(I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION

For me this is the best single of all times! I said "single", not "song", there was a difference in those days. And surely it was also one of the defining records of the its era, reaching number one around the globe and establishing the Rolling Stones as the second-biggest band in the world, behind only the Beatles. I still remember the great impact that it instantly caused on me, when I bought the 45 in Johannesburg that summer and heard it for the first time on a little portable record player. As with many Rolling Stones songs, the key hook is the guitar riff: a fuzz-toned, insistent series of ascending and descending notes that rates among the most captivating and memorable riffs in rock history.

The song was written in Clearwater, Florida. Keith woke up in the middle of the night with the riff in his head and put it down on tape. In the morning, Mick said the words were, "I can't get no satisfaction". On Monday 10 May, the Stones went to Chelsea Studios at 1 pm and worked until 10 pm. "Satisfaction" was among the tracks cut. Two days later, the band went to RCA Studio in Hollywood with Dave Hassinger and reworked "Satisfaction".

The group initially released it only in America (London 45-9766), on a Saturday, 6 June 1965, (with "The Under-Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" on the b-side) planning to put it on a British EP.

«After we listened to the master, we discussed whether or not it should be the next single. Andrew and Dave Hassinger were very positive about it, so we out it to the vote. Andrew, Dave, Stu, Brian, Charlie and I voted yes, while Mick and Keith voted no. It became the next single by the majority vote» (Bill Wyman)

It was only when the song instantly rocketed up the U.S. charts — becoming by far their biggest hit in the States up to that point — that it was also issued in the U.K. (on a Friday, 20 August, 1965, and with "The Spider And The Fly" on the b-side - Decca F 12220).

Unlike many Rolling Stones songs, it also became an instant standard, played by uncounted garage bands, and recorded even by easy listening and jazz acts, thanks to its irresistible hook lines. As a classic rock radio and bar band staple ever since the 1960s, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" has become part of the Western collective consciousness, so much so that several post-punk acts could not resist the opportunity to deconstruct it by making it noisy, dissonant, deadpan, or all at once.

There are about 250 recorded versions of "Satisfaction". Here, and here, you can find 21 of my favourites.

RITA PAVONE - 2º Album Original (1964)

Edição Original em LP RCA Italiana PML 10360

Mono (1964)

Rita Pavone não é somente o maior nome do rock feminino italiano, mas é parte fundamental da história musical dos anos sessenta. Foi a cantora italiana com carreira internacional mais bem sucedida, tendo vendido mais de 35 milhões de discos em todo o mundo, cantando em italiano, inglês, alemão, espanhol e francês.

Rita nasceu em Torino, ao norte da Itália, em 23 de Agosto de 1945, e desde cedo demonstrou aptidões para a música e o teatro. Primeiro, pela sua incrível habilidade em chorar de forma escandalosa, sem parar, sempre que tinha vontade. Em seguida, quando a menina revelou o seu talento precoce para cantar. Em 1962, venceu a primeira edição do Festa Degli Sconosciuti (Festival dos Desconhecidos), um concurso de talentos organizado pelo já famoso cantor Teddy Reno, que mais tarde se tornaria seu marido e empresário.

Neste festival, Rita foi destaque e imediatamente assinou o seu primeiro contrato com a RCA Itália, onde gravou seu primeiro single "La Partita Di Pallone", que vendeu um milhão de cópias. A sua popularidade aumentou, consolidando-se através de constantes aparições no programa de televisão Studio Lino, o maior espetáculo musical italiano dos anos sessenta. Lá se lançaram inúmeros astros como The Rokes, Edoardo Vianello, Patty Pravo, Michelle, Equipe 84, entre outros.

