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Free as a Bird
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Free as a Bird" | |||||
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| Single by The Beatles from the album Anthology 1 |
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| B-side | "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" | ||||
| Released | 4 December 1995 (UK) 12 December 1995 (US) |
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| Format | 7", CD | ||||
| Recorded | New York City, circa 1977 and Sussex, February-March 1994 | ||||
| Genre | Rock | ||||
| Length | 4:26 | ||||
| Label | Apple Records | ||||
| Producer | Jeff Lynne, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr | ||||
| The Beatles singles chronology | |||||
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"Free as a Bird" is a song, single and video released by The Beatles in December 1995 as part of their "reunion" and promotion for the release of the video documentary Anthology and their Anthology 1 compilation album.
Contents |
"Free as a Bird" was originally a piece of music that John Lennon composed, but never completed. The original Lennon recording was made circa 1977 in New York City. Yoko Ono gave a basic recording of the unfinished music to the remaining Beatles (Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) who reunited to finalize and record the completed song.
The Beatles' overdubs and production were recorded between February and March 1994 in Sussex, England. According to interviews, the group treated the song as though Lennon had gone on holiday and had left the song for them to complete. The original demo had to be stretched and cleaned up, as Lennon's voice was notably shaky and slightly out of time.
The song features a classic Beatles arrangement, layered with drums, guitars (acoustic and electric), bass guitar, piano, and harmonized Beatle voices.
It ends with a slightly psychedelic coda including a strummed ukulele (an instrument for which McCartney and Harrison have expressed fondness[1]) and the backward voice of John Lennon. The message, when played backward, is "Turned out nice again", which was the catch-phrase of George Formby, whom Harrison and Lennon admired. This line has been noticed by many fans as it sounds like it is saying 'made by John Lennon'. Most fans believed this was intended to be the case, until it was revealed it was in fact simply the phrase 'Turned out nice again' being played backwards. According to McCartney, the result was unintentional and was discovered only after the surviving Beatles completed the single and reviewed the result. [2]
The video won the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video. It was produced by Vincent Joliet and directed by Joe Pytka (Space Jam) and depicts, from the point of view of a bird in flight, many references to other Beatles songs and events. Sixties-era footage of The Beatles themselves appears several times along the clip.
On the Beatles Anthology DVD set extra material, Pytka relates how George Harrison, who played the ukulele on the song, asked to be allowed to play the ukulele player — who is seen only from behind — but the director refused, as he felt it would be wrong for any "new" Beatles to appear in the video. Pytka explained that after Harrison's death in 2001, and on discovering that it was he who played the instrument rather than it having been a sample of an old song, he regretted not having allowed Harrison to play the role.
The song was released in November 1995, the promotional video being broadcast during episode one of "The Beatles Anthology" that aired on ITV in the UK and ABC in the US. Its release was criticized by some commentators as an unimpressive track, owing less to The Beatles than Jeff Lynne, being used as a publicity gimmick, or cashing in on The Beatles brand.[3] However, "Free as a Bird" later won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
- John Lennon – lead vocal, piano
- Paul McCartney – lead vocal, backing vocal, piano, acoustic guitar, bass guitar
- George Harrison – lead vocal, backing vocal, acoustic guitar, lead guitar, ukulele
- Ringo Starr – drums
- 7" UK: R6422 / US: NR-58497
- "Free as a Bird" – 2:42
- Original composition by Lennon; Beatles version by Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starkey.
- Produced by Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Starkey and Jeff Lynne.
- "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" – 3:02
- By Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starkey.
- Music recorded 28 November, 1967 at EMI Studios, London. Greetings recorded 6 December, 1966 at EMI Studios, London.
- CD UK: CDR6422 / US: CDP 58497
- "Free as a Bird" – 4:26
- "I Saw Her Standing There" – 2:51
- By Lennon and McCartney Recorded 11 February, 1963 at EMI Studios, London. Produced by George Martin.
- This version (take 9) was recorded before the more familiar version released as an album track on Please Please Me. The introductory count-in from take 9 was actually edited onto the start of take 1 to create the version that can be heard on the Please Please Me album.
- "This Boy" – 3:17
- By Lennon and McCartney. Recorded 17 October, 1963 at EMI Studios, London. Produced by George Martin.
- Here are two fun, but incomplete, versions (takes 12 and 13) of this song; both of them break down in laughter.
- "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" – 3:02
- ^ Montagne, Renee. "Paul McCartney Gets Back to the Beatles", National Public Radio, 26 November 2002. Retrieved on 26 February 2007.
- ^ O'Hagan, Sean. "Macca beyond", Observer, 18 September 2005. Retrieved on 26 February 2007.
- ^ Do they believe in yesterday? Caroline Sullivan reports from the Savoy Hotel on the launch of the second wave of Beatlemania -- article from The Guardian, November 21, 1995