“Sons of Pepper”: Beatles Offspring Come Together

Spread Love

The latest installment in an annual April tradition…

 

April 1, 2026. Next Friday sees the release of a Beatles cover album that fans have been dreaming about for ages, but never expected to happen—mostly because it seemed like a terrible idea. Sons of Pepper, the self-titled debut of a Beatles offspring supergroup, consists of Sean Lennon, James McCartney, Dhani Harrison, and Zak Starkey.

The origins of Sons of Pepper read less like a rock-and-roll origin story and more like the world’s most surreal family reunion. Two years ago, Lennon and McCartney—the sons, not the fathers—collaborated on an acoustic ballad called “Primrose Hill.” The following year, Zak Starkey invited them both to contribute to “Rip Off,” a track for his psychedelic band Mantra of the Cosmos, his supergroup with Happy Mondays members Shaun Ryder and Bez, and Andy Bell of Ride.

When asked at the time whether he planned to invite Dhani Harrison to join, Starkey was emphatic: absolutely not. He had zero interest in forming a band of Beatles’ children.

Last July, the four sons were brought together when Tom Greene, the newly appointed CEO of Apple Corps, invited them to a meeting and then brought them all to Abbey Road for a private preview of an upcoming Dolby Atmos remix of Rubber Soul.

“We were all pointing out parts from each other’s fathers,” explained Lennon. “I’d say to Dhani, ‘Listen to that cool guitar lick your Dad played,’ and James would ask Zak, ‘How did your Dad come up with that part?'” He paused. “It was mostly us complimenting each other’s dads.”

Four grown men sitting in a dark room telling each other their fathers were cool. Rock and roll.

Not long after, Lennon reached out to Harrison about the idea of a Beatles’ sons’ album. Harrison was intrigued, but raised the obvious concern: how could they do this without suffering endless comparisons to their fathers’ band?

On a Zoom call, the solution emerged: they would cover Beatles songs not normally associated with their respective fathers, in completely different styles. This was considered a novel approach and not, as some have suggested, the premise of every tribute album ever made.

After this conversation, the song list began to take shape. Roles were mostly divided along predictable genetic lines. McCartney would play bass. Harrison would play guitar. Starkey would play drums. Lennon would play keyboards, with occasional guitar. All four would contribute vocals.

There was one final question—who would produce the album? “There was really only one choice,” said Harrison, “and that was Giles Martin. When we reached out to him, he was overjoyed to participate.” Martin, of course, is the son of the late George Martin, the Beatles’ longtime producer—meaning the hereditary theme of the project extended all the way to the production booth.

The resulting album pays homage to the Beatles’ songs from across their entire career while restyling them in significant ways. McCartney sings George’s “Think for Yourself” but as a slow string-laden ballad. Starkey transforms John’s “Dear Prudence” into a psychedelic dreamscape with help from his Mantra of the Cosmos bandmates. Harrison tackles Paul’s “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” reimagining it in the style of an Indian raga, featuring guest appearances from sitar master Ravi Shankar’s daughters—Anoushka Shankar on sitar and Norah Jones on backing vocals. Meanwhile, Lennon gives Ringo’s “Octopus’s Garden” the full techno treatment. The other nine tracks continue the idea of presenting familiar Beatles songs in completely different ways. A host of additional guest artists—from Duo Lipa to “Weird Al” Yankovic—accompany the Sons in their tour through Beatlemania.

A ninety-minute accompanying documentary, The Birth of the Sons of Pepper, will premiere on Disney+ on the same day. In a development that will shock absolutely no one at this point, it too is a family affair: directed by Paul’s daughter Mary McCartney, with hair and makeup by Ringo’s daughter Lee Starkey, and narrated by Sean’s half-brother Julian Lennon.

A special deluxe edition of the album includes a second disc featuring a song-by-song audio commentary, as well as a bonus experimental track, Revolution Ten, performed by all four Sons, alongside the ten grandchildren of Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney.

This Friday brings a double unveiling: the cover art, a tribute to the original Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band cover, styled by Paul’s fashion designer daughter Stella McCartney, and a video for the lead single, a disco-flavored “She Loves You” featuring James McCartney along with Doja Cat on vocals.

COMPLETE TRACK LIST

  1. “I Saw Her Standing There” — Lead vocal: Starkey with Dave Grohl (backing vocals)
  2. “Think For Yourself” — Lead vocal: McCartney with the Liverpool String Orchestra
  3. “No Reply” — Lead vocal: Harrison with Cardi B (rap)
  4. “Octopus’s Garden” — Lead vocal: Lennon with Trombone Shorty (trombone)
  5. “Eight Days a Week” — Lead vocal: Starkey with “Weird Al” Yankovic (accordion)
  6. “Hey Bulldog” — Lead vocal: McCartney with St. Vincent (guitar and backing vocals)
  7. “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” — Lead vocal: Harrison with Anoushka Shankar (sitar) and Norah Jones (backing vocals)
  8. “Yesterday” — Lead vocal: Lennon with Dua Lipa (backing vocals)
  9. “Dear Prudence” — Lead vocal: Starkey with Mantra of the Cosmos
  10. “She Loves You” — Lead vocal: McCartney with Doja Cat (backing vocals)
  11. “Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey” — Lead vocal: Lennon with Chris Stapleton (backing vocals)
  12. “All My Loving” — Lead vocal: Harrison with Jon Batiste (piano)
  13. “Tomorrow Never Knows” — Lead vocals: Harrison and Starkey with Fistful of Mercy

