LIFE reports on 'The New Far-out Beatles' - July 1967

I recently acquired a stack of LIFE magazines from the 1960s. They are a fascinating window on the world as seen by reporters and photo journalists of the time. 

The stories range from graphic coverage of the Vietnam war to sumptuous colour spreads of Sophia Loren and husband Carlo Ponti at their palatial home in Italy. There are special reports on The Warren Commission's findings on the assassination of President Kennedy and a study of the reasons for Marilyn Monroe's suicide. 

Amongst the stories about life in Britain in the 1960s is a piece from July 1967 about The Beatles' new psychedelic look and sound. The cover announces 'The New Far-out Beatles' and the introduction says, "They're grown men now and creating extraordinary musical sounds."

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The writer, Thomas Thompson, notes that the group has moved such a long way from the music that made them popular, they risk alienating their fans: "They are stepping far ahead of their audience,' but the possibility of losing support "does not bother them in the least."

One evening, at EMI studios on Abbey Road in London's St. John's Wood, Paul and John are explaining a new song to producer George Martin. They have written it that day and want to get it down on tape. The melody is to be called 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds'.

"They go through it half a dozen times while Martin nods, quickly familiarising himself with the composition and making notes. I begin to understand the remarkable process of the Beatle music. It begins absolutely from scratch. The Beatles, who can neither write nor read music, are composing even as they record."

The writer profiles the four Beatles with descriptions that fit the popular characterisations. George, while not actually called The Quiet One, is described as the least social of the four, with a particular interest in Eastern spiritualism. Ringo is seen as the "least complex" member and the one with the least musical input.

"Of the four, 26 year old John's life is probably the most complicated. An awesome world of literature, art, philosophy and thought has opened up to him. He reads copiously - everything from Bertrand Russell to Paul Tillich to Allen Ginsberg, and he writes poetry that only he can understand." 

John was fond of creating poems inspired by the nonsense verse of Edward Lear. My brother and I received a Beatles Fan Club flexi-disc for Christmas in 1968. It contains examples of Lennon's nonsense verse. I can still recite them today.

"Paul, 24, the unmarried Beatle, is also the only one who lives in London. He is swept up in London's so-called swinging world, goes to dinner parties and discotheques, and talks about art and football. He is very much aware of the world's troubles and has his own ideas of what it will take to straighten everything out.

"If the politicians would take LSD, there wouldn't be any more war, or poverty or famine."

The album that resulted from these recording sessions, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, had been released the previous month, June 1967 and was immediately hailed as a new creative peak, not just for The Beatles, but pop music in general.

Its influence on the generation of musicians that came through in the 60s was immeasurable. That is why many people still consider it to be their best album. Not only for the songs themselves, but for the unique and groundbreaking way they were recorded.

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters said, "Sgt. Pepper freed a whole generation of young English men and women, given permission to write songs about real things, and having the courage to accept your feelings."

George Martin's view of their creative genius was that "they're always coming up with something new they've just learned; something I wouldn't dream of. They never cease to amaze me."

Elsewhere on this blog:

The Beatles Escape The Madness to Create Revolver

Sgt. Pepper Is The Beatles - Who Knew?

At Home With the Lennons, 1967

A Night With John Lennon - The Fab Faux at Radio City Music Hall