1967 Sgt. Pepper arrives
What was called “the most important and influential rock and roll album ever recorded” appeared on this day in 1967.
The Beatles began their careers singing a mixture of light-weight pop ballads and covers of American rhythm and blues numbers but had gradually matured, writing their own material and experimenting with different musical approaches and technologies. They had also grown disenchanted with touring, singing the same old songs over the ear-splitting shrieks of their female teenage fans. Moreover, their music had grown more complicated and reliant on studio effects so that it could not be satisfactorily performed live.
Inspired by Brian Wilson’s concept album “Pet Sounds” for the Beach Boys, the Beatles conceived in 1966 of a collection of songs as if it were performed by an early-twentieth century military band. The budget for this album was enormous, allowing for hiring the London Symphony Orchestra and endless studio time, and the technological manipulation of sound by producer George Martin was cutting-edge. Critics speculated on the reasons for the lengthy delay in releasing the LP and many concluded that the Beatles had run out of ideas but the five months of production would prove to be fruitful.
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” emerged as a bewildering mixture of genres: rock and roll, Indian, psychedelia, music hall, and jazz, combining in a way to suggest an extended drug trip. Indeed, a number of the cuts were banned from the BBC for being too suggestive of drug use. It was instantly hailed as a musical marvel; it would sell 32 million copies around the world. Its album jacket inspired a whole new genre of pop music consumerism. Rolling Stone placed the record at the top of the list of the 500 greatest of all time.