The Man Who 'Stole' a Beatles Album from a Parallel Universe

In September 2009, the internet was introduced to one of its most delightfully bizarre stories: a man calling himself James Richards claimed he'd traveled to an alternate dimension where The Beatles never broke up, and he brought back proof—a mix tape called Everyday Chemistry.

According to Richards' tale, he was hiking in California's Del Puerto Canyon when he tripped while chasing his dog. When he regained consciousness, everything felt... off. Purple ketchup. Cassette tapes instead of CDs. And most shocking of all: The Beatles were still together.

Welcome to Dimension Weird

Richards claimed a mysterious man named Jonas found him and explained he'd accidentally crossed into a parallel Earth. Jonas showed off his tape collection, which included Beatles albums that didn't exist in our timeline. One was titled Everyday Chemistry.

Despite Jonas warning him to never take anything from another dimension, Richards pocketed the tape. When he returned to our reality, he still had it—Beatles songs no one in our world had ever heard.

The 'Lost' Album

Richards released Everyday Chemistry as a free download on September 9, 2009. The album featured 14 tracks with titles like "Talking to Myself," "Four Guys," and "Sick to Death."

There was just one problem: the songs sounded suspiciously like mashups of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr's solo work. Because that's exactly what they were.

The anonymous creator had brilliantly remixed material from 27 different solo albums. The first track alone blended George Harrison's "When We Was Fab," John Lennon's "I'm Moving On," and Paul McCartney's "Band on the Run." The mixing was so skillful that casual listeners might actually believe The Beatles had recorded these songs together.

An Elaborate Internet Hoax—Or Brilliant Art?

Nobody actually believes Richards traveled between dimensions (purple ketchup? really?). The whole story was an elaborate frame for what was essentially a fan art project—one that asked an intriguing question: What would Beatles music have sounded like if they'd stayed together?

Despite the obviously fictional backstory, Everyday Chemistry received genuine praise for its:

• Seamless audio production and mixing quality
• Thoughtful song selections from each Beatle's catalog
• Creative reimagining of what could have been
• Commitment to the bit with the elaborate parallel universe narrative

The project tapped into a deep well of "what if" that Beatles fans had been pondering since the band's 1970 breakup. What if they'd reconciled? What if John hadn't been killed? What if they'd made just one more album together?

The Legacy of Fake Beatles

The mysterious creator never revealed their identity, maintaining the mystique of the project. Everyday Chemistry became a beloved piece of internet folklore—not because anyone believed the story, but because the music was actually good.

It's a reminder that sometimes the best art comes wrapped in the most ridiculous packaging. Did a man steal a Beatles tape from a parallel dimension? No. Did someone create a touching tribute to what might have been? Absolutely.

You can still find Everyday Chemistry online if you know where to look. Just remember: if you ever actually meet Jonas, don't take the tape.