“It was like John Lennon was with us”

For drummer Ringo Starr, recording the upcoming, officially final Beatles song “Now And Then” was an emotional experience. Together with Paul McCartney, he created a Beatles track in which John Lennon’s voice was recreated by artificial intelligence. The track will be released on November 2nd.

The idea for “Now And Then” came from the late John Lennon. At that time he made a recording with piano and vocals, which his widow Yoko Ono left to the remaining band members after his death. They tried to supplement the recordings with new ones, but initially failed because they couldn’t clearly separate vocals and piano on the tape and therefore couldn’t create a good mix. Ultimately, using more modern technology, they managed to separate the singer’s voice and continue working with the recording.

“It was very emotional”

Ringo Starr tells Music News what it was like to record the song: “It was as close as ever. As if we would him [John Lennon, Anm. d. Red.] have in our room. So it was very emotional for all of us.” Paul McCartney also commented on the piece and said that John Lennon’s voice was incredibly clear on the recordings.

One day before the song’s release, on November 1st, 2023, a twelve-minute documentary entitled “Now And Then – The Last Beatles Song” will premiere on YouTube. There is already a teaser for it:

Additionally, on November 10, The Beatles will release new, expanded editions of “1962-1966 (The Red Album)” and “1967-1970 (The Blue Album),” mixed in stereo and Dolby. More information is available here.