Restoring 'Penny Lane' and 'Strawberry Fields Forever' to the ''Sgt. Pepper' album

Most of us know by now that these two songs were supposed to have been part of the original album, but George Martin removed them because of their rule against having singles on albums at the time.

What i've decided to do is create my own version of the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album with the two songs restored. The thing of it is, we have gotten no feedback on just where the two songs should go. I've decided where "Strawberry Fields Forever: should go, but not Penny Lane". Here is what i've come up with:

1) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2) With A Little Help From My Friends
3) Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
4) Getting Better
5) Fixing A Hole
6) She's Leaving Home
7) Being For the Benefit Of Mr. Kite!

8) Strawberry Fields Forever
9) Within You Without You
10) When I'm Sixty-Four
11) Lovely Rita
12) Good Morning, Good Morning
13) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
14) A Day In The Life

So, here's my question: where should "Penny Lane"go? I say if should go somewhere between "Lucy In The Sky..." and "Strawberry Fields Forever", but exactly where? It works anywhere in-between.

 

Should SFF & Penny Lane be on Sgt Pepper

Should the Sgt Pepper reissue include Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane in its running order?

 

Yes, it's been done. I just want to mention again what I thought was the best idea I've heard from another poster, which was to put SFF after LSD, for a delightfully extended psychedelic journey.

 

I'd put it in-between Within You Without You and When I'm Sixty Four.

 

You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube!

 

I consider Sgt. Pepper a construction which should be left as released in 1967, as far as content and song order.
The "remix" is fine with me, but I think there is an iconic quality of the album that is better left intact.

 

Easy peasy.

1) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2) With A Little Help From My Friends
3) Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
4) Getting Better
5) Fixing A Hole
6) She's Leaving Home
7) Being For the Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
8) Penny Lane
8) Strawberry Fields Forever
9) Within You Without You
10) When I'm Sixty-Four
11) Lovely Rita
12) Good Morning, Good Morning
13) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
14) A Day In The Life

Works great, better closer for side 1 and better opener for side two.

 

We will never know, but I wonder how much greater the sales of Pepper would have been had those songs been included.
And what would have happened to the US version of 'Magical Mystery Tour?'

 

CD's now allow more songs in an "album", and people buy (stream, download) singles. Different times.

 

P.S. - went by Best Buy today and got the last 2 cd set they had. Have not listened to it yet though.

 

Actually, I have done exactly that. #humblebrag

 

All true, but not my point. SFF and PL would have fit on the LP (time wise.) It's a short album. I was wondering about sales (it likely would have increased sales) and wondering about MMT (would they have recorded something else, included 'It's All Too Much' and 'Carnival of Light,') etc. I doubt it. The US MMT was a 'hodge podge' - the best 'hodge podge' they ever did, and became the de facto version. It's brilliant. I love it!

Again, we will never know. I was just wondering...

 

There nothing you can do that can't be done
Nothing you can't sing that can't be sung
It's easy

 

Capitol did one better by putting them on the MMT album!

 

I suppose it would have been a "bigger" album, but it was big as it was, sale wise. You can't change history, Sgt. Pepper is Sgt. Pepper. You can wonder all you want...

 

That's a good question. I would have still enjoyed it, but it wouldn't have had nearly the impact for that is has now. If those two songs hadn't been included what would have been instead?

 

Greaat question! I can't believe no one's ever thought to ask it before!!

 

Maybe Only A Northern Song and It's All Too Much would have replaced them, although that would be too many George songs on an album.

 

I like putting those tracks in between the two sides, though I really love how the dreamy close of Penny Lane flows into Within You Without You. I actually go Mr. Kite > Only A Northern Song > Strawberry Fields Forever > Penny Lane > Within You. That way we get an extra dose of George in there too and I think that track fits pretty well here.

 

I did this sequence a few years ago, adapted from the alternate/original sequence that was listed in the first CD issue of the album.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
With A Little Help From My Friends
Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
Penny Lane
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Fixing A Hole
Strawberry Fields Forever

Within You Without You
When I'm Sixty-Four
Lovely Rita
Getting Better
Good Morning Good Morning
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
A Day In The Life

I've never enjoyed She's Leaving Home...

 

If it was to be done, and I probably did it for myself on a cassette for car a jillion years ago, I think Penny Lane and SFF should come at the beginning, then the full album, because that is the order they were released.

 

This is how I listen to the album now.

1)Strawberry Fields
2)Penny Lane
3) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
4) With A Little Help From My Friends
5)Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
6) Getting Better
7) Fixing A Hole
8) She's Leaving Home
9) Being For the Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
10)Only A Northern Song
11) Within You Without You
12) When I'm Sixty-Four
13) Lovely Rita
14) Good Morning, Good Morning
15) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
16) A Day In The Life

 

It wasn't a short album - it was their longest album to date time-wise - despite only having 13 songs (rather than their normal 14 songs) Having for the first time not just one but two 5 minute plus songs on the album will do that.

Carnival Of Light wasn't a "Beatles" recording (it was certainly never meant to see the light of day as a "Beatles song/record" )- nor was it called 'Carnival Of Light'. It was recorded specifically as background "music" for an event called Carnival Of Light. The actual title of the track itself (per studio documentation) IIRC was "Untitled". Some friend or acquaintance of McCartney commissioned it, and the band made a quick George Martin annoying recording of it IIRC just before proper Beatles session recording for the day commenced.

If they did squeeze all 15 songs onto Pepper, then MMT probably would have included PW/Rain in SFF/PL's place.

Anyway - as to where to put SFF/PL if you must, what worked well for me back in the days of blank cassettes (for nearly all Beatles albums) was to put the associated single A&B sides before the album. In the case of a double-A sides just choose which side of the single works best as/most sounds like, an album/playlist/whatever opening track, so:

1 - SFF
2 - Penny Lane
3-15 - Sgt Pepper album

BTW - this fits one side of a 90 minute cassette perfectly - well you might lose a few seconds of the end of the decaying final chord, but I doubt anyone but your dog would notice.

 

I was thinking about this earlier, but what if "When I'm Sixty-Four" was a B-side? I'd substitute either "Strawberry Fields Forever" or "Penny Lane" in its spot with me leaning towards having "Strawberry Fields Forever" take it's spot so there could be more Lennon on the album.

 

I would like Penny Lane to flat-out replace When I'm Sixty Four.