Individually and together, the Beatles always had a knack for the unexpected. 2023 brings one of the most anticipated releases of their long 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 finally finished by Paul and Ringo more than four decades later.
The story of "Now And Then" begins in the late 1970s when John recorded a demo with vocals and piano at his home in the Dakota Building in New York. In 1994, his wife, Yoko Ono Lennon, offered the recording to Paul, George, and Ringo, along with John's demos for "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love," which were completed as new Beatles songs and released as singles in 1995 and 1996, respectively, as part of 'The Beatles Anthology' project. Paul, George, and Ringo also recorded new parts and made a rough mix for "Now And Then" with producer Jeff Lynne. But at that time, technological limitations prevented John's voice and piano from being separated to achieve the clear mix needed to finish the song. "Now And Then" was therefore put aside, with the hope that one day it would be completed.
In 2022, Paul and Ringo began re-working the song. In addition to John's vocals, "Now And Then" includes electric and acoustic guitar recorded in 1995 by George, a new drum part from Ringo, as well as bass, guitar, and piano parts played by Paul, which match John's original playing. Paul added a slide guitar solo inspired by George, and he and Ringo also contributed to the chorus backing vocals. In Los Angeles, Paul oversaw a recording session at Capitol Studios for a melancholic and typical Beatles string arrangement, written by Giles Martin, Paul, and Ben Foster. Paul and Giles also added a wonderfully subtle final touch: backing vocals from the original recordings of "Here, There And Everywhere," "Eleanor Rigby," and "Because," inserted into the new song using techniques used during the creation of the 'LOVE' show and album. The finished track was produced by Paul and Giles and mixed by Spike Stent.
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