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LAST UPDATE | 2 Nov 2023
A NEW BEATLES song, produced with a little help from artificial intelligence and including the vocals of John Lennon, has been released today more than four decades after it was originally recorded as a demo.
“Now And Then”, first written and sung by Lennon in 1978, was finished by his fellow band members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr – and AI.
The track was unveiled at 2pm today by Apple Corps, Capitol and Universal Music Enterprises, with a music video still to come tomorrow.
McCartney, 81, had announced the song’s release in June, in what was dubbed “the last Beatles song” in a promotional trailer.
“It’s quite emotional and we all play on it, it’s a genuine Beatles recording,” he said in a video on YouTube ahead of the release.
If you don’t have Spotify, an audio version of the new track is now up on the band’s YouTube channel, too.
“Now And Then” was one of several tracks on a cassette that Lennon had recorded for McCartney at his home in New York’s Dakota Building in 1979 – a year before his death.
It was given to him by Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono in 1994.
Two other songs, “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love”, were cleaned up by the producer Jeff Lynne, and released in 1995 and 1996.
An attempt was made to do the same with “Now And Then” but the project was abandoned due to background noise on the demo.
AI has now made that possible, although the use of the technology in music is the subject of industry-wide debate, with some denouncing copyright abuses and others praising its prowess.
After the recording was processed using the new technology, “there it was, John’s voice, crystal clear”, McCartney said.
The two surviving Beatles finished “Now And Then” last year, including George Harrison’s electric and acoustic guitar recorded in 1995.
Recording at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, they also added Starr’s drum part alongside bass, piano, a slide guitar solo by McCartney – inspired by Harrison – and more backing vocals.
Starr, 83, added the process “was the closest we’ll ever come to having him (Lennon) back in the room so it was very emotional for all of us”.
“It was like John was there, you know. It’s far out.”
Sean Ono Lennon, the son of Lennon and Ono, said it was “incredibly touching” to hear the former Beatles working together again “after all the years that dad had been gone”.
“It’s the last song my dad, Paul, George and Ringo got to make together. It’s like a time capsule and all feels very meant to be,” he added.
The Beatles – Lennon, McCartney, Starr and Harrison – split in 1970, with each going on to have solo careers, but they never reunited.
McCartney said he agonised initially about whether they should complete the song or leave it unfinished.
“Every time I thought like that I thought ‘Wait a minute, let’s say I had a chance to ask John’ … I’m telling you. I know the answer would have been ‘Yeah’.”
Lennon was shot dead in New York in 1980 aged 40, while Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001, aged 58.
“Now And Then” has been released as a double A-side, with the band’s 1962 debut single “Love Me Do”, and cover art by US artist Ed Ruscha.
Can’t wait to hear this.
@John Condon: I can.
@John Condon: same here, and I’m not a beatles fan at all
@keith fay: Im a beatles fan. Heard it earlier on newstalk. Its also on YouTube For a fan its worth lustening to. I found it to be ok, but not a patch on most of their original singles. Picture the rehashed Sgt Pepper album vs real love with strong harmonies. As a last single, it ranks as good as their first one, love me do. It might grow on me, but I dont hold much hope for that happening. Which is a true shame from the most influential band of the 60s.
@Spanner: Having heard it 6 or 7 times since I will admit it has grown on me, the new video looks quite good too.
Should have let it be
@John O Reilly: Why?
@John O Reilly: they already did that one.
@John O Reilly: speaking words of wisdom
@John O Reilly: but they said ‘ we can work it out’
@John O Reilly: Get back.
@John O Reilly: who do you think you are? The f’ing walrus?
Beautiful Beatles always Loved them always will.
Looking forward to hearing this
Early Christmas present if ever there was one x
@Jimmy Wallace: So much negativity, hmm….
@Jimmy Wallace: oh boll icks. Get a life before it’s too late.. unheard John Lennon!!!! Are you kidding me????? beautiful song. Love it!!!
“With a little help from their friend AI” !!
