The Pop Corporation

When The Beatles released Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, they probably knew they were onto something good, but the cultural impact it had invariably superceded expectations.

Of course, the UK’s psychedelic set relied heavily on pirate radio stations, and one such broadcaster was the Big L – Radio London – transmitted from an old US war ship.

On May 12th 1967, the Big L got their hands on a hooky copy of Sgt Pepper and DJs Ed Stewart and John Peel vowed to play the thing in its entirety.

This would be the first time the public would hear the now legendary album, and some lucky pup has unearthed a reel-to-reel tape which has the most complete version of the broadcast that anyone’s heard yet.

Have a listen below, listen to ol’ Peely rattling off ads and the excitement in his voice as he tells us there’s nowhere he’d rather be.

A gorgeous little artefact.