from the 60s where there are six band members, meanwhile Randy Jackson only joined the band in 1972. He was born in 1961 supposedly. In an interview in 1974 Randy Jackson says he's 8 years old.


Ok lemme catch up here. So there's six of them? In the Jackson five ?

Ah how I've missed this place.
 
I definitely DO remember 'of the world' being at the end of the song.
I'm wondering now if that was a special version for a football world cup series that was on?

Edit: The thing is, the 'of the world' version fits so well. Leaving it hanging at the end... that seems 'wrong'.

Being Quite The Queen Fan I can say that (in my particular timeline at least) it has always ended abruptly without the "of the world" bit, at least on the actual record LP vinyl (or cassette, or for those 'modern' youngsters, the CD).

What would happen in concerts (which I sadly only ever saw on video and not in real life) is that they would do the "of the world" bit then.

You're welcome. :D
 
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