In a historic moment for music lovers around the world, the final song from The Beatles is set to be released on November 2nd. Titled "Now And Then," this track is being billed as "the last Beatles song" and has been eagerly anticipated by fans everywhere. The release will be accompanied by a music video, set to premiere on November 3rd.
The origins of "Now And Then" date back to the late 1970s when John Lennon recorded vocals for a demo. In 1994, his wife Yoko Ono shared the demo with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, along with demos for "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love." These three songs eventually appeared on The Beatles Anthology project in the mid-1990s.
Fast forward to 2021, and the director of "The Beatles: Get Back" docuseries, Peter Jackson, utilized new technology to isolate Lennon's instruments and vocals from the original demo. McCartney and Starr then completed the song in 2022, using guitar parts that Harrison recorded in 1995. This collaboration allowed the surviving members of The Beatles to create a truly authentic and emotional final recording.
To provide fans with a deeper understanding of the song's creation, a 12-minute documentary titled "Now and Then - The Last Beatles Song" will premiere on November 1st. This documentary will take viewers behind the scenes, shedding light on the making of the song and the band's dynamic during the recording process. The documentary will be available on The Beatles' YouTube channel at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The release of "Now And Then" will be especially significant as it will be paired with The Beatles' official 1962 debut single, "Love Me Do." By releasing their first and last singles together, the band showcases the full circle of their musical journey. Paul McCartney expressed his excitement, stating, "It's quite emotional... 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."
The emotional impact of this collaboration was shared by Ringo Starr, who said, "It was the closest we'll ever come to having him back in the room... It was like John was there, you know. It's far out." Lennon's son, Sean Ono Lennon, also expressed his sentiments, describing it as "incredibly touching" to hear his father's voice alongside McCartney, Harrison, and Starr once again. He referred to the song as a time capsule, suggesting that it felt meant to be.
Olivia Harrison, George Harrison's widow, voiced her support for the track, noting that her late husband struggled with technical issues when they attempted to work on it in 1995. She believes that if George were still alive today, he would have enthusiastically joined McCartney and Starr in completing the recording of "Now And Then."
In addition to the release of "Now And Then," The Beatles are also treating fans to 2023 edition packages of two compilations, “1962-1966” (known as "The Red Album") and “1967-1970” (known as "The Blue Album"). These packages, available for pre-order now, feature newly mixed stereo and Dolby Atmos versions of the albums and will be released as four-CD and six-LP collections.
The anticipation surrounding the release of "Now And Then" is palpable, and fans around the world are eagerly counting down the days until they can hear this historic collaboration. The combination of Lennon's vocals, Harrison's guitar playing, and the contributions from McCartney and Starr promises to be a remarkable and sentimental experience for all.
