Sergeant Pepper album cover - a musical treat in itself
The iconic cover of the Beatles' album Segeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was designed by pop artists Jann Haworth and Peter Blake. The image is well-known for the eclectic and sometimes unexpected range of famous figures pictured alongside the Famous Four; including psychologist Carl Jung, 19th-Century Prime Minister Robert Peel and playwright George Bernard Shaw.
Haworth and Blake won the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover in 1967 for their work on this famous cover.
Most of the figures are pasted photos, but some are wax figures – including the four Beatles themselves - meaning that each Beatle appears twice. Child actress Shirley Temple is actually visible three times.
Blake’s concept was to position the Beatles as if they had just completed a concert, and the band were posing before a crowd of fans. Having decided that the fans could be anybody, Blake drew up a list and asked the four members of the band for their suggestions. Each of them contributed, except for Ringo Starr who said ‘whatever the others say is fine by me’.
Several figures were rejected – including Mahatma Gandhi due to cultural sensitivities in India; and Jesus Christ, in light of John Lennon’s controversial remarks that the group were ‘more popular than Jesus’.
Further reading
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