The Beatles Announce Final Song “Now And Then”

The Beatles are back! And not just with another set of reissues; there’s a brand new Beatles song as well.

After months of speculation, an official announcement today confirmed the upcoming release of both the new song “Now and Then” on November 3, and expanded 50th anniversary editions of the 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 compilations on November 10.

Rumors about both releases have been steadily circulating over the past year. And while the impending release of the compilations, with the possibility of previously unreleased mixes, excited Beatles fans, it was the appearance of a new Beatles song that sparked worldwide interest. Paul McCartney, in an interview this past June, spoke of working on what he called “the final Beatles record,” drawn from a John Lennon demo. This prompted speculation that the unnamed song was “Now and Then,” a Lennon demo that McCartney and fellow Beatles George Harrison and Ringo Starr had worked on during the so-called “Threetles” sessions in 1994 and 1995, when Lennon’s demos were used to create the new Beatles tracks “Free As a Bird” and “Real Love” for the Anthology project.

According to Peter Doggett’s authoritative The Art and Music of John Lennon, Lennon recorded his demo of “Now and Then” in 1977; Doggett called it “promising enough, despite joining the ranks of mournful Lennon ballads expressing regret and guilt” (the demo later surfaced on the collector’s circuit). The demo was among the recordings that Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono, gave to the “Threetles,” but unlike “Free As a Bird” and “Real Love,” work on the track was never completed. Jeff Lynne, who produced the sessions, couldn’t overcome the demo’s sonic limitations; more importantly, perhaps, Harrison didn’t care for the song.

And so the track was shelved. But McCartney never lost the desire to complete it. And once director Peter Jackson came into the Beatles’ orbit, there arrived a way to overcome the technical difficulties. Jackson’s WingNut Films MAL audio software had been used on The Beatles: Get Back documentary to remarkable effect, restoring previously unheard music and conversations. Now the same process was used to restore “Now And Then,” cleaning up the tape’s imperfections and separating Lennon’s voice from his piano, allowing each part to be mixed separately, and heard in far better quality.

To complete the track, the electric and acoustic guitar parts Harrison recorded in 1995 were used, while new parts were recorded in 2022 by both McCartney (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion) and Starr (drums, percussion). McCartney and Starr also recorded new backing vocals, and, in a subtle nod to the past, backing vocals from the Beatles’ songs “Here, There and Everywhere,” “Eleanor Rigby,” and “Because” are woven throughout the track. The song also features a typically Beatlesque string arrangement written by McCartney, Ben Foster, and Giles Martin, the son of original Beatles producer George Martin.

The “Now and Then” press release featured numerous comments from the participants about the number:

Paul McCartney: “There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear. 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.”

Ringo Starr: “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.”

Olivia Harrison (George Harrison’s widow): “Back in 1995, after several days in the studio working on the track, George felt the technical issues with the demo were insurmountable and concluded that it was not possible to finish the track to a high enough standard. If he were here today, Dhani [the Harrisons’ son] and I know he would have whole-heartedly joined Paul and Ringo in completing the recording of ‘Now And Then.’”

Sean Ono Lennon (John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s son): “It was incredibly touching to hear them working together after all the years that Dad had been gone. It’s the last song my dad, Paul, George and Ringo got to make together. It’s like a time capsule and all feels very meant to be.”

The build-up to the song’s release began just yesterday, October 25, when the group’s official website posted a photo of a cassette tape. A further clue came from the text seen on the lower right side of the cassette’s label, stating that the copyright of the unidentified sound recording was jointly owned by McCartney, Starr, and the estates of Lennon and Harrison (the text was blurred out later in the day). As a further tease, those who entered their email address in the box on the main page then received an email featuring a picture of the cassette, with a “counter” below, ticking off the seconds to the announcement of the song’s release.

 

VIDEO: “Now And Then” – The Last Beatles Song

Next up comes the November 1 premiere of a short documentary film about the recording of the track, Now and Then—The Last Beatles Song, on the Beatles’ YouTube channel (3:30pm EDT, 12:30pm PDT). The song itself makes its worldwide debut on Thursday, November 2 (10am EDT, 7am PDT), and will also be available on vinyl and cassette, including limited edition runs only available from the official website; it’s paired with the A-side of the Beatles’ first single, “Love Me Do” (the latter mixed in true stereo for the first time). Digital/streaming versions of both songs will also be available in stereo and Dolby Atmos. Finally, the song’s video will premiere on November 3.

The 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 compilations were released in 1973 as double album sets; with the earlier set packaged in a red-boarded cover, and the latter in a blue, they’ve become commonly known as “The Red Album” and “The Blue Album,” respectively. The sets were a cross between a greatest hits set and a “best of” anthology, and have served as handy introductions to the Beatles’ catalogue ever since (on their initial release, the Red Album reached #3, while the Blue Album topped the chart).

