The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations

1994 and 1995

compiled by Joseph Brennan

FREE AS A BIRD

basic recording- possibly 1977 at the Dakota Apartments, New York
additional recording- Feb, Mar 1994 at McCartney farm, Sussex
master tape- two 24 track tapes

[a] stereo 1994? at [location?].
CD: Apple CDP 8 34445 2 Anthology 1 1995, Apple C2 8 58497 Free as a Bird 1995.

The basic recording from 1977 was a mono cassette with voice and piano, and this 1994 version was probably made by cutting the Lennon demo of 1977 to pieces, fitting them to a mechanical drum track, and having the Beatles dub new parts over it. The Lennon track also had to be processed to bring the vocal sound up to avoid it being buried under the new sounds.

The songs are the same length on the two CDs, but on Anthology it starts fading sooner, making the very last part harder to hear. It also plays much louder on the "single".

REAL LOVE

basic recording- possibly 1979 at the Dakota Apartments, New York
additional recording- Feb 1995 at McCartney farm, Sussex
master tape- two 24 track tapes

[a] stereo Jun 1995 at [location?].
CD: Apple CDP 8 34448 2 Anthology 2 1996, Apple C2 8 58544 Real Love 1996.

The John Lennon voice and piano are faded up where there is a vocal and out in between. Possibly it runs continuously in this case in the master tape reel. It is speeded up from the source.