It’s been 61 years since the Beatles 1962 debut song, Love Me Do, was released. Now, more than half a century later, they are releasing what could be their last record ever. For all Beatles fans- or anybody who lived through Beatlemania- it is not “just” another record. It’s a flashback and a true memoir of what the Beatles created. This new track, with the help of technology, includes the voice of the late John Lennon and guitar parts created by George Harrison, which were made in a past attempt to record Now and Then.
A Revolutionary Song in Beatles History
Now and Then is not just revolutionary due to the fact that it’s the last Beatles song recorded, but also because of its incredible use of technology to bring John Lennon’s voice into the track. In the late 1990s, the Beatles had attempted to use 90s technology to take Lennon’s voice from a demo of the song from cassette tape given to them by Yoko Ono, Lennon’s wife, in 1994. However the song was abandoned after the attempt, sadly failing.
More than 20 years later, the film company of Peter Jackson (director of the The Beatles: Get Back documentary) developed a software that helped them “take apart” sounds on a recording. This allowed them to take John Lennon’s voice from the cassette tape and make it, as Paul McCartney said, “crystal clear”. Ringo Starr, a Beatles band member, also stated that “It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him [John Lennon] back in the room”.
The BBC has also reported that “Yes, Jackson has created a new video, which will be unveiled at 14:00 GMT on Friday”. It is important to note that the release date for the US might be different, as the BBC is UK-based and the timing is not in EST. Whenever the music video does come out, it is nevertheless going to be a truly impactful one for people who lived through the Bealtes’ rise to fame.
Now and Then is the final Beatles song. It doesn’t just mark the end of the world-famous band, but the end of an era. The final chapter of the story that will be told for years to come. A story about Paul, Ringo, George, and John. Throughout time, music will change, bands will come and go, and yet the world will forever remember the Beatles as one of the greatest and most impactful groups to the music industry, for generations and generations to come.
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Sources:
Now and Then Documentary (Disney+)
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-67285117
https://www.britannica.com/topic/the-Beatles
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/26/arts/music/beatles-final-song-now-and-then.html
