WLS in Chicago, which was my music station as a child and young adult, used to have a Top 500 countdown of the best rock and roll songs of all time. I think it started around 1978. Listeners would vote on their favorite songs of all time, and then the station would rank them and play them one weekend. They did this for two or three years in a row as I remember, but they could have done it more. Every year it seemed like "Hey, Jude" was voted number one, and Stairway to Heaven was in there some where. But I'm getting off topic.
One year, I think it was 1979, they were counting down and the song "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" came on. Every version I have ever heard of this song since then ends by fading in to the song "A Little Help From My Friends." Whenever I've heard it on the radio it ends this way. And on the album itself, of course, it does. But on this particular night, at the end of the song, when "A Little Help From My Friends" should have started, the song suddenly sped up into the Sgt. Pepper reprise, which is the next to last song on the album. In other words, it was like they tagged Sgt. Pepper's reprise on to the end of the Sgt. Pepper song. I have this somewhere on tape, because I happened to be taping some of the songs of the countdown. Unfortunately, sometime through the years I have lost that tape.
Which brings me to my question? Is there a version of Sgt. Pepper, such as on a released 45 rpm single, where the two songs are combined together? Or was this something the radio station did by itself? I must say, I really thought it sounded quite good.
Scotty,
ReplyDeleteMy son and I both have the CD from that Beatles movie and these two songs are combined; the one song leads right into the other very nicely. And...I hate to tell you this, but in 1979 you were most likely listening to the soundtrack of the remake of Sgt. Pepper featuring my heartthrob, Peter Frampton and the BeeGees.
See here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000067L8/qid=1119322110/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/102-1542525-7072941?v=glance&s=music&n=507846
The timing of it sure seems right for it to be from the remake. But the two renditions (Beatles vs. Frampton/Bee Gees) are distinct enough to be able to tell the difference. I am sure I was hearing the "real" Beatles version, which I prefer. And my memory, although not as good as it once was, is as good once as it ever was! (Someone, maybe for instance Toby Keith, should write a song with that title!)
ReplyDeleteWhat Beatles movie did you mean? I need to get the CD to which you are referring. I was only 4 years old in 1967 when the original Sgt. Pepper album came out, so my knowledge of it is from what I have read. But the amazing thing is, as a 4 year old I knew who the Beatles were. Speaks volumes to their impact on our culture.
Well, I was only seven, but I don't remember them at all until about age 10. My first record I ever bought was the last Beatles album (the one with the four pictures of each Beatle on the cover).
ReplyDeleteI know that the two versions are easily different in sound, so I'm sure you are remembering the Beatles version. I think the Beatles version is much better. To find the movie soundtrack to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, just go to Amazon and type in Lonely Hearts Club Band. It's a great CD! My 13 year old is really into the Beatles right now. He can't understand why I can't remember their first Minnesota concert when I was four. Sheesh! He also is distraught that I didn't save that Beatles album. "Mom, do you know how much it would be worth right now?" Yeah, that album and the dinosaur bones from our family bbq's.
That album with the pictures sounds like Let It Be.
ReplyDeleteI went to Amazon by pasting in the address in your first comment. There are a lot of things I had forgotten about that movie soundtrack, such as Steve Martin covering Maxwell's Silver Hammer. As I recall, the movie stunk, but the soundtrack was great.
My 15 year old son is also in to the Beatles right now. I think the fact no one makes good music any more has something to do with this. My brother has all my old albums, so he is wanting me to get them back so he can listen to them. I just hope the old turntable holds out.
Dinosaur bones and family BBQs? I smell a post there somewhere! Sounds like a combo to Google and see what comes up!