Those who know me know that I am a huge Beatles fan. I have loved their music since I was a schoolboy, discovering it shortly after their breakup. When Universal Music announced that their “final” song would be released, my curiosity was piqued, but with certain reservations. I recall being underwhelmed by the “new” Beatles’ songs released on the Anthology collections in the 1990’s. Essentially rough demos recorded by John Lennon in the 1970’s, they were fleshed out into proper Beatles tracks by his surviving bandmates; George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr. To these ears, “Free as a Bird” was a plodding and overproduced dirge. I liked “Real Love” considerably more but found that it paled compared to Beatles’ high points, like songs on Rubber Soul or Abbey Road.
A third song, “Now and Then,” was attempted during these 1994 sessions but aborted due to the extremely rough audio quality of Lennon’s original demo. Made on an inexpensive monaural cassette recorder, it was impossible to turn up Lennon’s vocals without also increasing the volume of the piano. The surviving Beatles went as far as recording a rhythm section but put the recording on indefinite hold. Most thought it would never see an official release.
In the interim, George Harrison passed away from cancer. Computer technology improved exponentially, finally resulting in “Artificial Intelligence.” Software could finally “hear” a crude recording in the same manner as the human mind, allowing it to separate individual sounds and to improve their audio fidelity.
Film director Peter Jackson used A.I. to clean up audio recordings made during the filming of The Beatles’ January 1969 studio sessions, allowing them to be used in his multi-part documentary film, “Get Back.” Paul McCartney and producer Giles Martin were adequately impressed with the results to revisit “Now and Then” to see if it could be made into a high-quality commercial recording.
Artificial Intelligence technology cleaned up Lennon’s demo beautifully, allowing vocals and piano to be put on separate tracks. McCartney realized that the recording lacked critical elements essential to the sound of The Beatles. Sir Paul and George had only recorded acoustic rhythm guitar. There was no electric guitar solo nor backing vocals. McCartney revised the electric bass and added a slide guitar solo, played in the style of George Harrison. He and Giles Martin then sampled backing harmonies from three different Beatles songs and dropped them into the recording to match the chord changes. The end result was released to the world on November 2, 2023.
That day, I absolutely had to hear this new song. Upon first listening, I thought it was masterfully performed but the arrangement was rather bland. Bland, maybe, but incredibly haunting. I could not dislodge this earworm and really did not want to. It was far too enjoyable.
“Now and Then” is a mid-tempo piano ballad with a wistful and reflective mood. The words are incredibly simple with rhymes that border on the banal. Lennon’s songwriting talent becomes apparent when the music – the melody and chord changes – take those lyrics to a whole new level. They project volumes about love, loss, and longing. One wonders if this lyric was about missing a lover or Lennon’s bandmates. The beauty lies in that ambiguity.
The arrangement prominently features Lennon’s lead vocals and simple piano accompaniment, ala “Imagine.” Gently strummed acoustic guitars add atmosphere while very solid bass and drums give rhythmic punch. The sampled backing vocals sound organic, with a feel not unlike “Here, There, and Everywhere.” A nice touch is Ringo harmonizing with John and Paul on the choruses. The musical climax comes with McCartney’s slide guitar solo, intentionally played in the style of George Harrison.
During recording, McCartney and Martin decided to add string orchestration. The arrangement is tasteful and subtle, never getting in the way of the actual Beatles’ playing. The strings add smooth harmonic textures but could be omitted during live performance. Think in terms of orchestration on “Every Breath You Take” by The Police or “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. and you get the idea.
Within days of release, there were already covers of “Now and Then” in distinctive styles. Speaking volumes for the songwriting, they all work beautifully. First up, the official “Now And Then” video, followed by some selected cover versions.
The Beatles / “Now And Then” (official music video)
Dreamer Jazz played it as Merseybeat.
Yesterday’s Papers took Lennon’s lead vocals and added a 1967 psychedelic-styled backing.
Yesterday’s Papers / “Now And Then”
Guitarist Mick Beaulieu turned it into an instrumental surf piece.
If “Now and Then” is truly The Beatles’ swansong, it is a fantastic parting shot. It is appropriately wistful, nostalgic, and ultimately sublime. Thank you, Paul, Ringo, George, and John.