Release date : Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Stereo - 2009 remaster)
By The Beatles • Official album • Part of the collection “The Beatles • The Original Studio Recordings (2009)”
Release date : Wednesday, September 9, 2009
By The Beatles • Official album • Part of the collection “The Beatles • The Original Studio Recordings (2009)”
Album Sep 09, 2009 • "Rubber Soul (Stereo - 2009 remaster)" by The Beatles released globally
Album Sep 09, 2009 • "Revolver (Stereo - 2009 remaster)" by The Beatles released globally
Album Sep 09, 2009 • "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Stereo - 2009 remaster)" by The Beatles released globally
Album Sep 09, 2009 • "Magical Mystery Tour (Stereo - 2009 remaster)" by The Beatles released globally
Album Sep 09, 2009 • "The Beatles (Stereo - 2009 remaster)" by The Beatles released globally
This album was recorded during the following studio sessions:
The Beatles’ mono and stereo remasters announced
Apr 07, 2009
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2:03 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Lead vocals Ringo Starr : Drums John Lennon : Backing vocals George Harrison : Backing vocals, Electric guitar George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Neill Sanders : French horn James W. Buck : French horn Tony Randall : French horn John Burden : French horn Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Allan Rouse : Project co-ordinator
Session Recording: Feb 01, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Feb 02, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Mar 03 & 06, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Mar 06, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
With A Little Help From My Friends
2:44 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Bass, Piano, Timpani Ringo Starr : Drums, Lead vocals, Tambourine John Lennon : Backing vocals, Cowbell George Harrison : Backing vocals, Lead guitar George Martin : Hammond organ, Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Allan Rouse : Project co-ordinator
Session Recording: Mar 29, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Mar 30, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Apr 07, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
3:29 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Bass, Lowrey organ Ringo Starr : Drums John Lennon : Lead vocals George Harrison : Acoustic guitar, Lead guitar, Tamboura George Martin : Piano, Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Allan Rouse : Project co-ordinator
Session Recording: Mar 01, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Mar 02, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Apr 07, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
2:48 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
Paul McCartney : Bass, Lead vocals, Pianet electric piano Ringo Starr : Congas, Drums John Lennon : Backing vocals, Electric guitar George Harrison : Backing vocals, Electric guitar, Tamboura George Martin : Pianet electric piano (?), Piano, Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Malcolm Addey : Recording engineer Ken Townsend : Recording engineer Peter Vince : Recording engineer Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Allan Rouse : Project co-ordinator Unknown musician(s) : Handclaps
Session Recording: Mar 09, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Mar 10, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Mar 23, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Apr 17, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
2:37 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
Paul McCartney : Bass, Lead vocals Ringo Starr : Drums John Lennon : Backing vocals, Maracas George Harrison : Backing vocals, Electric guitar George Martin : Harpsichord, Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Adrian Ibbetson : Recording engineer Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Allan Rouse : Project co-ordinator
Session Recording: Feb 09, 1967 • Studio Regent Sound Studio, London
Session Overdubs: Feb 21, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Apr 07, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
3:35 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
Paul McCartney : Lead vocals John Lennon : Lead vocals George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Stephen Shingles : Viola John Underwood : Viola Erich Gruenberg : Violin Derek Jacobs : Violin Trevor Williams : Violin José Luis Garcia : Violin Dennis Vigay : Cello Alan Dalziel : Cello Gordon Pearce : Double bass Sheila Bromberg : Harp Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Allan Rouse : Project co-ordinator
Session Recording: Mar 17, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Mar 20, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Apr 17, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!
