Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (album)

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## About the Album

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

**"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"** is the eighth studio album by English rock band The Beatles. It was first released on 26 May 1967 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone and on 2 June in the United States by Capitol Records. After the band permanently retired from touring in August 1966, member Paul McCartney suggested an idea for a song involving an Edwardian military band that ultimately formed the impetus of the Sgt. Pepper concept. After recording sessions began in November, he later suggested the band release an entire album representing a performance by the fictional Sgt. Pepper band. This would give the Beatles freedom to experiment musically, and as a result, they furthered the technological progression they had made with their previous album *Revolver* (1966).

Knowing they would not have to perform new songs live, the band adopted an experimental approach to composition and recording. Producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick helped realise their ideas by approaching the studio as an instrument, applying orchestral overdubs, sound effects, and other methods of tape manipulation. An important work of British psychedelia, the album incorporates a range of stylistic influences, including vaudeville, circus, music hall, the avant-garde, and Western and Indian classical music. Its iconic cover photo, depicting the band in their Sgt. Pepper personas posing in front of a tableau of celebrities and historical figures, was designed by British pop artists Peter Blake and Jann Haworth.

Upon its initial release, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band topped the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard Top LPs chart. It was lauded by critics for its innovation in production, songwriting, and graphic design, for bridging a cultural divide between popular music and high art, and providing a musical representation of its generation and the contemporary counterculture. The album is often regarded by musicologists as an early concept album that advanced the use of extended form while continuing the artistic maturation of early Beatles records; it is also credited with aiding in the development of progressive rock, and marking the beginning of the album era. At a length of thirty-nine minutes, it contains the following thirteen tracks:

1. ***Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band* (2:00)**
2. ***With a Little Help From My Friends* (2:42)**
3. ***Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds* (3:28)**
4. ***Getting Better* (2:48)**
5. ***Fixing A Hole* (2:36)**
6. ***She's Leaving Home* (3:25)**
7. ***Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite* (2:37)**
8. ***Within You Without You* (5:05)**
9. ***When I'm Sixty-Four* (2:37)**
10. ***Lovely Rita* (2:42)**
11. ***Good Morning Good Morning* (2:42)**
12. ***Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)* (1:18)**
13. ***A Day in the Life* (5:35)**

## Personnel

The following personnel of Sgt. Pepper's include:

* John Lennon -- vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, Hammond organ, cowbell
* Paul McCartney -- vocals, electric guitar, bass, piano, Lowery organ
* George Harrison -- vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, tambura, sitar, maracas
* Ringo Starr -- vocals, drums, harmonica, tambourine, maracas, congas, bongos, chimes
* George Martin -- Hammond organ, Lowery organ, piano, pianette, harpsichord, harmonium, glockenspiel
* Mal Evans -- harmonica, Hammond organ, piano, alarm clock
* Neil Aspinall -- harmonica, tambura

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Beatles\_discography
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgt.\_Pepper%27s\_Lonely\_Hearts\_Club\_Band
3. ↑ https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/whos-who-on-the-beatles-sgt-peppers-lonely-hearts-club-band-album-cover/
4. ↑ https://performingsongwriter.com/sgt-peppers-album-cover/
5. ↑ https://theconversation.com/sgt-peppers-at-50-the-greatest-thing-you-ever-heard-or-just-another-album-77458
6. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/30/arts/music/beatles-sgt-peppers-lonely-hearts-club-band-anniversary.html
7. ↑ https://open.spotify.com/album/6QaVfG1pHYl1z15ZxkvVDW
8. ↑ https://www.discogs.com/master/23934-The-Beatles-Sgt-Peppers-Lonely-Hearts-Club-Band
9. ↑ https://www.beatlesbible.com/albums/sgt-peppers-lonely-hearts-club-band/