# Deep Tracks - The Beatles - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"



## Guest (Sep 3, 2018)

View attachment 107419


There is *NO LIMIT* for the number of selections allowed for this particular poll.

On all polls created if you click on the number of votes following the song title the username of all voters and their chosen selections will appear.

The tunes themselves will be found below the poll itself as links rather than as embedded videos due to bandwidth issues for those who wish to reacquaint themselves with a tune that may have receded a bit too far into the past to be remembered with the clarity that came when they were first released...

Next up is - The Beatles - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is the eighth studio album by the Beatles. Released on 26 May 1967 in the United Kingdom and 2 June 1967 in the United States, it spent 27 weeks at number one on the UK Albums Chart and 15 weeks at number one in the US.

It was lauded by critics for its innovations in production, songwriting and graphic design, for bridging a cultural divide between popular music and high art, and for providing a musical representation of its generation and the contemporary counterculture. It won four Grammy Awards in 1968, including Album of the Year, the first rock LP to receive this honour.

In August 1966, the Beatles permanently retired from touring and began a three-month holiday. During a return flight to London in November, Paul McCartney had an idea for a song involving an Edwardian military band that formed the impetus of the Sgt. Pepper concept.

Sessions began on 24 November in Abbey Road Studio Two with two compositions inspired by the Beatles' youth, "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane", but after pressure from EMI, the songs were released as a double A-side single and not included on the album.

In February 1967, after recording the title track "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", McCartney suggested that the Beatles should release an entire album representing a performance by the fictional Sgt. Pepper band. This alter ego group would give them the freedom to experiment musically.

During the recording sessions, the band furthered the technological progression they had made with their 1966 album "Revolver". Knowing they would not have to perform the tracks live, they adopted an experimental approach to composition and recording. Producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick helped realize the group's ideas by approaching the studio as an instrument, applying orchestral overdubs, sound effects and other methods of tape manipulation.

"Sgt. Pepper" is regarded by musicologists as an early concept album that advanced the use of extended form in popular music while continuing the artistic maturation seen on the Beatles' preceding releases.

It is described as one of the first art rock LPs, aiding the development of progressive rock, and is credited with marking the beginning of the album era.

An important work of British psychedelia, the album incorporates a range of stylistic influences, including vaudeville, circus, music hall, avant-garde, and Western and Indian classical music.

In November 1966, during a return flight to London from Kenya, where he had been on holiday with Beatles tour manager Mal Evans, McCartney had an idea for a song that eventually formed the impetus of the Sgt. Pepper concept. His idea involved an Edwardian-era military band, for which Evans invented a name in the style of contemporary San Francisco-based groups such as Big Brother and the Holding Company and Quicksilver Messenger Service. In February 1967, McCartney suggested that the Beatles should record an entire album that would represent a performance by the fictional band. This alter ego group would give them the freedom to experiment musically. He explained: "I thought, let's not be ourselves. Let's develop alter egos."

According to the musicologist Walter Everett, "Sgt. Pepper" marks the beginning of McCartney's ascendancy as the Beatles' dominant creative force. He wrote more than half of the album's material while asserting increasing control over the recording of his compositions. He would from this point on provide the artistic direction for the group's releases.

A key feature of "Sgt. Pepper" is George Martin and Geoff Emerick's liberal use of signal processing to shape the sound of the recording, which included the application of dynamic range compression, reverberation and signal limiting. Relatively new modular effects units were used, such as running voices and instruments through a Leslie speaker. Several innovative production techniques feature prominently on the recordings, including direct injection, pitch control and ambiophonics. Another is automatic double tracking (ADT), a system that uses tape recorders to create a simultaneous doubling of a sound.

According to Barry Miles, Lennon resented McCartney's direction of the band as well as how, aside from "Strawberry Fields Forever", he himself was now supplying "songs to order" rather than "writing from the heart" as he had on Revolver.

Everett describes Starr as having been "largely bored" during the sessions, with the drummer later lamenting: "The biggest memory I have of Sgt. Pepper ... is I learned to play chess".

Speaking in 2000, Harrison said he had little interest in McCartney's concept of a fictitious group and that, after his experiences in India, "my heart was still out there … I was losing interest in being 'fab' at that point." Harrison added that, having enjoyed recording "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver", he disliked how the group's approach on "Sgt. Pepper" became "an assembly process" whereby, "A lot of the time it ended up with just Paul playing the piano and Ringo keeping the tempo, and we weren't allowed to play as a band as much."

