Fifty-three years after their breakup, the Beatles are still making headlines as one of the most famous musical groups in history.
Sure, there have been album re-releases, compilation records, and live album remastering. There have been documentaries such as 1995’s The Beatles Anthology and Ron Howard’s Eight Days a Week. Multiple books have been written about the band, such as Mark Lewisohn’s ongoing three-part biography All These Years. In addition, there have been Beatles-centric films like Backbeat, Across the Universe, and Nowhere Boy. There is even a Cirque du Soleil stage show titled Love, which features acrobatic stunts set to the Beatles’ hits. Yet the idea of new music would seem like a pipe dream to skeptics and pessimists.
In 1994, the then-surviving Beatles- Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison- reunited to record new music to celebrate The Beatles Anthology documentary/album collection. They revisited some tracks written by bandmate John Lennon, who was murdered in 1980. Among the songs that Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono provided to them were “Free as a Bird”, “Real Love”, “Now and Then”, and “Grow Old With Me.” What makes it both heartwarming and heartbreaking is that the tracks were labelled “For Paul”, indicating that Lennon was keen to write with his old friend again. “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” were released as Beatles singles in 1995 and 1996, and they proved to be quite successful on the charts. The “Threetles” considered releasing an experimental track called “Carnival of Light”, but Harrison vetoed the idea and called it “Avant Got a Clue.” Afterward, they attempted to work on the psychedelic soft rock ballad “Now and Then” as the next single, but they abandoned its production after being dissatisfied with the quality of said track.
Five years after the last Anthology album, Harrison died of cancer in 2001. Thus, any chances of a further Beatles reunion or new music release seemed to be dashed. McCartney and Starr continued to remain active in recording and touring. However, the “Now and Then” track stayed unfinished for years.
Until now, that is.
Director Peter Jackson released a limited miniseries titled Get Back on the Disney Plus streaming service. The series focuses on the recording of and mixing an album that was going to be called Get Back. While there was a 1970 documentary film and album titled Let It Be, those seemed to be an epitaph or epilogue to the Beatles’ career, since the group was shown having tense discussions and arguments over song arrangements. By contrast, Jackson’s series shows more light-hearted moments, playful banter, interesting group debates, spirited jam sessions, and the full version of their famous 1969 rooftop concert, which was their last performance together. Another significant outcome of this series was Jackson introducing the concept of artificial
intelligence to McCartney, who gained inspiration to revisit his Beatles’ past. One such example of this technology is Jackson’s machine audio algorithm, which is also known as MAL. During his 2022 Got Back concert tour, McCartney used AI to isolate Lennon’s vocals as part of a duet on “I’ve Got a Feeling”.
There has been a lot of controversy among Beatles fans and music lovers over “Now and Then.” Many people are accusing McCartney and Starr of using artificial intelligence to make it seem like John Lennon is singing the song. They are also suggesting that neither Lennon nor Harrison would have wanted the track to be released at all.
In reality, the actual truth about “Now and Then” is somewhat different from the popular rumors, and it is neither scandalous nor infuriating. The song features real playing from each of the Beatles, and there are no stand-ins, soundalikes, or artificial technology recreating anyone’s voice. It would seem critics and skeptics are making a whole lot of nonsense for nothing. Even Lennon would agree with this if he were still here to contribute his two cents’ worth.
During the early to mid-1970s, the Beatles were at full speed in their solo careers while struggling to patch up their differences with each other. The ongoing litigation to dissolve their partnership (which was finally ended in 1974) also made relationships strained. However, Lennon stayed close to Harrison and Starr, while McCartney went back on the road. By 1974, McCartney and Lennon mended fences and were close friends again, and they stayed that way until the latter’s death. In 1975, Lennon was asked in an interview for The Old Grey Whistle Test about the idea of a Beatles reunion, to which he said “It came to a period where I thought ‘Well, why not? If we felt like making a record or doing something. Everyone always envisions the stage shows. To me, if we work together, the studio again. The stage shows are something else. If we got something to say in the studio, okay.” While he was not actively pressing for a reunion, Lennon did not emphatically rule out the idea of getting back with his bandmates altogether. A 2012 interview with McCartney revealed he was also thinking about doing another Beatles song- appropriately, the track was “Now and Then.”
First, the song does not use AI to recreate Lennon’s singing voice at all. The original 1978 demo recording was done on a portable cassette tape. While the then-37-year-old Lennon is audible, there is a noticeably loud hissing sound that can be heard on the recording. Rather than recreating Lennon’s voice, recent AI technology has been used to “clean up” the audio and make it more clear to listeners. During an interview with Deadline Hollywood, McCartney explained that “…nothing has been artificially or synthetically created. It’s all real and we all play on it. We cleaned up some existing recordings – a process which has gone on for years.” Indeed, the final product sounds as if it were just recorded yesterday without any hiss being detected.
Second, Harrison’s guitar playing does feature on the track. Recorded in 1995, Harrison’s guitar work is included in the final product. The surviving Beatles’ overdubs and instrumental sections from those sessions are left on the track. In a nice homage to his late bandmate, McCartney also contributes a guitar solo of his own. This is the only “new” content that has been
added to the song. What is also amusing is McCartney’s solo is done about Harrison’s playing style.
Several critics are accusing McCartney and Starr of merely “cashing in” and “selling out” their legacy for more money. However, those naysayers are missing the point of the song. “Now and Then” is meant to be a testament to the Beatles’ music and a chance to say farewell. McCartney has described it as being “the last Beatles song.” In another sign of group unity, “Now and Then” is credited to Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starkey- as it should be.
Others might criticize the surviving Beatles as being “disrespectful” to their late bandmates Lennon and Harrison, whom they feel wouldn’t have wanted the new song to be put out as a single. Yet most people don’t even seem to realize that the estates of the deceased Beatles are supportive. Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison have already given their seal of approval, and Harrison’s son Dhani plays an active role in preserving and promoting his father’s body of work. In an article for The Ringer, Harrison’s widow stated, “ George felt the technical issues with the demo were insurmountable and concluded that it was not possible to finish the track to a high enough standard. If he were here today, Dhani and I know he would have wholeheartedly joined Paul and Ringo in completing the recording of ‘Now and Then.’” As per Beatles tradition, all the surviving bandmates and the spouses of the late members have to agree to a new Beatles project to move forward. Even Sean Lennon, John and Yoko’s son, has also voiced his support for the song’s release. It is also worth noting that he provided McCartney with a digital copy of his father’s original recording. So there is no bad blood or feuding between the Lennons and McCartneys.
What’s equally as impressive is the accompanying short film. Directed by Jackson, the video features several clips of the Beatles throughout their careers and lives, and there is a fascinating effect of seeing them evolve from fresh-faced boys to grown men in the prime of their careers. Another fascinating tidbit is the earliest colour footage of the Beatles performing in Hamburg, Germany during their wild nightclub days. Furthermore, the provider of said footage is ex- Beatles drummer Pete Best, who was replaced by Starr on the eve of their recording debut. Perhaps this gesture is Best’s way of making peace with his time as a Beatle. It could serve as a nice way to remind music lovers of where the group had its beginnings.
Time will tell if “Now and Then” is the last Beatles song ever. Word on the street is that the rare unreleased recording called “Carnival of Light” is still in the vault. The track is said to be six and half minutes of acid rock and experimental music, complete with feedback, distorted echoes, a faint piano melody, and the Beatles whooping and yelling. McCartney has been hoping it will finally get its due someday, but the question of whether it will be released remains to be seen. For the song to come out, McCartney and Starr would have to agree, as would the Lennon and Harrison estates.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring? After all, tomorrow never knows…
