Beatles - Sergent Pepper's Lonely Hearts club Band
History's most famous LP, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, was Paul's idea. He commented, "I was just thinking of nice words like Sergeant Pepper and Lonely Hearts Club, and they came together for no reason. They're a bit of a brass band in a way, but also a rock band because they've got that San Francisco thing."
Having given up touring, the Beatles now focused their attention on fully exploring the possibilities of studio recording, and came up with the most consistently acclaimed rock album of all time. Recording started on November 24, 1966, but by now they were in such a position of strength that EMI could put no pressure on them to finish it for Christmas. Instead, the sessions continued until the following April, with the Beatles in virtually constant occupation of their favored Abbey Road studio. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was finally released on June 1, 1967, and just two days later, started a staggering 22-week run at No. 1 on the U.K. album chart. A month later,with over a million advance orders, it topped the U.S. chart for 15 weeks, going on to win no fewer than four Grammies.
John Lennon: Sgt. Pepper is the one. It was a peak. Paul and I were definitely working together....
Many consider Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band a "concept" album — something conceived as a package with a common theme. George Martin commented, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band didn't start out life as a concept album but it very soon developed a life of its own. I remember it warmly, as both a tremendous challenge and a highly rewarding experience. For me, it was the most innovative, imaginative and trend setting record of its time."
Peter Blake, a prominent contemporary British artist, was hired to design the album cover. He asked each of the Beatles to list people they would like to see on the cover. The lists were compiled and became the background.
At the Beatles' insistence, the gatefold LP marked the first occurrence of an identical track listing in a UK and US Beatle album. However, only the UK version has a short section of noise, gibberish, and a 15 kilocycle pitch (not audible to humans) in the LP's run-out groove.
The record was officially released on June 1, 1967, although it was rush released on May 26. It was actually played on the BBC radio show Where It's At, on May 20.
Within one week 250,000 copies of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band sold in the UK and the record charted for an unprecedented 148 weeks.
In the US, 2.5 million copies sold within three months and the album stayed in the No. 1 spot for nineteen weeks.
The LP included a paper cut-out sheet.
1967
Side 1
1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely
Hearts Club Band
2. With a Little Help From
My Friends
3. Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds
4. Getting Better
5. Fixing a Hole
6. She's Leaving Home
7. Being For the Benefit
of Mr. Kite!
Side 2
1. WithinYou Without You
2. When I'm Sixty Four
3. Lovely Rita
4. Good Morning Good Morning
5. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely
Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
6. A Day In the Life
Detailed Album Information:
SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
Release: 1 June 1967
Label: Parlophone PMC 7027 / PCS 7027
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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (2:02)
Recorded: February 1, 1967 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubbing February 2, March 3, and March 6, 1967
John Lennon - lead guitar, background vocal
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar
George Harrison - lead guitar, background vocal
Ringo Starr - drums
George Martin - organ
Session musicians - four horns
With a Little Help From My Friends (2:44)
Recorded: March 29, 1967 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added March 30, 1967
John Lennon - background vocal
Paul McCartney - bass guitar, piano, background vocal
George Harrison - tambourine
Ringo Starr - lead vocal, drums
Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds (3:29)
Recorded: March 1, 1967 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added March 2, 1967
John Lennon - lead vocal, lead guitar
Paul McCartney - bass guitar, Hammond organ, harmony vocal
George Harrison - sitar, harmony vocal
Ringo Starr - drums
Getting Better (2:48)
Recorded: March 9, 1967 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubbing March 10, March 21 and March 23, 1967
John Lennon - lead guitar, background vocal
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, background vocal
George Harrison - lead guitar, tamboura, background vocal
Ringo Starr - drums, bongos
George Martin - piano strings
Fixing a Hole (2:36)
Recorded: February 9, 1967 at Regent Sound Studio, London, England with overdubbing February 21, 1967 at Abbey Road, London, England
