The Beatles' Producer Said 'Sgt. Pepper' Wasn't Anything Special
“Penny Lane” was meant for The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Beatles’ producer didn’t think the title track from Sgt. Pepper was anything special. The title song became a double A-side single alongside “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
The Beatles‘ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was originally going to feature “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.” The band’s producer, George Martin, said the title track of Sgt. Pepper wasn’t anything special. Subsequently, he discussed how that song changed the course of the album.
The book The Beatles: Paperback Writer includes an excerpt from Martin’s 1979 book All You Need Is Ears. In it, Martin discusses how the album Sgt. Pepper came together. The songs “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” were originally supposed to be part of the album.
Subsequently, The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, said the band needed a new single. Martin decided the band should release “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” as a double A-side single, as those were the two best songs the band wrote for the album. He felt that combo was the best single the band ever did. Ultimately, neither song appeared on Sgt. Pepper.
Source: Matthew Trzcinski/cheatsheet.com
