By Shayan Abbasi
The Beatles are back. At least, kinda. Over 60 years after their debut single, the Beatles have unveiled their final song, “Now and Then.” Released on Thursday, the track is based on an old demo recorded by John Lennon. Using machine learning technology, Lennon’s vocals from the 1970s tape were isolated, allowing the band to create a song that feels like having him back in the room, according to drummer Ringo Starr.
This song can be best described as a psychedelic soft rock ballad that was written and recorded by Lennon, one of his final songs before his assassination. With soft, simple lyrics, this song reflects the growth of the Beatles towards more mature songs, with a sense of finality to it that perfectly encapsulates the history of the band. Unfortunately, being initially recorded as a solo home demo, much of the vocals had been too distorted, leading to the track becoming set aside for nearly three decades until surviving bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr worked on it in 2023.
This release completes a trilogy of songs following the Beatles’ last album, “Let It Be,” from 1970. The three songs are based on demos recorded by Lennon before his tragic death in 1980. The previous releases, “Real Love” and “Free As A Bird,” were based on similar demos provided by Yoko Ono in 1994.
However, “Now and Then” presented challenges due to background noise and the need to separate vocals and piano recorded on the same track. Technological limitations at the time led the musicians to shelve the song during the Anthology sessions during 1994. In 2021, Peter Jackson’s documentary series “The Beatles: Get Back” used AI to isolate the sound from the old videos, which included the “Now and Then” demo. With the documentary came a new surge of interest in the Beatles’ music, and so came the plans to turn the “Now and Then” demo into a reality. With the machine learning technology, Lennon’s vocals and piano parts were isolated, allowing his voice to be more clearly heard.
Though the use of AI in music remains a topic of discussion, in the case of the Beatles, the technology cleaned up old vocals instead of generating new ones. McCartney and Starr worked together one last time in order to finish “Now and Then,” and released it as a double A-side single with “Love Me Do” in 2023. The final version features contributions from all four Beatles, marking it as a continuation of their music. George Harrison contributed guitar segments recorded back during the Anthology sessions, McCartney provided the backing vocals and the bassline, while Starr provided the drums.
Reflecting on the process, McCartney said, “It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us.”
In addition, Starr said, “In 2023, to still be working on Beatles music and about to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s an exciting thing.”
