Japan Today - News - It was 40 years ago today: Britain salutes Beatles' 'Sgt Pepper's'
Among a series of events, the BBC is set to broadcast a documentary on the 1967 album featuring cover versions of the Beatles tunes by Oasis, The Killers and Kaiser Chiefs among others.
The album, with its famous cover depicting the Fab Four flanked by a host of celebrities, includes such songs as "A Day In The Life," "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," "When I'm 64" and "With A Little Help From My Friends."
"Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was The Beatles' eighth album and was released on June 1, 1967.
In Liverpool, where the Beatles were formed, the anniversary will be marked with a collaboration between two of the northwestern city's Beatles tourists attractions.
The Beatles Story, which presents the band's story to visitors and the Beatles-linked Casbah Coffee Club have come together to display items featured on Peter Blake's ground-breaking "Sgt Pepper's" cover art.
These will include the medals worn by John Lennon on the multi-colored album front, which were borrowed from Mona Best, mother of original Beatles drummer Pete Best.
Meanwhile, academics are preparing to hold a debate on the significance of the album, considered by many to be one of the most influential records of all time.
British and U.S.
experts will gather at the University of Leeds in northern England on June 19 to discuss its social and cultural impact, in an event open to the public.
"Put simply, it's the most important album by the most important group," said the organizer of the seminar, Simon Warner. "It was a ground-breaking moment for popular music.
"The whole album has so many colors and nuances and that amazing multicolored sleeve perfectly echoes what's going on inside," he added.
For the BBC documentary, Geoff Emerick, the audio engineer who recorded the original album at Abbey Road studios in northwest London, has recorded the new versions with the same four-track equipment originally used.
"This will be not only a unique radio event, but a very special musical moment," said Lesley Douglas, controller of the BBC Radio 2 channel.
"The range and quality of artists involved ensure that this will be a fitting tribute to one of the great albums of all time."
(AFP)
I suspect that all their albums together are more influential to modern society than the New Testament!
Sgt Peppers then should be Revelation! ptrek: Don't you drumming people call a simple straightforward drum setup a 'Ringo kit'? I think a Ringo kit is what they hook you up to after you sign a "do not resuscitate" order.
I wonder how it got that nickname (sorry Ringo). He was a passable drummer. He was over the top on the cymbals and high-hat on the early recordings, which is one reason they sound noisy and tinny.
On some later Beatles work, Paul played drums, and not just because he's an inveterate control freak. Anyway, great band, although I agree with Papasmurf about the White Album. It has some of their most inspired and least recognized stuff, despite the overdose of dross thrown in as well.
McCartney is the king of writing consistently great pop songs. The muse struck John less often, but when it did it was a thunderbolt. George's Savoy Truffle and Old Brown Shoe deserve more recognition.
This is hilarious! This is a great website for music or film, better than music and film websites. There are so many people here that know their stuff, and have good taste.
Maybe Urko he was just in the right place at the right time? Nessie I had no idea McCartney did a spot of drumming! I'm shocked!
Was Ringo then just a young good lookin guy that was filling a space? I have to agree with you Keech, old Syd Barret was something else. I think See Emily play is absolutely fantastic, one of the best songs I've ever heard, I can't believe the singer of that song met such a sorry fate.
Is that what happens to all great people? Lennon, Presley, Barret, Cash, even Caren Carpenter. Speaking of drummers.
.. Nice guy, decent singer and all.
..but 25 or 30 years from now, relegated to VH-1's 'Where are they now?
'show. Whereas 25 or 30 years from now, people will still be debating between Sgt. Pepper's and the White Album.
In his letter, Lennon described how the Beatles and their contemporaries were inspired by American black music and never tried to conceal their debt to it...
Lennon explained that the Beatles used to perform cover versions of songs such as "Money", "Twist and Shout" and "You Really Got A Hold On Me" in dancehalls early in their career because they did not consider their own material to be of sufficiently high quality...
"We didn't sing our own songs in the early days - they weren't good enough - the one thing we always did was to make it known that there were black originals. We loved the music and wanted to spread it in any way we could," he added. "People like - Eric Burdon's Animals, Mick's Stones and us drank, ate and slept the music, and also recorded it, many kids were turned on to the music by us.
" Stephen Maycock, a consultant specialist at Bonhams, said: "It's a nice summary of John's opinions. He was quite stung by the accusation that the Beatles were ripping off black musicians and making all the money while the black artists remained penniless and obscure. They were doing their bit to promote black music in Britain.
A lot of these records were coming into the country via Liverpool, which was a very busy port." Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles and Mary Wells, who went on tour with the Beatles, were important influences on the group. John Lennon once said, "Before Elvis there was nothing".
For Lennon there was no color, no light, no nothing. Paul McCartney and John Lennon heard Elvis Presley - The result was the Beatles. As far as the rap that Elvis gets about ripping off black music that is simply not accurate.
Pat Boone ripped off black music. Elvis sang the music he was raised on..
.Later on he would become the perfect synthesis of the music he was raised with and the time he was raised in. A time when segregations foul grip dictated that race music was for blacks and whites listened to white music.
..Sam Phillips was recording blues artists like Howlin' Wolf, B.
B. King and James Cotton at his little studio on Union Avenue in Memphis and telling anyone who would listen "If I could find a white kid that could sing with a black man's feel I'd make a million dollars". In walked Elvis Presley, straight out of Humes High School with a toy guitar.
..
Keywords: Sgt Pepper, John Lennon, Beatles Sgt, Today Britain, Beatles Sgt Pepper, Elvis Presley, White Album
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