THE BEATLES - 'SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND' - ALBUM COVER ANALYSIS

THE BEATLES

SERGEANT PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND

1967

                                                                           

Multiple conspiracies about the album cover;

·        Paul McCartney was believed to be dead – the bass guitar shaped wreath.

·        Some believe the design was copied from a Swedish band called Mercblecket 3 years prior.

Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is an album released in 1967 by The Beatles. It is their 8^th album and its release on June 1, 1967, was a cultural event on both sides of the Atlantic. The 50th anniversary is being marked around the globe this year — including a reissue of the album on May 26 with remixed recordings from the Pepper sessions.

The album cover itself was created by Jann Haworth and Peter Blake, who in 1967 won the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts for their work on it. This is because of its ground-breaking design and controversial concept. The image shows 58 people and 9 waxworks (including the Beatles themselves.)

The bright colours and floral image on the cover perfectly represents the ‘flower power’ era that was the 60’s and 70’s; of which The Beatles were considers ambassadors. However, this vibrant photograph possesses multiple colourless waxworks and models of famous people from throughout history. This depicts a journey through time and the progression of the human race because it shows what we have accomplished in terms of technology and creativity. ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ was ground-breaking in its musical daring, innovation and surrealism, all of which can be attributed in part to the quantities of drugs being taken by The Beatles and the thousands of ‘hippies’ at the time.

There are many theories about what this particular album cover actually symbolises. The various faces and people in the rows conveys the diversity of people throughout modern history. It also presents the triumphs and achievements of these people as some had actually changed the world, some for the better and some for the worse. The fact that The Beatles are at the front and are the most visibly noticeable could be significant as it may indicate that that feel they are as influential to the world as the great people stood behind them. This is backed up as John Lennon once controversially exclaimed in an interview that The Beatles were “bigger than Jesus.”

Other conspiracies abut the album cover have unfolded over the years since its release 50 years ago. Some fans believe that Paul McCartney had died and was played by a ‘double’ in the final years of The Beatles’ career. The guitar-shaped wreath shown on the Sgt Pepper album cover suggested this as fans thought it was placed in memory of him. Furthermore, on the Abbey Road CD cover, McCartney can be seen with no shoes on implying that it was another person playing his famous role.