“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” wins four Grammy Awards

‘Pepper’ NARAS Bid

NEW YORK — “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” by the Beatles on Capitol Records, produced by George Martin, is one of the Grammy Awards nominations for Best Contemporary Album. It was inadvertently omitted from the list last week of Grammy Award nominations of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Kelly Gordon produced “Ode to Billie Joe” album, featuring Bobbie Gentry on Capitol Records.

From Billboard – March 2, 1968

BEATLES’ SGT PEPPER WINS GRAMMY AWARD

THE Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album carried off the top Grammy award in New York last week at the annual presentation dinner given by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

The album was nominated as “a particularly great album of the year.” In addition, it received awards as “The Best Technically Engineered Album Of The Year,” and “The Best Contemporary Album Of The Year.” The LP cover also earned the academy’s “Best Album Cover Of The Year.”

Recording manager George Martin flew over to attend the presentation. The awards were a great personal triumph for the Beatles recording engineer, 22-year-old Geoffrey Emerick. Geoffrey, from North London, has been recording the Beatles and other EMI artists for three years.

The new Beatles single, “Lady Madonna” is already getting air-plays on one New York radio station who claim it as “a first and exclusive in in New York.”

From Melody Maker – March 9, 1968

Cap. Grammy Leader With 16

NEW YORK— Riding the strength of two performers — Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry — Capitol Records was the dominant factor at the 10th annual Grammy Awards of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Thursday night (29) at the Hotel Hilton. Collecting a total of 16 awards, including one for an Angel record, Capitol scored best within the pop music category in records, artists, jackets, and songs. Eleven of Capitol’s awards were connected with pop music. Miss Gentry won awards for Best Female Vocal Performance, Best New Artist, Best Contemporary Female Solo Vocal Performance, Best Accompaniment Arrangement.

Campbell won awards for Best Male Vocal Performance, Best Contemporary Male Solo Vocal Performance, Best Country Recording, Best Country Male Solo Vocal Performance. The Beatles were responsible, largely, for four awards; this includes Best Album Cover and Best Engineered Recording.

If you had to point to any one key success, however, it was the song of “Up, Up and Away” and the people and record label connected with it. The Fifth Dimension hit on Soul City Records (distributed by Liberty) was Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Contemporary Single, Best Performance by a Vocal Group, Best Con temporary Group Performance, and, in addition, the Johnny Mann Singers won a Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Chorus. Liberty Records racked up six awards surrounding the song.

Columbia Records came in second, though, in total awards — 12. But this included tying for Classical Album of the Year — “Berg: Wozzeck” and “Mahler. Symphony No. 8 in E Flat Major” — and tying for Best Classical Choral Performance — “Mahler: Symphony No. 8 in E Flat Major” and “Orff: Catulii Carmina.” All were Columbia product.

RCA Victor, this year, scored eight awards, Atlantic scored three, Dot two, Warner Bros one, MGM one, and AAM one.

Last year, RCA Victor was first in total box score with 12 Grammy Awards. Warner Bros. Reprise scored second with nine Columbia and Epic together had eight.

A special NARAS trustee award went to Duke Ellington and the late Billy Strayhorn for “Far East Suite.” Another special NARAS award was presented for “Passion According to St. Luke” by Penderecki.

Two especial highlights of the awards dinner were standing ovations presenting in recognition of the stature of Ellington and Leopold Stokowski.