Memories
Stepping back in time:
It was 20 years ago today, Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play…
So goes one of the most famous opening lines in pop history. But this week marks 53 years since the Beatles showed the world a new way of making music. On May 26, 1967, they released one of the most influential albums of all time – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
The record is firmly established as a classic, regarded by musicologists as a so-called concept album as the Fab Four – then the biggest band in the world – adopted the roles of a fictional band.
Sgt. Pepper’s came at a critical phase for John, Paul George and Ringo.
Years of touring had taken their toll and the noise at concerts meant performances had become a chore. Or at least they had according to band member – and cynic-in-chief – John Lennon, in 1966.
“They could send out four waxworks...and that would satisfy the crowds,” sneered the singer. “Beatles concerts are nothing to do with music any more. They’re just bloody tribal rites.”
Guitarist George Harrison threatened to leave, but the group members were encouraged to temporarily go their separate ways and pursue their own interests for several months.
Harrison studied the sitar, while John acted in a movie and met wife-to-be Yoko Ono. Paul Mccartney created a movie soundtrack and holidayed in Kenya, while Ringo spent time with his young family.
Upon their return, and inspired by their experiences taking hallucinogenic drug LSD, the band embraced a new direction. Mccartney was inspired to create an Edwardianera military band, with a psychedelic twist. These alter-egos could pursue interesting new musical styles, away from the mop-tops’ boyband past. Lennon, meanwhile, was listening to The Beach Boys’ seminal Pet Sounds, and wanted to push their experimental harmonies even further. The Beatles, with an unlimited budget, booked open-ended recording sessions at EMI Studios, which began at the not-exactly early time of 7pm. Recording continued for five months, which raised eyebrows and led to suggestions the band were struggling.
The wait was indeed worth it – fans loved designer Peter Blake’s cover collage and classic songs including With A Little Help From My Friends, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, A Day In The Life and She’s Leaving Home.
It was both a critical and commercial smash hit and, with certified sales of
5.1 million copies, it is the third-best-selling album in UK chart history and the best-selling studio album.
All in, it has sold 35 million copies in just over half a century. Not bad for a fictional band...