Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

In the mist of harsh time a new musical band, the Beatles, spur to cheer up the world. it was the 60’s, the Beatles captivated the world with their charismatic performance and their new style of music and  personal appearance. They became the musical leaders of an era and the symbol of a movement in search of peace. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was one of the last albums made by the Beatles and one of the most influential because it was aimed toward the movement by which they became a symbol and “forged new ground in the world of cover art and pop art (Edmondson, Jacqueline)”. The Beatles are one of the most known band in the world and their music should be preserved, not only for their popularity, but because they represent a new style that invaded the world, and they became the symbol of love and peace.

In the mid 20th century the world was in a state of suspense as the war had ended and Europe became separated; it was a process of reconstruction in the mist of war. The cold war brought tension to the entire world with the fear of a nuclear 3rd world war. The world was separated with two mayor powers, the Capitalist America and the Communist Soviet Union. With the separation of beliefs came the question of which economical system was better and correct and at the center was Germany that was occupied by both the US and the USSR. The Beatles started their career as young musician in Liverpool England but obtained their education as musician and performer in Hamburg Germany, where they would play in a bar for American soldiers; it was a perfect scene to evolve as a band which played for drunken soldiers in a rough bar (Edmondson, Jacqueline). In Germany the Beatles they found their style after playing song from artist that inspire them like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly(Encyclopædia Britannica). Also, they met a young photographer, Astrid Kirchherr which gave them their hair style and took some of the earliest pictures of the Beatles. After their return to Liverpool it was obvious the change as musician and soon after the Beatles would become a popular band. With the help of Brian Epstein as manager a record was secured for the Beatles with the record label EMI and producer George Martin. With a change to the bands drummer and the tour with Little Richard in England the Beatles mark the beginning of Beatlemania with members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Star (Edmondson, Jacqueline).

The development of mass communication played a major factor for musician as there were now recording that could be sent all over the world and televisions that by 1960’s were accessible to the homes of nearly any middle-class American(Fiero, Gloria). Many factors took part in the start of Beatlemania like a public needing comfort from the fears of a war with the Soviet Union, the tension with Cuba but over all the recent death of Kennedy and it all changed with the Beatles at the Ed Sullivan and the Beatles. “The Beatles' first appearance on the Sullivan show, the U.S. was a country uniquely in need of some cheering up. The assassination of a young and charismatic President little more than two months earlier had cast a pall on the national mood; and of course there were rumors of war.”( Loder, Kurt). The Beatles set the mood for a country in need and after that they became the symbol that would set the standards of style that embraced a new culture.

By mid 1960’s The Beatles had control over their public’s style as they began to let their hair grow long and started growing a beard (Edmondson, Jacqueline).  “There was no way to avoid the Beatles influence. Even if you hated them, you couldn’t have missed being bombarded with the music, the pictures, and the news about their drugs and marriages and, eventually, their breakups (Wald, Elijah).” Between 1963 and 1967 the Beatles released 18 records by which in 1967 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was the beginning of their final period but one of their most influential records. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album was an innovation that fused the music of the artist they admired like Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and many others (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). It was their most creative work that was aimed at public which followed them. They had shifted away from a joyful style and aimed for a more adult scene. “I could tell it was a masterpiece—my father, who was an amateur cellist, loved it—but it was not really my music. It was adult music, like Louis Armstrong or Pablo Casals (Wald, Elijah).” One of the most significant aspects of the album was its censorship toward the drug use it promoted as the band quoted many stages of their experiences with marihuana and LSD. Marihuana had become a big part of the Beatles life but their experience with acid, especially Lennon and Harrison, had inspired them to write about the drug and their reflections while they were under the influence (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia).  The song of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band introduced the band which in the cover showed the colorful costumes with the faces of many historical figures of the century like Albert Einstein, Edgar Allen Poe and, among many others, Sigmund Freud. It was an introduction toward musical art represented in covers, videos, and even the costumes that the Beatles would wear (Edmondson, Jacqueline).  This album became the greatest influence toward a culture against war, in search of peace, and the Beatles became the leading symbol by which the world would remember them.

