January 1:
The Beatles resume recording work on "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".
January 21:
Brian Epstein arranges a merger with the Robert Stigwood Organization (which handles bands such as The Who, The Merseys and Cream), retaining sole control over the Beatles.
February 13:
"Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane" single is released in the U.S. by Capitol Records and goes to number One on the charts.
February 17:
"Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane" single is released in the UK and hits # 2 there.
March 11:
"Disc & Music Echo" counts 446 recorded cover versions of "Yesterday" by various artists.
May 1:
EMI announces total world sales of Beatle records, including singles and albums, have reached 200 million.
John Lennon issues a statement that the Beatles would not tour any more.
April 2:
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" last recording session ends.
May 15:
Paul McCartney meets his future wife, Linda Eastman, at the Bag O'Nails, a late-night club in London.
Linda is in town to photograph rock groups for a book entitled "Rock and Other Four Letter Words".
May 20:
Advance copies of "Sgt. Pepper" are released to the B.B.C.. B.B.C. Radio bans "A Day In the Life" from broadcast because of the drug references in the song.
June 1:
The spectacular "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" LP, which took some 700 hours of studio recording time and $100,000.00 to produce, is released by Capitol Records. It climbs to the top of the charts all over the world, staying in the number one slot in Britain for 27 weeks and for 19 in the U.S.
Often quoted, Sunday Times reporter Derek Jewel calls the record "a tremendous advance in the progress of the Beatles" and rhapsodizes that "some of the words are splendid urban poetry - almost metaphysical".
Beatles The record's record producer, Sir George Martin, later expressed these feelings in his book "Summer of Love": "With Sgt. Pepper
the Beatles held up a mirror to the world. And in this looking-class the world saw a brilliant reflection of its kaleidoscopic 1967 self."
June 16:
Paul McCartney admits to the media he has taken LSD, four times.
June 19:
Paul explains his admission of drug use by saying he was asked about it by a newspaper reporter and it became a matter of whether to lie about it or tell the truth. "I decided to tell him the truth, but if I'd had my way I wouldn't have told anyone, because I'm not trying to spread the word about this."
The Daily Mirror quotes him as saying: "I don't regret that I've spoken out. I hope my fans will understand".
June 21:
The American evangelist Dr. Billy Graham says this about McCartney's drug use: "I am praying for Paul that he finds what he is looking for. He has reached the top of his profession and now he is searching for the true purpose in life. But he will not find it through LSD".
June 25:
"Our World", a two-hour television show starring the Beatles, makes history as the first live international Satellite broadcast. The band performs "All You Need is Love" and is seen by an estimated 400 million viewers in 24 countries.
July 7:
"All You Need is Love/Baby you're a Rich Man" single is released in the U.K.
July 24:
"All You Need is Love/Baby you're a Rich Man" single is released in the U.S. The record climbs to #1 in both the U.K and the U.S.
July 24:
A full page advertisement in The Times, signed by the Beatles and Brian Epstein, along with a number of prominent writers, artists and polititians, proclaims "The law against marijuana is immoral in principal and unworkable in practice".
July 28:
The film "The Family Way", with music by Paul McCartney, arranged by George Martin, premieres in New York.
August 27:
Brian Epstein dies at his London home on 24 Chapel Street, Belgravia, from a barbiturate overdose. His death is ruled an "accidental suicide by a gradual accumulation of Carbitral". The Beatles learn of his death while visiting Transcendental Meditation guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Bangor, North Wales.
The band reacts to the news with something close to panic. Paul McCartney, especially, fears that the group might disintegrate as a result, and throws himself into the "Magical Mystery Tour" film project to give them something to do. John Lennon later said: "The Beatles were finished when Eppy died. I knew, deep inside me, that that was it. Without him, we'd had it."
August 30:
Brian Epstein's funeral in Liverpool. Close family members only. None of the Beatles attend.
10th Annual GRAMMY AWARDS - 1967