DELUXE EDITION BONUS TRACK

  1. “Revolution Ten” — featuring all four Sons and Beatles’ grandchildren
  2. Audio commentary

-Scott Freiman

Fair use image of the Sgt Pepper album cover

Editor’s Note: Just in case, we invite you to check the date on this post…

 

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Scott Freiman

Scott Freiman

Scott Freiman is a composer, producer, musician, teacher, tech entrepreneur, and Beatleologist. In his copious spare time, he dreams up articles for CultureSonar. Sometimes, he actually writes them.

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  3. If Sons of Pepper wanted to sound anything like The Beatles they should have included Julian Lennon. If not included then Sean should have been excluded. How about a remake with Yoko Ono and Chuck Berry? Well, there’s always YouTube.

  4. That was a good read. Even though it was an April Fool joke, I have to hand it to you: terrific creative work. Well done.

  5. My disappointment is shared equally between my sadness that this isn’t happening to my disappointment with myself for being do naive.
    This is not humor, this is cruelty!🫠

  6. (1) As already mentioned, add Julian to the band (not just narrating the doc; have you at least listened to “Valotte”?) — maybe when you post a revised version next April.
    (2) The standard, philosophically pleasing response to the standard, annoyingly scold-like screams of “Why?” …. ….
    “WHY NOT”

  7. Ya got me, Scott….
    I was reading this with increasingly keen interest, because you have never steered me wrong before.
    And then the dagger was thrust through my heart.
    Yep…….Ya got me…….
    And now I’m sad…..

  8. Which Lennon will be included on the album? It seems to me that it should be Julian since he was the first born, and the most like his father, musically. Actually, both Julian and Shawn should be included.

  10. Hi Scott, I got so excited (even went to Amazon) until I read the fine print below. Nice prank – but a little cruel 😭

  12. Oh no you are too cruel.

    Such a fantastic build up with extraordinary expectations of the talented CotB woth GCotB as well and then you go and shoot it all down like the Iranians bobbing for the American apples of their F15-E aircraft.

    Darn 0104yy fun…
    Thanks though I did enjoy what may never be.

  13. Funny but you should not have given it away at the end – would’ve been amusing to see comments from the hoodwinked. But you know there’s probably someone at EMI saying “Hey, that’s not a bad idea!” 🙂

  15. I knew from the start it was an April Fool’s article because I saw the date on it. And it was obvious there’s no way all of them would get together, and certainly no way all of those artists would join in on it. However, it was amusing. Sons of Pepper is probably a name they should consider if they ever do do an album like this. You probably should have swapped Julian Lennon for Sean Lennon, as Julian has more musical credits. Having Stella McCartney design the costumes was a good move and added to the potential believability. Overall, I’ll give you an A for effort. It was quite humorous. Maybe it will inspire them to put out an actual album. I’ll buy it.

  18. A cruel joke. I’ve always wondered what ALL of the kids could do together. Im pissed. Not a joke to a lot of Beatles fans I bet.

  20. Incredibly detailed article and if you read it a few days after being published, it’s even more effective. Well done!

  22. You had me going and I was very excited.
    However, Excuse the pun here,”I should have known better”.

  23. Can’t wait for the release of this album, ( before everybody reminds me , I know its an April fools joke ) But given the musical talents of these guys , im betting they have jammed together. And im betting some recordings have been made. Nothing studio , but let’s face it they all have access to recording equipment. I might not hear it in my lifetime, but something will eventually come out. Mark my words.

    • They could call it what it is….”SONS OF BEATLES”or ….. wait for it wait for it
      SOBs for short!

  26. Hear me out. I hate April Fools Days . I think scams are cruel and beyond pointless. And I love the Beatles as any sane fellow 72 -year -old must . But I just so happen to surprisingly LOVE this tom foolery because not only did you totally HAVE me going but you executed this with intelligence, heart , wit , thrills, great timing and rhythm , and exhibited the MERCY to tip us off in the lead sentence ( which initially blew right past me) Andy ou relieved us of our fast-racing imagination by owning up to the joke at the end . And you proved my damning dictum wrong . I’m left to surmise that April Fools pranks are NOT ALL mean-spirited wastes of time after all. You entertained the hell outta me! Thanks . I needed that . So artfully written and so well played ! Bravo !

  29. You really had me. Very well forged/crafted. Wishful thinking. However, by now we all (beatlemaniacs) have learned the hard way that dream is over. For good.

    Beatlemania!
    MJO

  31. As time goes by, I always wished I could see Paul, Ringo, Julian & Dhani play for at least one time… a dream come true for me…