The first time I had seen this film was the summer of 1978. I was 7 years feeble, really into the music of The Beatles and had to view this movie. This film was not a tribute to The Beatles, nor did the trusty members of the group have anything to do with the movie. It was a fantasy film about the fictitious characters that The Beatles aged in their songs off the “Sgt. Pepper” and “Abbey Road” albums.

The chronicle takes spot in the make-believe town of Heartland where we are introduced to the new Sgt. Pepper and his Lonely Hearts Club Band. Twenty years after Sgt. Pepper dies, his grandson Billy Shears (Peter Frampton) decides to effect a novel Lonely Hearts Club Band with his friends, the Henderson Brothers (The Bee Gees) . The film continues with the success of the Lonely Hearts Club Band, the problems the citizens are having in Heartland with Mean Mr. Mustard (Frankie Howard) taking over the town and the Lonely Hearts Club Band helping Strawberry Fields (Sandy Farina) recover Sgt. Pepper’s instruments that Mean Mr. Mustard stole. They encounter many obstacles and hardships, but in the raze, depraved is overcome and everyone is overjoyed.

This film was not well received when it was released in 1978. Actually, everyone, including the critics and the public, hated the movie. The film was produced by Robert Stigwood (of ‘Grease’ and ‘Saturday Night Fever’ fame) and executive produced by Dee Anthony. Stigwood wanted to do his name associated with recent day musicals and had sunk 12 million dollars into “Sgt. Pepper.” He approached the project with a lot of enthusiasm and publicity. When it was released, it was a astronomical let down in the eyes of the critics and adults (who were teenagers when the unusual “Sgt. Pepper” was released) who went to glimpse the movie. According to Paul Nelson of ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine (October 5, 1978) “…Stigwood and Anthony not only produced one of the worst movies ever made, but also managed to trash whatever rock and roll reputations such seventies artists as Peter Frampton and The Bee Gees…” Two reasons for the despise of the film is the fact that no one spoke during the duration of the film (except for the narration done by the gradual George Burns who played Mr. Kite) and conventional Beatle songs were redone by celebrated seventies artists. The rush of the film in some cities was “…so short…that those who were lucky enough to blink may have missed it,” according to ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine (October 5, 1978) . I have never read a review on this movie from a critic who actually liked it. Only myself, my friends and my parents seemed to like this movie.

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While watching this movie and reading so many poor reviews about it, I calm liked it and understanding it was done creatively. Musicals usually have dialogue with the songs to relieve fade the station along. In this musical, the only spoken words are the slack George Burns’ narration of the storyline. The Beatles’ songs and the state are intertwined and that’s what tells and moves the memoir along. The songs communicate to the audience whether a character was capable (“Strawberry Fields Forever”) or awful (“Mean Mr. Mustard”), it emphasizes what is happening in the scene (“She’s Leaving Home”), how a person feels for another one (“I Want You, She’s So Heavy”) . The songs also explain feelings of cheerfulness (“Reliable Morning, Expedient Morning”) and sadness (“Golden Slumbers” and “Carry That Weight”) . What a plan of putting a movie together by telling a chronicle through musical dialogue! I don’t agree with the statement made by ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine that “…Sgt. Pepper is better on vinyl than it was on film.” I conception that for remaking some of the Beatles’ classic songs, these artists did a respectable job. Some that I fetch particularly valid are Aerosmith’s “Approach Together” and Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Got To Salvage You Into My Life.” The finale tops off the film with the entire cast and many other superstars such as Tina Turner, Bonnie Raitt, and Robert Palmer singing the reprise of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

I saw this movie for the first time on television when i was very young – maybe 10? I’ve always remembered the movie – and I am the only person I know who did. Even my mother, who bought the album for me method wait on when, didn’t remember it. That is, until my obsession with proving its existence brought me to buying both the VHS and CD. This movie is pure camp. I concept it as a spoof on other musicals, melodrama, and the overabundance of “beneficial versus substandard” provided by the contemporary Star Wars (the battle between Billy Shears and Maxwell Edison is simply stunning) . As a bonus, the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, Sandy Farina, and Frankie Howerd all do renditions of classic Beatles’ tunes which are to be judged separately from the originals. No one will ever reveal “Lucy” like the Beatles – but in the context of the movie, Diane Sternberg does an exceptional job that is independent of the classic. Aerosmith’s “Arrive Together” actually can enjoy its believe with the unique. Personally, I deem the movie is worth watching simply for George Burns’ softshoe version of “Fixin’ a Hole” – well, that and seeing Peter Frampton in that oh-so-sexy silver disco suit. It’s time to “Procure Relieve” to movies that are fair dead fun, and Sgt. Pepper is a large starting point.
Bowtrol