AI helps surviving Beatles members release their last new song “Now And Then”

The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.

by Madison Bibbey

Staff Writer

Two years before John Lennon died he started the song “Now And Then.” Now 45 years later with only two of the four Beatles still alive “Now And Then” has been completed and released. 

In 1994 Yoko Ono, Lennon’s widow, gave the other Beatles demos he had recorded on cassette tapes before he died. In 95 Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr worked on these tracks and released the singles “Real Love” and “Free As A Bird”. The three then started to work on “Now And Then.” However, Lennon’s voice was as Starr said “hidden” behind the piano as said in their short film. Back in 95 even with the latest and greatest technology of the time they couldn’t separate Lennon’s voice from the piano. They couldn’t get the song to work so the cassette went into storage.

George Harrison lost his battle to cancer in November of 2001 at age 58. McCartney says in the 12 minute short movie about the song that his death “took the wind out of our sails”. Then in 2022, director Peter Jackson and his team restored the Beatles “Get Back” film. The film was released as a series on Disney+ and displayed the Beatles working in 1969 clear as day. When working on the technical restoration of the “Get Back” movie he and his team developed a software. The software allowed them to separate all the different audio components and make them their own track through AI. Starr and McCartney decided to send Lennon's demo to the team to see what their software could do with it. They were able to separate Lennon’s voice from the piano. This enabled Starr and McCartney to finish the song.

Starr and McCartney worked on the instrumentals and vocals to add to the demo. McCartney also worked with Ben Foster and Giles Martin, the son of Beatles’ former manager George Martin, to write a piece of string music. They presented the music to an orchestra as a solo of McCartney’s to keep the track a secret. McCartney also recorded a slide guitar solo in honor of Harrison. Harrison had also recorded some guitar pieces in 95 that were included. 

The song held a lot of meaning and excitement for all Beatles fans. Mr. Gingerich, who teaches a History of Rock and Roll course at Memorial Middle School, is confident “it will draw together old fans.” However, he doubts it will bring in new fans since compared to the Beatles greatest hits “the melody, beat and tempo are mediocre.” Fans all around the world however are celebrating being able to listen to a new Beatles song.

The last new Beatles song despite not being the best of the band’s work it may be the most meaningful. Fans young and old for the last time got to listen to a new Beatles song. The song made many fans feel like the Beatles finally got the ending they deserved.

Beatles superfan John Lennon, who changed his name by deed poll from Alan Williams in April 2022, holds the first copy of the newly released last Beatles song, Now And Then, following a special midnight launch event at HMV Liverpool, allowing fans in the home city of the four Beatles members to be the first to get their hands on the new music. Picture date: Friday November 3, 2023. Picture date: Friday November 3, 2023. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)