It Was About Fifty Years Ago Today That Sgt. Pepper Tried to Teach the Band to Play This
June 1 will be the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the dividing line between the rock’n’roll of the 50s and 60s and the rock that was to come. If we rewind back a little further to February 1-2, 1967, we’d find the band working with George Martin in studio 2 of Abbey Road. Virtually every scrap of tape used during those sessions was saved. Come May 29, many of the outtakes from those weeks in the studio will be included on a special reissue of the album.
Here’s an example. This is take 9–the final attempt–of the rhythm section and guitars for the track. French horns and other effects would be added on March 3 with the finishing touches of the orchestra tuning up included on March 6. Listen right to the end to hear a speech by Paul that was ultimately discarded. Click on the image to get started.