ELO's Jeff Lynne recalled the first time he laid eyes on the Beatles in a recording studio, during the sessions for the band's 1968 “White Album.” While talking to The Sun, Lynne, who was recording at Abbey Road with his early band, the Idle Race, said he was able to watch his heroes up close and personal on October 10th, 1968.
Lynne, who went on to produce the two 1995 Beatles reunion tracks, “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” remembered seeing the band at work: “Through the window into Studio One, I could see Paul (McCartney) on the mic and Ringo (Starr) giving him the starting note of 'Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?' Then I looked into Studio Two and there was (producer) George Martin diving around the room, conducting about 12 cellos for 'Glass Onion.' I couldn’t sleep for nights afterwards. The Beatles were my heroes, the heroes of all of us.”
In the liner notes to the new archive edition of his 1997 Flaming Pie album, which Jeff Lynne co-produced, Paul McCartney sang Lynne's praises explaining, “I knew he made good records and I enjoyed working on (the Beatles' reunion track) 'Free As A Bird' with him. He’s a fun guy and we share a similar school of thought. He’s good on harmonies and precise with his production. You don’t get too many rough edges.”