"Sgt. Pepper" was the first pop album to be mastered without the momentary gaps that are typically placed between tracks as a point of demarcation. It made use of two crossfades that blended songs together, giving the impression of a continuous live performance.

Sgt. Pepper's album cover was designed by the pop artists Peter Blake and Jann Haworth from an ink drawing by McCartney. It was art-directed by Robert Fraser and photographed by Michael Cooper.

The front of the LP included a colourful collage featuring the Beatles in costume as the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, standing with a group of life-sized cardboard cut-outs of famous people.

Each of the Beatles sported a heavy moustache, after Harrison had first grown one as a disguise during his visit to India. The moustaches reflected the growing influence of hippie style trends, while the group's clothing "spoofed the vogue in Britain for military fashions", writes the Beatles biographer Jonathan Gould.

The centre of the cover depicts the Beatles standing behind a bass drum on which fairground artist Joe Ephgrave painted the words of the album's title. In front of the drum is an arrangement of flowers that spell out "Beatles".

The group were dressed in satin day-glo-coloured military-style uniforms that were manufactured by the theatrical costumer M. Berman Ltd in London. Right next to the Beatles are wax sculptures of the bandmembers in their suits and moptop haircuts from the Beatlemania era, borrowed from Madame Tussauds.

The album's lyrics were printed in full on the back cover, the first time this had been done on a rock LP.

The collage includes 57 photographs and nine waxworks that depict a diversity of famous people, including actors, sportsmen, scientists and - at Harrison's request - the Self-Realization Fellowship gurus Mahavatar Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteswar and Paramahansa Yogananda.

The final grouping included singers such as Bob Dylan and Bobby Breen; the film stars Marlon Brando, Tony Curtis, Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe; the artist Aubrey Beardsley; the boxer Sonny Liston and the footballer Albert Stubbins. Also included were the comedians Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy (as well as comedian W.C. Fields) and the writers H. G. Wells, Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll and Dylan Thomas.

Adolf Hitler and Jesus Christ were requested by Lennon, but ultimately rejected.

The actor Leo Gorcey's image was painted out after he requested a fee. When McCartney was asked why the Beatles did not include Elvis Presley, he replied: "Elvis was too important and too far above the rest even to mention ... so we didn't put him on the list because he was more than merely a ... pop singer, he was Elvis the King."

For their work on "Sgt. Pepper", Blake and Haworth won the 1968 Grammy Award for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts.

"Sgt. Pepper" was the first Beatles album to be released with identical track listings in the UK and the US.

In 2003, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry, honouring the work as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

In 2003, Rolling Stone placed it at number one in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, describing it as "the pinnacle of the Beatles' eight years as recording artists".

In 2006 it was chosen by Time as one of the 100 best albums of all time.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgt._Pepper's_Lonely_Hearts_Club_Band

Your commentary on any and every aspect of the album and especially any memories reawakened as a result of the poll is welcomed.


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2018)

"*Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Ban*d" -






"*With a Little Help from My Friends*" -






"*Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds*" -






"*Getting Better*" -






"*Fixing A Hole*" -






"*She's Leaving Home*" -






"*Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!*" -






"*Within You Without You*" -






"*When I'm Sixty-Four*" -






"*Lovely Rita*" -






"*Good Morning Good Morning*" -






"*Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)*" -






"*A Day in the Life*" -


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Picked more than half. Like all Beatles albums, I only got to hear this in retrospect in the 80s (in the 70s I had bought the red and blue compilation double albums).

It contains my two favourite Beatles songs, _A day in the life_ (no surprise there), and _She's leaving home_ (often quoted as one of their worst songs).


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

As a general rule, Beatles albums had a high percentage of really great songs (many bands' LPs had one or two, no more). Sgt. Pepper was no exception.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

A Day in the Life because of its depth and wistful qualities.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

For the younger generation of listeners it's difficult to explain the impact of this album on the listeners and rock/pop musicians of the day. It was a significant game changer in its day and, although one can never be certain, the present day musical landscape might be very different if Pepper didn't exist. I did a fifty mile round trip on a bus to get this on the day it was released and my best friend at the time and I sat and played the album about four times in a row unable to fully comprehend what we had just listened to. I'm not sure that any album I have heard either prior to or subsequent to that day has had the same effect. Perhaps when I first heard Wagner!


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## Fredx2098 (Jun 24, 2018)

Art Rock said:


> and _She's leaving home_ (often quoted as one of their worst songs).


