"Free As A Bird"
Single by The Beatles
from the album Anthology 1
Released	December 4, 1995 (UK) December 31, 1995 (US)
Format	CD, 7"
Recorded	New York City, circa 1977 and Sussex, February-March 1994
Genre	Rock
Length	4:26
Label	Apple Records R6422 (UK) 58497 (US)
Producer(s)	Jeff Lynne, John Lennon (posthumously), Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr
Chart positions
2 (UK) 6 (US)
The Beatles singles chronology
"Baby It's You" (1995)	"Free As A Bird" (1995)	"Real Love" (1996)

"Free As A Bird" is a song, single and video released by The Beatles in December 1995 as part of their "reunion" and promotion around the release of the video documentary Anthology and their Anthology 1 compilation album. Image File history File links Cover of The Beatles single Free As A Bird. ... In music, a single is a short (usually ten minutes or less*) record, usually featuring one or two tracks as A-side, often accompanied by several B-sides, usually remixes or other songs. ... The Beatles were a pop and rock music group from Liverpool, England, who continue to be held in the very highest regard for their artistic achievements, their huge commercial success, and their groundbreaking role in the history of popular music. ... The Beatles Anthology 1 was released in late 1995, and includes tracks from their days as the Quarry Men, through the Decca auditions and the album Beatles for Sale. ... December 4 is the 338th day (339th on leap years) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: E pluribus unum (1789 to present) (Latin: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government • President • Vice President Federal republic George W... A compact disc (or CD) is an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio. ... A gramophone record, (also phonograph record - often simply record) is an analog sound recording medium: a flat disc rotating at a constant angular velocity, with inscribed spiral grooves in which a stylus or needle rides. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Sussex as a traditional county. ... Look up February in Wiktionary, the free dictionary February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Look up March in Wiktionary, the free dictionary March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars, a bass guitar, and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, trumpet, and trombone are common in some styles, however, horns have been omitted from newer subgenres of rock music since... A record label is a brand created by companies that specialize in producing, manufacturing, distributing and promoting audio and sometimes video recordings (especially music videos), on various formats including compact discs, LPs, DVD-Audio, SACDs, and cassettes. ... Apple Records logo, featuring a Granny Smith apple. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the performers, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Jeff Lynne (born December 30, 1947) in Birmingham, UK, is a British singer-songwriter and record producer. ... John Winston Ono Lennon (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980) was best known as a singer, songwriter, poet and guitarist for the English music group The Beatles. ... Paul McCartney on stage in Prague, June 6, 2004 Paul McCartney (born June 18, 1942; known formally as Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE or Sir Paul) is a British singer, musician and songwriter, who first came to prominence as a member of The Beatles. ... George Harrison, MBE (February 24, 1943 – November 29, 2001) was a popular British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer, and film producer, best known as a member of The Beatles. ... Richard Starkey, MBE (born July 7, 1940 in Liverpool, England), known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is a popular British musician, best known as drummer for The Beatles. ... Top 40 is a radio format based on frequent repetition of songs from a constantly-updated list of the forty best-selling singles. ... The Beatles were a pop and rock music group from Liverpool, England, who continue to be held in the very highest regard for their artistic achievements, their huge commercial success, and their groundbreaking role in the history of popular music. ... Baby Its You was a song recorded by The Shirelles and The Beatles. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Real Love is a song originally written and performed as a demo by John Lennon, later re-worked by the three remaining members (Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) of the Beatles in late 1995. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... In music, a single is a short (usually ten minutes or less*) record, usually featuring one or two tracks as A-side, often accompanied by several B-sides, usually remixes or other songs. ... The Beatles were a pop and rock music group from Liverpool, England, who continue to be held in the very highest regard for their artistic achievements, their huge commercial success, and their groundbreaking role in the history of popular music. ... Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... See also: 1994 in music, other events of 1995, 1996 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 18 - Jerry Garcia wrecks his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California. ... The Beatles Anthology is the name of a documentary series, a series of three albums and a book which focus on the history of the popular rock band The Beatles. ... The Beatles Anthology 1 was released in late 1995, and includes tracks from their days as the Quarry Men, through the Decca auditions and the album Beatles for Sale. ... A compilation album is a musical album featuring songs or tunes with some common characteristics. ...

