Fifty-three years after the release of their last album, Let it Be, the Beatles released their new song Now and Then on November 2nd, 2023.
Although this is not their first new release since they parted ways in 1970, the other new original tracks Free as a Bird & Real Love released on the Beatles’ anthology albums in 1995 and 1996, this is the first one since George Harrison’s death in 2001.
The release of Now and Then was by no means a simple feat. The process began In 1994, when Yoko Ono, the former wife of John Lennon, brought forward several tapes of songs Lennon had demoed but never finished. During the anthology recording sessions, the remaining Beatles, along with producer Jeff Lyne, attempted to finish these recordings. The previously mentioned Free as a Bird and Real Love were finished and released as new tracks on the anthology albums. However, Now and Then proved to be difficult to complete due to the poor quality of Lennon’s original tape. Without proper technology, they were unable to finish the song and left it to collect dust.
Twenty-seven years later, in 2022, the idea of finishing the track was rekindled when the Get Back documentary film created by Peter Jackson used state-of-the-art restoration technology. The techniques used in this film helped bring forth the finishing of Now and Then using similar technology Jackson used in order to finally finish the track.
The original recording had Lennon’s voice very unclear, muffled by the piano. With the new technology using artificial intelligence, the producers were able to separate each element resulting in a clear sound. The two living members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr both contributed further to the new recording by playing bass and drums on top of Lennon’s vocals and piano. George Harrison can also be heard playing guitar from the 1994 recordings. McCartney is also heard playing a guitar solo in which he said, “We did a slide guitar solo in George’s style.” In addition to the main components of the song, a string section can also be heard.
Regarding the song itself, it is in the same kind of introspective vein as their two other songs Real Love and Free as a Bird. Lyrics like “Now and then I miss you,” and “I want you to be there for me,” carry more weight due to Lennon’s death. They are almost his goodbyes to his loved ones and his fellow band members. The string section adds a depth of melancholy that otherwise would not have been reached.
This song is the perfect end to a long and storied discography, as it serves as a goodbye to the loyal fans of the band as well. The final song of the most influential rock band ever is a fitting conclusion.
