When Jimi Hendrix covered The Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' in record time
Jimi Hendrix was never shy to hide his admiration for The Beatles and, back in 1967, the iconic guitarist took things to the next level.
The night was June 4, 1967, Hendrix was stepping out on stage for his headline show at the Saville Theatre in London and, knowing that both Paul McCartney and George Harrison were in the audience, Hendrix decided to open the show with his rendition of Sgt. Pepper‘s title song.
While opening your own show with a cover song was a ballsy move, it was the sheer fact that The Beatles had only released the song three days prior to that moment which caused the greatest shock. With the record being made available on the Thursday, Hendrix had learnt the song and performed it live at his headline show by the Sunday.
“Jimi was a sweetie, a very nice guy. I remember him opening at the Saville on a Sunday night, 4th June 1967,” McCartney once recalled. “Brian Epstein used to rent it when it was usually dark on the Sunday. Jimi opened, the curtains flew back and he came walking forward, playing ‘Sgt. Pepper’, and it had only been released on the Thursday so that was like the ultimate compliment.”
Source: faroutmagazine.co.uk
