Paul McCartney Names His Favorite Beatles Album Artwork: ‘We All Had a Say’
The Beatles’ albums had unique covers that captured the record’s tone. Whether it’s simplistic like The White Album or visually cluttered like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, each has a recognizable image that makes each album distinct. While all of the albums contain iconic imagery, Paul McCartney does have a favorite piece of artwork for a Beatles album.
‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ album cover is a colorful collage of celebrities, dead or alive
Maybe the most recognizable Beatles album cover outside of Abbey Road is Sgt. Pepper’s. The artwork features the Fab Four in bright, eye-catching outfits, surrounded by images of other celebrities. The image was designed by pop artists Peter Blake, and Jann Haworth Blake suggested that the band would perform in front of a crowd, and the fans could be anyone dead, alive, or fictitious.
“I asked the four Beatles for a list and I did one myself,” Blake said per Americansongwriter.com. “Robert Fraser did a list and I can’t remember whether Brian Epstein did one or not. The way that worked out was fascinating. John gave me a list and so did Paul. George suggested only Indian gurus, about six of them, and Ringo said, ‘Whatever the others say is fine by me’ and didn’t suggest anyone. It’s an insight into their characters. All kinds of people were suggested. Hitler was there; he is actually in the set-up, but he is covered by the Beatles themselves as we felt he was too controversial. The same applied to Jesus. There were only two of their contemporaries on the cover. Bob Dylan was suggested by John and I put on Dion because he is a great favorite of mine.”
Paul McCartney calls ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ is his favorite Beatles album artwork
In an interview on his website Paulmccartney.com, Paul McCartney discussed the best album artwork from his career. The former Beatle says Sgt. Pepper’s is his favorite because of a lot of collaboration. Every band member had a say, and it took hard work to put it together.
“Sgt Pepper comes to mind because it was a lot of fun putting it together: designing and having our costumes made at a tailor shop (at a theatrical costume shop, actually!) and getting Peter Blake to stage the whole cover and so on. It was very collaborative, and we all had a say. So, I think for that reason, maybe that’s a favourite.”
Paul McCartney says two other albums come close
While Sgt. Pepper’s is his favorite, Paul McCartney does mention two other albums that are honorable mentions. One is The White Album, and the other is his recent solo album, McCartney III, with which he has a personal connection.
“But I could just as easily say The White Album, where there’s nothing on the cover because that was great for the opposite reasons,” McCartney shared. “More recently, I love the McCartney III cover, which was designed by Ed Ruscha and features a photo by my daughter Mary on the back.”
