- Album This song officially appears on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (UK Mono) LP.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
Related songs
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Officially appears on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (UK Mono)
Unreleased song
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Song facts
From Wikipedia:
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” is a modified repeat of the opening song [of the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album] at a faster tempo and with heavier instrumentation. The track opens with McCartney’s count-in; between 2 and 3, Lennon jokingly interjects “Bye!” Ringo Starr starts the song proper by playing the drum part unaccompanied for four bars, at the end of which a brief bass glissando from McCartney cues the full ensemble of two distorted electric guitars (played by George Harrison and Lennon), bass, drums and overdubbed percussion. In addition, McCartney overdubbed a Hammond organ part onto the track.
While the first version of the song had stayed largely in the key of G major (except for transient modulation to F and perhaps C in the bridges), the reprise starts in F and features a modulation, to G. The mono and stereo mixes of the song differ slightly: the former has a fractionally different transition from the previous song, and includes crowd noise and laughter in the opening bars that are absent from the stereo mix.
The idea for a reprise was Aspinall’s, who thought that, as there was a “welcome song”, there should also be a “goodbye song”. The song contains broadly the same melody as the opening version, but with different lyrics and omitting the “It’s wonderful to be here” section. At 1:18, it is one of the Beatles’ shorter songs (the shortest is “Her Majesty” at 0:23). The reprise was recorded on 1 April 1967, two months after the version that opens the album. At the end of the track, Martin’s applause sample segues into the final track of the album, “A Day in the Life”. A run-through of the reprise is included on the outtakes album Anthology 2 (1996).
In 2006, the reprise was re-released on the album Love, which was a theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil. The updated version is a remix featuring samples of other Beatles’ songs and fades out before the cross-fade into “A Day in the Life”.
Sgt Pepper is called the first concept album, but it doesn’t go anywhere. All my contributions to the album have absolutely nothing to do with this idea of Sgt Pepper and his band,- but it works, because we said it worked, and that’s how the album appeared. But it was not put together as it sounds, except for Sgt Pepper introducing Billy Shears, and the so-called reprise. Every other song could have been on any other album.
John Lennon – From “The Beatles Anthology” book, 2000
Getting very near the end, the Beatles recorded the last new number for Sgt. Pepper just two days before Paul was committed to fly out to America, the sessions over. Possibly for this reason, but also because it was technically less complicated than the other tracks, this final song – the reprise version of the title cut – was started, completed and mixed in a single session, albeit one that didn’t finish until six o’clock the following morning. The master was Take 9, with overdubs – the version here is a basic track, Take 5, with Paul’s guide vocal.
From Anthology 2 liner notes, about alternate take 5
From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:
[a] mono 1 Apr 1967. edited. crossfaded 6 Apr 1967.
UK: Parlophone PMC 7026 Sgt Pepper 1967.
US: Capitol MAS 2653 Sgt Pepper 1967.[b] stereo 20 Apr 1967. edited. crossfaded 20 Apr 1967.
UK: Parlophone PCS 7026 Sgt Pepper 1967.
US: Capitol SMAS 2653 Sgt Pepper 1967.
CD: EMI CDP 7 46442 2 Sgt Pepper 1987.The crossfade joins this to the following song, A Day in the Life. The edit in mono [a] is better, so the last note hits the first chord of A Day in the Life, while there is a delay in stereo [b].
Mono [a] starts with unknown spoken words not in stereo [b], then both have a countdown with someone saying “bye” (?) behind it, then [a] has more drum beats to start. During the sequence just described, crowd noise in mono [a] starts louder, dies down, then up to a cheer, while crowd noise in stereo [b] stays steady at medium volume– the crowd noise seems to have been added during mixing. Right before the vocal is a “woo”, louder in mono [a]. Toward the end in mono [a] Paul is heard shouting unintelligible phrases (“we are the greatest”?, “the band, the one and only band”? among other things) starting near the last “Sgt Pepper’s lonely”, while in stereo [b] John is heard nearer the end saying something like “hold my guitar for me”.
Last updated on January 13, 2024
Lyrics
(1,2,3,4)
(Bye!)
