The Beatles' last ever song confirms November release date
Now And Then is the last The Beatles song – and it's being released in a matter of days.
The Beatles fans, November is set to be a very exciting month indeed, as it's been announced that the band's last ever song, Now And Then, is due for release next month.
The song was originally written and sung by John Lennon, and developed and worked on by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Now And Then has now been finished over four decades later by McCartney and Starr.
It's an anticipated release to say the least, and the song will be released on Thursday 2nd November with it also featuring original cover art by artist Ed Ruscha.
The news comes after images of a cassette tape were projected onto iconic Beatles sites this week, with locations including Strawberry Field, Penny Lane and John Lennon's childhood home in Woolton.
The final single has been teased throughout the year, with McCartney previously speaking on BBC Radio 4 in June and admitting that AI is an "interesting thing" and "something that we’re all sort of tackling at the moment".
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He explained: "When we came to make what will be the last Beatles record, it was a demo that John had that we worked on and we just finished it up. It will be released this year.
“We were able to take John’s voice and get it pure through this AI so then we could mix the record as you would do. It gives you some sort of leeway.”
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But that's not all on The Beatles front. Along with the new and final single from the iconic band, there will also be a new music video for Now And Then which will debut the following day on Friday 3rd November.
And as if the news couldn't get any more exciting, there's also a short documentary film to look forward to. Titled Now And Then - The Last Beatles Song, the 12-minute film will premiere on Wednesday 1st November and will tell the story behind this last song, with exclusive footage and commentary from McCartney, Starr, Harrison, Lennon's son Sean Ono Lennon and The Beatles: Get Back director Peter Jackson.
According to the synopsis for the film: "The story of Now And Then begins in the late 1970s, when John recorded a demo with vocals and piano at his home in New York’s Dakota Building.
"In 1994, his wife, Yoko Ono Lennon, gave the recording to Paul, George and Ringo, along with John’s demos for Free As A Bird and Real Love, which were both completed as new Beatles songs and respectively released as singles in 1995 and 1996, as part of The Beatles Anthology project.
"At the same time, Paul, George and Ringo also recorded new parts and completed a rough mix for Now And Then with producer Jeff Lynne.
"At that point, technological limitations prevented John’s vocals and piano from being separated to achieve the clear, unclouded mix needed to finish the song. Now And Then was shelved, with a hope that one day it would be revisited."
It continues: "In 2022, Paul and Ringo set about completing the song. Besides John’s vocal, Now And Then includes electric and acoustic guitar recorded in 1995 by George, Ringo’s new drum part, and bass, guitar and piano from Paul, which matches John’s original playing. Paul added a slide guitar solo inspired by George; he and Ringo also contributed backing vocals to the chorus."
New 2023 edition packages of The Beatles’ 1962-1966 (The Red Album) and 1967-1970 (The Blue Album) will also be released on Friday 10th November, featuring an expanded track list and all songs being mixed in true stereo and Dolby Atmos. You can pre-order and pre-save the albums here.
Speaking about Now And Then, McCartney said: “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.”
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Similarly, Starr also commented: “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.”
Commenting on his father's inclusion in Now And Then, Sean Ono Lennon also said: “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.”
Now And Then will be released on Friday 3rd November 2023. Preorder or pre-save Now And Then/Love Me Do double A-side single here.
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