PETER BLAKE RECREATES SGT.PEPPER´S COVER WITH FAMILY,FRIENDS & ICONS

It was the design which changed the face of album covers for ever.Peter Blake’s artwork for Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band combined the Beatles with world figures from Karl Marx to Laurel and Hardy.

45 years on, only two of the Fab Four survive and vinyl records seem part of distant history for most young music fans with their downloads and iPods.

All change:Peter Blake's new artwork where he selects the British cultural icons of his life to mark his 80th birthday

SO HOW MANY OF THE 2012 SGT PEPPER FIGURES DO YOU RECOGNISE?

1. Amy Winehouse, singer, who died last year. 2. Sir Paul Smith, fashion designer. 3. Ian Curtis, Joy Division singer who committed suicide in 1980. 4. Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Gromit. 5. Robin Day, furniture designer, died November 2010. 6. Lucienne Day, textile designer, wife of Robin, died in 2010. 7. Francis Bacon, painter, died 1992. 8. Roald Dahl, children’s author, died 1990. 9. Alfred Hitchcock, film director, died April 1980. 10. Lucian Freud, painter, died last July. 11. Kate Moss, model. 12. Paul Weller, rock musician. 13. Sir Tom Stoppard, playwright. 14. Danny Boyle, film maker. 15. Sir Mick Jagger. 16. Fanny Cradock, cook and writer, died 1994. 17. Mr Chow, restaurateur. 18. Sir David Chipperfield, architect. 19. Harold Pinter, playwright, died 2008. 20. David Bailey, photographer. 21. Mary Quant, fashion designer. 22. Anish Kapoor, sculptor. 23. J K Rowling, author. 24. J R R Tolkien, author, died 1973. 25. Robyn Hitchcock, musician. 26. Sir Terence Conran, designer. 27. John Peel, DJ and writer, died 2004. 28. Martin Parr, photographer. 29. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web. 30. John Hurt, actor. 31. Rick Stein, chef. 32. Sir Jonathan Ive, Apple designer. 33. Sir David Lean, film director, died 1991. 34. Sir David Attenborough, natural history film-maker. 35. Bridget Riley, painter. 36. Sir Terence Rattigan, dramatist, died 1977. 37. Richard Curtis, comedy film writer, producer and director.
38. Tommy Steele, singer and actor. 39. Mark Hix, restaurateur. 40. Vidal Sassoon, hairdresser. 41. Sir Ridley Scott, film director.
42. Justin de Villeneuve, Twiggy’s ex-manager. 43. Lord (Norman) Foster, architect. 44. Peter Saville, graphic designer. 45. Tracey Emin, artist.
46. Sir Paul McCartney. 47. Gavin Turk, artist. 48. Barbara Hulanicki, fashion designer. 49. Agatha Christie, crime writer, died in 1976.
50. Delia Smith, cookery writer. 51. David Bowie. 52. Twiggy, model. 53. Audrey Hepburn, actress, died 1993. 54. Gary Oldman, actor. 55. Damien Hirst, artist. 56. Stella McCartney, fashion designer. 57. Mary McCartney, photographer. 58. Alexander McQueen, fashion designer, died 2010. 59. Dame Vivienne Westwood, fashion designer. 60. Dame Helen Mirren, actress. 61. Grayson Perry, artist. 62. Wreckless Eric, rock singer. 63. David Hockney, artist. 64. Eric Clapton, guitarist. 65. Ian Dury, singer, died 2000. 66. Sir Elton John. 67. Chris Corbin, restaurateur.
68. Jeremy King, restaurateur. 69. Dame Shirley Bassey, singer. 70. Noel Gallagher, Oasis frontman. 71. Lord (Richard) Rogers, architect.
72. Elvis Costello, rock musician. 73. Liberty Blake, daughter of Sir Peter. 74. Chrissy Blake, Sir Peter’s second wife. 75. Sir Peter Blake.
76. Rose Blake, daughter of Sir Peter. 77. Daisy Blake, daughter of Sir Peter. 78. Foot from Monty Python animations.

Yet Blake, now Sir Peter, is still going strong and to mark his 80th birthday this year he has produced an updated and patriotic version of his most famous creation.

British artists, film directors and actors, musicians, writers, fashion designers and chefs are all represented.

In the original 1967 work, the Beatles form the centrepiece wearing colourful military-style outfits while their wax models also feature. However, in the 2012 piece, the faces of Ringo Starr and the late John Lennon and George Harrison have all been omitted.And even Sir Paul McCartney has been relegated to the third row – one behind his daughters Stella, the fashion designer, and Mary, the photographer.Blake, known as the Godfather of Pop Art, has put his own face and images of his family where the Fab Four once stood.

The original album cover for Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band released in 1967

Sir Peter said: ‘I’ve chosen people I admire, great people and some who are dear friends. I had a very long list of people who I wanted to go in but couldn’t fit everyone in. I think that shows how strong British culture is and its legacy over the last six decades.’

The Beatles were allowed to pick some of their favourites for the 1967 version, including Marilyn Monroe, Bob Dylan, Marlon Brando and Marlene Dietrich.Lennon went for Hitler, Gandhi and Jesus, who were all dropped for being too controversial.

The original Sgt Pepper cover was made by cutting pieces of cardboard and then colouring them by hand. The new version is computer-generated.The artwork will go on display in July during Blake’s 80th birthday celebrations at the Vintage Festival at Boughton House, Northamptonshire.

Sir Peter Blake in his west London studio last December with his design for this year's Brit awards; Sir Peter (right) with Paul and Linda McCartney in 1987 at a party to celebrate 20 years since the release of the Sgt Pepper album

(dailymail)