We're Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
We hope you have enjoyed the show
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
We're sorry but it's time to go
Sgt. Pepper's lonely, Sgt. Pepper's lonely
Sgt. Pepper's lonely, Sgt. Pepper's lonely
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
We'd like to thank you once again
Sgt. Pepper's one and only Lonely Hearts Club Band
It's getting very near the end
Sgt. Pepper's lonely, Sgt. Pepper's lonely
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Variations
Officially appears on
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (UK Mono)
LP • Released in 1967
1:19 • Studio version • A • Mono
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Bass guitar, Lead vocals, Organ, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Lead vocals, Maracas, Tambourine, Vocals
- John Lennon :
- Lead vocals, Rhythm guitar, Vocals
- George Harrison :
- Lead guitar, Lead vocals, Vocals
- George Martin :
- Organ, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Maracas
- Session Recording:
- Apr 01, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Apr 01, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (UK Stereo)
LP • Released in 1967
1:19 • Studio version • B • Stereo
- 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
- 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
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (US Mono)
LP • Released in 1967
1:19 • Studio version • A • Mono
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Bass guitar, Lead vocals, Organ, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Lead vocals, Maracas, Tambourine, Vocals
- John Lennon :
- Lead vocals, Rhythm guitar, Vocals
- George Harrison :
- Lead guitar, Lead vocals, Vocals
- George Martin :
- Organ, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Maracas
- Session Recording:
- Apr 01, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Apr 01, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (US Stereo)
LP • Released in 1967
1:19 • Studio version • B • Stereo
- 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
- 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
Official album • Released in 1996
1:27 • Outtake • C • Take 5. The master was Take 9, with overdubs - the version here is a basic track, Take 5, with Paul's guide vocal.
- Paul McCartney :
- Organ, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums
- John Lennon :
- Rhythm guitar
- George Harrison :
- Lead guitar
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Apr 01, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2006
1:22 • Studio version • D
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Giles Martin :
- Producer
- Paul Hicks :
- Remix engineer
- Sam Okell :
- Remix engineer assistant
- Chris Bolster :
- Remix engineer assistant
- Mirek Stiles :
- Remix engineer assistant
- Session Mixing:
- Circa 2004-2006
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Mono - 2009 remaster)
Official album • Released in 2009
1:19 • Studio version • A2009 • Mono • 2009 mono 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
- Paul Hicks :
- Remastering
- Guy Massey :
- Remastering
- Sean Magee :
- 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 01, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Stereo - 2009 remaster)
Official album • Released in 2009
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
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Mono - 2014 vinyl)
LP • Released in 2014
1:19 • Studio version • A2014 • Mono • 2014 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
- Sean Magee :
- Remastering
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Maracas
- Steve Berkowitz :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Apr 01, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Apr 01, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2016
1:27 • Outtake • C2016 • Take 5. The master was Take 9, with overdubs - the version here is a basic track, Take 5, with Paul's guide vocal.
- Paul McCartney :
- Organ, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums
- John Lennon :
- Rhythm guitar
- George Harrison :
- Lead guitar
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Apr 01, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Bootlegs
Driving USA Super Tree Volume 13 - Uniondale, NY 21 April 2002
Unofficial live
1:12 • Live
Concert From the concert in Uniondale, USA on Apr 21, 2002
Unofficial live
4:58 • Live
Concert From "Dress rehearsal" in Gijon, Spain on May 24, 2004
Driving Mexico Muchos Gracias 2002
Unofficial live
4:55 • Live
Concert From the concert in Mexico City, Mexico on Nov 02, 2002
Videos
Concert • Sep 25, 2008 in Tel Aviv
Concert • Aug 19, 2009 in Dallas
Concert • Dec 02, 2009 in Hamburg
Concert • Mar 31, 2010 in Los Angeles
Concert • Dec 13, 2010 in New York
Concert • Sep 07, 2018 in New York
Live performances
“Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” has been played in 262 concerts and 1 soundchecks.
Latest concerts where Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) has been played
Curitiba • Estádio Couto Pereira • Brazil
Dec 13, 2023 • Part of Got Back Tour
São Paulo • Allianz Parque • Brazil
Dec 10, 2023 • Part of Got Back Tour
São Paulo • Allianz Parque • Brazil
Dec 09, 2023 • Part of Got Back Tour
São Paulo • Allianz Parque • Brazil
Dec 07, 2023 • Part of Got Back Tour
Belo Horizonte • Mrv Arena • Brazil
Dec 04, 2023 • Part of Got Back Tour
Going further
If we like to think, in all modesty, that the Paul McCartney Project is the best online ressource for everything Paul McCartney, The Beatles Bible is for sure the definitive online site focused on the Beatles. There are obviously some overlap in terms of content between the two sites, but also some major differences in terms of approach.
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