Who would say that?? Blasphemous I say.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

This was the album that represents the 'kids in the sweetshop' mindset when it came to having the luxury of block-booking Abbey Road for as long as necessary, generally enjoying an unlimited budget and with no tiresome touring commitments to spoil the fun any more. And although the overall concept was largely McCartney's, _Sgt. Pepper_ could also possibly be described as George Martin's finest hour, as the degree of his all-round involvement combined with his arrangement skills reached a point where the credits could almost have read _The Beatles and..._.

I like _Sgt. Pepper_ a lot - and it was a great idea to make the songs segue into each other - but I still prefer the concision of _Revolver_ and the gloriously incohesive sprawl of the _White Album_. Starting with the precursory _Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields_ single, _Pepper_ is where the Beatles became less of a band in the conventional sense and more like a musical art project.


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

A terrific album. I was 18 months old when it was released, and I know my parents had it. It's music that's been a part of me all my life, I literally grew up with it as a soundtrack to my life. I don't listen to it much now; when I listen to the Beatles I tend to listen to other albums simply because its overplayed. But I do enjoy it when I hear it. My favourite songs are With a little help from my friends, Fixing a hole, When I'm Sixty Four and A Day in the Life. 

Joe Cocker's cover of With a Little Help is probably one of the best anyone has done of someone else's music. I've been promising to a group of musician friends that I'll write an arrangement of When I'm Sixty Four for Wind Quintet and singer with ukulele; perhaps I'll finish it later this year. 

Somewhere on YouTube you can find a 50 minute video by Howard Goodall, How the Beatles Saved Classical Music. I don't know if this is true, it's really just some guy's opinion. But he quotes Sgt Pepper frequently.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Fredx2098 said:


> Who would say that?? Blasphemous I say.


I believe that was first said in Time magazine back in the day.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Barbebleu said:


> For the younger generation of listeners it's difficult to explain the impact of this album on the listeners and rock/pop musicians of the day.


When I was in high school, our English teacher invited English majors from our local university to have a stint at teaching by introducing us to a piece of literature. A couple gave presentations on classic works, which didn't make make much of an impression. But another forward-thinking student decided to talk to us on our level, using lyrics from songs we were familiar with. She was so impressive, she was actually invited back for another session. But one thing I remember is how startled I was to hear her analyze _Within You, Without You_. Here was an adult treating one of our songs as it were something worth paying attention to.


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2018)

Fredx2098 said:


> Who would say that?? Blasphemous I say.





Manxfeeder said:


> I believe that was first said in Time magazine back in the day.


Richard Goldstein, writing in The New York Times, cited the song as an example of the album's reliance on production over quality songwriting. Goldstein said: "'She's Leaving Home' preserves all the orchestrated grandeur of 'Eleanor Rigby', but its framework is emaciated ... Where 'Eleanor Rigby' compressed tragedy into poignant detail, 'She's Leaving Home' is uninspired narrative, and nothing more. By the third depressing hearing, it begins to sound like an immense put-on."

Brief snippet from review -

"The sound is a pastiche of dissonance and lushness. The mood is mellow, even nostalgic. But, like the cover, the over-all effect is busy, hip and cluttered. Like an over-attended child "Sergeant Pepper" is spoiled. It reeks of horns and harps, harmonica quartets, assorted animal noises and a 41-piece orchestra; On at least one cut, the Beatles are not heard at all instrumentally."

The entire review - http://www.richardgoldsteinonline.com/the-original-sgt-pepper-negative-review.html


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Sydney Nova Scotia said:


> Richard Goldstein, writing in The New York Times, cited the song as an example of the album's reliance on production over quality songwriting. Goldstein said: "'She's Leaving Home' preserves all the orchestrated grandeur of 'Eleanor Rigby', but its framework is emaciated ... Where 'Eleanor Rigby' compressed tragedy into poignant detail, 'She's Leaving Home' is uninspired narrative, and nothing more. By the third depressing hearing, it begins to sound like an immense put-on."
> 
> Brief snippet from review -
> 
> ...


After reading this I yearn to search out my dusty copy of the Rolling Stones' _Their Satanic Majesties Request_ and give it a spin on the turntable, to hear some real _quality_ music?









Sure I do.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Manxfeeder said:


> I believe that was first said in Time magazine back in the day.


 Tin eared journalists! I picked tracks 5-7.


