‘Now and Then’: The Beatles last song ever, has been released
(Updated: November 3, 2023) For the last month or so, the music world has been abuzz regarding the upcoming release of ‘Now and Then’ – a bare-bones demo originally recorded by John Lennon on audio cassette back in 1970 that’s been cleaned up technologically – with additional tracks added by Paul, George, and Ringo. Today, that song will finally be released, according to Paul McCartney.
Together and apart, The Beatles have always had a talent for the unexpected. And now, 2023 brings one of the most anticipated releases of their long and endlessly eventful history. ‘Now And Then’ is the last Beatles song – written and sung by John Lennon, developed and worked on by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and now finally finished by Paul and Ringo over four decades later.
A 12-minute documentary film had its debut on November 1 on The Beatles’ YouTube channel and tells the story behind the last Beatles song, with exclusive footage and commentary from Paul, Ringo, George, Sean Ono Lennon and Peter Jackson. An expanded version of that documentary is also available for viewing on Disney+ and depicts the origin of the song laid down in demo version by Lennon in 1970.
Below, check out the documentary released last night on YouTube.
After John’s untimely death, the remaining Beatles tried to resurrect and produce the demo for their Anthology album but could not separate Lennon’s grainy vocals from the piano track. But now, with advances in musical engineering technology, they did separate those tracks – with Lennon’s vocals coming through crystal clear and hauntingly beautiful.
The documentary also shows Paul and Ringo adding bass and drums to the new recording and incorporating a slide guitar track previously recorded by George in 1995 during the Anthology sessions. So ‘Now and Then’ does feature all four Beatles and is reportedly the last and final song the Beatles will ever release.
‘Now And Then’ audio was released worldwide yesterday, November 2, at 2pm GMT / 10am EDT / 7am PDT.
The double A-side single pairs the last Beatles song with the first: the band’s 1962 debut UK single, “Love Me Do,” a truly fitting full-circle counterpart to “Now And Then.” Both songs are mixed in stereo and Dolby Atmos, and the release features original cover art by renowned artist Ed Ruscha.
And earlier today, the official music video for ‘Now and Then’ was posted to the Beatles’ YouTube channel and is also posted below. Seeing and hearing the dearly departed John and George makes the viewing experience all that much more enjoyable, albeit a bit surreal.
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On the day of the song’s historic release, Beatlefan Magazine shared the official credits associated with “Now And Then”:
- Produced by Paul McCartney, Giles Martin;
- Additional Production: Jeff Lynne
- Vocals: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
- Backing Vocals: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr
- Guitars: George Harrison
- Guitars, Bass, Piano, Electric Harpsichord, Shaker: Paul McCartney
- Drums, Tambourine, Shaker: Ringo Starr
Additional Credits:
- String Arrangement: Paul McCartney, Giles Martin, Ben Foster
- Mixed by Spike Stent
- Engineered by Geoff Emerick, Steve Orchard, Greg McAllister, Jon Jacobs, Steve Genewick, Bruce Sugar, Keith Smith
- Source Separation / MAL Courtesy of WingNut Films Productions Ltd.
- Head of Machine Learning: Emile de la Rey
- Project Management: Adam Sharp
- Recorded at Hog Hill Studio, Capitol Studios and Roccabella West
- Mastered by Miles Showell
- Project Producers: Jonathan Clyde and Guy Hayden
- Executive Producer: Jeff Jones
On a personal note, this writer listened to ‘Now and Then’ on November 2 on Amazon Music. It’s beautiful. If you haven’t had the opportunity to hear it yet, the song is posted below. Enjoy.
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(Source: Paul McCartney)
(Cover photo, ‘Now and Then’, Image credit: Twitter)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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