Free As A Bird

Track list

Side 1

1. Free As A Bird

   Written by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison

   4:26 • Studio version • A

   Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Vocals Ringo Starr : Drums, Producer, Vocals John Lennon : Piano, Producer, Vocals Jeff Lynne : Guitar, Harmony vocals, Producer George Harrison : Acoustic guitar, Electric slide guitar, Producer, Ukulele, Vocals

   Recording : Circa 1977 • Studio New York

   Session Recording: February / March 1994 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK

2. I Saw Her Standing There

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   2:52 • Alternate take • C • Take 9. The 1963 master of "I Saw Her Standing There" was Take 1, with Paul's energetic "1-2-3-4" count-in from Take 9 tacked on the front. Issued here for the first time is the full Take 9.

   George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Remix engineer Norman Smith : Recording engineer

   Session Recording: Feb 11, 1963 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road

3. This Boy

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   3:18 • Studio version • C • Takes 12 and 13. An eavesdrop into the recording session for This Boy featuring the incomplete takes 12 and 13.

   George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Remix engineer Norman Smith : Recording engineer

   Session Recording: Oct 17, 1963 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road

4. Christmas Time (Is Here Again)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison

   3:03 • Studio version • B • Stereo • From 1963 to 1969 the Beatles gave members of their official fan club a special gift at Christmas: a record unavailable elsewhere. The 1967 disc was titled Christmas Time (Is Here Again) and extracts from a song of that name were scattered among the sketches. Issued here for the first time is an uninterrupted recording of the number. Superimposed near the end are some spoken-word seasonal greetings, taped in 1966, followed by a John Lennon pastiche.

   Paul McCartney : Piano, Vocals Ringo Starr : Drums, Vocals John Lennon : Timpani, Vocals George Harrison : Acoustic guitar, Vocals George Martin : Producer, Vocals Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer, Remix engineer Mal Evans : Spoken words Victor Spinetti : Vocals Richard Lush : Second engineer

   Session Recording: Nov 28, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road

   Session Mixing: Circa 1995

From Wikipedia:

“Free as a Bird” was premiered on BBC Radio 1 in the early hours of 20 November 1995. It was released as a single in the UK on 4 December 1995, two weeks after its appearance on the Anthology 1 album. The single sold 120,000 copies in its first week, entering the UK Singles Chart at No. 2. It remained on the chart for eight weeks. In the US, the song reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming The Beatles’ 34th Top 10 single in America. It was the group’s first Top 10 song in the U.S. in nineteen and a half years, the longest span for the group between Top 10 hits since first charting in America in 1964.