The Beatles’ final song: What role did AI play in the band’s last collaborative effort

The Beatles mark a momentous release for their fans as the iconic rock band drops their "new" song titled "Now and Then." This track comes with a unique twist, as it owes its completion to breakthrough technology and machine learning, bringing to life an old John Lennon demo.

The Beatles' journey to complete "Now and Then" began in the mid-'90s when Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr reunited to work on "new" songs for the group's Anthology albums. The band successfully wrapped up "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love" by adding full-band arrangements to Lennon's demos. However, progress on "Now and Then" hit a roadblock, primarily due to technical challenges posed by the original recording.
McCartney explained that in John's demo tape, the piano had been somewhat difficult to hear. He also pointed out that during that era, they had lacked the technology required to separate the audio components. The song remained incomplete as "the piano came through and clouded the picture" each time they tried to enhance John's voice.

Ultimately, the trio session with McCartney, Harrison, and Starr concluded without "Now and Then" reaching a finished state. The passing of George Harrison in 2001 added further uncertainty to the track's future.

The turning point arrived in this decade when director Peter Jackson worked on his comprehensive Get Back documentary for Disney Plus. Jackson's team developed a groundbreaking technology based on machine learning. This technology could dissect any piece of music, including ancient demos, into separate tracks. It was a eureka moment for McCartney and Starr, offering them the opportunity to finally complete "Now and Then."

"Now we could mix it and make a proper record of it," said McCartney. He contributed a bass track, Starr added drums, and producer Giles Martin devised a string arrangement in a style reminiscent of Giles' father from the bygone era.

The song's documentary provides limited insight into Harrison's past recordings on the finalized track, as it's known that he wasn't particularly fond of Lennon's unfinished song. Nevertheless, McCartney mentioned they preserved his parts from the Anthology sessions, and he played a slide guitar solo in Harrison's signature style.

The completion of "Now and Then" has been met with approval from all parties involved in the project, including the estates of nonliving members. Sean Ono Lennon expressed how his father, John Lennon, would have appreciated the technological experimentation. McCartney expressed his enthusiasm, remarking that it was remarkable to continue working on Beatles music in 2023. He noted that they were indeed experimenting with state-of-the-art technology, which, in his opinion, would have piqued the interest of the Beatles themselves. He also observed that "Now and Then" likely represented the final Beatles song, and all of them had contributed to it, making it an authentic recording of the band.

FAQs:

Q1:Who were cwas the leaders of The Beatles?
A1:John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the co-leaders of The Beatles.

Q2:Which member of the Beatles was assassinated?
A2:John Lennon was fatally shot by a fan, Mark David Chapman, in front of his Manhattan apartment building on December 8, 1980