Who wrote calling occupants of interplanetary craft

The song ‘Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft’ was originally released in 1976 by a band called Klaatu.

John Woloschuk, a member of Klaatu and one of the song’s composers, has said:

“The idea for this track was suggested by an actual event that is described in The Flying Saucer Reader, a book by Jay David published in 1967. In March 1953 an organization known as the “International Flying Saucer Bureau” sent a bulletin to all its members urging them to participate in an experiment termed “World Contact Day” whereby, at a predetermined date and time, they would attempt to collectively send out a telepathic message to visitors from outer space. The message began with the words…”Calling occupants of interplanetary craft!”

The song would open night transmission of the pirate radio station Radio Caroline.

I have known and loved the song for years but I have only ever know the cover version of it by The Carpenters which was recorded a year later and reached the top 10 in the UK and Canada, and charted at number 1 in Ireland.

The reason for this track coming back to mind is because I am a huge fan of American Horror Story and this song features on the soundtrack to the new season.

How do they compare? Well, I love Karen Carpenter’s voice – it’s so beautiful. So, their version is far and away the winner for me!

What do you think? How does this cover version live up to the original?

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Calling Occupants, in a decade when the world was caught up in the space race, was timely. In the 1970s Canada began developing its Canadarm, America had its Skylab space station, and the U.S.S.R. its Salyut 1. And the recording followed such space-related hits as Elton John’s Rocket Man and David Bowie’s Space Oddity.

Grammy-winning brother-and-sister duo The Carpenters caught the wave, recording a Calling Occupants cover in 1977 that earned a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists. Their seven-minute version on their “Passage” album featured an introduction in which a DJ takes a phone-in request from – of course – an alien.

The Carpenters’ shorter 45-rpm single (AMS 7318, subtitled The Recognized Anthem of World Contact Day), also proved popular: No. 1 in Ireland, top 10 in the U.K., and in Canada No. 9 Adult Contemporary and No. 18 Top 100. In the U.S. market, it was Cashbox’s No. 24 and Billboard’s No. 18 Adult Contemporary and No. 32 Hot 100.

Draper enthused about the Carpenters’ cover: “We hear it as the ultimate compliment…. they nailed it,” with Woloschuk adding, “It was, and is, extremely gratifying to hear one of our compositions rendered so beautifully by a group that is so respected.”

Klaatu’s single was later included on their albums “Klaasic Klaatu” (1982) and “Solology” (2009), on “Oh What a Feeling 2,” and the tribute album “Around the Universe in 80 Minutes” (1999). It has been covered by Airlines, pop-rockers Swirl, punk rockers Babes in Toyland, the experimental orchestra The Flowers of Hell, and electronic dance cover artist Jackie Clune.

On television Calling Occupants has accompanied “Due South,” “Roswell,” “Mindhunter,” and “American Horror Story.”

Draper summed up Calling Occupants’ success: “I think we accomplished what we set out to do, which was to create some really good music.”

Drummer Terry (Edward) Draper and guitarist John (William) Woloschuk, co-founders of Klaatu, had made music together since high school in Toronto in the band Whitemail. Draper has released solo albums, performed with Atomic Tracktor, and is president of Klaatunes Records. Woloschuk is a studio musician and producer, and is now an accountant. In recent years, both were involved with remastering Klaatu’s albums.

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