Editing Terry Knight (section)

== "Saint Paul" ==
In early 1969, Knight secured a producer's contract with [[Capitol Records]] which also allowed him to release his own songs as a solo artist. He wrote and recorded a single, "Saint Paul", which may have contributed to the "[[Paul is dead]]" theory that erupted late in the year. The cryptic lyrics of the song are generally thought to allude to Knight's failed relationship with McCartney and his apparent belief that the Beatles would soon break up. The lyrics do not refer to death, but were interpreted by some fans as containing clues. The ending repeats the phrase "hey Paul" in an arrangement that sounds similar to the Beatles' song "[[Hey Jude]]". There are two versions, both in stereo. The full five-minute version contains a high-pitched voice singing lines from Beatles songs, including "[[Hello, Goodbye]]", "[[Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds]]" and "[[She Loves You]]", while the four-minute edit does not contain additional song excerpts.

Initial copies of the single listed Knight's company Storybook Music as the publisher of "Saint Paul". After Capitol received a [[cease and desist]] letter from the Beatles' music publisher, Maclen Music (the U.S. division of [[Northern Songs]]), the record was pulled from distribution.

A deal was then worked out between Knight and Maclen Music. About a month later, in May 1969, "Saint Paul" was reissued with a publishing credit by Maclen.<ref>{{YouTube|wMZAdl6Sg_g|"Who Buried Paul McCartney"}} TV program produced by Netherlands Film and Television Academy</ref> The second pressing of the record also contained a note on the label that stated that "Hey Jude" was "used by permission". The reassignment of the publishing rights made Knights' song the only non [[Lennon–McCartney]] tune owned by Maclen. "Saint Paul" reached the top 40 in some cities in the upper Midwest region but failed to make the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] national chart. The fact that "Saint Paul" was re-published by Maclen was seen by some Beatle fans as evidence of a conspiracy involving Knight, the Beatles and the "Paul is dead" rumor.

"Saint Paul" was re-recorded in 1969 by New Zealand singer Shane and became one of the best-selling singles of the 1960s in that country. In the early 1990s author Andru Reeve repeatedly tried to interview Knight while writing a book about the "Paul is dead" theory. Reeve was unable to get Knight to talk about the song.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}