Press launch of 'Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. Back row left to right:Ringo Starr, George Harrison. Front row: Paul McCartney and John Lennon in May 1967
On May 26, 1967, The Beatles released their eighth studio album that was lauded by the critics at the time for its innovations in production, song-writing and graphic design.
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band took the world by storm and spent 27 weeks at the top of the
UK album charts and 15 weeks at No 1 in the US. It went on to win four Grammy awards in 1968 including album of the year, the first rock album to achieve that honour.
Sgt Pepper was the brainchild of Paul McCartney, who conceived the album as a show staged by a fictional Edwardian brass band transported through time into the psychedelic age and played by the electronically equipped Beatles. It became the album of The Summer of Love.
When the album was recorded, almost all the conventions of recording and producing albums were thrown out. Sgt Pepper was one of the first albums to have a gatefold sleeve, printed lyrics, decorated inner bag, free gift and a cover designed by a celebrated artist.
During the recording sessions at EMI's Abbey Road studios in November of 1967, the band adopted an experimental approach to recording many of the tracks knowing they would not be performing them live, such as Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite and A Day in the Life.
