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Author Topic: Free As A Bird  (Read 5662 times)

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nimrod

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Free As A Bird
« on: October 30, 2015, 10:39:43 PM »

I absolutely love this song (and the video), it has a gorgeous melody and lyric, but I wonder if Paul shouldve sang lead vocal and George the bridge....instead of the scratchy demo by John, I mean John would be there as writer and acoustic rhythm guitar so it wouldve still been the 4 of them.

For me the vocal, which was from a home-made cassette wasnt good enough for release and surely John would never have sanctioned it, he really made it like a person would take notes for them self or for another muso to use to learn the song.

What do you think ?
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Kevin

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Klang

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2015, 10:54:24 PM »


I was always surprised that they couldn't have isolated and refined John's vocal part better. Sure it was the 90s and the digital technology wasn't what it is today, but it wasn't quite the dark ages either. It just seems to me it could have been done better.

Would the public have accepted it without John's solo vocal parts? Hard to say, but I doubt it. I think it would have been expected, albeit better than it was actually done.

I love it too. Of course, it was the closest we could get to a full reunion, and that was a great thing to get. I like 'Real Love' better, though.

 :)

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tkitna

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2015, 11:48:12 PM »

I love the song too and I remember being p*ssed that it didn't go to number 1.   ha2ha

Moogmodule

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2015, 12:20:09 AM »

I thinks it's a lovely song too. And agree that Johns voice recording is too poor for a Beatles release. It's almost not there in parts as its been cleaned and phased and heavens knows what. I think Paul could have done a nice job with it with George helping. It might not have had the same impact as bringing John back from the grave, but it would have been a better recorded legacy imo.

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stevie

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2015, 12:44:45 AM »

I've told this story before but always worth repeating...

When we visited Liverpool in 1997, we did the Beatles Story museum. Free As A Bird was playing in the background but when I was looking at John's piano, it comes to George's solo which I love and I had this moment of 'being'. The sound of that first guitar note of the solo, the way it comes in over the harmonies - like a bird on wing I guess - is truly magic and it evokes this memory of the Beatles even though it's a new song lol.

Not as special as hearing - and crying - when Penny Lane plays on the Magical Mystery Tour bus, while driving in said street but sorta close.
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Hello Goodbye

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2015, 01:22:37 AM »

The song and video are magnificent.  I like how John's vocal sounds.  It has an ethereal tone to it; appropriate for the one absent Beatle at the time.
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Moogmodule

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2015, 02:23:11 AM »

The song and video together are a great package HG.

I think that Free as a Bird was a great album track more than a single. Whereas Real Love was closer to a genuine single.   Real Love seems to have demonstrated wider appeal over time. Several cover versions are around. Unfortunately, many people use Free as a Bird as a throwaway line to illustrate that bands shouldn't reform.
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oldbrownshoe

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2015, 08:06:56 AM »

I think I still like 'Real Love' more than 'Free As A Bird' but there's no doubt that the first single was a real event when it came out.
That said, I much prefer the 'Baby It's You' EP, with a lead vocal from all four lads, from earlier in 1995!

I hated the 1980s with a passion, but the time when I finally washed my hands of anything to do with the present day was when the British public bought more copies of a truly dire Michael Jackson single (urgh) to stop the best thing that has ever happened to the country (i.e. The Beatles) getting to No. 1.
'That's it, you're on your own!'

I don't think I was the only one, I rather think Jarvis Cocker thought the same way too.
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tkitna

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2015, 08:52:59 AM »

As much as I love 'Free As A Bird' I hate 'Real Love' even more.  Its one of the most boring songs I've ever heard.

Bingo Bongo

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #9 on: November 01, 2015, 02:12:49 PM »

The song and video are magnificent.  I like how John's vocal sounds.  It has an ethereal tone to it; appropriate for the one absent Beatle at the time.
That’s how I feel too.  icon_good
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Mr Mustard

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #10 on: November 01, 2015, 06:59:44 PM »

As much as I love 'Free As A Bird' I hate 'Real Love' even more.  Its one of the most boring songs I've ever heard.

Sorry Todd, I have to flip that right around.

"Free As A Bird" is a boring plodder with a zombiefied, sleepwalking beat (was Ringo on Mogadon?)

Such a shame that "Real Love" - a genuinely warm, tuneful melody with a better recorded vocal and a much more Beatley sound - was not released as THE fanfare single back in 1995.
I'm convinced it would have gone to number one.
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nimrod

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #11 on: November 01, 2015, 09:55:16 PM »

The song and video are magnificent.  I like how John's vocal sounds.  It has an ethereal tone to it; appropriate for the one absent Beatle at the time.

you mean ethereal like he's singing into the toilet and being recorded with a dictaphone  ;D

Its just not good enough imo and doesnt 'go' with the rest of the record which has a great sound, Georges guitar throughout is superb as is his and Pauls singing, the only thing that doesnt fit in is Johns scratchy vocal
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Kevin

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Hello Goodbye

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #12 on: November 01, 2015, 10:54:55 PM »

you mean ethereal like he's singing into the toilet and being recorded with a dictaphone  ;D


Yeah, Kev.  Maybe they wanted to recreate his Hamburg sound...





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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #13 on: November 02, 2015, 09:39:13 AM »

Lovely video.

I was disappointed when I heard the song coming up on the radio. Too much Jeff Lynne for me. It didn't sound like The Beatles at all.
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Fab4Fan

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #14 on: November 03, 2015, 02:35:25 AM »

Sorry Todd, I have to flip that right around.

"Free As A Bird" is a boring plodder with a zombiefied, sleepwalking beat (was Ringo on Mogadon?)

Such a shame that "Real Love" - a genuinely warm, tuneful melody with a better recorded vocal and a much more Beatley sound - was not released as THE fanfare single back in 1995.
I'm convinced it would have gone to number one.

I agree w/ Mr. Mustard on this one.  To me, Free As A Bird (which I like) is bluesy which is not what the Beatles were known for. Real Love, on the other hand, is a happier, peppier song and best exemplifies what the Beatles are known for.  I, too, think it should have been the first of the "new" singles released back in '95.
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real01

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #15 on: November 03, 2015, 08:38:34 AM »

I like them both.
And I like that the three remaining Beatles have chosen songs about love and freedom, that is, song about feeling free.
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Bingo Bongo

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #16 on: November 09, 2015, 07:25:46 PM »

I absolutely love this song (and the video)

Sounds like your gonna love the new (Nov.06) released version even more. icon_good
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BeatleFan

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #17 on: June 25, 2016, 08:01:36 AM »

They could have easily released John's Real Love demo, as heard on the John Lennon Anthology set, no problems. That take is right up there as one of the best things John ever recorded. But I understand their need to include all the group members on the official recording. I still find myself listening to it quite a bit. But I still prefer Free As A Bird. Both songs have a melancholic sense of longing about them.
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KelMar

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Re: Free As A Bird
« Reply #18 on: June 29, 2016, 12:28:26 AM »

They could have easily released John's Real Love demo, as heard on the John Lennon Anthology set, no problems.

When I put Anthology 2 on my iPod I replaced the released version with the demo. That's how much I like it.
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