27 Oct 2023

The Beatles to release emotional 'final song', Now And Then, next week

1:34 pm on 27 October 2023

By Paul Glynn & Mark Savage for the BBC

Les Beatles, groupe anglais de musique Pop (1962-1970). Debout: : Paul McCartney et John Lennon (1940-1980). Assis : Ringo Starr et George Harrison (1943-2000). Août 1966.     RVB-13310 (Photo by © Collection Roger-Viollet / Roger-Viollet via AFP)

The Beatles pictured in August 1966. Photo: AFP / Collection Roger-Viollet

More than 50 years after The Beatles broke up, the band have announced the release of their "last song".

Called 'Now And Then', it is based on a 1970s demo recording by John Lennon, and was completed last year by Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr.

Sir Paul teased the song in a BBC interview this summer, saying AI technology had been used to "extricate" Lennon's vocals from an old cassette.

The track will premiere at 2pm GMT on Thursday, 2 November (UK time).

It will also feature on newly remastered versions of The Beatles' Red and Blue albums, due on 10 November.

Originally released in 1973, the career-spanning compilations have been described by Rolling Stone magazine as "arguably the most influential greatest hits albums in history".

Featuring everything from 'Love Me Do' to 'The Long And Winding Road', the two volumes are essentially divided between the band's early mop-top days (the Red Album) and their more experimental and expansive late period (the Blue Album).

Au secours!
Help!
1965
directed by Richard Lester
John Lennon, 
George Harrison, 
Paul McCartney 
Ringo Starr.
COLLECTION CHRISTOPHEL / RnB © United Artists / Walter Shenson Films / Subafilms (Photo by United Artists / Walter Shenson / Collection ChristopheL via AFP)

A scene from a Beatles movie, Help. Photo: AFP / United Artists / Walter Shenson

In a press release, the surviving Beatles said completing the song had been a surreal experience.

"There it was, John's voice, crystal clear," said Sir Paul. "It's quite emotional. And we all play on it, it's a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023 to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven't heard, I think it's an exciting thing."

"It was the closest we'll ever come to having him back in the room so it was very emotional for all of us," added Starr. "It was like John was there, you know. It's far out."

Music legend John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono pose for photographers in Cannes 17 May 1971 where he presented his movies 'Apotheosis' and 'The Flu'.

Le célèbre musicien et chanteur John Lennon pose pour les photographes le 17 mai 1971 à Cannes où il s'est rendu à l'occasion du Festival du Film. Le chanteur des Beatles a été assassiné le 08 décembre 1980 à New York, à l'âge de 40 ans. (Photo by AFP)

John Lennon pictured at Cannes in 1971. Photo: AFP

'Rubbish' recording

'Now And Then' was originally written by John Lennon after the Beatles split up in 1970, and has circulated as a bootleg for years.

An apologetic love song, it is addressed to an old friend (or lover), to whom Lennon declares: "Now and then, I miss you / Now and then, I want you to return to me".

After Lennon was fatally shot outside his New York apartment building in December 1980, his widow, Yoko Ono, gave the song to Sir Paul.

It was on a cassette labelled "For Paul" that also contained early versions of 'Free As A Bird' and 'Real Love' - which the remaining Beatles polished up and released as singles in 1995 and 1996, as part of their Anthology project.

The band also attempted to record 'Now And Then', but the session was quickly abandoned - with guitarist George Harrison saying the quality of Lennon's recording was "rubbish".

Sir Paul has wanted to complete the song ever since - and advancements in audio technology have finally made that possible.

(FILES) Sir Paul McCartney performs in concert during his One on One tour at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre on July 26, 2017 in Tinley Park, Illinois. As revealed by the Financial Times, Universal Music has been asking platforms like Spotify or Apple Music since April to ban access to its catalog to those who want to use it to enrich AI programs. Google and Universal Music are also in talks about possible licenses for AI-generated melodies and artist voices, the Financial Times also reveals. (Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski / AFP)

Sir Paul McCartney has wanted to finalise the recording of the song for several decades. Photo: AFP / Kamil Krzaczynski

The story began with the release of the Beatles' Get Back documentary in 2021. Director Peter Jackson and his team developed new software that allowed them to "de-mix" mono recordings from the 1970s to isolate individual instruments and vocals.

That same technology was used last year to create a new mix of the band's album Revolver. Producer Giles Martin told the BBC the software used elements of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to separate overlapping sounds.

"It has to learn what the sound of John Lennon's guitar is, for instance, and the more information you can give it, the better it becomes," he said.

That process has now been applied to the original tape of 'Now And Then', removing tape hiss and electrical mains noise while preserving Lennon's performance.

Sir Paul and Sir Ringo set about completing the song last year, adding new vocals, drums, bass, guitar and piano; as well as electric and acoustic guitar parts recorded by Harrison in 1995, before his death,

Giles Martin, son of the late Beatles producer George Martin, also added backing vocals from the original recordings of 'Here, There And Everywhere', 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'Because', creating an extra layer of nostalgia.

The release of 'Now And Then' will be preceded by a documentary about the making of the song, which will premiere on 1 November.

To tie in with all of this, the BBC has announced a new six-part podcast on the story of the Liverpool-born group.

The first five parts arrived on Thursday, including a recently re-discovered interview from 1964 which has not been heard since.

The final part will come out on 2 November, along with the record, and will include exclusive interviews with Sir Paul and Sir Ringo Starr - the two remaining Beatles - about the new material.

This story was first published by the BBC.

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