The Beatles release new song 'Now and Then'
This week the Beatles music legends released "Now and Then," their first "new" song since 1995. The song comes to streaming services with a mix of Atmos that marks the historic moment that fans of the legendary band have been waiting for.
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| (Photo: GETTY IMAGES) |
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr used the latest technology and machine learning to perfect this song from an old John Lennon recording.
The "Now And Then" demo project was stalled due to technical issues with the original footage that were difficult to overcome
In the mid-90s, The Beatles tried to work on Lennon's demo "Now and Then". However, the project stalled due to technical issues on the original footage that were difficult to overcome. "On John's demo recording, the piano was a little hard to hear. In those days, we didn't have the technology to effectively separate voices. Every time we want to accentuate John's voice, that piano pops up and blurs the details of the music," said McCartney, of The Verge.
Although several attempts were made at the time, the song "Now and Then" was never recorded. "We are running out of time and energy. Eventually, this song was forgotten in an archive," McCartney said. George Harrison's death in 2001 further complicated the song's chances of being revealed to the public. However, after almost a quarter of a century, McCartney and Starr decided to return to complete this song.
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The turning point came earlier this decade when Peter Jackson, the acclaimed director, used advanced technology to support the Get Back documentary project. With this technology, they were able to separate song components from old recordings, including John Lennon's demos.
McCartney and Starr saw this opportunity as an opportunity to revive "Now and Then." "We were able to remix this song and make a record worth listening to," McCartney said. In the process, McCartney recorded the bass part, Starr added drums, and producer Giles Martin created string arrangements reminiscent of Beatles-era musical styles.
The documentary on the song does not provide exact details regarding Harrison's contribution to the finished song. While it was known that Harrison wasn't a big fan of the "Now and Then" demo at first, McCartney made sure that Harrison's part of the Anthology sessions was retained. In addition, McCartney himself played a slide guitar solo inspired by Harrison's playing style.
Despite doubts from some fans, all parties involved in the project agreed that "Now and Then" was well revived.
"My father would be happy because he enjoyed experimenting with recording technology. I think this song is really beautiful," said Sean Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon.
"Still working on the Beatles' music in 2023... Wow. We explored cutting-edge technology, something that interested the Beatles. 'Now and Then' may be the Beatles' last song. And we're all involved in it, so it's an authentic recording of The Beatles," McCartney said.
While this may have been the Beatles' last moment, the development of track-splitting technology like this is expected to revive other recordings that have become part of music history in the decades to come.