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2018)

"Both Sides of Herman's Hermits" is the fourth album released by MGM Records in the U.S. and Canada for the band Herman's Hermits. It was released in August 1966. It contained 12 tracks.

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is the eighth studio album by English rock band the Beatles. It was released in May 1967. It contained 13 tracks.

"Their Satanic Majesties Request" is the sixth British and eighth American studio album by the Rolling Stones, released in December 1967. It contained 10 tracks.

Add 12 plus 13 plus 10 equals 35 divided by 3 equals 11.*666*

Coincidence? - I think not... Getting kind of scary, eh?


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

5 o'clock is a good time to call. i never took LSD when i was young. why is it when a black light is shined on the album cover all that have passed turn black?? even paul! did the lights change? what does DOA mean?? i guess many bands find new singers that sound like the original singer with a little help.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

Division by 3 is the devil's crowbar


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2018)

philoctetes said:


> Division by 3 is the devil's crowbar


Actually division by 3 is the devil's spanner... The devil's crowbar is "snakebite"...

"Snakebite" definition - mix of lager and cider known in Ireland as "lunatic soup" because of the reaction to it. In the UK sometimes it's mixed with black current and known as "snakebite and black". Many pubs will not serve this Beveridge in order to avoid "vom-mopping" or "carrot-picking".


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Yes, I like The Beatles.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

SONNET CLV said:


> After reading this I yearn to search out my dusty copy of the Rolling Stones' _Their Satanic Majesties Request_ and give it a spin on the turntable, to hear some real _quality_ music?
> 
> View attachment 107486
> 
> ...


Yes, well...the Stones were playing catch-up here and as soon as _TSMR_ was released McCartney was on the verge of knocking psychedelia into a cul-de-sac with _Lady Madonna_. Despite one or two good songs from 1967 I don't think psychedelia served the Stones very well at all. Of course, they responded magnificently with _Jumpin' Jack Flash_ and the _Beggars Banquet_ album in 1968 - their mojo was about to be well and truly restored at the same time when the Beatles started to lose the communal will to live when recording the _White Album_.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Sydney Nova Scotia said:


> "Both Sides of Herman's Hermits" is the fourth album released by MGM Records in the U.S. and Canada for the band Herman's Hermits. It was released in August 1966. It contained 12 tracks.
> 
> "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is the eighth studio album by English rock band the Beatles. It was released in May 1967. It contained 13 tracks.
> 
> ...


Of course, too, there were 4 Beatles, 5 Stones, and 5 Hermits involved in these projects. 14 prime musicians. 
And if one takes 14 prime numbers in the following order (squaring each of the first 7 primes and adding them together):

2 X 2 + 3 X 3 + 5 X 5 + 7 X 7 + 11 X 11 + 13 X 13 + 17 X 17 = (you guessed it! Or is it just that you have a quick mathematical mind?) 666

Scary indeed!


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Fredx2098 said:


> Who would say that?? Blasphemous I say.


I can't stand She's Leaving Home. It sounds so corny, the lyrics with the pseudo-Classical arrangement.


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## Fredx2098 (Jun 24, 2018)

Phil loves classical said:


> I can't stand She's Leaving Home. It sounds so corny, the lyrics with the pseudo-Classical arrangement.


I think The Beatles often sound corny, but I think they do it well!

I actually might dislike "Eleanor Rigby" for the same reason, but I still enjoy it a bit.


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## Guest (Sep 11, 2018)

SONNET CLV said:


> Of course, too, there were 4 Beatles, 5 Stones, and 5 Hermits involved in these projects. 14 prime musicians.
> And if one takes 14 prime numbers in the following order (squaring each of the first 7 primes and adding them together):
> 
> 2 X 2 + 3 X 3 + 5 X 5 + 7 X 7 + 11 X 11 + 13 X 13 + 17 X 17 = (you guessed it! Or is it just that you have a quick mathematical mind?) 666
> ...


Number of letters in the word "Beatles" = 7

Number of letters in the words "Rolling Stones" = 13

Number of letters in the words "Herman's Hermits" (playing fast and loose with the definition of the word "letter" by counting the apostrophe as a "letter" otherwise quite frankly the whole theory is shot to hell) = 15...

7 + 13 + 15 = 35 divided by 3 equals 11.*666* - Just when you think it couldn't get any scarier... it goes and gets even scarier!...

I mean... Not "Turn It Up! - Freddy and the Dreamers" scary but pretty damned close!


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