Em 1963, gravou o seu segundo disco "Come Te Non C'è Nessuno", que lhe abriu as portas para o mundo inteiro. Desde então, Rita gravou em vários idiomas e entrou nas paradas da Espanha, Alemanha, Inglaterra, Japão e toda América do Sul, tendo excursionado em diversas turnês mundiais. No mesmo ano, estreou-se no cinema, onde também desenvolveu uma brilhante e bem sucedida carreira. A sua rápida ascensão foi impulsionada pelas seis participações, entre 1965 e 1970, no programa Ed Sullivan Show, o mesmo programa que impulsionou as carreiras de Elvis Presley e dos Beatles.
Ao longo de sua carreira, colaborou com artistas renomados como Diana Ross, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Tom Jones, The Supremes, Paul Anka e The Beach Boys.

'68 DANCING PARTY!!!

Original Released on LP RCA Victor 38.001
(South Africa, 1968)

CAIOLA, GALARZA, AND NOW... SAM SKLAIR! Three great instrumental albums in a row! Not bad, for those Rato's friends who claimed for more of these kind of discs. This one, recorded in South Africa during 1968 is a very exciting classic, remembering the best of Dan Hill's Sounds Electronic. And what a sound! Enjoy it 'cause this sound doesn't exist anymore, only here, in Ratolândia...

GALARZA 66

Original Released on LP Belter 22.039 (España, 1966)

AL CAIOLA: 30 INSTRUMENTAL DELIGHTS

Alexander Emil Caiola (b. September 7, 1920, Jersey City, New Jersey) is a guitarist who plays jazz, country, rock, western, and pop music. He has been both a studio musician and stage performer. He has recorded over fifty albums and has worked with some of the biggest stars of the 20th Century, including Frank Sinatra, Percy Faith, Mitch Miller, and Tony Bennett.

Al was an active studio musician in the 1950s centered in the New York area. He released some minor records under his own name in that decade. In 1960 he became a recording star on the United Artists (UA) label for at least ten years. There was a wide variety to his albums - soft pop, Italian, Hawaiian, country, jazz. The 1960s were his heyday, like this collection clearly shows.

ALL THAT FADO

Once more Rato Records proudly presents something rare and unique: “All That Fado”, a collection of ten absolute classics from the 60’s in the voice of Carlos Bastos, the real portuguese artist. With simple but efficient arrangments in the traditional way of strutting fado, those classics acquire new manners and styles many years after their original releases. I bet it will be a smile on your face the moment you’ll heard the first notes of “Proud Mary” and I guess that smile will remain until the last notes of “Till there was you”. And allow me to bet also that you’ve never heard these covers anywhere else, ‘cause even here, in Portugal, Carlos Bastos is a true stranger to most of his countrymen. Nobody really knows him, the place where he came from or the place he lives. He’s became a true legend! His records are not on sale in the shoppings and until now just a few people have only heard one or two songs, and purely by accident. No one knows for sure if he have recorded other songs besides these ones.
That’s why Rato Records is so proud and happy to share with you all this true relic. Thanks to a dear friend, Luís Pinheiro de Almeida, who kindly made available this CD to be presented here to the world, after 15 years it was originally recorded on tape.

LAST NEWS! Carlos Bastos, the man himself, has wrote to me! He's alive and kicking his sixty years by the south of the country, in Algarve. So, if by chance you'll go soon on holidays to that area of Portugal (like me, in nearly a month) you may listen to him Live in Albufeira. Just look at Hotel Paraíso and Hotel Balaia Atlântico (alternate Saturdays) or at the Estalagem do Cerro (Sundays and Wednesdays). You'll spend a great evening for sure!

I am still on my holidays, here in Algarve, where I've met Carlos Bastos for the first time in Albufeira. Another Rato's friend is born. Thanks, Carlos, for our nice meeting. I've added the link for Carlos's site.

LATIN HAIR ROS STYLE!

Original Released on LP Decca PFS 4178 (1969)

JUST OUT OF THE ARMY

Original Released on LP RCA Victor LSP 2231
(US, April 1960)

One of the greatest understatements in the history of rock and roll album titles, Elvis Is Back! declared in no uncertain terms that Elvis Presley wasn't as good as he was in the 1950s, he was better. From rock to pop, gospel-tinged ballads to tough Chicago blues, Elvis made magic in less than an hour. Seldom in his career would he be so consistently superb in voice, performance and material.

