The Beatles have released their final song!
“Now and Then” is the final recording to feature all four members of the band: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison.
Lennon first wrote the song and recorded a demo in the 1970s. His wife Yoko Ono gave the recording to McCartney, Starr, and Harrison in 1994.
Harrison recorded electric and acoustic guitar parts in 1995, Starr lent a new drum recording and backing vocals, and McCartney contributed bass and backing vocals. But, the band reportedly felt the track was no good, with Harrison said to have called it “rubbish.”
Fast forward to the making of The Beatles’ “Get Back” documentary. Director Peter Jackson’s film company developed a piece of software that allowed them to de-mix muddled recordings of overlapping sounds. The software lifted Lennon’s voice from the original recording, removing the background hiss and the hum that had hampered previous attempts to complete the song.
“There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear,” said McCartney. “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.”
Starr said, “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.”
Listen to the new song below in a new 12-minute documentary film. A new music video for the song will debut Friday, November 3.
