Flaming Lips’ ‘Sgt. Peppers’ Tribute Album Out this Fall
The Flaming Lips‘ track-for-track tribute to the Beatles‘ 1967 classic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, aptly titled With a Little Help From My Fwends, will see release on October 28th via Warner Bros.
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While that’s still a long time away, pre-orders for the LP begin May 18th and come with an instant download of the band’s rendition of “Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds,” which features Miley Cyrus and Moby. And if you can’t wait until then, you can watch Cyrus and the Flaming Lips‘ Wayne Coyne and Steve Drozd perform their version during Cyrus’ Bangerz tour Wednesday night.
Just like their 2009 tribute to Pink Floyd‘s Dark Side of the Moon, the Flaming Lips and a slew of collaborators recorded their own versions of every Sgt. Pepper’s cut for With a Little Help From My Fwends. Along with Cyrus (who also sings on “A Day in the Life”) and Moby, the album features contributions from Flaming Lips side project Electric Würms, and other musicians.
“It’s really just a lot of great friends of mine who are all contributing,” Coyne told Rolling Stone about the project. “Sometimes it’s two groups doing a song; sometimes it’s one. And it’s not always the Flaming Lips and someone; sometimes it’s just other groups. But I think all that’s gonna be great.” Coyne went on to mention that the band was working with Sean Lennon and My Morning Jacket, but didn’t clarify if those artists would appear on With a Little Help From My Fwends.
A portion of the proceeds from the tribute album will go to Bella Foundation, which helps low-income, elderly or terminally ill pet owners in the Lips’ hometown of Oklahoma City pay for veterinary care. As Coyne explained, the animal welfare situation in Oklahoma City is quite dire, and he hopes With a Little Help From My Fwends will be able to help in some small part.
“I’ve never seen another city that has as many homeless animals as here,” he said. “People are like, ‘Why do you do Beatles songs?’ and I’m like, ‘Because people love them.’ I think it’ll generate a lot of interest. Five years from now, maybe we won’t have this problem, where all these dogs and cats are being destroyed at the animal shelters. I mean, it’s sickening.”