Oasis Does the Beatles

The Art of Re-Recording ''Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''

Unless you've been living in a cave all this time, you most certainly know that the Beatles' album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has long been touted as one of rock-and-roll's most influential albums. Perhaps not the Beatles best work, but certainly as a complete package -- from the album's cover which continued to perpetuate the myth that "Paul is dead" to the selection of songs which seamlessly segued from one to another, Sgt Pepper took music making -- especially productionin the control room -- to a new level.

So go figure that on the brink of the album's 40^th anniversary, mega-group OASIS has decided to re-record the Beatles' album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (with a little help from their friends). Pardon the pun. Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher have long admitted that they are the Beatles' most famous fans in music.

According to www.whatgoeson.com, The Kaiser Chiefs, The Killers, Razorlight and Travis are among others contributing to the project to mark the LP's 40th anniversary.

And the project's organizers -- led by Bob "BandAide" Geldof, are hoping the songs can be released for charity.

What is really unique about this effort -- according to an article posted in the www.mirror.co.uk -- is that the Beatles' original engineer Geoff Emerick will help Oasis re-record Sgt Pepper with the same analogue equipment used in 1967. The Mirror quoted Emerick as saying, "...We have borrowed the original mixing desk from Mark Knopfler's studio and will complete the recordings at the Abbey Road studio."

The Sgt Pepper project is part of a special two-hour program to be broadcast on the UK's "Radio 2" on June 2^nd and marking the 40^th anniversary of the album's release.

The 1967 album, which features Beatles classics such as Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, When I`m Sixty-Four and A Day In The Life, is widely regarded as The Beatles` most influential album.

Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas said: "...This will be not only a unique radio event, but a very special musical moment. The range and quality of artists involved ensure that this will be a fitting tribute to one of the great albums of all time...."