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Out of all the plausible things in the world, the craze for The Beatles, popularly termed "Beatlemania" in the 1960s, is back in 2023, with the band's latest song, Now and Then. The song marks the end of a journey for the four members who arguably made the biggest impact on rock music.
Though the band split in 1970 and two members have tragically passed away, AI has helped Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr create something extraordinary - one last song by The Beatles.
The song is titled Now and Then refers to the song's recording itself. It was partly recorded by Lennon 45 years ago, restarted by the other three in 1995, and ultimately abandoned after a fruitless session, as revealed by producer Jeff Lyne.
But advancements in AI, which helped the remaining two musicians salvage the recordings, helped create the final The Beatles song, which was released globally on November 2, 2023. It is currently available for streaming on all platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
How did The Beatles record Now and Then?
While the journey and story of The Beatles are fascinating enough, the journey to creating Now and Then is another interesting page in their long and beautiful storybook. The song originally goes back to 1978, almost eight years after the band broke up.
John Lennon recorded and laid down the riff of the song back in 1978. This demo was handed out to the remaining Beatles by Yoko Ono after Lennon was shot to death. The material given by Ono did result in two other songs, but Now and Then never materialized, mainly because of the quality of the recording.
Instead, Lennon's demos were used to create Free as a Bird and Real Love, which became the first new Beatles material in years.
Sean Lennon recalled:
"He was always making demos....and I do remember him recording into these tape cassette recorders. Mum had these handful of songs that my dad hadn’t finished. And she gave them to the other Beatles."
However, after the failed attempt, George Harrison withdrew from the project, claiming that this recording could not be salvaged.
It was not until advancements in AI allowed the remaining two members, Paul and Ringo, to recreate the song once again. It also allowed them the excess elements and sounds from Lennon's voice, making it worthy of use again.
Speaking about the AI influence on the song and how it salvaged the recording, Paul McCartney said in a press release:
"There it was, John's voice, crystal clear. It's quite emotional...And we all play on it. It's a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023 to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven't heard, I think it's an exciting thing."
Ringo Starr added:
"It was the closest we'll ever come to having him back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us. It was like John was there, you know? It's far out."
Now and Then was released with Love Me Do in the B-side. Love Me Do was also the last song by The Beatles, bringing their story to a complete circle.
Now and Then is available on all major streaming platforms.