Anyone who said that Elvis was dead after the army could not possibly have heard this album, and the singles that were released around it. The DCC mastering is about as good as it gets. The stuff simply has never sounded better. Anyone who thought Elvis lost his intensity and his feeling for the blues after the army (I have read this) must be deaf!

Just out of the army, and distanced from the new smooth pop of the day, Elvis seems totally at ease whether singing the sublime harmony-laden doo-wop of ‘Thrill Of Your Love’; cool pop, ‘Stuck On You’; sultry jazz, ‘Fever’; steamy blues, ‘Reconsider Baby’ or just plain down-&-dirty rock’n’roll, ‘Such A Night’. Whatever the type of music, Elvis seems totally at home and unstoppable.

This album is the most overlooked rock masterpiece in the pop music genre. If there is any doubt as to Elvis's talents as a singer, and any question as to his vocal range, and any wondering as to his depth of feeling, this album eliminates them. Although the album lacks thematic unity, the listener is treated to a wide-range of musical genres, and a close listen shows that Elvis had a knack for making all genres his own. Perhaps the most profound insight one gains from listening to this remarkable album is the utter loss we have all suffered as a result of the poor management he received. No one can ever really know what Elvis could have accomplished had he not languished in Hollywood hell during his prime recording years. This album provides a clue, and it is painful to realize what could have been.

THE SONGS OF THE STONES 2

I'm a lucky little mouse indeed! 'Cause many friends sent me a lot of new covers of the Songs of the Stones. Like always I've chosen the ones I like the best and here you have a new brand great collection. I hope you like it and find all the treasures I've found. Bless you all!

The BONZOS' DOUGHNUT 2ND ALBUM

ORIGINAL RELEASED ON LP LIBERTY LBS 83158
(1968/11)
Also released in the US as "Urban Spaceman" with that track added as the first one.
UK charts: entered 18-01-69 for 1 week (Top 40)
(The noises of your body are part of this record)

The great lost psychedelic album. On their second album the Bonzos knock off the trad jazz parodies and pair their surreal lyrics and wild imaginations with rock music to match. Neil Innes still gets to sing the catchiest songs -- "Beautiful Zelda", for instance, examines the perils of dating a space alien -- but Vivian Stanshall beats him with what could be the band's mission statement, "My Pink Half Of The Drainpipe". Plus there's the amazing Love parody "We Are Normal" ("and we dig Bert Weedon!"). The summit, though, is the too awesome for words "Rhinocratic Oaths", which, with its cheery narration ("You should get out more, Percy, or you'll start acting like a dog, ha ha ... He was later arrested near a lamp-post") reveals the Bonzo's ultimate truth: that there is nothing so lunatic as what passes for everyday life. (Hey, that Dada/Doo-Dah wasn't in their name for nothing.) If you have any spark of imagination or individuality, you must get this record. (in RateYourMusic)

And now a little of history...

The Bonzo Dog Dooh Dah Band was formed in the period 1962-1965, named after George Studdy's famous 1920s/30s postcard puppy Bonzo Dog and the Dada anti-art movement.
Their early success occurred in a number of London pubs and the club circuit of North-East England. They drew from the comedy and novelty songs of 1900-1930, wore 1920s garb and followed the eccentric music hall tradition in their antics and comic sketches, leading to comparisons with The Temperance Seven, Spike Jones and His City Slickers and Sid Millward's Nitwits.