In noticing the Beatles music it is obvious that their style was a fusion of past generation. Like the loud high pitch of Little Richard, the melodic sounds of the Everly brothers, and the fantastic performance of Elvis Presley which was one of John Lennon’s idols. It is only fair to compare the Beatles to their idols from a decade earlier, and Elvis was the most popular artist before the Beatles appeared, “before the Beatles' popularity enveloped the earth, "Presleymania" was the biggest thing ever to hit the entertainment world. (Loder, Kurt)” In comparing Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band the song toward King Creole  by Elvis which was one of Elvis most popular songs and in contrast an inspiration toward future musicians. Elvis and the Beatles both introduced music toward the younger adult; both songs are fast paced, and distinguished by the guitar use. While the Beatles composed Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band with a orchestra the use of the guitar was a style for rock-‘n-roll that could not be dismissed, and gave the touch that Elvis did without the orchestra. The melody is quite unique as both songs are fast paced, giving the audience the feeling of wanting to move towards the song’s beat. Elvis evolved his rock-‘n-roll sound from gospel music which defined the lyrics as conservative, while the Beatles are known from their controversial lyrics (Loder, Kurt).  One very important aspect of Elvis and the Beatles was their performance and how they could move their audience, both were exceptional performers, moving on stage and making jokes. Even their costumes are similar as the Beatles would wear their colorful uniforms and evils wore his white suit on stage. Both the Beatles and Elvis were great artist that defined the eras in which their music was created.

The Beatles will always be remembered. Their music is still inspiring people all around the world, and their songs are still used for peaceful movements.  The Beatles were introduced to the music hall of fame in 1988 and their members John, Paul, and George have all being introduced as single composers (Encyclopædia Britannica). In today’s life everyone knows who the Beatles are or have heard their music, and the people who lived that era will never forget, for example, “a recently divorce friend defined his test for maturity as “I am not dating anyone who can’t name all four Beatles” (Wald, Elijah).” Today you can find their music in many station, some of the most popular around the United States like BobFM will list them on their 24 hour play list (103.5 BobFM). Their popularity only lives on, and band will come and go but the Beatles will always be remembered.

I remember when I was young in South America, and going thru my mother’s album and finding for the first time the Beatles. The band was great and inspired me to learn to play the guitar. I never became a good guitar player but the Beatles became my favorite band. Their music will inspire many to continue the search for sounds that motivate people like Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and I strongly believe that the Beatles should be conserved for future generations. They may have not being the most political band, but their intentions were good. The Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is an album that changed the people of their times and continue to change people today.

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Work Cited

Edmondson, Jacqueline. John Lennon. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Biographies, 2010. ABC-CLIO, LLC.
(Used this book for a biography on the Beatles, where they have being and a detailed description of their music )

Fiero, Gloria. Humanistic tradition 6ed. New York, NY: McGrawl-Hill, 2011.
(Used this book to show how the popularity of the Beatles grew by the means of technologies)

Loder, Kurt. “The Beatles.” Time International (Canada Edition) 06/08/98: Vol. 151 Issue 22, p90. MAS Ultra - School Edition. 11/14/2011
(Used this article for more detail view of the Beatles in America and Elvis Presley)

“The Beatles.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 10/1/2011, p1-1, 1p. MAS Ultra - School Edition. 11/14/2011
(This article defined some of the music of the Beatles)

"The Beatles." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. &lt;<a href="http://www.britannica.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/EBchecked/topic/57495/the-Beatles">http://www.britannica.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/EBchecked/topic/57495/the-Beatles</a>&gt;.
(Used this encyclopedia as a historical view of the beatles)

Wald, Elijah. How the Beatles Destroyed Rock n Roll. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2009.
(This book gave personal views on the Beatles in the 1960’s)

103.5 BobFM. 24-Hour Playlist. 11/19/2011 &lt;<a href="http://www.1035bobfm.com/broadcasthistory.aspx">http://www.1035bobfm.com/broadcasthistory.aspx</a>#&gt;
(Used this website of a radio station to prove that the Beatles Music is still popular)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com">www.youtube.com</a> videos viewed

The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOO8-Jp-xsg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOO8-Jp-xsg</a>
Uploaded by mateo314 on Jun 16, 2006

Elvis Presley King Creole
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA_zS6-dO7Q">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA_zS6-dO7Q</a>
Uploaded by mateo314 on Jun 16, 2006