Written by Lennon and based on a 19th century circus poster John bought from an antique shop in 1967. Mr Kite was William Kite, a circus performer. It is one of the most complex songs of Sgt. Pepper and one with the active participation of the fifth Beatle George Martin. Lennon wanted the piece to have a “carnival atmosphere”, because he told producer George Martin that he wanted the song “Smelled like sawdust.” After trying unsuccessfully with multiple recordings and much experimentation with “circus” instruments, Martin is said to have literally cut the tape into pieces and then randomly put it back together. Although Lennon, as so many times originally stated that he was not proud of the melody, in 1980 he described the song as “pure, like a painting, a pure watercolor”.