Besides, perhaps, the Mothers of Invention (with whom they were sometimes compared), the Bonzo Dog Band were the most successful group to combine rock music and comedy. Starting off as the Bonzo Dog Dada Band, then becoming the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and then finally just the Bonzo Dog Band, the group was started by British art college students in the mid-'60s. Initially they were inclined toward trad jazz and vaudevillian routines, but by the time of their 1967 debut album, they were leaning further in pop and rock directions. A brief appearance in the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour film bolstered their visibility, and Paul McCartney (under the pseudonym Apollo C. Vermouth) produced their single "I'm the Urban Spaceman," which reached the British Top Five in 1968. The Bonzos really hit their stride with their second and third albums, which found them adding elements of psychedelia to their already-absurdist mix of pop, cabaret, and Dada. The Bonzos could be side-splitting, but their records held up well because they were also capable musicians and songwriters, paced by Neil Innes and Viv Stanshall (both of whom wrote the lion's share of their best material). The group attempted to move into more serious and musical realms with their 1969 LP Keynsham, which, unsurprisingly, was acclaimed as their weakest effort. They broke up shortly afterward; Viv Stanshall made some obscure solo recordings (he was also the grandstanding narrator on Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells"). Neil Innes collaborated with members of Monty Python, upon whom the Bonzos were a large influence, as well as writing the songs for and performing in the Beatles documentary spoof, The Rutles.

"Don't You Need Somebody to Love ?"

Original Released on LP RCA Victor LSP 3766
(February 1967)

OK, I was there, and I remember... so maybe I wasn’t there, but I’m here now... maybe. Surrealistic Pillow wasn’t a psychedelic album though it was ushering in the psychedelic era. This record is a combination of what one might call folk rock, but with definate leanings for what was to come. The 60’s weren’t really all of the 60’s, they were actually just the summer of 1966 and into the winter and spring of 1967, but we thought they’d go on forever.

Grace’s voice has never sounded better then on this very simple body of work. Most of the songs are about love and were written by Marty, ‘My Best Friend and Comin’ Back To Me’ are legendary standouts of mamouth proportion for the emotion they envoke. ‘White Rabbit’ was a banner song, the anthem of the 60’s.

This album is timeless in its feel and production. Being their second release, you can see what the group learned from their intital recording experience. The Jefferson Airplane did something here that many groups have tried to do and fallen short.

On every album up to ‘Bark,’ they’ve managed to create an atmosphere. That is to say, they didn’t create concept albums in the vain of the Moody Blues, but each song lead flawlessly into the next, stinging out musical visions of love, life, freedom, loss and drugs in a war torn country.

There was an equality to this record, each member of the Airplane were afforded the opportunity to display their talents to the fullest, right down to the mixing, where the playing field is totally level. There are chord changes unheard of before this time, people played off each other in a manner befitting the day. It was truely a heady time to be alive.

This album feels as simple as the cover convays, and fits like a good pair of boots. I’ve never tired of this record and don’t feel it will ever be lost to those who ventured to live a life during those years.

(in RateYourMusic)

Note: After many and problematic reissues of "Surrealistic Pillow" on CD, this 2003 edition, on BMG Heritage Label, mastered by renowned reissue producer Bob Irwin (of Sundazed Records fame), including the mono single versions of "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love," along with more 4 bonus tracks, is the best you can find. So, enjoy this wonderful remastering job (ripped here at 256 kb) of one of the greatest albums ever made in pop music!

ARRIBA ROS!

Original Released on LP Decca PFS 4092 (1966)

Audience in... The House On The Hill

Original Released on LP Elektra 74100 (1971)

British art-rock unit Audience was formed in London in 1969 by singer/guitarist Howard Werth, saxophonist Keith Gemmell, bassist Trevor Williams, and percussionist Tony Connor. Set apart from their contemporaries thanks to their use of acoustic guitar and saxophone, the group issued their self-titled debut LP in 1969; although the album was a commercial failure, Audience soon landed with Charisma Records, teaming with producer Gus Dudgeon to record the 1970 follow-up Friend's Friend's Friend. House on the Hill, issued a year later, yielded perhaps the band's best-known effort, "Indian Summer," and was followed by a U.S. tour in support of the Faces; however, in the wake of 1972's Lunch, Gemmel left the lineup to join Stackridge, and despite recruiting saxophonist Patrick Neubergh and keyboardist Nick Judd, Audience disbanded soon after. Werth resurfaced as a solo artist in 1975 with a new backing band, the Moonbeams, and an LP, King Brilliant.

