The origins of Sgt Pepper
During The Beatles’ final US tour in August 1966, Paul McCartney noticed the inventive names adopted by many new bands.Sgt Pepper is Paul, after a trip to America and the whole West Coast, long-named group thing was coming in. You know, when people were no longer The Beatles or The Crickets – they were suddenly Fred and His Incredible Shrinking Grateful Airplanes, right? So I think he got influenced by that and came up with this idea for The Beatles.
In November 1966 McCartney and Mal Evans spent time travelling around France. From there they journeyed on to Madrid, Rome and then Nairobi, Kenya, where they were joined by Jane Asher.
The genesis of Sgt Pepper came during their return flight from Kenya to London on 19 November 1966. Unable to sleep on the overnight journey, McCartney toyed with the idea of creating a new identity for The Beatles, to allow them to experiment and display their maturity to their audience.
We were fed up with being the Beatles. We really hated that f*****g four little mop-top boys approach. We were not boys, we were men. It was all gone, all that boy s**t, all that screaming, we didn’t want any more, plus, we’d now got turned on to pot and thought of ourselves as artists rather than just performers. There was now more to it; not only had John and I been writing, George had been writing, we’d been in films, John had written books, so it was natural that we should become artists.Then suddenly on the plane I got this idea. I thought, Let’s not be ourselves. Let’s develop alter egos so we’re not having to project an image which we know. It would be much more free. What would really be interesting would be to actually take on the personas of this different band. We could say, ‘How would somebody else sing this? He might approach it a bit more sarcastically, perhaps.’ So I had this idea of giving the Beatles alter egos simply to get a different approach; then when John came up to the microphone or I did, it wouldn’t be John or Paul singing, it would be the members of this band. It would be a freeing element. I thought we can run this philosophy through the whole album: with this alter-ego band, it won’t be us making all that sound, it won’t be the Beatles, it’ll be this other band, so we’ll be able to lose our identities in this.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
The title came from a conversation between McCartney and Evans about the sachets marked S and P which came with their in-flight meals.
Me and Mal often bantered words about which led to the rumour that he thought of the name Sergeant Pepper, but I think it would be much more likely that it was me saying, ‘Think of names.’ We were having our meal and they had those little packets marked ‘S’ and ‘P’. Mal said, ‘What’s that mean? Oh, salt and pepper.’ We had a joke about that. So I said, ‘Sergeant Pepper,’ just to vary it, ‘Sergeant Pepper, salt and pepper,’ an aural pun, not mishearing him but just playing with the words.Then, ‘Lonely Hearts Club’, that’s a good one. There’s lot of those about, the equivalent of a dating agency now. I just strung those together rather in the way that you might string together Dr Hook and the Medicine Show. All that culture of the sixties going back to those travelling medicine men, Gypsies, it echoed back to the previous century really. I just fantasised, well, ‘Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. That’d be crazy enough because why would a Lonely Hearts Club have a band? If it had been Sergeant Pepper’s British Legion Band, that’s more understandable. The idea was to be a little more funky, that’s what everybody was doing. That was the fashion. The idea was just take any words that would flow. I wanted a string of those things because I thought that would be a natty idea instead of a catchy title. People would have to say, ‘What?’ We’d had quite a few pun titles – Rubber Soul, Revolver – so this was to get away from all that.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
Although the idea was well received by the other Beatles, it wasn’t intended as a concept album; indeed, an early working title was One Down, Six To Go, a reference to their contract with EMI.
As I read the other day, he said in one of his ‘fanzine’ interviews that he was trying to put some distance between The Beatles and the public – and so there was this identity of Sgt Pepper. Intellectually, that’s the same thing he did by writing ‘He loves you’ instead of ‘I love you’. That’s just his way of working. Sgt Pepper is called the first concept album, but it doesn’t go anywhere. All my contributions to the album have absolutely nothing to do with this idea of Sgt Pepper and his band; but it works ’cause we said it worked, and that’s how the album appeared. But it was not as put together as it sounds, except for Sgt Pepper introducing Billy Shears and the so-called reprise. Every other song could have been on any other album.
For perhaps the first time, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band saw Paul McCartney emerging as the creative leader of The Beatles. There was, however, a strong feeling of collective creativity among the group, with a concerted push to achieve something special.
This creativity occasionally caused problems for The Beatles. Impatient to record ‘She’s Leaving Home’, McCartney asked freelance arranger Mike Leander to write the string section as George Martin was temporarily unavailable.
