Sgt Pepper's Drum Sells For Over £500,000

The drum that takes centre stage on the cover of The Beatle's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, has been sold at auction for over £500,000. On a commission from the album sleeve's designer Sir Peter Blake, Joe Ephgrave, a fairground artist, painted the drum's skin in an imaginative circus style with such brilliance that it inspired a wealth of imitations.

Sir George Martin remembers the process involved in the making of this sleeve in his signed limited edition, 'Summer of Love - The Making of Sgt. Pepper', available now from Genesis.

Sir George Martin ('Summer of Love'): 'Paul's original thought was to have The Beatles in a park being given a formal presentation by the Lord Mayor or some such character. They were to be situated behind a huge floral clock. There could be a wonderful magic crowd in this imaginary park - an imaginary audience watching and listening.'