“Named ‘Now And Then,’ it took 45 years to come to fruition – with the first bars written by John Lennon in 1978 and the song finally completed last year.
All four Beatles are featured on this track, which will be recognized under the names Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr.
In a full-circle moment, it is being released as a double A-side single with their 1962 debut, ‘Love Me Do.'”
How AI used to complete the song:
“During the production of The Beatles’ ‘Get Back’ documentary, director Peter Jackson’s film company developed a piece of software that allowed them to ‘de-mix’ recordings with overlapping sounds.
This technology was used last year to create a new mix for the band’s album ‘Revolver.’
Giles Martin told the BBC, ‘It has to learn what the sound of John Lennon’s guitar is, for instance, and the more information you can give it, the better it becomes.’
For ‘Now And Then,’ the software was able to ‘lift’ Lennon’s voice from the original mail recording, removing the background hiss and the hum of the mains electricity that had hampered former attempts to complete the song
In McCartney’s words, Lennon’s voice is ‘crystal clear’ on ‘Now And Then.'”
Critics Review:
“Critics have generally given positive feedback on ‘Now And Then,’ with The Guardian awarding it four out of five stars and describing it as ‘an appealing tribute to the band’s spirit.’
Clash characterises the track as spiritual, sentimental, and ‘gloriously contagious,’ while Rolling Stone states that it is ‘the brilliant final statement that the Fab Four – and their fans – deserve.’
Most critics seem to concur that the track cannot quite reach the heights expected from a classic Beatles ballad. The Telegraph, which gave the song three stars, noted that ‘Now And Then’ ‘doesn’t quite reach the heights we anticipate from a great Beatles ballad.’
Variety calls the question of whether the song lives up to ‘the Beatles or their collective solo works’ towering legacy’ an unfair one. ‘Of course it doesn’t, but it’s still an unexpected delight,’ writes Jem Aswad.”
Which Beatles are Still Alive
Two out of the four original members of The Beatles are still with us today: McCartney, who was the group’s bass guitarist and shared songwriting duties and lead vocals with Lennon, and Starr, the band’s drummer. Both McCartney and Starr, aged 81 and 83 respectively, have continued to create music both as solo artists and in collaboration with other musicians over the years.
Unfortunately, Lennon, who played a crucial role as the co-lead songwriter, vocalist, and rhythm guitarist for The Beatles, tragically passed away in 1980 at the young age of 40. His life was cut short when he was shot multiple times and fatally wounded by Mark David Chapman as he entered his New York City apartment building on December 8 of that year. Lennon’s untimely death remains one of the most notorious celebrity homicides in history.
Harrison, the original lead guitarist of The Beatles, lost his battle with cancer on November 29, 2001, at the age of 58. His contributions to the band’s sound are forever etched in musical history.