John Lennon - maracas, background vocal
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, lead guitar, harpsichord
George Harrison - lead guitar, double-tracked lead guitar solo, background vocal
Ringo Starr - drums
She's Leaving Home (3:35)
Recorded: March 17, 1967 at Abbey Road, London, England with vocals overdubbed March 20, 1967
John Lennon - lead vocal, background vocal
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, background vocal
Session musicians - strings, harp
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! (2:37)
Recorded: February 17, 1967 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubbing February 20, March 28-29 and March 31, 1967
John Lennon - lead vocal, Hammond organ (main melody)
Paul McCartney - bass guitar, lead guitar
George Harrison - harmonica
Ringo Starr - drums, harmonica
George Martin - Wurlitzer organ (countermelody), piano
Mal Evans - harmonica
Neil Aspinall - harmonica
Within You Without You (5:06)
Recorded: March 15, 1967 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubbing March 22, 1967 and April 3, 1967
George Harrison - lead vocal, tamboura
Neil Aspinall - tamboura
Indian session musicians - dilruba, tamboura, tabla, swordmandel
Session musicians - eight violins, three cellos
When I'm Sixty-Four (2:37)
Recorded: December 6, 1966 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added December 8 and December 20-21, 1966
John Lennon - lead guitar, background vocal
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, piano, background vocal
George Harrison - background vocal
Ringo Starr - drums
Session musicians - bass clarinet, two clarinets
Lovely Rita (2:42)
Recorded: February 23, 1967 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added February 24, March 7 and March 21, 1967
John Lennon - acoustic guitar, comb and paper, background vocal
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, piano, comb and paper, background vocal
George Harrison - acoustic guitar, comb and paper, background vocal
Ringo Starr - drums
George Martin - honky-tonk piano
Good Morning Good Morning (2:42)
Recorded: February 8, 1967 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added February 16, March 13 and March 28-29, 1967
John Lennon - lead vocal, background vocal
Paul McCartney - bass guitar, lead guitar and solo, background vocal
George Harrison - lead guitar
Ringo Starr - drums
Sounds Incorporated - three saxophones, two trombones, French horn
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (Reprise) (1:19)
Recorded: April 1, 1967 at Abbey Road, London, England
John Lennon - lead vocal, lead guitar, maracas
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar
George Harrison - lead vocal, lead guitar
Ringo Starr - drums
A Day in the Life (5:33)
Recorded: January 19, 1967 (basic track) and February 10, 1967 (orchestral track) at Abbey Road, London, England with the final-chord ending overdubbed February 22, 1967
John Lennon - lead vocal (first, second and last verses), acoustic guitar, lead guitar
Paul McCartney - lead vocal (middle section), piano, conducts the forty-one-piece orchestra
Ringo Starr - drums
Lennon, McCartney, Starr, Mal Evans - three pianos (final chord)
George Martin - harmonium
Mal Evans - alarm clock
Session musicians - forty-one-piece orchestra
Producer: George Martin
Engineers: Geoff Emerick, Malcolm Addey, Adrian Ibbetson, Peter Vince, Ken Townsend
Second engineers: Graham Kirkby, Richard Lush, Phil McDonald, Keith Slaughter
Photography: Michael Cooper
Score: Mike Leander
Design: Peter Blake, Jann Haworth, MC Productions & The Apple
Art Direction, Liner Notes: Peter Blake
George Harrison: Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica, Sitar, Tamboura, Tambourine
John Lennon: Percussion, Vocals, Guitar, Hammond Organ, Marimbas, Rhythm Guitar
Paul McCartney: Conductor, Vocals, Bass Guitar, Guitar, Hammond Organ, Harpsichord, Piano
Ringo Starr: Drums, Vocals, Bongos, Harmonica
Michael Barnes: Tuba
Sheila Bromberg: Harp
Tristan Fry: Percussion
Roger Lord: Oboe
Marijke: Tambourine
Flutes: David Sandeman, Clifford Seville
Violins: Trevor Williams, Donald Weekes, Ernest Scott, Sidney Sax, Lionel Bently, Dean Bradley, Henry Datyner, Jose Garcia, Hans Geiger, Erich Gruenberg, Jurgen Hess, Derek Jacobs, Granville Jones, David McCallum, Bill Monroe
Violas: John Underwood, Stephen Shingles, John Meeks, Bernard Davis, Gwen Edwards
Horns: Neil Sanders, Tony Randall, James W. Buck, John Burden, Alan Civil
Clarinets: Basil Tschaikov, Frank Reidy, Henry MacKenzie, Jack Brymer, Robert Burns
Cellos: Dennis Vigay, Alex Nifosi, Francisco Gabarro, Alan Dalziel
Trumpet: Monty Montgomery, Harold Jackson, David Mason, Dave Mason
Saxophones: Alan Holmes, David Glyde, Barrie Cameron
Trombones: T. Moore, Raymond Premru, John Lee, Ray Brown
Bassoon: Alfred Waters, N. Fawcett
Double Bass: Gordon Pearce, Cyril Macarthur