THE BEATLES HAVE released the music video for what they say is their final song, and with the power of modern technology, they get to perform alongside their late bandmates once more.
The iconic rock band, that continued to make music after the deaths of John Lennon and George Harrison, has used technological advances to bring back their old friends – in audio and now visual form.
The cover art for the song shows Harrison and Lennon aged by AI to blend with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, who are now in their 80s.
Harrison’s son Giles helped produce the song and Peter Jackson directed the music video, which came out today.
Jackson described the video, which incorporates unseen candid footage of the Beatles at the height of their fame, as “pretty nutty” and providing a “much needed balance between the sad and the funny”.
It was a software system developed by Jackson and his team, used throughout the production of the Beatles documentary series Get Back, that made possible the uncoupling of Lennon’s vocal from his piano part. The original recording could then be brought to life and worked on anew with contributions from all four Beatles.
Now And Then is based on a demo by Lennon that the remaining Beatles had begun working on after his death. However, it is only in recent years that Starr and McCartney have been able to finish the song, thanks to artificial intelligence.
One clip in the music video shows present-day McCartney singing beside a Sgt. Pepper era Harrison, and the pair appear to acknowledge each other.
In some other not-so-well blended shots, a present-day Starr sticks out among the late bandmates, ruining the illusion that they are in one room together.
In a post to X yesterday, Pattie Boyd who was once married to Harrison, said she was “looking forward” to hearing the song.
Yoko Ono, Lennon’s second wife, also reposted the song.
Fans flocked to X to share their opinions, most of which were resoundingly positive, as the song has provoked both sadness and nostalgia.
Liam Gallagher of Oasis fame described it as “absolutely incredible biblical celestial heartbreaking and heartwarming” all at once.
McCartney spoke to BBC Radio 1 about the “magical” process of producing Now And Then.
“Before John died, he was working on some songs and Yoko spoke to George Harrison and said, you know, ‘I’ve got a cassette with some John songs on that he never got to finish. Would you be interested in finishing them off?’”
“We thought yeah it would be great because, in a way, we’d be working with John again, which we thought we’d never be able to do,” said McCartney.
Now n Then absolutely incredible biblical celestial heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time long live The Beatles LG x
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) November 2, 2023
The remaining band members finished two of Lennon’s demos, but “didn’t get around” to the third one until now.
“I ended up talking to Ringo and we asked him if he’d fancy putting the drums on again,” he said.
“I put the bass on again. We already had George playing guitar and we had John on vocals, so it was kind of magical.”
In a poll by The Journal this week, the public opinion on which Beatles song is best was split, but Hey Jude, Let It Be, Yesterday and A Day in the Life were among the top favourites.
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