Do you regard "Real Love" and "Free as a Bird" as real Beatles songs?

No, but I like them just fine.

 

Well kinda sorta.

 

All four Beatles appear on both official vintage releases of "Love Me Do". Ringo played drums on the first version (September 4, 1962), tambourine on the second (September 11, 1962).

 

He had a smart wit alright. The fact that he served it up to Sir Paul made it even better. The fact is, these guys all had a special bond.
I see this as another example, nothing more.

 

Yes, I do.

 

I do.

 

I love both songs, not only for their inherent musical value but for the spirit in which they were created. But I have never been able to figure out why they used such a ghastly sounding version of Lennon’s Real Love demo as the basis for that track. There was already a beautiful sounding officially released variant of the track on the Imagine (theatrical biopic) soundtrack. Why not use that? I seem to recall that Lynne and McCartney later said they were unaware of that version existing (!) ... but they did know about it by the time the 1 video compilation was assembled the two reunion songs were remixed. Even if they felt compelled to use the exact same “takes” given them by Yoko on cassette, which were NOT the first-generation demos, you’d think Lynne would have grabbed those same “takes” from superior sounding bootlegs that circulate.

 

No.

 

Well, they are real Beatles songs! It kind of doesn't matter if someone doesn't consider them Beatles songs or not. Someone could say "I don't consider 'Yesterday' a real Beatles song" and it doesn't really matter because it is!

 

Oh, hell no!

 

If you don't consider "Real Love" and "Free as a Bird" to be real Beatles songs, then the terrorist has won.

 

I do, speaking at a heart level (how do I feel) rather than an academic one. Love them both.

In any event, how else do you classify them? Released by & as the Beatles, performed by the Beatles (not simultaneously, but plenty of Beatles records aren't that). Unanimous intent & consent is missing (not refused, simply not available), but the collaboration was a labor of love and I hardly feel a need to ponder this question.

 

Nice songs, not real Beatles songs though. They're just dolled-up Lennon demos.

 

It would have been fun if they had re-recorded the backing track to I’m Stepping Out or Nobody Told Me as the latter was written for Ringo. And both tracks has studio-recorded vocals by John. A Beatles reunion song called I’m Stepping Out would have been very tongue-in-cheek.

 

If I'm honest I've forgotten about them.

 

Do you regard "Real Love" and "Free as a Bird" as real Beatles songs?

No, and this should really have had a poll.

 

That's my take too. "Pretty much" but "not entirely".

Mostly 'yes', with just a dash of 'no' (or more like 'not quite, but close!!').

 

They could only work with what Yoko gave them at the time.

And the tape Yoko gave them had "For Paul" written on it.
So we have John songs, written and catalogued "For Paul" with musical input from all four. On an official Beatles album.
I'd say they are Beatles songs.

 

I've often thought about this for an option for Anthology 3, using John's then-unreleased studio takes of "Well Baby Please Don't Go" or "Be My Baby"....Pulling the vocal out (and in the case of the former, John's vocal and guitar) and having Paul, George and Ringo do their bits on it. Sure it would have been a cover, but it would have been far more compelling sonically than FAAB and RL with a clear and present studio quality vocal from John.

That might have required Yoko doing more archive digging than she was prepared to do in 1994/5, though she did so a couple years later for the Lennon Anthology, so?

 

Not so much.

 

Just saw this and you nailed it.

 

I think, I know--I mean, well, yes; but it's all wrong...

 

No.
Next question please.

 

I understand why they could only draw from the songs she approved, but why would Yoko insist they use the worst sounding versions of those songs or the worst-sounding tapes of the exact same performances of those songs? That doesn’t make any sense.

 

Yes, for sure. They're removed from the rest of the catalogue because of the circumstances but, yeah, they tick enough boxes for me. They were the only opportunities I got to sit next to a radio waiting to hear the new Beatles single for the first time. I remember the first thing that went through my mind when I first heard 'Free As A Bird' was "Oh God, no. It's ELO." Soon learned to love it though, and the video. Never been all that bothered about 'Real Love' though. Never thought it really worked that well and at the time I was a bit irked that whole thing came about but for the grace of someone who wasn't in the band and who, try as I might, I don't like very much.