The Beatles Free As a BirdWatch at the source
The Beatles Anthology project was a huge undertaking and to complement the historical and archival material that was made available both on CD and on video, the band recorded two new tracks. Released in December 1995, ‘Free As A Bird’ was the first of the new songs. Instead of recording a completely new composition together, Paul, George and Ringo created a track based on John’s 1977 demo, recorded at his and Yoko’s home in the Dakota in New York City.
Jeff Lynne, a good friend of George Harrison’s and a fellow member of the Travelling Wilburys, was drafted in to help with production. The ‘Free As A Bird’ video had it’s first public outing on America’s ABC TV on Sunday November 19th 1995, and the track was subsequently aired on BBC Radio 1 the day after – the day before Anthology came out. The single release followed two weeks later and made No.2 on the UK charts, while in the US ‘Free As A Bird’ enjoyed an 11-week run on the best-seller list, peaking at No.5.
Joe Pytka, a talented American filmmaker who had made several music videos with Michael Jackson, directed the beautiful video. The visual concept was a ‘bird’s-eye-view’ of countless Beatles songs.
The Beatles performing "Free As A Bird."
Time to test your knowledge of The Beatles. The ‘Free As A Bird’ video — now fully restored in 4k — contains numerous hidden references to songs & moments across the band’s career. There is no definitive list… what do you see? Add your thoughts in the comments below.
Beautifully restored to UHD 4K in 2025 by Peter Jackson’s post-production company, Park Road Post, the Free As A Bird official music video is arguably one of the most enticing of all Beatles’ videos. Shot originally in Liverpool and London in 1995, it’s a treasure trove of visual references to Beatles song titles, brought to life for fans to discover and enjoy across the globe.
New for 2025, the video features newly remixed audio by its original producer, Jeff Lynne. Free As A Bird, a John Lennon demo from 1977, was first worked on in February 1995 by Paul, George and Ringo and, once final, was released as part of The Beatles’ Anthology project that same year. Joe Pytka’s (director) official music video, was also released in 1995, to great acclaim.
The Anthology Collection, originally curated by George Martin and now re-mastered for release in 2025 by Giles Martin, is represented by three double albums spanning The Beatles’ formidable career. It is an enthralling insight into the early development of songs that became the recorded masterpieces which resonate just as loudly today as they did when they were first recorded.
For the 2025 remastered release, the Anthology also has an important new element - Volume 4, newly curated by Giles, which includes early workings of songs from across The Beatles’ entire career.
The Beatles’ music video for “Free As a Bird”, released 1995. 5:00 in HD, 38,916,675 plays and 269,589 likes on YouTube. Filed under Pop and Rock. AltSounds Curated.
- Director
- Joe Pytka
- Production
- Apple Corps Ltd
- Video producer
- John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Neil Aspinall
- Film restoration
- Park Road Post Production
- Audio producer
- Jeff Lynne