In 2023, it’s a miracle that rock fans are receiving fresh content from The Beatles. Years after reintroducing John Lennon’s recordings through the Anthology series, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have been collaborating. They aim to reintroduce the band’s iconic sound to the public with the ultimate release, ‘Now and Then’. While numerous Beatles enthusiasts may have rejoiced upon hearing the news, numerous inquiries have arisen regarding the production process.
Even though “Now and Then” was first developed during Anthology, AI has since assisted in reviving it in the public consciousness. The song’s production involves algorithms, not the Beatles’ natural approach, to recreate authentic Fab Four audio quality.
Recently, the 12-minute film Now And Then , The Last Beatles Song was released. In it, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sean Ono Lennon, and Peter Jackson discuss the technology they came across while filming the documentary Get Back. It was the turning point that gave them the opportunity to finally finish recording “Now and Then.”
The Beatles earlier abandoned their plans to record “Now and Then” because of technological difficulties. “It really brought to the four, to the three of us that John’s gone,” Ringo said in Now and Then: The Last Beatles Song.
McCartney adds, “I think we kind of ran out of steam and time.” We thought, “Maybe we should pass on this one.” In addition, he talks about how George Harrison’s passing in 2001 “took the wind out of our sails”. And how that’s another reason the song has taken so long to finish.
“It took us nearly 25 years to wait for the right time to tackle ‘Now and Then’ again,” he continues. Peter Jackson was able to isolate specific instruments and voices using the technology he and his team had developed for the Get Back film.
The Beatles should use AI for their song?
Is there any point in using robotic assistance to push new Beatles material to the forefront, even though new Beatles songs are rarely a bad thing? A lot of musicians have expressed their strong dislike for AI. They believe it to be a denial of the human element in music. This new rendition of the song might be the ultimate exception to the rule, despite the fact that it is a legitimate concern.
When Jackson first started using the technology for The Beatles’ Get Back project forDisney+, the idea was to use AI as a tool instead of providing any support. Because of the material that was cut from the original film, there wasn’t much hope in it. However, Jackson focused mostly on using technology to replace the missing sounds in his revised version.
This is a key component of the initial reasoning behind the creation of “Now and Then.” George Harrison was the one who backed out of finishing the song during its 1990s recording sessions because he believed the John Lennon tape to be too low-quality to become a legitimate Beatles record.
Jackson explains further: “We were very focused on the technical restoration during Get Back, which ultimately led us to develop a technology that allows us to take any soundtrack and split all the different components into separate tracks.”
In addition, Ono Lennon stated that Jackson was “never shy to experiment with recording technology”. So he would have “loved” the idea of using his equipment. He also called the songwriting process “really beautiful.”
How AI keeps everything Fab
Fans can now witness the Fab Four interacting once more for what is likely to be their last performance together thanks to the development of new technology. “We had John’s voice and a piano, and he could separate them with AI,” Paul McCartney told the BBC. “That’s the voice,” they say to the machine. It’s a guitar here. Take the guitar away. John had a demo, so that’s what we used to record what will be the final Beatles album. And we were able to take John’s voice and get it pure”.
The Beatles intend to use AI as a means of collaborating as old friends once more rather than making fun of the band’s previous sound. Despite the fact that the song already has a ghostly quality.
The band’s use of modern technology is just one more indication that they are light years ahead of their peers. Especially as they get ready to release a reimagined version of their greatest hits along with the new song. The Beatles are still on the verge of creating iconic music that has never been surpassed, years after their breakup.
Listen “Now and Then” below:
