recordart
Andy Warhol art on 45s – part 1
Rockdoc a.k.a. Richard Forrest
Category Archives: The Beatles
The 50th Anniversary Box Set of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" – a set I didn't think I needed.
July 1, 2017 rockdoc999	Leave a comment
The deluxe 50th anniversary box set of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with all the 'goodies'.
It seems I've been writing a lot about "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" since it's 50th anniversary on June 1st. In March, I heard about the projected release of an upgraded version of the stereo version of the album together with a variety of previously unreleased alternative takes of the songs (including "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane", which had not been included on the final album) on double vinyl, double CD and a four CD, Blu-ray and DVD box set which included a 144-page LP-sized book, and 2 posters as well as a reproduction of the original cutout from the LP.
I decided that I already had the original LP (actually TWO copies) and didn't think I needed to shell out £30 for the double LP or over £100 for the box set as I am not particularly interested in hearing alternate takes. And I felt I didn't need to listen to a third re-mastering of the original, though I listened to the new stereo version on Spotify and definitely heard a new, clearer mix. My main interest in "Sgt. Pepper" extends to the cover design.
But on a visit to my favourite record store I saw a copy of the box. What first caught my eye and made me take it off the shelf was the lenticular version of the cover image, which made it appear three dimensional. Now, that was a version of Peter Blake's & Jann Haworth's cover that I hadn't seen before. Then, on opening the clamshell inner box I found what I thought was a copy of the LP–but the box clearly stated that it didn't include the LP only 4 CDs, a Blu-ray and a DVD. There were three posters and the book which had a chapter devoted to the story of how the cover came about. Now, THAT did interest me. So I decided I'd try it and the offer of a 10% discount clinched the deal!
When I got home, I removed the plasticwrap from the LP sized album and from the book. On opening the gatefold I saw the CDs, Blu-ray and DVD were housed in separate LP-style covers. Only when I started to upload the CDs onto my computer did I notice that each CD had a different version of the classic "Sgt. Pepper" photo, with the Beatles in different poses in front of the Blake/Haworth montage.
Four different variations on the original "Pepper" cover. The one at top left is is the standard photo.
The book tells Paul McCartney's version of how the cover art came to be. He tells that he had the idea of the "Sgt. Pepper" theme while on a flight back from America. He says that Mal Evans asked for him to pass the salt and pepper and he misheard it as Sgt. Pepper, which immediately inspired him to create an alter ego for The Beatles. He says that he mad some sketches for a possible cover scene and took them to his friend, gallery owner Robert Fraser, who proposed Peter Blake and Jann Haworth as artists to realise his ideas.
Paul's first "Pepper" sketch.
Another of paul's design suggestions.
There is no mention of John Lennon's discussions with design group "The Fool", though the chapter ends with an interview with Marijke Koger who tells of the visits by The Beatles to their home, which inspired them to commission a design for the planned "Sgt Pepper" album cover. However, only The Fool's design for the red, pink and white inner sleeve was used.
I have also now listened to the re-mastered stereo version included in the set as well as the original mono version. There really is a new clarity in the stereo version. But–I have lived with the original stereo version for just over 50 years and it still remains the one I probably will listen to on vinyl.
Anyway, no I can add the lenticular cover of the Blake/Haworth design and the alternative Michael Cooper photos of the "Sgt. Pepper" set to my cover collection.
Box Setcover artPaul McCartneyThe Fool
Record sleeve art by artists I collect
Records as Art — David Shrigley.
"Petrolhead" — Blur's Think Tank Promos.
I Met David Shrigley Once.
Eve Babitz — A Los Angeles Icon.
Marred for Life! — More on Defaced Record Covers.
rockdoc999 on Chris Makos Portraits of Lored…
Cami on Chris Makos Portraits of Lored…
torulv on Röyksopp's "Melody…
rockdoc999 on Röyksopp's "Melody…
"Live at Leeds" Silkscreen print
"Voices and Events" box set
23 Envelope
45 rpm EP
45 RPM singles
A Stranger Shadow
Adman-Warhol Before Pop
Album cover art
Alex Steinweiss – Inventor of the Modern Record Cover
Andy Warhol art
Andy Warhol biographies
Andy Warhol retrospective
Andy Warhol's films
Andy Warhol's Medical & Psychological History
Andy Warhol's Photography
Andy Warhol's record cover art
Artipelag
Associazzone MetaMorfosi
Banksy record covers
Banksy's art on record
Blake Gopnik – Warhol: A Life as Art
Blur's Think Tank
Bob Dylan's discography
Brian WIlson – That Lucky Old Sun
Broder Daniel
Capoeira Twins "4 x 3"
Cholecystectomy
Chris Bigg
Chris Makos
Christopher Ricks' "Dylan's Visions of Sin"
Dave Haslam–A Life in Thirty-Five Boxes
Dirty Funker (Paul Glancy)
Eric Clapton "24 Nights"
Eric Clapton's "24 Nights"
Eve Babitz
Genesis Publications
Giant Size $1.57 Each
Gröna lund
Guy Minnebach
Henrik Berggren
Imagine album
Jack Riley ventriloquist
Joe Ephgrave
Joe Newman Octet
Karin "Mamma" Andersson
Kate Moss Covers
Kate Moss Discography
Klaus Voormann's Record Cover Art
Lew White – Melodic Magic
Liam Gallagher's "As You Were".
Louis Hardin
Love You Live album
Madonna's "Celebration"
Magic Vinyl Display
Menlove Ave album
Miguel Bosé
Mike & Doug Starn
Moderna Museet
Musical memories of 1967
My Warhol collection
Night Beat promo
Nobel Prize for Literature 2016
Oasis memorabilia
Palazzo Ducale, Genoa
Peter Liversidge
Petrolhead logo
Pieter Nooten & Michael Brook "Sleeps With the Fishes"
Prince portrait
Prokofiev's "Alexander Nevsky"
Promotional CDs
RATFAB
Röyksopp's Melody A.M. promo
Record and CD cover art
Record collecting
Record cover art
Record covers
Record prices
Reproductions or fakes?
Richard Evans–graphic designer
Robert del Naja
Rock Posters
Rolling Stones Bootleg alnums
Romain Beltrame
Sikscreening
Sticky Fingers album
Sticky Fingers zips
Susan Philipsz
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
The Artist Known as Banksy
The Beatles Swedish Singles & EPs
The Beatles' White Album
The Hours' early singles
The Velvet Underground & Nico album
The Warhol Museum
Tom Waits in Concert
Tony Lane cover designer
Toto "Turn Back" cover
Turner Prize Winners
Valentine Vox
Vaughan Oliver
Vibronics
Vibronics logo
Vinylize!
Voices and Events cover art
War, Capitalism & Liberty Exhibition 2016
Warhol 1968 Malmö
Warhol's death
Warhol's medical history
Warhol's Polaroids
Wes Wilson
Wolfgang Tillmans vinyl releases
Yoko Ono Lennon