By: Anthony Alcantar
On November 2nd, 2023, we got a new Beatles song. A Beatles song in 2023 sounds crazy, but with the help of AI and new technology this was made possible. Remaining Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with the aid of Peter Jackson and his film crew, were able to revive John Lennon’s lost demo and finally complete what has been dubbed as the final Beatles song. John Lennon’s 1977 demo of “Now And Then” was recorded and stored on cassette, only touched a few times over the years. The first attempt of finishing Lennon’s song was in 1995, McCartney, Starr, and Harrison all worked on completing a few demos that Lennon had never gotten to complete, ultimately we were graced with both “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love”. The only issue with “Now And Then” were the buried vocals, hiding deep behind piano chords and unfinished lyrics, without the correct technology to lift and separate the vocals, The Beatles were left with no option but to scrap the song entirely.
Fast forward to 2021, Director and Producer Peter Jackson releases The Beatles: Get Back. During the extensive period of collecting archival footage, music, and live performances, Jackson and his team developed software along with the help of artificial intelligence to separate music and sounds from just basic recordings. This technique allowed for high fidelity recordings and mixes of previously hard to hear music and even dialogue. McCartney and Starr were finally able to have Lennon’s vocals tracked and separated from the ambient piano chords. Both new additions and previously recorded instrumentation and vocals were used to complete “Now And Then” and bring back an emotional reunion of all four Beatles.
The song itself is a wonderfully constructed ode to the legacy of the Fab Four. The track begins with McCartney quietly counting down and the piano chords that made up the original demo along with acoustic guitar that layer wonderfully, Lennon’s distinct vocals come shortly after. McCartney comes in and adds new lyrics as the song swells and transitions into the chorus. In true Beatles fashion we get a beautiful chorus with a string section and beautiful vocal harmonies from all four Beatles. The lyrics, now and then, I miss you, oh, now and then I want you to be there for me, are a beautiful reference to missing the ones you love and the changing relationships and feelings that we all carry with our loved ones, either past or present. The song concludes with an homage to George Harrison's guitar playing, McCartney was able to add a slide guitar solo in recognition and honor of Harrison’s playing style.
Overall, the song itself is a touching conclusion to The Beatles legacy and lore. While the song does include some technical feats, there is a melancholy to the release as well, and a music video that definitely had me in tears. This final Beatles song is something that could have easily featured in Abbey Road, and for generations that have never experienced a new Beatles release in their lifetime, this was something that can live up to definite highs of the Beatlemania craze of the 1960s.
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