Yet Lennon's snide lyric still resonates – despite the fact that McCartney was the principal architect of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the iconic 1967 album that celebrates its 50th anniversary on June 1, 2107.
Telling tales on the creation of the Sgt. Pepper's cover design
07 April, 2017 - 0 Comments
The John Lennon who wrote Imagine could also be bitterly cruel. "So Sgt. Pepper took you by surprise," he sang, with vitriol, on How Do You Sleep? on his first solo album in 1971. "You better see right through that mother's eyes.
"Those freaks was right when they said you was dead/The one mistake you made was in your head."
Everyone immediately knew who Lennon was targeting: his fellow former Beatle and "old estranged fiance", Paul McCartney.
Lennon later apologised saying How Do You Sleep? was more about him, than McCartney.
Yet if you really need evidence Sgt. Pepper didn't take "Macca" by surprise, just look at the album cover. According to Rolling Stone magazine, Sgt. Pepper is the greatest album cover in history (followed by Never Mind The Bollocks by the Sex Pistols, and the Beatles White Album in third place).
At the time, it was easily the most expensive record sleeve ever produced (costing £3000 in artwork, compared to the usual £100). It was one of the first "gateway sleeves" (opening like a book). And it included not only the complete song lyrics but an insert with eccentric cardboard cut-outs (one of which was a Sgt. Pepper moustache).
By: Steve Meacham
Source: AFR Weekend
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