They played an extract on BBC1′s ‘The One Show’ on Wednesday, it sounds as close to The Beatles as it ever could, through modern technology.
Just heard it on virgin radio. Its a very beautiful song.
Must be hard up for cash to do a gimmick like this
@qffaffaf affrafrfraf: oh boll icks. Get a life before it’s too late.. unheard John Lennon!!!! Are you kidding me????? beautiful song. Love it!!!
Oh dear, its muck
Absolutely brilliant to hear that quality in our time yet again. Well worked track that going to be number one worldwide for a long time to come. Sensational
@Brendan O’Brien:
Get back….to bed.
@Tommy Haze: I see the pun, of course, but question the sentiment. Some people probably think this shouldn’t have been done, but why?
@Brendan O’Brien:
Obviously Beatles enthusiasts will love it.
@Brendan O’Brien: why not release it as a Lennon song? The only argument against that would be that Lennon himself might not have agreed to this. It would sound ok in the company of the later Lennon solo albums. But it is not a Beatles song.
Imagine is the most boring song ever written.
@: Says the most boring tool on here
@2gW5NvBs: Rude
Better than your attempts I’d say.
@: throw it out and see who bites. No matter how ridiculous the comment
oh boll icks. Get a life before it’s too late.. unheard John Lennon!!!! Are you kidding me????? beautiful song. Love it!!!
How is it rude?
Hopefully PM not singing on it. Voice is gone
@Derek O Gorman: No need to worry. I can confirm that Rishi Sunak doesn’t sing a single note on any part of this track.
Have heard it several times. People will have different views and there’s a generational thing too, but I really like it and found it quite affecting to hear all of their work, a Lennon demo/fragment from 75, a lovely George solo from 1995 and Paul & Ringo’s 2023 work, all superbly knitted by Giles Martin in his father’s tradition. Yes it has the late 70s JL ‘New York City’s feel, like on Double Fantasy, but amazing to hear them all on it. Can’t wait for Giles’ Red & Blue album remasters next week….
It’s forgettable shouldn’t have been released
Why take a post Beatles Lennon song. And why this one. Plenty of others on bootlegs. An odd decision. It can’t be for the money. Or maybe it is just a promo to generate further general interest in the Beatles. Free as a bird was nowhere near Beatles standard. Why piss about with the legacy. Unnecessary. And the original song has been on YouTube for ages anyway
@: respect because it’s ‘the last ever song’? That’s no ground for anything.
@Alan: Its their legacy, they can do what they want with it.
@James T.Kirk: but it’s a Lennon song. Not a Beatles song. Lennon had no say in this production.
A voice rescued from casually recorded cacophony. Now when are they going to discover a 10th symphony by Beethoven… or the last two movements of Schubert’s Unfinished?
Penny Lane
I think it’s very authentic regarding the backing sounds and vocals. Very beetlesque indeed. Not sure if it will hang around long audience wise as most beetle fans are half deaf now anyways (Inc myself) and with it being a 70s vibe it will be a niche market.
Amazing song…..
As Beautiful as ever
I like it. Doesn’t jump out at me as John Lennons voice or a Beatles track though
Impatiently waiting for the inevitable ‘Gotcha! It was entirely composed by an AI trained on their music! Scared yet?’ story to be revealed.
Don’t look back in anger.
@Karl Paul: let it be
Give Ireland back to the Irish was a good tume
A 3 cord boy band still pulling the wool after all these years. Should get back to where they once belonged (c what I did there, did ya did ya)…
@Jon Smith: Absolutely correct. Just another boy band done good. If this track had been released today under a different name it would be completely ignored by all the “ intellectual superior “ beatles fans. Bluffers the lot of them.
Like it :-)
Poor John Lenton..
Let him be,let him be,let him be,let him be….
@Liam Meade: He was great in King Charles II’s famed troupe of 24 violinists part of the King’s Musick,
@Karl Paul. I heard you say!
Disgusting the way they are still claimed as a British band.
@dream catcher: maybe they were Hiberno-British?
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