The House on the Hill is Audience's strongest effort, made up of simple, elegantly arranged songs, focusing around Howard Werth's "electric classical" guitar and Keith Gemmel's tenor sax and clarinet. "Jackdaw" has Werth showing off his vocal range by hollering out the chorus in full force. "Raviolé" is an instrumental piece painted with lovely acoustic guitar and is one of the real gems on the album. There's not a lot of meat on each of the songs, but the use of flute and vibraphone give this album a unique feel and is deemed interesting mainly for that purpose. The overall atmosphere is quite comfortable, and the hypnotizing effect aroused from the woodwind instruments creates an absorbing mood one might not expect to find here. Snippets of jazz fusion make up the title track, overlapped with some rich saxophone playing. After a few listens, this band slowly rises from being heard to being enjoyable. (in AllMusic)

"It Burns, Burns, Burns... The Ring of Fire!"

I’m not a country enthusiast altough I like many songs from this particular area of music. But I’ve loved this biopic movie, mainly the wonderful perfomances of Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Whiterspoon. What great chemistry they show us on screen! And the unexpected quality of their vocals? Remember, it was the first time that both were singing…

Of course Joaquin hasn’t the power of Johnny Cash, and maybe some purists may be upset. But the truth is that only after seeing the movie I’ve ordered a few CD’s of the man in black himself. And, pardon me, but Ms. Witherspoon sings (and looks) sweeter than June Carter ever did.

Like I’ve heard in the DVD commentary, both actors didn’t tried to be the real couple. They are simply telling us a wonderful love story that happened in music history, that’s all! And if you are not a Cash fan, like me, I think this album is a good place to start discovering the huge Cash catalogue. I’ve began already...

In short, this is, without any doubt, a great soundtrack album. It's what's NOT on the CD which loses it marks. The duet between Phoenix and Witherspoon of "Times a Wastin'" is pretty much the central performance of the film. And yet it's omitted from this soundtrack, which is a pity.

THE SONGS OF THE STONES 1

Unlike The Beatles or even Dylan, there aren't many Rolling Stones' covers. With quality I mean. I've managed to assemble this 1st volume (which by the way I think it's TE-RRI-FI-C!), but I would like to put together a second volume. So, Rato's friends, if you know some covers you think are worthly, please let me know where to find them. Maybe with your help another great set of Stones' Songs will see the light!

MOONDOG MATINEE

Original Released on LP Capitol 11214 (1973/10)

By 1973, the Band were at a crossroads. Having summed up the first phase of their recording career with the Rock of Ages concert recording, Robbie Robertson flirted with an ambitious project inspired by Polish composer Krzystof Penderecki. But instead of forging ahead into uncharted territory, the quintet opted to hearken back to their roadhouse days with an LP that renovated oldies associated with the likes of Clarence "Frogman" Henry, the Platters, and Fats Domino. Given that Robertson's originals were no longer coming as fast and true as in the late '60s, a covers collection was a wise move. After all, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Richard Manuel were all vocalists who could tackle classics from the canons of Chuck Berry ("The Promised Land"), Bobby "Blue" Bland ("Share Your Love"), and Sam Cooke ("A Change Is Gonna Come") without straining under the weight of the originals. The 2001 reissue of this unaffected delight is fleshed out with a half-dozen outtakes that fit in nicely with the 10 tracks from the original LP. (Steven Stolder in Amazon)

It's almost a time machine of a recording; the five members revisit their days when they were known as The Hawks, dishing out some stunning testaments to their incredible power when interpereting any song they got their hands on.

For a Band that made a name on such fantastic original material, a cover album isn't entirely disappointing. "Moondog Matinee" nonetheless is an essential piece of The Band's catalog, and also serves as a time capsule and document of their musical history, as seen by the group themselves. But more importantly, it still carried their venture into the purpose of going against the grain of the psychedelic movement, despite the fact that the material wasn't theirs. (in Amazon)

THOSE CLASSIC GOLDEN YEARS 22

THOSE CLASSIC GOLDEN YEARS 21

RATO'S NOSTALGIA COLLECTION 36

MADCAP SYD

Original released on LP Harvest SHVL765
(1970/01)

