Sgt Pepper bandwagon

In the wake of Sgt Pepper there was a mad scramble by other groups to put out some kind of psychedelic magnum opus concept record.

Satanic Majesties - Stones

Odysey and Oracle - Zombies

Days Of Future Passed - Moody Blues

Anthem Of The Sun - Grateful Dead

We're Only In It For The Money - Mothers Of Invention


Any others jump to mind?

 

Disraeil Gears by Cream?

 

I always thought that Sgt Pepper was an album that was on the “Pet Sounds” bandwagon.

 

REO Speedwagon.

 

But to keep with the spirit of the thread I’ll second Disraeli Gears and continue with Wheels of Fire

 

Satanic Majesties is the only one on your list that I think was done to follow the Sgt. Pepper bandwagon, as you say. The Zappa album was a parody. Days Of Future Passed was a different type of orchestral experiment, not really psychedelic music in the same way. The Zombies album was artsy baroque pop, as was some of Sgt. Pepper, but I don't think it was a jump on the bandwagon thing. They had their own vision. And the Dead were a jam band, a very different thing than what the Beatles were doing.

 

The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette - The Four Seasons

Odessa - Bee Gees

Regimental Sgt. Zippo - Elton John (recently issued, recorded around the period)

 

Gonna throw in Tommy, fits with the blaze of glory all out blowout end of 60s all or nothing idea.

 

Monkees Pisces Aquarius Capricorn & Jones Ltd. had some psychedelia going for it (BIRDS BEES & HEAD too)

 

I would say one psychadelic album that was NOT on the Sgt Pepper bandwagon was Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
Although it was released after Pepper it was recorded mostly from February to May of 1967 and some of the songs on it had been written in 1966 so it wasn't trying to imitate or emulate Pepper.

 

Tommy was actually put together as a last ditch effort for success after The Who Sell Out was a commercial disappointment, and that came out the same year as Sgt. Pepper’s. If it had failed The Who most likely would have broke up.

 

Sir, that is literally not even the right kind of wagon!

 

After Bathing At Baxters

 

S.F. Sorrow, the Pretty Things -- although this one, like Tommy, may edge more into 'rock opera' territory.

Heaven Is In Your Mind, Traffic

After Bathing At Baxter's, Jefferson Airplane

Forever Changes, Love

 

What else besides Monkees out of LA? There had to be some rush for a slice of Pepper pie in the industry there .

 

I think "jumping on the bandwagon" is the wrong way to put it.

Artists who put out albums (or even singles) that bring something new to the table will inevitably influence other artists to do the same thing — that is, go for something new. Only in the case of truly mediocre artists is that something new a blatant copy of the template.

Each of the albums you cite falls into the something new category, but none of them is in the blatant copy category — and yes, that absolutely includes Their Satanic Majesties Request, which has thoughtlessly been tagged with the "Sgt. Pepper rip-off" for decades by listeners with cloth ears.

Sgt. Pepper has gone down in the estimation of some over the decades. (And despite it now being the "politicly correct" position to take, it happens to be true that Revolver is, pound-for-pound, a better album.) But that doesn't change the fact that Sgt. Pepper was quite revolutionary in its day. Given this, and The Beatles' stature, it was inevitable that other artists would foment their own revolutions in its wake.

 

Yes, but Pet Sounds (according to Brian Wilson) was The Beach Boys jumping on the Rubber Soul bandwagon. If it hadn't been for Rubber Soul there would have been no Pet Sounds.

 

Agreed.

 

Tommy was a Rock Opera. Pepper was not. And Tommy is 2 years later. Pepper was not about anything. It was just a group of songs thrown together. Tommy was new. The concept album.

 

Nine years later: XTC - Skylarking

 

And Rubber Soul was on the Bob Dylan bandwagon and so forth and so on

 

I agree, and love all those records btw. And yes they are originals. Am looking at the fact that Sgt Pepper was a huge $$$ golden goose - so rock bands naturally wanted to cash in.

 

The greatest single LP of all time (that way I'm able to put Exile and Quadrophenia on the top of my actual list LOL)
It's hip to be square--GIL is ground zero for guys out of their depth producing a record that is simultaneously cringey, epic, hilarious, of its time and timeless, beautiful. Of course it sold around 11 copies but it's glorious!