2:38 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar Ringo Starr : Bass harmonica (?), Drums, Tambourine John Lennon : Lead vocals, Lowrey organ George Harrison : Backing vocals, Bass harmonica, Tambourine George Martin : Glockenspiel, Harmonium, Lowrey organ, Producer, Sound effects Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer, Sound effects Mal Evans : Bass harmonica Neil Aspinall : Bass harmonica Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Allan Rouse : Project co-ordinator
Session Recording: Feb 17, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Feb 20, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: March 28, 29 & 31, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Apr 07, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Written by George Harrison
5:05 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
George Harrison : Acoustic guitar, Lead vocals, Sitar, Tamboura George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Jack Rothstein : Violin Neil Aspinall : Tamboura Ralph Elman : Violin Jack Greene : Violin Erich Gruenberg : Violin Alan Loveday : Violin Julien Gaillard : Violin Paul Scherman : Violin David Wolfsthal : Violin Reginald Kilbey : Cello Allen Ford : Cello Peter Beavan : Cello Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Allan Rouse : Project co-ordinator Unknown musician(s) : Swarmandal Anna Joshi : Dilruba Amrit Gajjar : Dilruba Natwar Soni : Tabla Buddhadev Kansara : Tamboura
Session Recording: Mar 15, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Mar 22, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Apr 03, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Apr 04, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
2:38 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Bass, Lead vocals, Piano Ringo Starr : Chimes, Drums John Lennon : Backing vocals, Electric guitar George Harrison : Backing vocals George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Robert Burns : Clarinet Henry MacKenzie : Clarinet Frank Reidy : Clarinet Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Allan Rouse : Project co-ordinator
Session Recording: Dec 06, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Dec 08, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Dec 20 & 21, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Apr 17, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
2:42 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Bass, Comb and paper (?), Lead vocals, Piano Ringo Starr : Backing vocals, Comb and paper (?), Drums John Lennon : Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Comb and paper (?) George Harrison : Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Comb and paper (?) George Martin : Piano, Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Allan Rouse : Project co-ordinator
Session Recording: Feb 23, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Feb 24, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Mar 07 & 21, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Apr 17, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
2:41 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Bass, Lead guitar Ringo Starr : Drums John Lennon : Backing vocals, Lead vocals, Rhythm guitar George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Barrie Cameron : Saxophone David Glyde : Saxophone Alan Holmes : Saxophone John Lee : Trombone Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Allan Rouse : Project co-ordinator Unknown musician(s) : French horn, Tambourine, Trombone
Session Recording: Feb 08, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Feb 16, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Mar 13, 28 & 29, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Apr 06, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
1:19 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
Paul McCartney : Bass, Lead vocals, Organ Ringo Starr : Drums, Lead vocals, Tambourine John Lennon : Lead vocals, Rhythm guitar George Harrison : Lead guitar, Lead vocals George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Allan Rouse : Project co-ordinator Unknown musician(s) : Maracas
Session Recording: Apr 01, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Apr 20, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
5:37 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
Paul McCartney : Bass, Final piano chord, Lead vocals, Piano Ringo Starr : Congas, Drums, Final piano chord John Lennon : Acoustic guitar, Final piano chord, Lead vocals, Tambourine George Harrison : Maracas George Martin : Harmonium, Orchestral arrangement, Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Jack Brymer : Clarinet Mal Evans : Alarm clock, Final piano chord Sidney Sax : Violin Francesc Gabarró Solé : Cello Jürgen Hess : Violin John Underwood : Viola Alan Civil : French horn David Mason : Trumpet Neill Sanders : French horn Erich Gruenberg : Violin Granville Delmé Jones : Violin Bill Monro : Violin Hans Geiger : Violin D Bradley : Violin Lionel Bentley : Violin David McCallum Sr. : Violin Donald Weekes : Violin Henry Datyner : Violin Ernest Scott : Violin Gwynne Edwards : Viola Bernard Davis : Viola John Meek : Viola Dennis Vigay : Cello Alan Dalziel : Cello Alex Nifosi : Cello Cyril MacArthur : Double bass Gordon Pearce : Double bass John Marston : Harp Basil Tschaikov : Clarinet Roger Lord : Oboe N Fawcett : Bassoon Alfred Waters : Bassoon Clifford Seville : Flute David Sanderman : Flute Monty Montgomery : Trumpet Harold Jackson : Trumpet Raymond Brown : Trombone Raymond Premru : Trombone T Moore : Trombone Michael Barnes : Tubas Tristan Fry : Percussion, Timpani Marijke Koger : Tambourine Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Allan Rouse : Project co-ordinator
Session Recording: Jan 19, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jan 20, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Feb 03, 10 and 22, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Feb 23, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Written by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison
0:02 • Studio version
Paul McCartney : Noises, Vocals Ringo Starr : Noises, Vocals John Lennon : Noises, Vocals George Harrison : Noises, Vocals George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Engineer
Session Recording: Apr 21, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
From the liner notes:
Historical Notes
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was The Beatles’ eighth album in just over four years. The frequency of their releases seems startling now but as the ten months between Revolver and this LP passed by, there was much speculation about the perceived long delay. In fact, the group had abandoned concerts and were dedicating themselves solely to songwriting and prolongs work in the studio. Released on 1st June, 1967, the immediate artistic and commercial success of Sgt. Pepper vindicated this new approach adopted by The Beatles. It was the LP that provided the ubiquitous soundtrack to ‘the summer of love’ but its appeal is timeless.
The previous summer The Beatles had raced to finish recording Revolver – completing the last song just three days before the start of the tour that visited West Germany, Japan and the Philippines. Some tense encounters in Asia – and also on summer tour of the USA and Canada – rocked their already shaky commitment to touring. Besides, their concerts were musically out of sync with their recent innovative records – not one song from the current LP Revolver was played onstage during the North American tour.
