THE BEATLES - FREE AS A BIRD

Released : December 4, 1995

Charted:  UK: #2  US: #6 

 "Free as a Bird" stands as a unique collaboration, with the surviving Beatles coming together to produce a studio version of John Lennon's 1977 home demo. Released in 1995, it symbolizes a poignant reunion and a musical bridge across the years, allowing the band to weave Lennon's earlier work into a posthumous collaboration.

The release of "Free as a Bird" was part of The Beatles Anthology project, featuring contributions from Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, along with additional work by Jeff Lynne. As part of their collaboration, McCartney sought unreleased material from John Lennon, resulting in three songs— "Free as a Bird," "Real Love," and "Now and Then"—where the surviving Beatles contributed to Lennon's original recordings for the Anthology project. This initiative was associated with The Beatles Anthology video documentary and the Anthology 1 compilation album.

The collaborative effort to bring "Free as a Bird" to life began when McCartney, Harrison, and Starr initially intended to contribute background music as a trio for The Beatles Anthology project. However, the desire to create "new music" led them to consider incorporating unreleased material by John Lennon but Yoko Ono has been very protective of Lennon's legacy. McCartney approached Ono who finally provided cassette tapes with four songs. 

The decision to work on Lennon's demos was made before McCartney's visit to New York for Lennon's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. McCartney, Harrison, and Starr wanted to avoid replacing any Beatles member and considered Lennon the only possible addition. Ono shared the tapes with McCartney, and the collaborative process began with an agreement not to impose too many conditions, given the spiritual and emotional challenges of the project. Ono recognised that she was now in a position of bringing the band back together after previously being criticised for splitting them up. This is one of the few projects she has authorized on Lennon’s behalf.

Jeff Lynne's involvement in producing the song brought a distinct touch to the project. Merging John Lennon's original vocal with additional contributions from Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr was a complex task, showcasing Lynne's skill in shaping the final version of the track.