Let’s set the scene: It’s 1967, and the “Summer of Love” is upon us. You’re likely surrounded by a bunch of hippies in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, wearing something floral-patterned. You’re getting ready to sit back, relax, and listen to some tunes. When you put on your headphones, which are attached to your transistor radio, you know what you’re listening to. The obvious choice is The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the eighth studio album from Britain’s favorite boys.
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When The Beatles set about releasing Sgt. Pepper, they were looking to experiment and step away from their pop mold. The group also wanted to step into a different identity at the time. This was partially because they’d chosen to stop performing live.
In an episode of his podcast Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics, McCartney explained that he was the one who “accidentally” came up with the title idea for Sgt. Pepper.
“I was with our roadie Mal, a big bear of a man.” He explains,“I was coming back on the plane, and he said, ‘Will you pass the salt and pepper?’ And I misheard him. I said, ‘What? Sgt. Pepper?’ He said, ‘No, salt and pepper.’”
According to him, it was quite common for The Beatles to “notice accidents.”
Other Artists Also Took Inspiration From ‘Sgt. Pepper’
The release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was historic for several reasons. To this day, it still remains the best-selling album in UK history. But aside from its commercial success, the number of projects that The Beatles’ experimental phase ultimately inspired is nothing short of impressive.
The Rolling Stones released Their Satanic Majesties Request in 1968. Keith Richards would eventually admit that the album was influenced by The Beatles’ project. “It ended up as a bit of flim-flam,” he shared. “It was time for another Stones album, and Sgt. Pepper was coming out, so we thought basically we were doing a put-on.”
Other groups, like King Crimson, would also be directly inspired by the album. The psychedelic rock band would frequently play “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” at rehearsals.
Photo by: John Downing/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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