While the film gives more than enough time to the then ubiquitous George Burns to croak and shuffle his way through "Fixin' A Hole", there is also the presence of Billy Preston doing a joyful "Get Back", providing Sgt. Pepper with the one cast member who could actually both sing and dance. Steven Martin's version of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is too broad by half. I even have to wonder if by the end of 1978, who remembered Sandy Farina as Peter Frampton's screen love, Strawberry Fields. There was also the thought that Prince may have seen Sgt. Pepper, as Stargard were performing in skimpy outfits like his future proteges.

As for the actual band, Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees stand in for The Beatles. Frampton was a big star back in 1978. I even saw him in concert. In retrospect, his voice was passable, but Frampton was a better guitar player than singer. The Brothers Gibb have improved with age. Maybe I'm more sensitive to their vocal harmony now then I was then. If their version of "Nowhere Man" is not quite as good as the version The Mamas and the Papas did on "Hullabaloo" , it's only because Cass Elliot had a voice that could soar higher and louder. Each of the brothers has a solo, but there's a poignancy when Maurice is onscreen. It's the harmonics of the Bee Gees that remain impressive after all these years, making Sgt. Pepper one of those rare movies that's better heard than seen.