Robert Fraser (art dealer) first met John Lennon. Fraser art-directed the cover for The Beatles' 1967 LP "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" – he dissuaded the group from using the original design, a psychedelic artwork created by the design collective The Fool, instead suggesting the pop artist, Peter Blake, who created the famous collage cover design. Fraser also gave McCartney a small painting of an apple by René Magritte which is believed to have been the inspiration for the name and logo of the Beatles' record company, Apple Records. It was also through Fraser that Richard Hamilton was selected to design the poster
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band of Invention has also been cited as having influenced "Sgt. Pepper". According to the author Philip Norman, during the "Sgt. Pepper" recording sessions McCartney repeatedly stated: "This is our "Freak Out!"" The music journalist Chet Flippo states that McCartney was inspired to record a concept album after hearing "Freak Out!" Martin recalled that "Sgt. Pepper" "grew naturally out of "Revolver"", marking "an era of almost continuous technological experimentation". According to Geoff Emerick, the Beatles' recording engineer, the "major difference" between the two albums was that, with "Sgt. Pepper", there was no absolute deadline for completion. Sessions began on 24 November