Wisely, The Madcap Laughs doesn't even try to sound like a consistent record. Half the album was recorded by Barrett's former bandmates Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour, and the other half by Harvest Records head Malcolm Jones. Surprisingly, Jones' tracks are song for song much stronger than the more-lauded Floyd entries. The opening "Terrapin" seems to go on three times as long as its five-minute length, creating a hypnotic effect through Barrett's simple, repetitive guitar figure and stream of consciousness lyrics. The much bouncier "Love You" sounds like a sunny little Carnaby Street pop song along the lines of an early Move single, complete with music hall piano, until the listener tries to parse the lyrics and realizes that they make no sense at all. The downright Kinksy "Here I Go" is in the same style, although it's both more lyrically direct and musically freaky, speeding up and slowing down seemingly at random. Like many of the "band" tracks, "Here I Go" is a Barrett solo performance with overdubs by Mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper, and Robert Wyatt of the Soft Machine; the combination doesn't always particularly work, as the Softs' jazzy, improvisational style is hemmed in by having to follow Barrett's predetermined lead, so on several tracks, like "No Good Trying," they content themselves with simply making weird noises in the background. The solo tracks are what made the album's reputation, though, particularly the horrifying "Dark Globe," a first-person portrait of schizophrenia that's seemingly the most self-aware song this normally whimsical songwriter ever created. Honestly, however, the other solo tracks are the album's weakest tracks, with the exception of the plain gorgeous "Golden Hair," a musical setting of a James Joyce poem that's simply spellbinding. The album falls apart with the appalling "Feel." Frankly, the inclusion of false starts and studio chatter, not to mention some simply horrible off-key singing by Barrett, makes this already marginal track feel disgustingly exploitative. But for that misstep, however, The Madcap Laughs is a surprisingly effective record that holds up better than its "ooh, lookit the scary crazy person" reputation suggests. (Stuart Mason in AllMusic)

RATO'S NOSTALGIA COLLECTION 35

Look & Listen

IT WAS FORTY YEARS AGO TODAY...

Não há na história da música popular contemporânea um outro disco como "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", dos Beatles. É único, inimitável e irrepetível. Concita em si todos os encómios que se podem dedicar a uma criação artística. "Sgt Pepper" - como é comummente tratado - foi originalmente editado no dia 1 de Junho de 1967, coleccionando desde então todos os galardões existentes, o mais apetecido dos quais é certamente o de "melhor álbum de sempre". As características únicas de "Sgt Pepper", oitavo álbum de originais da carreira de 8 anos dos Beatles, entre 1962 e 1970, são reconhecidas unanimemente não só pelo público e pela crítica, mas também pela própria comunidade musical.

Poucas horas depois de o álbum ter sido publicado, Jimi Hendrix tocou uns acordes da canção-título num concerto, o que deixou Paul McCartney extremamente emocionado. Frank Zappa, outro monstro sagrado da música, editou em 1968 "We're Only In It For The Money" com uma capa imitando a de "Sgt Pepper", os Rolling Stones tentaram, ainda em 1967, fazer o "seu Sgt. Pepper" com "Their Satanic Majesties Request".

Génio dos Beach Boys e grande rival da criatividade da dupla Lennon/McCartney, Brian Wilson ensandeceu às primeiras audições de "Sgt. Pepper". Só há relativamente pouco tempo recuperou a sanidade mental. Quereria ter superado "Revolver", dos Beatles, com "Smile", mas depois de ter ouvido "Sgt. Pepper" desistiu da empreitada e penetrou em profunda depressão.

Outros músicos tiveram o "seu Sgt. Pepper" como os Zombies, "Odessey & Oracle" (1968), Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Willy & The Poor Boys" (1969), Prince, "Around The World In A Day" (1985), Tears For Fears, "Sowing The Seeds Of Love" (1989), Smashing Pumpkins, "Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness" (1995), Radiohead, "OK Computer" (1997), Oasis,"Be Here Now" (1997), Flaming Lips, "The Soft Bulletin" (1999).

