The Act You've Known for All These Years: The Life, and Afterlife, of Sgt. Pepper

On June 1st 2007, it will be forty years to the day since the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, an LP which changed the face of popular culture, from its Peter Blake-designed gatefold cover to the extravagant music contained within its grooves - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, With a Little Help From My Friends, A Day in the Life et al. Arguably the apex of the Beatles' achievements in the recording studio, the album continues to top public and critical polls of the greatest albums ever made.The Act You've Known For All These Years reconstructs the life and times of Sgt. Pepper. Weaving the activities of the Beatles in with those of their contemporaries and rivals - notably the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan and Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd - Clinton Heylin reveals the inspirations and explodes the myths behind this talismanic, iconic album - and 'the summer of love' itself. In addition, the book will survey what happened next, telling the history of the LP's 'afterlife' from 1967 to the present day.