- Album This song officially appears on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Mono) LP.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
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Song facts
From Wikipedia:
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” is a song written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney), and first recorded and released in 1967, on the album of the same name by the Beatles. The song appears twice on the album: as the opening track (segueing into “With a Little Help from My Friends“), and as “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)“, the penultimate track (segueing into “A Day in the Life“). As the title song, the lyrics introduce the fictional band that performs on the album. […]
Song structure
[…] “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” is a modified repeat of the opening song at a faster tempo with heavier instrumentation. The track opens with McCartney’s count-in (retained in the manner of “I Saw Her Standing There“, the opening song on the Beatles’ first album); 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 pre-recorded applause sample segues into the final track of the album, “A Day in the Life“.
Live performances
[…] Paul McCartney played it live on the 1989–90 Paul McCartney World Tour. On subsequent tours he would play the reprise version and use that as a segue into “The End“. When the performance is released, it usually is listed as “Sgt. Pepper’s/The End“, shortening the name of the song. When McCartney performs it, he usually adds the count-in after the drum part begins, as opposed to McCartney’s count-in preceding the drum opening. […]McCartney and U2 played the song at the start of the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park, London on 2 July 2005. The song, starting with “It was twenty years ago, today“, was chosen amongst others to commemorate that Live 8 took place approximately twenty years after Live Aid. The single was released for charity on iTunes, and set a world record for the fastest-selling online song of all time. […]
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”.
From Anthology 2 liner notes, about alternate take 5:
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.
The sound effects in between the tracks were arranged so that each animal was a predator of the previous one. We put a hell of a lot of sound effects on this one. Near the end of the sound effects, we have a little chicken squawking and I knew I wanted to segway into the reprise of ‘Sgt Pepper’ and, at the start of ‘Sgt Pepper’ on the warm up, there is a guitar lick, and this guitar lick sounded just like a chicken in my ears. So, I actually scissors cut the two together. So, the chicken turns into a guitar.
George Martin – From “The Beatles: Off the Record” by Keith Badman, 2008
Last updated on February 13, 2023
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
Officially appears on
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Stereo)
LP • Released in 1967
1:19 • Studio version • B • Stereo
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass guitar, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Maracas, Tambourine, Vocals
- John Lennon :
- Rhythm guitar, Vocals
- George Harrison :
- Lead guitar, Vocals
- George Martin :
- Organ, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- 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)
LP • Released in 1967
1:19 • Studio version • A • Mono
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass guitar, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Maracas, Tambourine, Vocals
- John Lennon :
- Rhythm guitar, Vocals
- George Harrison :
- Lead guitar, Vocals
- George Martin :
- Organ, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- 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 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.
- 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 guitar, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Maracas, Tambourine, Vocals
- John Lennon :
- Rhythm guitar, Vocals
- George Harrison :
- Lead guitar, Vocals
- George Martin :
- Organ, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Paul Hicks :
- Remastering
- Guy Massey :
- Remastering
- Sean Magee :
- Remastering
- Allan Rouse :
- Project co-ordinator
- 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 guitar, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Maracas, Tambourine, Vocals
- John Lennon :
- Rhythm guitar, Vocals
- George Harrison :
- Lead guitar, Vocals
- George Martin :
- Organ, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Guy Massey :
- Remastering
- Steve Rooke :
- Remastering
- Allan Rouse :
- Project co-ordinator
- 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 guitar, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Maracas, Tambourine, Vocals
- John Lennon :
- Rhythm guitar, Vocals
- George Harrison :
- Lead guitar, Vocals
- George Martin :
- Organ, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Sean Magee :
- Remastering
- 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.
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Apr 01, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (50th anniversary boxset)
Official album • Released in 2017
1:19 • Studio version • E • Stereo • 2017 stereo mix
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass guitar, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Maracas, Tambourine, Vocals
- John Lennon :
- Rhythm guitar, Vocals
- George Harrison :
- Lead guitar, Vocals
- George Martin :
- Organ, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Giles Martin :
- Producer
- Sam Okell :
- Mix engineer
- Miles Showell :
- Mastering engineer
- Sean Magee :
- Mastering engineer
- Matt Mysko :
- Mix assistant
- Greg McAllister :
- Mix assistant
- Matthew Cocker :
- Transfer engineer
- James Clark :
- Audio restoration
- Adam Sharp :
- Mix coordination
- 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 (50th anniversary boxset)
Official album • Released in 2017
2:00 • Studio version • F • Speech and Take 8
- Giles Martin :
- Mixing 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 254 concerts and 1 soundchecks.
Latest concerts where Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) has been played
Mexico City • Foro Sol • Mexico
Nov 16, 2023 • Part of Got Back Tour
Mexico City • Foro Sol • Mexico
Nov 14, 2023 • Part of Got Back Tour
Gold Coast • Heritage Bank Stadium • Australia
Nov 04, 2023 • Part of Got Back Tour
Brisbane • Suncorp Stadium • Australia
Nov 01, 2023 • Part of Got Back Tour
Sydney • Allianz Stadium • Australia
Oct 28, 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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