People

By Guy D. Garcia

"It was 20 years ago today/ Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play." So begins the prescient title song of the Beatles' landmark album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. In London last week, Paul McCartney was back at Abbey Road Studios to pay homage to the 20th anniversary of a record that has sold 15 million copies and whose lyrics evoked comparisons with Tennyson and T.S. Eliot. EMI Records, for its part, celebrated the occasion by releasing the album on compact disc. As a group of well-wishers and Wife Linda watched, McCartney cut a cake shaped like the drum on the album cover and listened to the music that for many epitomizes the spirit of the psychedelic '60s. "It still sounds fresh," remarked McCartney, 44. "Was it really 20 years ago that we made that record?" Then the pop legend spoke about his continuing commitment to "peace on earth, love and understanding between everyone around the world." Said he: "We have to keep our faith, keep pushing and hope we have better news to report 20 years from today." But to make that happen, we are all going to need a little help from our friends.