It was just one of those silly things. He was so damned impatient and I was up to my eyes with other work and I just couldn’t cope. But Paul realises now, though he was surprised that I was upset.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
At the time John Lennon was at the height of his extended dalliance with LSD, although he did play a key role in a number of songs – not least ‘A Day In The Life’, widely held to be one of The Beatles’ finest works.
It was a peak, and Paul and I definitely were working together, especially on ‘A Day In The Life’… I don’t care about the whole concept of Pepper. It might be better, but the music is better for me on the double album, because I’m being meself on it… I felt more at ease with that than the production. I don’t like production so much, but Pepper was a peak, all right.
Lennon Remembers, Jann S Wenner
Ah yes Avery Road my fav Beatles album.lol
I read a quote from George once where he stated for him making Sgt Peppers was not a pleasant experience. It was Paul’s baby and he only allowed the others to contribute as he saw fit.
Personally I prefer the White Album and Revolver and Abbey Road being my fav Beatles album.
I’m sure you have Martin on camera or tape saying this correct? All I’ve ever seen Sir George speak about was how he took two “incomplete” songs given to him from Paul and John where he worked out the basic arrangement which eventually became Day In The Life.
Trixie is referring to George Harrison who indeed stated he was not really “into” that album when recording it.
George Martin didn’t weld the two parts of “….Life”. John and Paul did. Then Paul and George M. worked out the arrangements.
Beatles Bible states that “Sgt. Pepper” was issued (in the UK) on 1st June 1967. I am certain it was issued on 26th May 1967. The Beatle Monthly magazine issued on 1st June 1967 indicates that the release had already happened and the album entered the UK album chart at No. 1 on a chart published 1st June 1967, both signifying that the release must be before 1st June. Interestingly, the 2017 50th anniversary remix/reissue was released on 26th May 2017, which ties in exactly with what I think/remember as being the original release date in 1967.
Game changer. I think John outshone Paul on this one. The most creative song (in my opinion) was George’s song, though. That song changed me.
I would like to know if you intend to take into account the information that appears in the 50th anniversary deluxe edition of “Sgt Pepper”. There are lots of new and interesting things. For example, John’s bass in “Fixing a Hole,” George’s mellotron on “Strawberry …” or Paul and Ringo drumming on “Good Morning …”, which explains that full sound. However, there are also contradictions or omissions. For example, in “Strawberry …” they do not say who plays the piano or percussion. In “A Day in the Life” it says that John plays piano, but it does not specify if it only refers to the final chord, because in the line-up it does not specify who they played in that chord. In “Being the benefit …” they omit John’s piano and Lowery, but they talk about a Martin mellotron. What do you think?
Paul overdubbed bass on “Fixing a Hole” and AFAIK, John and George both played guitars on “Good Morning, Good Morning” with Paul playing the guitar solo as well as bass and the double drums with Ringo, just as you mentioned.
A number of sources (Wikipedia being one, so tread lightly) say that the album was going to be called Dr. Pepper’s LHCB, but wasn’t because of the soda in the US. If true, that puts Macca’s name origin story in a different light.
On Sgt Pepper, (on the CD) shouldn’t the “hidden track” be somehow hidden instead of tagged on the end of A Day In The Life? Like with a signal that the CD is over and just ends, unless you hit the skip button to go to the final track before it stops (if you want to hear it). I mean it would be a little more “in the day” that way.
Beatles fandom myth begins…”Sgt. Peppers is the first concept album”. Myth dispelled by actual Beatle John, who says, ” besides the opening song leading into the next song, you could take any song off this album and put it onto any of our albums”. Of course, as we all know, a concept album is when all songs were written with a predetermined theme each relating to another. When I’m 64 was written by Paul when he was 16. Benefit for Mr.Kite was written by John by essentially rewriting what he had read off an antique poster.
Who keeps adding musician names to the list and why?!?
Joe, the site creator/moderator does as he becomes aware of more information.
Pretty simple, isn’t it?!?
In Part 4 above, George Harrison is quoted as saying, “I’d just got back from India, and my heart was still out there. After what had happened in 1966, everything else seemed like hard work. It was a job, like doing something I didn’t really want to do, and I was losing interest in being ‘fab’ at that point.”
What was it that had happened in 1966??
Brian Epstein died, then they went on their transformational trip to India. I think that was the order of things, though I could be wrong. They were all grieving Epstein’s death, and people handle grief in different ways. Paul poured himself into work, and I guess George didn’t feel like it. He did come up with probably the most meaningful song on the album, though, Within You, Without You, obviously inspired by his time in India, and, to an extent, his grief.
