'It was the closest we'll ever come to having him back in the room': The Beatles 'complete' in studio 43 years after Lennon's death
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Very few things age like fine wine, except for actual fine wine and The Beatles' music, which seems to retain its iconic richness even after more than five decades.
Every generation is filled with its version of Beatles fans.
Now, it seems we're about to get the closest thing to a reunion of the original quartet we'll ever see—43 years after the tragic passing of the legendary John Lennon.
Beatles fans were in for a joyous surprise when the band recently released a short film detailing their reunion in the studio, working on none other than Lennon's demo track, 'Now and Then'.
John began recording this track in the late '70s, and it was later discovered by his wife, Yoko Ono, in the '90s.
'When we lost John, we knew it was really over,' Paul McCartney said in a short film.
However, Ono handed over a series of demos that John had been working on before his death, some of which were released then.
'In 2001, we lost George, which took the wind out of our sails, it took almost a quarter of a century before we tackled “Now and Then” again,' Paul added.
John’s video recording at his home in New York was given to the band in 1994.
The recording included demos for 'Free As A Bird' and 'Real Love', completed and released as singles in 1995 and 1996, respectively, as part of The Beatles Anthology project.
Paul, George and Ringo also recorded new parts and completed a rough mix for 'Now And Then' with producer Jeff Lynne.
However, due to technical limitations at the time, they could not isolate John's voice and piano from the rest of the track, and the song was kept on hold, hoping it could be revisited one day.
Fast forward to 2021, the award-winning Beatles docuseries Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson, amazed viewers with its state-of-the-art film and audio restoration techniques, giving fresh hope in reviving the shelved track.
Jackson's team de-mixed the film’s mono soundtrack using WingNut Films' MAL audio technology, and they were able to isolate instruments and vocals and the members' individual voices within actual The Beatles' conversations.
John's original vocal performance could finally be heard clearly and felt so real to Ringo that he confessed: '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.'
This has paved the way for the 2022 mix of Revolver, which was sourced directly from the four-track master tapes.
The mix also made many wonder what could be done with the 'Now And Then' demo.
Jackson’s sound team, led by Emile de la Rey, then utilised the same technique on John’s original home recording and was able to preserve the clarity and integrity of John’s original vocal performance and separate it from the piano.
Paul shared that John’s voice was crystal clear, ringing around the room, and it was as if he John was there performing the song.
In the same year, Paul and Ringo, were determined to complete the song.
With George's electric and acoustic guitar recordings from 1995, Ringo’s new drum part, Paul’s bass, guitar, and piano, and John’s original track and vocals, 'Now And Then' was finally completed.
Paul also added a slide guitar solo, which was inspired by George, and backed up the chorus vocals with Ringo.
In Los Angeles, Paul oversaw the recording session at Capitol Studios for the song’s wistful string arrangement, written by Giles Martin, Paul, and Ben Foster.
The element of nostalgia was further emphasised when Paul and Giles incorporated backing vocals from the original Beatles records 'Here, There And Everywhere', 'Eleanor Rigby', and 'Because'. They wove the songs into the new song using techniques perfected during the making of the LOVE show and album.
You can watch the short film on the making of 'Now And Then' below:
Source: Youtube / The Beatles.
The finished track was produced by Paul and Giles and was mixed by Spike Stent.
'There it was, John's voice, crystal clear. It's quite emotional,' said Paul, who was moved by how crystal-clear John's voice was.
'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,' he added.
This long-awaited track debuted on Scott Mills' 2 pm radio show on BBC R2 on November 2 and will be featured in a remastered edition of the band's Red And Blue album slated for release on November 10.
Expanded versions of the Beatles' 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 compilations will also be released later.
'Now And Then', despite being released later than 1970, will be included in the latter collection.
The release appears to be timely for nostalgic fans this holiday season.
However, this marks their final release as Ringo said: 'This is the last track, ever, that you'll get the four Beatles on the track—John, Paul, George, and Ringo.'
