Who should (and shoudn't) have been on the Sgt. Pepper cover?

Wasn't Hendrix on one version not used? Or ???

 

Hitler would have really shown that they weren't harmless anymore, or that they never were. Crowley's inclusion does that too. Rock was getting spooky!

 

Does it matter a hoot?

 

I always appreciated that Stockhausen was included.

 

what did the beatles "owe" pete best for? and how would putting him on an album cover actually pay any dept to him? and i don't understand the pete best medal part? please explain, thank. heck, i think pete owes the beatles a lot for his ability to earn some money on his name, being able to be billed as ex-beatle.

 

McGoohan is on the cover. He's right next to W.C. fields and is noted in the 1967 booklet as being in the mix.

 

I'm good with Diana Dors on the front row. Wonder who picked her...

 

"For generations it has been accepted that John Lennon's wish to place Jesus Christ, Adolf Hitler and Mahatma Gandhi on the cover was ruled out because of the upset their inclusion would cause. But now the artist who created it, Sir Peter Blake, has revealed for the first time that Hitler did make the final line-up for the sleeve, but was simply obscured by the Fab Four."

No doubt a tasteless joke on Lennon's part that got carried too far.

Well he made the cut just obscured by Beatles...

Where's Adolf? The mystery of Sgt Pepper is solved »

 

I always wonder what would have happened if they'd gone with Adolf Hitler, who was pulled out at the 11th hour on EMI's insistence?

 

Perhaps a tasteless joke or maybe a sharp insight. I have seen a picture of the set for the shot that made the cover and the effigy of Hitler was off to the side and out of the shot. So I don't know about it been concealed by the four.

On the subject of the almost inclusion of Hitler, I very much doubt it was to be a shallow stunt. Remember this was an album they knew was special and were (particularly McCartney) really proud of. Sure they would have known it would offend, however I think the message was intended to be deeper than that.

It was the cover of an album called Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. I think the cover projects the theme of lonely hearts/isolation and if there is a theme in the album's music, it is indeed 'Lonely Hearts'.

Generally a sociopathic narcissist with delusions of grandeur, is a lonely heart. Hitler & indeed Stalin would have been extreme lonely hearts. Lennon & McCartney would've have been insightful enough to get that.

 

John called Mona Best to ask if he could borrow Pete's Dad's war medals to wear on the cover of the album. She agreed, and a valet was sent around the Bests to collect them.

Seems pretty cheeky to me - these upstarts sack your son after 2 years of pre fame graft, go on to become the biggest act in the world, and now they want the reflected glory of his father's military service to ponce about in on the front of their new album? Surprised Mona agreed. It's also truly puzzling (and this has been debated several times here before) why John would put himself in this awkward position when surely any medals in a London junk shop would have done just as well.

Putting Pete on the album cover would have been a nice gesture after the Bests near saintly tolerance of Lennon's request, and would have acknowledged of his part in their story and the legend of the band.

It's arguable whether Best owes the Beatles after Anthology and being able to make money out of Beatles events (I would say he only got his fair due) but in 1967 no one would have imagined that would ever come to pass, so I don't think it's relevant to the debate whether he should have been on the Pepper album sleeve. (Let's not forget that even in 1995 they managed to disrespect him album sleeve wise by tearing his head off!).

 

The medals actually had been earned by Mona's father, Pete's granddad.

 

Ah ok, thanks for the clarification. The principle still applies though.

 

Is this a joke/reference I don't get? McGoohan is not on the cover.

Fields is flanked by Stockhausen on his right and Carl Jung on his left.

In front of Fields are Tony Curtis and artist Wallace Berman.

The Sgt. Pepper's Album - Internet Beatles Album »

 

I think the firing of Pete Best has been blown out of proportion. I'm sure it was heartbreaking for him, but in the end, he just wasn't good enough. If they refused to get rid of sub-par band members, they'd never become the Beatles. They'd have stayed Quarrymen and we'd never have heard of them. It's true that they didn't handle the situation well, but that doesn't mean that they owe him anything.

I also don't think they wanted any reflected glory. They were just trying to create a colourful image. The fact that they didn't go to a junk shop to get medals, means that they weren't after medals in general. John had obviously seen the medals in Mona's house and liked the idea of using them.

 

This is a light-hearted thread and I hate to get too deeply serious, but a major philosophical question just occurred to me.

If Leo Gorcey's estate gave permission, should he be put back on the cover?

 

I think "Their Satanic Majesties Request"' has a much cooler cover so "Pepper's" could have used some planets, castles, pointed hats. And lots of fruit.

 

Chuck Berry would have sued them.

 

Hitler was always trolling. An absolutely appalling fellow.

 

They got releases from everyone (living) on the cover. This was a legal requirement -- thus the kerfuffle with Leo Gorcey.

Shirley Temple allegedly refused permission unless she were allowed to hear the album first. Whether she in fact was allowed to, I don't know.

 

She must have heard it three times..

 

Don't forget that Klaus drew himself into the Revolver cover ("You cheeky b*****d!" Lennon is reported as saying) so they probably thought he'd already had his bit f exposure.

 

Chuck would have demanded too much money. Maybe they tried.

 

Nah, it was my mistake. I always thought that was McGoohan as a kid and then when they used All You Need Is Love in an episode of The Prisoner, I probably conflated the two.

My bad. Next time I should consult the booklet before I post.

 

Neil and Mal.
Klaus, Astrid....
Horscht.
Brian.
Big George Martin.
Cynthia. Pattie. Maureen. Jane.

Allistair Crowley - no