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3.33pm
1 May 2010
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Ok I know there are some beatlebible guys who were around when the Anthology was released. What's your story with this song?
Mine is quite simple : I was soo excited about it, but i was on a trip. I remember taking a small alarm clock radio to listen to the song when the Anthology premiered on Mexican TV. It was just fantastic. I remember being pretty excited when I listened to that song. Later I was kind of disappointed with the song, but it grew on me a lot.
So, were you excited when Free as a Bird was released? Did it disappoint you?
4.01pm
13 February 2010
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I was not yet created. 
4.28pm
31 March 2008
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I'd heard somewhere that the Threetles (as they weren't yet called) were adding instruments to a John Lennon demo, and on a trip to Liverpool for a university open day in 1993 I went into the Beatles shop on Mathew Street. I asked the fat bloke behind the counter about it, thinking I could strike up a conversation, but he was pretty rude.
Me: "Oh hi. I've heard about a new Beatles song. What's it called?"
Fat bloke: "Freezerbird"
Me: "Er, what was that?"
Fat bloke: "Free. As. A. Bird."
I went back to the shop the other week and he's still there, looking fat and miserable. I didn't bother talking to him, or buying anything.
Anyway, fast forward a year or so. I didn't get into Liverpool Uni, but ended up in Cardiff. I was in my hall of residence for my first year, and set my alarm to come on at 4am so I could listen to Radio 1, which I think had the world premiere (or certainly the UK one). Apparently it was played at 4.07am on 20 November 1995. I was bleary of eye and weary of head, but it was still magical to hear a brand-new Beatles song. This was before the web came of age, and I wasn't involved in any bootleg trading, so I'd never heard the song before. I got a bit teary but it wasn't exactly a full-on sob.
Radio 1 played it twice, then the presenters had a bit of a discussion about it (I think one of the people in the studio was Annie Nightingale). The general consensus was that it was a bit underwhelming, but quite often new Beatles songs were like that when they came out anyway. I saw the video about a week later – that was good.
I still think of it now and then as Freezerbird.
5.50pm
9 June 2010
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Sunii said:
I was not yet created.
Neither was I! Well, I was born in June 1995, so, sort of.
mr. Sun king coming together said And yes, YouTube comments are stupid. But hilariously so.
6.06pm
14 April 2010
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mithveaen said:
What's your story with this song?
I remember being pretty excited when I listened to that song. Later I was kind of disappointed with the song, but it grew on me a lot.
So, were you excited when Free as a Bird was released? Did it disappoint you?
Joe said:
This was before the web came of age, and I wasn't involved in any bootleg trading, so I'd never heard the song before. I got a bit teary but it wasn't exactly a full-on sob.
Radio 1 played it twice, then the presenters had a bit of a discussion about it (I think one of the people in the studio was Annie Nightingale). The general consensus was that it was a bit underwhelming, but quite often new Beatles songs were like that when they came out anyway.
I remember watching Anthology as it was being broadcast live for the first time. Like both of you, I was very excited waiting for this song to be released, was a tad underwhelmed after hearing it, but grew to like it.
From now on, I won't be able to think of this as anything else but Freezerbird – thanks Joe.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, Let it roll for all its worth.
2295 6972
9.05pm
19 September 2010
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Zig said:
Joe said:
This was before the web came of age, and I wasn't involved in any bootleg trading, so I'd never heard the song before. I got a bit teary but it wasn't exactly a full-on sob.
Radio 1 played it twice, then the presenters had a bit of a discussion about it (I think one of the people in the studio was Annie Nightingale). The general consensus was that it was a bit underwhelming, but quite often new Beatles songs were like that when they came out anyway.
I remember watching Anthology as it was being broadcast live for the first time. Like both of you, I was very excited waiting for this song to be released, was a tad underwhelmed after hearing it, but grew to like it.
From now on, I won't be able to think of this as anything else but Freezerbird – thanks Joe.
I Heard it on YouTube about a year and a half ago and Hated it with a passion.
Then i was watching an old tape of anthology my mom made in 1995 and Free as a Bird came on.
hearing it again with my new Beatles knowledge (from this site) I loved it.
Was it the Next A Day In The Life? No but still a great song
9.48pm
1 May 2010
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OK just something I have to say because it seems my post doesn't make sense : The song was premiered on radio at the same time that The Beatles Anthology was premiered on Mexican TV. I know it sounds weird, but it did. 
9.52pm
14 April 2010
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if I remember correctly, it was the same here in the US – it was played after the last episode of Anthology. It's the same on the Anthology DVD's.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, Let it roll for all its worth.
2295 6972
10.00pm
1 May 2010
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Mhhh ok let me say it like this. The song Free as a Bird was premiered on national radio at 9pm.The Beatles Anthology was premiered that very same day at 9pm. So everybody had their radios AND their TVs on. It was quite cool. I don't remember if they showed the video Free as a Bird at the end of the first episode, it must have been.
10.05pm
4 November 2010
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I, too, was not yet born when it came out.
I remember hearing it for the first time on Anthology 1 and thinking, "What?! This can't be an early Beatles recording!" and then looking it up on Wikipedia (man's non-canine best friend) and finding out the story behind it. I liked it even more after reading the backstory.
The video was really well done, though many of the Youtube commentors were jabbering about 'new' Paul is dead clues in it…
11.38pm
4 September 2009
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The first time I heard it during the Anthology, I thought it sounded like a Beatles/ELO song. After the fact, I found out that Jeff Lynne co-produced it, so to me it's still a Beatles/ELO hybrid. It's not a bad song, but it was not great. It's like wanting a Sony PS3 for Christmas and getting an X-Box instead.
Real Love was a better song, and better produced IMO
11.57pm
30 October 2010
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I think this song is really good
I imagine that instead of the video of the song at the end of Anthology if John had been alive it would end with a concert and the video but with a whole album.
Lately i have liked it a lot more but Real Love was my favorite song before i started liking Free as a Bird
I can`t wait for now and then.
I wasn`t born yet before this song was released so sometimes when i listen to it i say "Oh! no, the boys avoided me again"
12.02am
19 September 2010
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Now And Then will not be released Ever!!!!!!! It is not complete and Ringo doesn't want to do it.
12.25am
7 August 2010
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Free as a Bird didn't dissappoint me at all. I first heard it last thanksgiving. I had a lot of time to kill before dinner was ready, and incidentally there was a Beatles music video collection on television. I sat down to watch it and I saw Penny Lane, I am the Walrus, One after 909, stuff like that. The last music video they showed was Free as a Bird. I was like "Well I've never seen or heard this before" so I watched it, and was TOTALLY taken aback by it. I had this slur of emotions afterwards. Its a really great song, I didn't even have to grow on me.
1.24am
1 May 2010
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It's not that we didn't like it like 
but you have to understand… we had been without Beatles for how many?? 25 years? And without John for almost 15 years… so we were expecting I dunno… a Strawberry Fields or something like that. So listening to that tune it was like "Umb?" but it's fantastic because as George says that's how the Beatles would have sounded had they continued like the Rolling Stones. We weren't just used to that sound.
I love the song. But it had to grow on me… And Real Love is beautiful, but to me it's more a John's song than a Beatles song. It's really nice. I love the video when they show Olivia Harrison. 
2.32am
1 May 2010
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I agree mith, Free as a Bird had to grow on me, but now I really like the song alot. I get Real Love stuck in my head quite often, that song has some of my favorite lyrics in it.
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