The idea for a reprise of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’s title track was suggested by The Beatles’ assistant Neil Aspinall, who thought the album should be bookended with words from the imaginary compère.
I said to Paul, ‘Why don’t you have Sgt Pepper as the compère of the album? He comes on at the beginning of the show and introduces the band, and at the end he closes it. A bit later, Paul told John about it in the studio, and John came up to me and said, ‘Nobody likes a smart-arse, Neil’… That was when I knew that John liked it and that it would happen.
‘Sgt Pepper (Reprise)’ was the final music recorded for the album, apart from the strings overdub for ‘Within You Without You’. Taped in a single day, it was the perfect rousing performance to introduce the grand finale, ‘A Day In The Life’.
The reprise was faster than the previously-recorded title track, and with different lyrics. Opening with McCartney’s 1-2-3-4 count-in and Lennon’s cheeky “bye”, it featured all four Beatles on vocals and was one of the more straightforward rock songs on the Sgt Pepper album.
Take five of the song, with a guide vocal by McCartney, was released on Anthology 2. A remix of the more familiar version, meanwhile, was used between ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘All You Need Is Love’ on the Love album.
In the studio
‘Sgt Pepper (Reprise)’ was recorded on Saturday 1 April 1967 in Abbey Road’s vast studio one. Between 7pm and 6am The Beatles firstly recorded nine takes of the rhythm track, with McCartney singing a guide vocal. They then overdubbed vocals to take nine, along with extra instrumentation.
Although Sgt Pepper’s songs were recorded with Abbey Road’s four-track recording technology, the reprise was the only one not to have reduction mixes to free up extra tracks. It was a straightforward recording, but one of the most exciting in The Beatles’ catalogue.
The segue into ‘A Day In The Life’, a crossfade using three tape machines, was carried out on 6 April 1967.
There are moments in our lives we never forget, nor should we,…Sgt. Peppers was one of those moments! My twin brother, Ron and I literally ran all the way home, album tucked under our arms, to listen to musical history on vinal. When our music teacher listened to the album the next day; the look on her face was of total astonishment! She knew The Beatles’ we’re ‘The Masters of Modern Music’…. she was right! Every group since, at their peak has what is termed their, ‘Sgt. Pepper’ moment, yet there’s only ‘ one’, and I’m still smiling to this day!
Who plays the lead guitar licks? They sound overdubbed? I would think that they were played by Paul because he was dominating at this point.
George played the lead.
The lead guitar fills are definitely Paul. George plays only on the basic track.
Wikipedia now cites 3 different books to the effect that it was Paul’s lead on the opening version, but George’s on the reprise. I imagine that goes back to session logs.
wrong. Paul plays RHYTHM guitar on the opening track and just bass on the Reprise track
Wrong, Paul played lead and case on the 1st track and George played lead on the reprise.
Paul plays lead on the 1st track and George plays lead on the reprise.
The mono version of this song is quite interesting. First off, at the beginning, you hear a tape cue effect, like the tape drags a moment before the song starts. After a couple extra tap beats you hear John in the background saying “Bye” or “Goodbye”. The crowd noises are cued up differently and arrive at different times.
At the end, you can hear Paul scream, “We are the greatest!” among other things. “Thank you very much you’re fabulous!”
Noticed this on an original UK mono pressing…very cool
Ringo does not sing on this track. There are just John, Paul and George.
I can’t hear organ… Which part of the song, we hear ?
It’s being played in unison with the rhythm guitar from 12 seconds onward.
It’s a bit distorted, so the sounds blend, but you can pick it out if you listen carefully.
According to Geoff Emerick, the FINAL music recorded was the “gobbedygook” which comes after “Day In The Life”. This was included in the remastered Sgt. Peppers CD. The final touches of George’s song “Within You Without You” was completed after the “gobbledygook”.
I guess it depends whether you think the gobbledegook (which was on the original album and the earlier CD too) can be classified as music. I don’t.
You’re wrong about the chronology though – Within You Without You was completed before the gobbledegook was recorded.
Regarding the chronology,I was going by recording engineer Geoff Emerick’s statement in his book.
According to Guitar World’s “50 Greatest Guitar Songs” by the Fabs, (Jan 2014), it’s George on lead.
Unfortunately you are all wrong! The lead on the Sgt. Pepper opener is played by Jimmy Hendrix
that is not documented anywhere, if it’s true
well, it was played by hendrix. At one of his concerts
It was Billy Shears, Paul was of course dead by this time
Does anyone know what is shouted near the end? Very wild guess:
We’re coming home next Saturday
Will you be there?
I’ll be there, I’ll be there…
I don’t hear Ringo.
One of the few songs (maybe the only) on Sgt Pepper to actually be better in the stereo mix. I never realized Ringo had backing vocals in this; I totally can’t hear his voice in there anywhere
Really? For me the mono mix of the reprise is vastly superior, from the crowd laugh before the guitar and bass kick in, to the more ballsy sounding bass and drums, the track has twice the energy of the stereo mix. Love Paul’s frenzied gibberish at the end too, which is barely audible on the original stereo mix.
Great song. Neil Young used this opener/reprise concept a few times to great effect (rust never sleeps, rocking in the free world). To me the Sgt. Pepper reprise is much better than the opener–it sounds loose and happy. Nice job lads!
What is sounds like to me is:
“Paul McCartney was in a car accident- he’s really really dead, oh my god he’s not playing in the band anymore- thank you, it’s better than we imagined”
What it sounds like to me is:
“Stig has been dead for ages, honestly.”
To me it sounds like a recipe for lentil soup
Paul’s “1,2,3,4 at the beginning is reminiscent of “I Saw Her Standing There”.
Listening to this track without prejudice, I’m convinced it’s Paul playing lead guitar. It’s his penetrating Fender Esquire tone and sustain, his phrasing, his fast vibrato, bends and descending riffs. (Compare it to the solo in “Good Morning Good Morning.”) It’s highly unlikely that George mimicked Paul’s tone and technique so precisely for this one track.
All four played their usual instruments on this song and there is no evidence to prove that Paul played lead guitar on the reprise.
I wish that people would stop exaggerating the extent of Paul’s guitar contributions at the expense of George and John.
I’m not an apologist for Paul; he certainly doesn’t need one. So if I claim I hear Paul playing lead, it has nothing to do with me exaggerating Paul’s work, and how does that detract from the greatness of thje other three in any regard?
So maybe you’re right, there’s no evidence it was Paul playing lead. The only evidenceI have is my ears, and it sure sounds to me like he is; *except* (and I wish I hadn’t forgotten my music lessons, or I could use the proper terminology to describe this), except, it seems like it’s George picking it up in the last measure, the last bit of the solo. That’s what I thought when I played it just now, when I realized there was some dispute here but before I read all the comments.
For what it’s worth…
I thought the same thing, regarding the lead. More on that below.
Sgt. Pepper reprise is an absolute rocking song isn’t it. Perfectly recorded and brilliantly engineered. George and John’s guitar work are perfectly in sync. One of my favorite Beatles songs ever.
One of my all time favorites as well.