The Beatles' Unreleased Gem: Untangling the Mystery of Now and Then
The Beatles' long-awaited and highly anticipated final track, 'Now and Then,' is finally here This extraordinary song showcases the timeless voice of the late, legendary singer-songwriter John Lennon Prepare to be captivated by this remarkable piece of music history
The Beatles are announcing the worldwide release of their last song, titled "Now and Then," which includes the vocals of the late singer-songwriter John Lennon. The track, featuring the contribution of all members of the British rock group, will have its release at 2 p.m. GMT (10 a.m. ET), alongside the debut of the music video on Friday.
Lennon wrote and recorded the song in his New York City home during the late 1970s. His wife, Yoko Ono, later shared the demo with the other members of The Beatles in 1994. The band mentioned these details in a short film released on YouTube on Wednesday, which explores the creation of the song. Tragically, Lennon was fatally shot outside his New York City apartment building in 1980, at the young age of 40.
Guitarist George Harrison expressed in the film that we should value the opportunity to hear John's voice, and he believed that John would have truly appreciated being present with us once again.
Drummer Ringo Starr further emphasized that it was the most tangible experience we would ever have of having John back in the room.
(From left) Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison of The Beatles in 1964.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Paul McCartney says last Beatles song featuring John Lennon is quite emotional
Paul McCartney, Starr, and Harrison collaborated on the track until 1995, attempting to isolate Lennon's voice from the piano sound. However, they eventually encountered difficulties due to a lack of progress and time constraints. McCartney stated that as a result, "Now and Then" remained stored away in a cupboard for many years.
Harrison's death in 2001 left McCartney feeling deflated, as he mentioned in the film. It took McCartney and Starr over twenty years to resume working on the song.
AI was utilized to extract Lennon's vocals from a demo track for the Peter Jackson-directed docuseries "The Beatles: Get Back" in 2021. The docuseries delves into the creation of the Beatles' 1970 album "Let It Be."
McCartney then proceeded to revise the bass, Ringo contributed the drums, and additional strings were incorporated by musicians at Capitol Studios, who were unaware that their collaboration was for a new Beatles song. The band also retained Harrison's guitar parts from 1995, creating a slide guitar solo in his distinctive style as a heartfelt tribute, as McCartney disclosed in the film.
"It's overwhelming how all those memories rush back," expressed McCartney. "I feel incredibly fortunate to have had those individuals in my life and to have collaborated with them so closely, resulting in such an impressive collection of music."
McCartney expressed his astonishment, stating, "Wow, to still be working on Beatles music in 2023." He further highlighted their engagement with cutting-edge technology, acknowledging The Beatles' profound interest in such advancements. McCartney also revealed that they were currently working on a track called "Now and Then," which he believes might be the final Beatles song. Highlighting the collaborative effort, he stated, "We've all played on it, making it an authentic Beatle recording."
Sean Lennon expressed his heartfelt emotions, stating, "The collaboration between my late father and Paul, George, and Ringo after all these years touched me deeply."
He further highlighted, "This marks the final joint musical creation among my dad, Paul, George, and Ringo."
