The True Story of "Have You Heard the Word?"
~ Online Interview with Mr. Steve Kipner ~

I've got a mail from Mr. Steve Kipner, used to be a member of duo called "Tin Tin", composer and performer of the famous Beatles' outfake "Have You Heard the Word"!

He kindly answered my questions about the song, and here is the true story behind!
(This is virtual interview composed from e-mails exchanged with Mr. Kipner.)

--- I like "Have You Heard the Word?" because it's very nice song, also the performance is great. You might know that John Lennon admired the song, "It sounds like us. It's a good imitation", in 1974. And Yoko Ono mistakenly registered the song title for copyright protection in 1985.

CBM WEC-3624 --- First of all, what is the origin of the song?
I was in a Duo called "TinTin" and we were produced by Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees. One of the songs Steve Groves and myself had written for our Album was "Have You Heard the Word".

--- Where did you recorded?
I.B.C. Studio in London.

--- Who was at the studio at that time?
We were recording the song for our album, when Maurice Gibb and his wife at the time Lulu (the singer of "To Sir with Love") and her brother Billy Laurie came to the studio with a bottle of Johnny Walker Scotch.

--- How the session went with the Scotch?
We drank it and got way too drunk to really sing, so just for a joke. All four of us put on headphones and sang around one microphone and ad-libbed our way thru a Beatles impersonation.

--- Who is the singer?
The singers are Maurice Gibb, Billie Laurie and myself and Steve Groves. Everybody was around the microphone and singing at the same time. There was no real vocal backing except for some that Steve Groves and myself had recorded earlier (intended for the real record). So there was no vocal backing overdubbed, it was LIVE.

CBM WEC-3620 --- Who played the instruments?
Steve Groves and myself played all the instruments.

--- I've found an info on the web, that it was recorded by Tin Tin and the Marbles.
I knew them, they were another singing Duo at the time (signed to RSO) as we were, but the Marbles had nothing to do with "Have you heard the word". That is just a wrong information.

--- Did you intend to release the song as a single?
No, we NEVER intended for anyone ever to hear it. We all had a good laugh and went home.
I don't know anything about how the record was released as I didn't know about it until years later. It wasn't until 23 years or so later that I even knew that anyone had heard it and that it had somehow been believed to be a REAL beatles recording and ended up on Bootlegs.

--- The engineer released the tape without your permission? So maybe you don't know much about the B-side "Futting". It's instrumental track without vocals, quite different music from "Have You Heard the Word".
I didn't say the engineer released it without my permission, I said I don't know how it was released. Also I've never heard the B-side.

--- Thank you for "Making of Have You Heard The Word" story. It's great! May I put the story on my website?
Yes, you can write about "Have You Heard the Word"!

Here's the first e-mail from Mr. Kipner.

Re; "Have you heard the Word" Beatles (July 13, 1999)
My name is Steve Kipner and in those days I was a member of the Duo "Tin Tin" produced by Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees. We were recording the song for our album when Maurice Gibb and his wife at the time Lulu (To Sir with Love) and her brother Billy Laurie came to the studio with a bottle of Johnny Walker Scotch which we all proceeded to down and as a result got so bombed we couldn't really carry on with our serious recording , so someone made the suggestion we do an impersonation of the Beatles singing the song just for a laugh.

Never expecting anyone else ever to hear it, The engineer made a tape, someone called it the Fut and years later I'm explaining to you the actual story.

Obviously you have to confirm my credentials so;

I'm still a songwriter and as of today 7/12/99 I actually have 2 songs in Billboards Top100 this week.

Genie in a Bottle (Christina Aguilera) at #4
The Hardest Thing (98 Degrees) at #12

Other songs I've composed are
"Lets Get Physical" (Olivia Newton John)
And "Hard Habit to Break" (Chicago).

Steve Kipner.

Track listing of Tin Tin


Steve Kipner Database
Steve Kipner has had 12 Billboard Top 20 Hits:
Genie in a Bottle Christina Aguilera #1 Pop in 1999
The Hardest Thing 98 Degrees #5 Pop
Invisible Man 98 Degrees #12 Pop
Impulsive Wilson Phillips #3 Pop
Hard Habit to Break Chicago #3 Pop / 3 AC (*)
If She Would Have Been Faithful Chicago #17 Pop
Twist of Fate Olivia Newton-John #3 Pop
Heart Attack Olivia Newton-John #2 Pop
Let's get "Physical" Olivia Newton-John #1 Pop
Too Young Jack Wagner#15 AC / #52 Pop
20/20 George Benson #48 Pop (#15 R&B) 15 AC
(*) Grammy nominated (Record of the Year)

Other selections from his Discography
* =Gold, ** =Platinum, *** = Multi Platinum
LFOI Will Show You Mine
Cross My Heart
Think Aabout You
Don't Want to Kiss You
Changing Faces My Heart Can't Take Much More (All Day All Night)*
Color Me BadThe Last to Know
Joe Cocker Take Me Home
Blown Away Soundtrack + Have a little Faith ***
Huey Lewis and the News We Should Be Making Love (Hard at Play)
Cheap Trick I Will Survive (Gladiator-Soundtrack)
The Temptations We Should Be Making Love (MileStone)
Janet Jackson 2 to the Power of Love
Jermaine Jackson Make It Easy on Love (Don't Get Personal)
Cher I Paralyze (I Paralyze)
The Hollies I Got What I Want
Having a good time (What Goes around)
Olivia Newton-John Strangers Touch (Physical)***
Moth to a Flame/ Culture Shock/ Driving music
Queen of the Publication (Soul Kiss)
I Need Love (The Essential Collection)
Chicago Niagara Falls (Chicago18)***
Diana Ross It's Your Move (Swept Away)
Dolly Parton Potential new boy friend. (Burlap+Satin)*
Sheena Easton Let Sleeping Dogs Lie/ I Like the Fright (Best Kept Secret)**
Double Standard (A Privete Heaven)
Telephone Lines (Sheena Easton)
There When I needed You (Madness Money + Music)
Laura Branigan Moonlight on Water/ Bad Attitude *
Smoke Screen / Reverse Psychology
Take Me (Self Control)
America It's Your Move (Your Move)
Heart You ain't so Tough (Bad Animals)***
Neil Diamond Angel (Headed for the Future)
Manhattan Transfer Nothin' You Can Do about It (Extensions)*
Al Jarreau Murphy's Law (High Crime)*

Songs for 99 U.S. release include;
T'gana (Hollywood)" Pain", "Give Me", "All the Lover", "There is a Love"
Kevan Edmonds (RCA) "Anyway"
Jason Raize (Universal) "Take me Back"
Kipner has also had two #1 hits in Japan with Seiko (Seiko Mastuda): "Dancing Shoes" and "Marrakech".

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