Yeah, I second that motion entirely. I really think there should be a re-issue of Sgt. Pepper in both mixes (stereo and mono, nicely remastered with today's technology, of course) that includes all the final tracks recorded during the sessions and fresh remasterings of the "Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane" mono single. In fact, I can't help but ask--why in the world didn't that get done in time for Pepper's 40th???

And when/if they do finally get around to it, I sure hope that "Carnival of Light" is included.

So what are the chances of this song being released anytime soon?

Paul did actually want to release it as part of the 1996's Anthology series, but George vetoed it's inclusion. George was never down with avant-garde and he didn't think it was a "Beatles" recording but a John and Paul thing. Instead, we got the instrumental backing for Eleanor Rigby and Within You Without You on Anthology 2.


For awhile Paul was considering using it as part of a soundtrack to a Beatles Photo Anthology....but nothing has been heard about this since around 2002.


Why the Beatles and EMI haven't got around to doing a proper remastering is up there with The Mystery of the Sphinx. Instead, there was those two recent box sets using third generation tapes and the pathetic Beatles Remix....both of which flopped.


Why they would waste time on a Remix instead of a 40th Anniversary Release, is even stranger. They did it last year for Pet Sounds and that was a success.


Who knows, maybe if they did do a proper remastering and release....this wouldn't have happened to EMI.

http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrech...24-NL-EMI.html

This topic is really somewhat complex. There is a great book titled "The Haight Ashbury" by Charles Perry about the whole "scene". As was stated earlier, many who were there from the beginning (Grateful Dead members, etc.), felt the pure nature of the "happening" only lasted for a brief time. Once the national media got a hold of it all sorts of freaks, criminals, and others ruined the whole scene. But from the outsiders standpoint listening to Sgt. Pepper all summer long and being exposed to the new fashions and sounds for the first time was really an event. Sort of as if people felt they were connecting to the Summer of Love scene in San Francisco even though the scene was already going way down hill at the epicenter...

Now, I guess the best slice of pure Summer of Love for history to share in was the Monterey Pop Festival film and soundtrack. The film captures the vibe in my opinion and is a great way to view and experience the actual good vibes and all...

One thing that really seems lost on anyone under 35 is that Sgt. Pepper felt so important that summer (and it was). It took the masses into a new direction. Sure, other hipsters were already on board, but now everyone caught the vibe. Many argue it is not a great album because it hasn't held up musically as well as other Beatle albums (that alone is debateable though). But strickly from a history view, people need to understand how important Sgt. Pepper was in 1967. As I said, perhaps some could argue its long term value is not as important, but in 1967 it was huge...

The key point here is everyone must understand that there has not been ANY album since in any genre that has made as big an impact in its time. Maybe the influence hasn't been as strong as other albums as time has gone forward. But for that time period (the Summer of Love and probably for a few years afterwards) nothing in music has had a bigger impact... It really was huge at the time of its release...


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I posted this in another thread, but if you want a well produced good overview of Sgt. Pepper (and its impact on the Summer of Love) go to the link below. It not only has a link to the program, but also links to a "director's cut" type of programming that includes a lot of extra analysis about the Summer of Love and Sgt. Pepper.

http://www.paulingles.com/pepper.html



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Getting back to the initial intent of this thread. I do have personal memories of the Summer of Love. In fact my earliest memories of life include hearing Beatles music. I have a brother ten years older then me who played Beatles music all the time. When Sgt. Pepper came out it was played over and over at our house as my parents were also enjoying it (being the first cross-over piece of music they enjoyed that my brother did as well).

I didn't understand that the album was something special. It wasn't until the mid 70's when I went back and discovered all of the artists of that scene. That music scene is among my favorite in music history. I love the whole package of music from that time (pop, psychedelic, experimental, rock, etc.). Both the Brittish followers of Sgt. Pepper and Revolver, and the S.F. scene, are among my favorites. This includes artists like Tomorrow, Floyd, Tintern Abbey, Hendrix, Airplane, Dead, Chocolate Watchband, Moby Grape, Country Joe, Byrds, etc. etc. etc.

I dig the fashion, the psychedelic art explosion, the utopian vision, and of course the music...

As John Lennon said "psychedelic vision is reality to me"...


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It's interesting that The Hell's Angeles were at the Human Be-In....the event that was considered the launching point of The Summmer of Love and and at the Altamont Free Concert which signified it's demise.

Agreed. If you really want to catch the spirit of all the best that was going on in the summer of '67, Monterey Pop is the film to see.


It would be impossible to explain just what a cultural event Sgt. Pepper was. I've spent the last several minutes trying to figure out a parallel, and there just isn't one. Nothing before or since comes close, not even remotely close. You just had to be there...