(Foto de Manuel Almeida)

No ano da edição, em 1967, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" ganhou os principais Grammy, os Oscar da música, como o "melhor álbum do ano", o "melhor álbum contemporâneo", a "melhor capa" e a "melhor engenharia de som". Ao longo dos últimos 40 anos, somaram-se os mais ambicionados prémios, o último dos quais, já este ano, o de "obra-prima do rock", atribuído pela Fundação Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Em 1988, foi pioneiro nos chamados "álbuns de solidariedade", "tributos" ou "homenagens" quando serviu de fio condutor a "Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father", editado pelo jornal de música londrino "New Musical Express", a favor da associação de solidariedade "Childline". Seguindo o alinhamento do álbum original, a réplica é executada pelos nomes mais conhecidos à época, como Three Wize Men, Wet Wet Wet, Christians, Wedding Present, Billy Bragg, Sonic Youth, Michelle Shocked, Fall.

Em 2003, as produções Mandala, na esteira dos Simpsons em 1998 ("The Yellow Album"), lançaram em Portugal um álbum dos bonecos da Contra-Informação com o título "S. Bento's Bonecada Club Band" e capa condizente, colando-se assim à criação dos Beatles.

(Foto de Manuel Almeida)

A consagração mais inesperada surgiu há um mês quando a ícone do punk, Patti Smith, escolheu e gravou "Within You Without You", a canção indiana de George Harrison, como uma das suas 12 preferidas de sempre. «A canção esquecida de "Sgt. Pepper" celebra a doutrina hindu de Dharma, segundo a qual o Amor pode mudar o Mundo. George Harrison é espiritualmente estimulante. Ele pede-nos que acordemos e examinemos as nossas consciências, já que todas as nossas acções têm consequências», justifica Patti Smith em "Twelve".

Para assinalar os 40 anos do álbum, a circunspecta BBC encomendou uma regravação do disco à nova geração de músicos britânicos liderada pelos Oasis, fãs devotos dos "quatro de Liverpool". Numa atitude só explicável pelo "marketing" inoportuno, Paul McCartney, um dos grandes responsáveis por "Sgt. Pepper", optou por silenciar a efeméride, preferindo promover o seu novo álbum, "Memory Almost Full", cuja edição foi estrategicamente marcada para o período em que todo o Mundo fala dos Beatles.

A decisão de gravar "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" surgiu em1966 depois de os Beatles terem desistido dos concertos ao vivo. Argumentaram então que iriam dedicar-se às gravações de estúdio em detrimento dos espectáculos onde a "beatlemania" impedia a audição do som de palco. «Não vamos fazer mais digressões, mas vamos fazer como Elvis que, em sua substituição, mandou o seu Cadillac. Nós vamos mandar um álbum», explicou então Paul McCartney, ao desenvolver a ideia de "Sgt. Pepper", personagem inventada por Mal Evans, o "faz-tudo" dos Beatles, morto tragicamente pela Polícia de Los Angeles em 1976 e que figura, de costas, na contra-capa do disco, na ausência de Paul McCartney, então em Nova Iorque na festa do 21º aniversário de Jane Asher, sua companheira da altura.

As gravações em Abbey Road - no maior segredo - começaram logo em Dezembro de 1966, no dia 10, e imediatamente duas canções, "Penny Lane" e "Strawberry Fields Forever", foram retiradas do contexto para serem editadas como single (primeiro single da história da música com dupla face A) em Fevereiro de 1967. Após mais de 700 horas de estúdio (o primeiro álbum, "Please Please Me", tinha sido gravado em apenas 585 minutos) e um custo de 25 mil libras (uma verba astronómica para a época), o álbum, registado numa simples máquina de 4 pistas, acabou de ser gravado no dia 2 de Abril de 1967. A estreia radiofónica ocorreu às 17H00 do dia 12 de Maio de 1967 na rádio London, então rádio-pirata. Quando foi colocado no mercado no dia 1 de Junho de 1967, "Sgt. Pepper" bateu todos os recordes de venda. Só na primeira semana, na Grã-Bretanha, vendeu um quarto de milhão de exemplares. Permaneceu durante quase meio ano consecutivo no primeiro lugar do top de vendas, um feito completamente impensável nos dias de hoje. Com o decorrer do tempo, foi-se entretanto tomando consciência do carácter vanguardista da obra, a começar pela própria capa.

