Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr have unveiled what they label as the last Beatles song. “Now And Then,” originally written and sung by John Lennon.
The track, extracted from a Lennon demo using advanced technology to isolate his voice, is set to be released on November 2nd by Apple Corps, Capitol, and Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). Accompanying this historic release is a 12-minute documentary crafted by Oliver Murray, known for “My Life As A Rolling Stone,” featuring insights from Sir Ringo and Sir Paul.
The original demo, recorded by Lennon in the late 1970s at his New York residence in the Dakota Building, included piano accompaniment. Posthumously, Lennon’s wife Yoko Ono presented the recording to the remaining Beatles in 1994, along with “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” released in the same decade.
In the early 2000s, Harrison, Sir Paul, and Sir Ringo collaborated with producer Jeff Lynne to add new elements and create a rough mix for “Now And Then.” However, technological limitations hindered the release due to challenges in extracting Lennon’s vocals and piano clearly.
The breakthrough came with Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary, “The Beatles: Get Back,” utilising audio restoration technology. This technology, which allowed for the isolation of vocals, music, and conversations, laid the groundwork for a new mix of the Revolver album in 2022. Now, Jackson and his sound team, led by Emile de la Rey, have applied this technology to “Now And Then,” enabling the separation of vocals from piano.
Sir Paul shared his emotional experience, saying, “There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear. It’s quite emotional, and we all play on it; it’s a genuine Beatles recording.” He expressed excitement about working on Beatles music in 2023 and releasing a new, unheard song.
The song was completed last year by Sir Paul and Sir Ringo, with contributions from Harrison’s electric and acoustic guitar, recorded in 1995. Sir Ringo’s drum part, along with bass, guitar, piano, and a slide guitar solo by Sir Paul, was added, culminating in a recording session at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles.
The finished track, produced by Sir Paul and Giles Martin, features a string arrangement co-written by Ben Foster and is mixed by Spike Stent. The song will be released on November 2 as a double A-side with the band’s 1962 debut single “Love Me Do,” with cover art by US artist Ed Ruscha.
A music video is set to debut on November 3rd, and the documentary, titled “Now And Then – The Last Beatles Song,” will premiere on November 1st on The Beatles’ YouTube channel.