In their new incarnations, the sets have been expanded, with twelve tracks added to the Red Album, and nine on the Blue, mostly bumping up the number of George Harrison songs. Tracks from Revolver to Let It Be use the new mixes done for the “Special Edition” releases that have come out since 2017. All the other tracks feature new stereo mixes, done by Giles Martin and Sam Okell at Abbey Road Studios. And yes, audiophiles, everything’s available in Dolby Atmos mixes as well.

The sets indicate that the Beatles camp will now likely plow ahead through remixing the rest of the band’s albums, namely the six records from Please Please Me to Rubber Soul, providing more fodder for discussions on Beatles online forums everywhere. And the presence of new mixes on the compilations guarantees sales, even to those who may own previous editions of the albums (both the Red and the Blue sets have been released numerous times on vinyl and CD). Beatles fans can’t help themselves. And the sets still provide the best overview of the Beatles’ wonderous catalogue.

But could “Now and Then” really be the “last” Beatles song? The same thing was said after the release of the Anthology 3 album in 1996; that’s it, no more new material, the cupboard is bare. Over two decades later, that proved to not be the case. And with Peter Jackson’s new technology in their corner, who knows what further unreleased demos lurk in the archives of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr waiting to be resurrected? The possibilities are endless.

Stay tuned.

 

Track listings for “Red” and “Blue” compilations:

1962-1966 (2023 EDITION)

* = newly added track

Love Me Do (2023 Mix)

Please Please Me (2023 Mix)

I Saw Her Standing There (2023 Mix) *

Twist And Shout (2023 Mix) *

From Me To You (2023 Mix)

She Loves You (2023 Mix)

I Want To Hold Your Hand (2023 Mix)

This Boy (2023 Mix) *

All My Loving (2023 Mix)

Roll Over Beethoven (2023 Mix) *

You Really Got A Hold On Me (2023 Mix) *

Can’t Buy Me Love (2023 Mix)

You Can’t Do That (2023 Mix) *

A Hard Day’s Night (2023 Mix)

And I Love Her (2023 Mix)

Eight Days A Week (2023 Mix)

I Feel Fine (2023 Mix)

Ticket To Ride (2023 Mix)

Yesterday (2023 Mix)

Help! (2023 Mix)

You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away (2023 Mix)

We Can Work It Out (2023 Mix)

Day Tripper (2023 Mix)

Drive My Car (2023 Mix)

Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (2023 Mix)

Nowhere Man (2023 Mix)

Michelle (2023 Mix)

In My Life (2023 Mix)

If I Needed Someone (2023 Mix) *

Girl (2023 Mix)

Paperback Writer (2022 Mix)

Eleanor Rigby (2022 Mix)

Yellow Submarine (2022 Mix)

Taxman (2022 Mix) *

Got To Get You Into My Life (2022 Mix) *

I’m Only Sleeping (2022 Mix) *

Here, There And Everywhere (2022 Mix) *

Tomorrow Never Knows (2022 Mix) *

 

1967-1970 (2023 EDITION)

* = newly added track

Strawberry Fields Forever (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)

Penny Lane (2017 Mix)

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (2017 Mix)

With A Little Help From My Friends (2017 Mix)

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (2017 Mix)

Within You Without You (2017 Mix) *

A Day In The Life (2017 Mix)

All You Need Is Love (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)

I Am The Walrus (2023 Mix)

Hello, Goodbye (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)

The Fool On The Hill (2023 Mix)

Magical Mystery Tour (2023 Mix)

Lady Madonna (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)

Hey Jude (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)

Revolution (2023 Mix)

Back In The U.S.S.R. (2018 Mix)

Dear Prudence (2018 Mix) *

While My Guitar Gently Weeps (2018 Mix)

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (2018 Mix)

Glass Onion (2018 Mix) *

Blackbird (2018 Mix) *

Hey Bulldog (2023 Mix) *

Get Back (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)

Don’t Let Me Down (2021 Mix)

The Ballad Of John And Yoko (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)

Old Brown Shoe (2023 Mix)

Here Comes The Sun (2019 Mix)

Come Together (2019 Mix)

Something (2019 Mix)

Octopus’s Garden (2019 Mix)

Oh! Darling (2019 Mix) *

I Want You (She’s So Heavy) (2019 Mix) *

Let It Be (2021 Mix)

Across The Universe (2021 Mix)

I Me Mine (2021 Mix) *

The Long And Winding Road (2021 Mix)

Now And Then *