A ideia da capa foi também de Paul McCartney, contra a vontade da própria editora, EMI. Reuniu fotografias de 57 dos ídolos dos Beatles, como Mae West, Lenny Bruce, Stockhausen, Edgar Allan Poe, Fred Astaire, Bob Dylan, AldousHuxley, Marilyn Monroe, William Burroughs, Bucha e Estica, Karl Marx, HG Wells, Bernard Shaw, Dylan Thomas, Marlon Brando, Tarzan, Oscar Wilde, Einstein, LewisCarroll, Marlene Dietrich ou Shirley Temple, que o pintor britânico Peter Blakee a sua mulher, a escultora norte-americana Jann Haworth, juntaram num estúdio de Chelsea, na que é a mais famosa e a mais copiada capa de disco de todos os tempos, fotografada por Michael Cooper no dia 30 de Março de 1967. A grande ausente da capa é Brigitte Bardot, escolhida pelos quatro Beatles, mas que, inexplicavelmente, não aparece. Peter Blake confessou mais tarde que tinha encarado a feitura da capa como "uma verdadeira obra de arte, um quadro, uma pintura" e não "uma vulgar capa de disco".

A nível gráfico, registo ainda para a impressão das letras das canções na contra-capa, o que nunca tinha acontecido, para o colorido da capa interior de protecção do disco, o que também era inédito, e para a inclusão de uma cartolina com figuras para recortar, o que também era a primeira vez.

(Foto de Manuel Almeida)

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" é também o primeiro álbum da história a não incluir pausas entre as canções - o disco foi concebido como um todo, como um espectáculo em si mesmo, sendo por isso o primeiro "álbum conceptual" de sempre -, tem registado um som de 15 quilociclos, só audível a caninos, a pedido de John Lennon, e, no final do disco, está gravada em "loop" (sem parar) uma frase imperceptível. No tempo dos gira-discos, a agulha encalhava nesse ponto e o disco não mais parava ad infinitum. Não sendo isso possível na era digital, a solução (original) encontrada 20 anos depois, em 1987, na edição em CD, foi a de reproduzir apenas durante 28 segundos a frase outrora encalhada.

«Os Beatles insistiram que tudo em "Sgt. Pepper" tinha de ser diferente e foi diferente, revolucionando os processos de gravação então conhecidos», lembrou Geoff Emerick, o premiado engenheiro de som do álbum. «Tecnicamente foi um pesadelo. Os rapazes queriam o impossível e eu só tinha quatro pistas», explica, por seu turno, George Martin, produtor do disco. Em pouco menos de 40 minutos estão condensadas 13 das mais famosas e mais conhecidas canções de todo o Mundo. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "Getting Better", "Fixing A Hole", "She's Leaving Home", "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!", "Within You Without You", "When I'm Sixty-Four", "Lovely Rita", "Good Morning, Good Morning", "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise)" e "A Day In The Life".

(LPA - Foto de Ana Baião)

Os Beatles nunca tocaram o álbum ao vivo, mas desde 1989 que Paul McCartney inclui "Sgt. Pepper" nos seus concertos para gáudio das multidões. O que poderá ser entendido como (mais uma) consagração máxima ocorreu em Londres no dia 2 de Julho de 2005 na abertura do mega concerto Live 8, quando Paul McCartney e os U2 subiram ao palco para cantar "it was twenty years ago today" para milhões e milhões em todo o Planeta.

Apesar de todas as loas e dos progressos alcançados, os próprios Beatles não consideravam "Sgt. Pepper" a sua melhor obra. Resume Ringo Starr: «Não renego "Sgt. Pepper", mas como músico prefiro "Revolver"».

(Texto de Luís Pinheiro de Almeida)