Drinks in hand, my companions surprised me by knowing most of the lyrics, and they sang along and danced

"It was 20 years ago today, Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play ..."

Actually, it was 50 years ago that The Beatles released the iconic album, the first of a format called the concept album, with each song telling a story that was loosely linked to the other songs.

Artist Peter Blake's front cover for Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was a masterpiece. The four Beatles - John, Paul, George and Ringo - were all dressed in exotic 19th century psychedelic silk uniforms and surrounded by a horde of celebrities and fellow rock stars.

It was a far cry from the lovable "mop top" image projected for the Fab Four previously, when they appeared smartly suited and booted on stage.

The album changed the face of pop music forever. Almost overnight a traditional four-piece group singing about girls and cars became passe.

Even the Rolling Stones, the exact opposite of the Beatles - (who can forget the UK tabloids saying most girls would rather take home a Beatle than an outrageous Rolling Stone, typified by a snarling and seriously antisocial Mick Jagger?) - jumped on the concept album band wagon with Their Satanic Majesties Request. It was not a massive success.

China, however, which must have the biggest population of pop music fans in the world these days, was missing out on the musical revolution of the late 1960s because of inner turmoil and lack of access.

But from what I read and hear, that seems to have changed.

One of the most sought-after acts in China at present is the Beijing Beatles, who faithfully recreate the huge Beatles songbook at their concerts, which I am told come complete with screaming fans.

A year or so ago, I was on a business trip with Chinese colleagues to Liverpool. We went to The Cavern, a famous place I hadn't visited in some 40 years.

The Cavern is a cellar complex beneath shops in one of Liverpool's cobblestone pedestrian precincts. There's a bar, tables and chairs, and a small, cramped stage. Unlike years ago, the brick-lined ceilings are covered in graffiti and signatures - one of my colleagues had to be restrained from jumping on a table to sign her name.

Drinks in hand, my companions surprised me by knowing most of the lyrics as they sang along and danced to a variety of acts, all of which had one thing in common - the repertoire of The Beatles.

Sadly, the nearest the real Beatles got to the Chinese mainland was a sold-out series of concerts in Hong Kong as part of their world tour in 1964. They were greeted at Kai Tak Airport by more than 1,000 screaming fans, and when Paul McCartney tried to have a walkabout in Kowloon, he was mobbed by fans and had to retreat back to his hotel.

A China visit by the Fab Four can never happen now, of course. George Harrison died of cancer in 2001; John Lennon was murdered in New York in 1980 by a deranged fan. McCartney still plays, as does drummer Ringo Starr. But thanks to digital technology, the music of The Beatles lives on, worldwide.

Chris Peterson is Managing Editor Europe, China Daily. Contact him at [email protected]