Peacock Lennon haunts Beatles

Music

13:30 20 September 2005

Sir Paul McCartney believes John Lennon haunted the recording of the 1995 Beatles single 'Free As A Bird' - as a white peacock.

The rock legend was posing for a photo with band mates Ringo Starr and George Harrison when the bird wandered into shot.

McCartney revealed: "That's John. Spooky, eh? It was like John was hanging around. We felt that all through the recording."

The rocker also believes John made his presence felt on the single's flip side.

He told Britain's Observer Music Monthly magazine: "We put one of those spoof backwards recordings on the end of the single for a laugh, to give all those Beatles nuts something to do.

"Then we were listening to the finished single one night, and when it got to the end it goes, 'zzzwrk nggggwaaahhh jooohn lennnnnon qwwwrk.' We were like, 'It's John. He likes it!"

McCartney has also admitted he still misses John and his other late bandmate, George Harrison.

He confessed: "I can't believe it's over with George. It's so sad.

"Same with John, except with John's death there was all this anger too. The jerk of jerks to shoot someone like John Lennon."

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