7 Movies Where The Beatles Music Was The Major Selling Point
3. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Another jukebox musical, this time based on an off-broadway stage show. This whimsical fantasy was produced by rock manager Robert Stigwood and he cast his band The Bee Gees as leads, alongside Peter Frampton.
Presumably he felt their original songs wouldn’t cut it in the movies although that would be a weird lapse given that he also produced Saturday Night Fever the previous year.
The film employs most of the songs from the Beatle album of the same name but also most of the tracks from Abbey Road as well as some from other albums.
Though it more than made its money back at the box office the film was a mess and a critical bomb. It has an enduring reputation as an embarrassment for all involved. The Bee Gees themselves blamed this film for their subsequent declining popularity.
One enduring mystery, given how many Beatle songs are given actual womens’ names (Michelle, Julia, Elanor Rigby etc.), is why this film’s love interest is called Strawberry Fields.