Members, are you a fan of The Beatles? What’s your favourite The Beatles song? Share them with us in the comments below!
Every generation is filled with its version of Beatles fans.
Now, it seems we're about to get the closest thing to a reunion of the original quartet we'll ever see—43 years after the tragic passing of the legendary John Lennon.
Beatles fans were in for a joyous surprise when the band recently released a short film detailing their reunion in the studio, working on none other than Lennon's demo track, 'Now and Then'.
John began recording this track in the late '70s, and it was later discovered by his wife, Yoko Ono, in the '90s.
'When we lost John, we knew it was really over,' Paul McCartney said in a short film.
Get Back is an award-winning docuseries of the legendary band The Beatles. Image source: Disney+.
However, Ono handed over a series of demos that John had been working on before his death, some of which were released then.
'In 2001, we lost George, which took the wind out of our sails, it took almost a quarter of a century before we tackled “Now and Then” again,' Paul added.
John’s video recording at his home in New York was given to the band in 1994.
The recording included demos for 'Free As A Bird' and 'Real Love', completed and released as singles in 1995 and 1996, respectively, as part of The Beatles Anthology project.
Paul, George and Ringo also recorded new parts and completed a rough mix for 'Now And Then' with producer Jeff Lynne.
However, due to technical limitations at the time, they could not isolate John's voice and piano from the rest of the track, and the song was kept on hold, hoping it could be revisited one day.
Fast forward to 2021, the award-winning Beatles docuseries Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson, amazed viewers with its state-of-the-art film and audio restoration techniques, giving fresh hope in reviving the shelved track.
Jackson's team de-mixed the film’s mono soundtrack using WingNut Films' MAL audio technology, and they were able to isolate instruments and vocals and the members' individual voices within actual The Beatles' conversations.
John's original vocal performance could finally be heard clearly and felt so real to Ringo that he confessed: '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.'
This has paved the way for the 2022 mix of Revolver, which was sourced directly from the four-track master tapes.
The mix also made many wonder what could be done with the 'Now And Then' demo.
Jackson’s sound team, led by Emile de la Rey, then utilised the same technique on John’s original home recording and was able to preserve the clarity and integrity of John’s original vocal performance and separate it from the piano.
Paul shared that John’s voice was crystal clear, ringing around the room, and it was as if he John was there performing the song.
In the same year, Paul and Ringo, were determined to complete the song.
With George's electric and acoustic guitar recordings from 1995, Ringo’s new drum part, Paul’s bass, guitar, and piano, and John’s original track and vocals, 'Now And Then' was finally completed.
Paul also added a slide guitar solo, which was inspired by George, and backed up the chorus vocals with Ringo.
In Los Angeles, Paul oversaw the recording session at Capitol Studios for the song’s wistful string arrangement, written by Giles Martin, Paul, and Ben Foster.
The element of nostalgia was further emphasised when Paul and Giles incorporated backing vocals from the original Beatles records 'Here, There And Everywhere', 'Eleanor Rigby', and 'Because'. They wove the songs into the new song using techniques perfected during the making of the LOVE show and album.
You can watch the short film on the making of 'Now And Then' below:
Source: Youtube / The Beatles.
The finished track was produced by Paul and Giles and was mixed by Spike Stent.
'There it was, John's voice, crystal clear. It's quite emotional,' said Paul, who was moved by how crystal-clear John's voice was.
'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,' he added.
This long-awaited track debuted on Scott Mills' 2 pm radio show on BBC R2 on November 2 and will be featured in a remastered edition of the band's Red And Blue album slated for release on November 10.
Expanded versions of the Beatles' 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 compilations will also be released later.
'Now And Then', despite being released later than 1970, will be included in the latter collection.
The release appears to be timely for nostalgic fans this holiday season.
However, this marks their final release as Ringo said: 'This is the last track, ever, that you'll get the four Beatles on the track—John, Paul, George, and Ringo.'
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