Friendship of Fab Four Is ‘Real Love’ : THE BEATLES: “Real Love” Apple/Capitol video ***

The real love defined in the video for the second Beatles “reunion” song isn’t romantic love (as in “And I Love Her”) nor sociopolitical idealism (as in “All You Need Is Love”). This real love is friendship--the closeness between John, Paul, George and Ringo that once made everything about the Beatles, from the music to the horseplay, so enchanting.

There are lots of sweetheart shots of the Beatles with their romantic mates in the promotional video for the wistful song, which will be included on the upcoming “Anthology Vol. 2” collection. But the heart of this clip (which will begin airing next week on MTV and VH1) is the interaction between the musicians themselves. The vintage footage is fun, but the most touching scenes are those of the three surviving Beatles getting together in the studio recently to work on “Real Love,” building on a tape by John Lennon.

After years of strained relations, McCartney, Harrison and Starr are on their best behavior, trying to recapture the warmth and friendship toasted in Lennon’s song. Measured against the tension and distance of the recording session documented in the 1970 film “Let It Be,” these new scenes serve as a cleansing update.

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