McCartney celebrates ‘Pepper’ with a show

Paul McCartney returned to Liverpool on the 41st anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album for a concert in which he saluted former songwriting partner John Lennon by singing “A Day in the Life” while Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono watched from the audience.

It was, according to McCartney’s spokesman, the first time he has publicly sung the album-closing song that was written primarily by Lennon. McCartney muffed one line midway through -- ironically during the brief section of the composition that he wrote. In a clip of Sunday’s performance posted on YouTube, McCartney chuckles, moves on and then segues into Lennon’s antiwar anthem “Give Peace a Chance.”

McCartney also gave a nod to George Harrison by including “Something,” played on ukulele, Harrison’s instrument of choice for living-room jam sessions. His widow, Olivia Harrison, also attended the concert, which drew an estimated 36,000 people to Anfield Stadium. .

-- Randy Lewis