In 1995, The Beatles released Anthology a documentary TV series accompanied by a three volume set of previously unheard audio recordings.
The Anthology albums, which were released to all the major online streaming services this week, included a reworked song titled "Free As A Bird." In celebration of that release being available on streaming services, the official music video for the track has been released on The Beatles' YouTube.
The original song was recorded by John Lennon at his New York City apartment at the Dakota Building in 1977. The version you hear above is a reworked version by Paul, George, and Ringo in 1995, produced by Electric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynne.
A description on The Beatles YouTube channel offers the following description:
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 video is shot from the point of view of a flying bird as we see many references to Beatles songs throughout. If you pay attention closely enough, you’ll see the band members, along with Ravi Shankar and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, at certain points also.
Stream The Beatles Anthology Volumes 1-3 on Spotify. You can also pick them up on Amazon (Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, DVD Documentary Series).
For the latest music, news, and tour dates from The Beatles, check out their Zumic artist page.
Source: The Beatles VEVO YouTube