As for the Personnel section: Paul: vocals, … and drums (Good Morning Good Morning). First time for Paul on drums on the Beatles album. By the way, does anyone know if Paul played one of Ringo’s drum kits here?
From “Mad Magazine” when I was probably 11. I was nine when SPLHCB was released.
“Ringo, George, Paul and John, played a trick and put us on. Dropped a hint that Paul was dead as nails and rocketed their record sales”
I first heard Sergeant Pepper in about 1974 I think, I borrowed it from a friend at school when I would have been about 16. I was a Beatles fan by default almost, to people of my generation they were just there, and you expected them to come out with brilliant things. I was extremely disappointed by this album which I thought sounded muddy compared to other Beatles efforts. I had heard Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields by then, but the only songs from the album as such that I recognised were When I’m 64 and With a Little Help From My Friends, possibly only from covers, so the material was farily new to my ears. I still think that notwithstanding its brilliance it is questionable whether as a sum of its parts it equals other Beatles albums, before or after. There are only a couple of songs in my view on the album or released as singles that are good songs and are also as well arranged and produced as they could be, including Fixing a Hole and Within You Without You. There are other brilliant songs such as With a Little Help From My Friends, When I’m 64, Lucy in the Sky, Good Morning that are really to my ears let down by the arrangements. I would also include Penny Lane (is that clunky piano really that interesting?) and A Day in the Life (this is a pop group/rock band whatever, who let that orchestra in here, they’re ruining the song?!). And then there are items of what could just be whimsy such as Lovely Rita which is almost perfectly arranged and produced, and Getting Better, which in the absence of its arrangement performance and production would barely be a song at all, but which I think is one of the most brilliantly executed recordings they ever produced. So coming to it some years after it was issued it struck me as patchy, and still does.
I don’t blame EMI for rejecting John’s brash suggestion of putting Hitler on the cover, because it would have been very offensive to Germans and survivors of the Nazi regime. According to Horst Fascher, John would often greet the audiences at the clubs in Hamburg with a Heil Hitler and give the Nazi salute, pull out a black comb and pretend it was a moustache, so that he could look like Hitler.
I’m surprised that John didn’t get arrested by the German authorities or put in a Hamburg prison, because giving the Nazi salute or chanting “Sieg Heil” is a criminal offence in Germany, according to Strafgesetzbuch section 86a.
As for the Personnel section: Paul: vocals, … and drums (Good Morning Good Morning). First time for Paul on drums on the Beatles album. By the way, does anyone know if Paul played one of Ringo’s drum kits here?
I have seen a photo where Ringo is playing his drum kit at a studio session and a clean-shaven Paul is standing up with some drumsticks, presumably to play on the floor tom.
The second drum part in question on “GM, GM” could well have been Ringo and Paul collaborating on double drumming and to clarify things, Paul’s part would, logically, have been intended to augment, not replace, Ringo’s drumming – an earlier instance occurred on the recording of “Yes it is” when Paul overdubbed a cymbal, again to augment Ringo’s drums.
Sorry, but for anyone who puts SPLHCB down in any way (notwithstanding comparing that which preceeded or followed) basically you need to go get some new ears. Any of the more recent masterings show that the main driver (Sir Paul) steered the Beatle ship at this period. The guy was basically on fire from 66 onwards when the touring ceased
I always wanted to know WHY Paul turned his back to the camera for the back cover photo? And why would they use that photo for the album? It is so odd a choice. It practically invites the “Paul is dead” crowd to notice and interpret.
I suppose we’ll never know.
I remember hearing that it was Mal Evans standing in for Paul on that back cover shot – forget why, but McCartney wasn’t at the shoot (separate one from the cover)
I never heard the Mal stand in story. Makes sense if it’s true. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers!
Mal Evans standing in for Paul? In his biography on this website Joe describes Mal as “tall and burley.” Paul was hardly tall and burly. Couldn’t be Mal unless someone manipulated the photo to make Mal look more like Paul in stature.
That’s true. Mal Evans was 6 feet 3 inches tall.
Paul is 5 feet 10 inches. Unless it’s a cardboard cutout of Paul’s back as a subtle allusion to the front cover? Someone should ask Paul!
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/14/photo-that-solves-sgt-pepper-mccartney-mystery-up-for-auction
“It had long been rumoured that Paul McCartney was not at the Sgt Pepper’s sleeve photo shoot because the back of the album only showed him from behind. This image showed the side of his face which would prove that he was indeed there on the day.”
So this photo shone on The Guardian website from Aug 14 2023 proves McCartney was present at the Pepper photo-shoot for the back cover. But the question remains… Why turn your back, Paul?