"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is a double album released in July 1978 as the soundtrack to the film of the same name, featuring covers of Beatles songs. Produced by George Martin, the film starred the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, and Steve Martin. The album was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews and is often regarded as one of the worst music releases.
The project for "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was managed by the Robert Stigwood Organisation (RSO). Initially planned in 1975, it was delayed due to disputes between RSO and Columbia. RSO invested $12 million in the soundtrack, which included a $1 million promotional budget. Tensions marked the collaboration, with both Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees uncertain about how their music would blend.
Upon release, the album made history by being the first to "return platinum," with over four million copies shipped back to distributors. RSO faced significant financial losses, and the Bee Gees' reputation suffered, although other artists like Aerosmith remained unaffected. The album has since been released on CD, and along with "Stayin' Alive," is one of the few Bee Gees-related titles whose master tapes are held by Universal Music following the band's acquisition of their catalogue.