Origins

"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 finalise and record the completed song. John Winston Ono Lennon (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980) was best known as a singer, songwriter, poet and guitarist for the English music group The Beatles. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Nickname: The Big Apple Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... Yoko Ono on the cover of her album Fly Yoko Ono Lennon (born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese musician and artist who has lived most of her life in the United States. ... Paul McCartney on stage in Prague, June 6, 2004 Paul McCartney (born June 18, 1942; known formally as Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE or Sir Paul) is a British singer, musician and songwriter, who first came to prominence as a member of The Beatles. ... George Harrison, MBE (February 24, 1943 – November 29, 2001) was a popular British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer, and film producer, best known as a member of The Beatles. ... Richard Starkey, MBE (born July 7, 1940 in Liverpool, England), known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is a popular British musician, best known as drummer for The Beatles. ...

The Beatles version

The Beatles' overdubs and production were recorded between February and March, 1994 in Sussex, England. According to interviews, the group imagined that Lennon had gone on holiday and had left the song for them to complete. Look up February in Wiktionary, the free dictionary February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Look up March in Wiktionary, the free dictionary March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Sussex is a traditional county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my [birth]right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked...

The song features a classic Beatles arrangement, layered with drums, guitars (acoustic and electric), bass guitar, piano, and harmonized Beatle voices. The recording bears a strong resemblance to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' 1991 song "Into the Great Wide Open," produced and co-written by "Free As A Bird"'s co-producer Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra. A drum kit (or drum set or trap set - the latter an old-fashioned term) is a collection of drums, cymbals and other percussion instruments arranged for convenient playing by a sole percussionist (drummer), usually for jazz, rock, or other types of contemporary music. ... A guitar is a stringed musical instrument characterized by its visually dominant body and neck. ... An acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the Classical guitar, but generally strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound. ... An electric guitar is a type of guitar with a solid or semi-solid body that utilizes electronic pickups to convert the vibration of the steel-cored strings into electrical current. ... Bass guitars typically have four strings instead of six as found on regular guitars. ... A grand piano A piano is a musical instrument which is classified as a keyboard, percussion or string instrument, depending on the system of classification used. ... Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (born October 20, 1953 in Gainesville, Florida) is an American musician. ... Jeff Lynne (born December 30, 1947) in Birmingham, UK, is a British singer-songwriter and record producer. ... The ELO Logo as seen on numerous music covers Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) was a successful Birmingham rock music group of the 1970s and 1980s. ...

The song ends with a slightly psychedelic coda including a strummed ukulele (an instrument for which McCartney and Harrison have expressed fondness) and the backward voice of John Lennon. The message, when played backward, is "Turned out nice again." According to McCartney, the reference was unintentional and was discovered only after the surviving Beatles completed the single and reviewed the result. Ukulele The ukulele (pronounced , or the Anglicised ), or uke, is a fretted string instrument which is, in its construction, essentially a smaller, four-stringed version of the guitar. ...

"Free as a Bird" won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and the video won the Award for Best Short Form Music Video. The Free As A Bird video was produced by Vincent Joliet and directed by Joe Pytka and depicts, from the point of view of a bird in flight, many references to other Beatles songs and events, including Blue Meanies, "Chairman Mao" Zedong, Eleanor Rigby's grave, and the Helter Skelter amusement park ride. The Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal has been awarded since 1966. ... The Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video has been awarded since 1984. ... Yellow Submarine is a 1966 song by the Beatles and a 1968 animated United Artists film based on the music of The Beatles. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Mao. ... Eleanor Rigby is a song by the Beatles, originally released on the album Revolver by EMI/Parlophone Records. ... This article is about the Beatles song. ...

The song debuted 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. The Beatles Anthology is the name of a documentary series, a series of three albums and a book which focus on the history of the popular rock band The Beatles. ... Current ITV logo. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is a television and radio network in the United States. ...

Track listings of the 7" and CD singles

The 7" single contains two tracks: In music, a single is a short (usually ten minutes or less*) record, usually featuring one or two tracks as A-side, often accompanied by several B-sides, usually remixes or other songs. ...

• "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.

The CD single contains four tracks: Jeff Lynne (born December 30, 1947) in Birmingham, UK, is a British singer-songwriter and record producer. ... A CD single is a music single in the form of a compact disc. ...

• "Free As A Bird" (4:26)
• "I Saw Her Standing There" (2:51)

By McCartney and Lennon. 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 12 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)