The frustration of repeating their old repertoire to screaming fans, who could not hear them anyway, when added to the other pressures on the road in the summer of 1966, led the group to decide that the concert on 29th August at Candlestick Park, San Francisco would be their last. They now became a studio group with no concern about how to replicate their records in concert. In their first session for five months, The Beatles began recording ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’. Its evolution showed the musical imagination and technical experimentation of the previous album would be continued. Things were not always complex, of course, because the other new recording at this time was the much more straightforward ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’. In the last days of the year, work began on ‘Penny Lane’. To stop the long wait since August for new material, ‘Penny Lane’ and ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ were released in February, 1967 on a double A-sided single.
In the UK, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band became the fourth Beatles album from which no singles were taken during the 1960s. remarkably, this was also the case in the USA where – also for the first time – the LP’s track listing was exactly the same as in the UK. The only American alteration was the removal of the high pitch tone and garbled speech embedded in the run-out groove. An initial run of 148 weeks in the British album chart included a total of 27 weeks at number one between June, 1967 and February, 1968 (it was interrupted occasionally by The Sound Of Music soundtrack album and Val Doonican Rocks But Gently). In the USA it remained at number one for fifteen of its initial run of 88 weeks in the Top 200.
Even before Sgt. Pepper was released, The Beatles had started work on the title track of their next project, the TV film Magical Mystery Tour.
Recording Notes
Produced by George Martin
Orchestrations by George Martin
Principal Engineer: Geoff Emerick
The Beatles’ recording grew more adventurous and innovative with every album release. Built on the experience and knowledge gained while making the ground-breaking Revolver, the inspirational work by The Beatles and George Martin on the next album showed the world what could be achieved in a recording studio.
More often than not, the imaginative arrangements required more tracks than were available on one four-track tape. The solution was to create extra tracks by copying the first four tracks to a second blank tape and simultaneously combining some of them to leave free as many tracks as were needed for additional overdubs. The need for more tracks reached a peak on Sgt. Pepper with ‘Getting Better’ requiring ‘bouncing down’ no less than three times.
The Beatles began work on ‘Getting Better’ on 9th March, 1967. First, the rhythm section of bass, drums, guitar and ‘Pianet’ electric piano was recorded on all four tracks. These were mixed together onto one track of a new tape, which left three tracks available for overdubs. Additional drums and bass were recorded on track two and double-tracked on track three; the final free track was used for a tamboura drone and piano. When copying to a third tape, the two bass and drum tracks were combined to one track and the tamboura and piano track was mixed in with the rhythm section. This left two tracks to record a double-tracked lead vocal, harmonies and handclaps. This third tape was then copied to a fourth tape to allow the two vocal tracks to be combined into one, creating a track for a guitar overdub. At the end of this protracted process, ten unique tracks had been used to complete the song.
Revolver had seen the introduction of Artificial/Automatic Double Tracking and this was also used throughout Sgt. Pepper. The sessions for the album also marked the first use of DI (Direct Injection) boxes. For example, on ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ Paul’s bass guitar was connected directly to the mixing desk rather than being recorded by a microphone in front of a speaker cabinet. There was also the speeding up and slowing down of tapes during recording and mixing, which altered the tempo and pitch of a voice, instrument or whole song. This is particularly evident in the sound of Paul’s voice on ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’.
The Beatles had worked during the night on several occasions when making Revolver but nocturnal recordings became the norm for Sgt. Pepper. No session ever began before 7:00pm and could sometimes finish as late – or early – as 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning. Their experimental and painstaking approach meant that it took nearly 400 hours to complete the LP – an astonishing amount of work for an album at that time.
This remastered album has been created from the original stereo analogue master tapes.
Remastered by Guy Massey and Steve Rooke.
Project Co-ordinator: Allan Rouse
Thanks to Simon Gibson
Historical Notes: Kevin Howlett and Mike Heatley
Recording Notes: Allan Rouse and Kevin Howlett
Project Management for EMI Records Ltd: Wendy Day and Guy Hayden
All songs published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, LLC.
Digital Remaster © 2009 The copyright in the sound recording is owned by EMI Records Ltd. © 2009 EMI Records Ltd. This label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved.
Artwork © 2009 Apple Corps Ltd. All photographs © Apple Corps Ltd.
All photographs taken at Chelsea Manor Studios, London, March, 1967, except where otherwise stated.
Album Redesign: Drew Lorimer
Photo Retouching: Gavin O’Neill
Photo editing and research: Aaron Bremner and Dorcas Lynn
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