Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to Release Long-Awaited Beatles Song 'Now and Then'
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr unveil 'Now and Then', The Beatles' last masterpiece, utilizing AI to complete the song originally written and sung by the legendary John Lennon Get ready to be mesmerized by this long-awaited musical treasure
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison attend a press party in 1967 Jeff Hochberg/Getty Images
The Beatles, the iconic rock band, are set to release new music more than five decades after disbanding.
On Thursday, November 2, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr joined forces to finalize the group's last unfinished song called "Now and Then." This track was initially penned by the late John Lennon and had contributions from McCartney, Starr, and the late George Harrison throughout the years.
McCartney, 81, revealed in an Instagram teaser video that losing John marked the end. The video included a clip of Harrison mentioning a tape of John, as shared by Yoko Ono. Lennon was tragically murdered by Mark David Chapman in 1980 at the age of 40, while Harrison passed away from lung cancer in 2001 at the age of 58.
Following a call from McCartney, the 83-year-old Starr joined forces with his former bandmate to finish Lennon's unfinished song. Lennon's son Sean Ono Lennon later emphasized that this would be the last song created by his father, Paul, George, and Ringo together. Lennon, who had a son Julian with his ex-wife Cynthia Lennon, also shared his youngest son, now 48, with his wife Ono, who is now 90.
The teaser clip concluded with McCartney expressing his gratitude for his fellow musicians, stating, "I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have had those men in my life."
Prior to the song's debut, a 12-minute documentary chronicling its creation will be showcased on the band's YouTube channel on Wednesday, November 1. This exclusive footage will include commentary from the band members, Ono Lennon, and filmmaker Peter Jackson. Additionally, the track will be included on the newly remastered editions of The Beatles' Red and Blue albums, set to be released on Friday, November 10.
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr perform onstage during “The Night That Changed America: A GRAMMY Salute To The Beatles” Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Earlier this year, McCartney revealed on BBC Radio 4's Today that he and Starr employed artificial intelligence to separate Lennon's vocals from his unreleased "Now and Then" demo.
The Beatles officially disbanded in 1974, following persistent rumors of a breakup. Despite speculation that Ono's involvement with John contributed to the group's split, McCartney clarified in a 2012 interview with David Frost that this was not the cause. "Yoko certainly did not break up the band; the band was already splitting up," he stated.
He went on to say that he believed it was unfair to hold her responsible for any wrongdoing. Yoko's avant-garde nature and unique perspective on life greatly intrigued him, and she presented him with an alternative way of being that he found highly appealing. Consequently, it was inevitable for John to make the decision to leave.
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McCartney recently criticized Ono's behavior during the band's recording of The Beatles (also known as The White Album) in 1968. He expressed that Ono was disruptive in the workplace and referred to her as a challenge that he and the other members had to address. These comments were made during the October 11 episode of his "McCartney: A Life in Lyrics" podcast.
McCartney further explained that the band's mentality was to allow John's desires to be fulfilled without causing any conflict. However, he admitted that none of them were particularly fond of the situation.
