In June, Paul McCartney revealed that he had recorded what he called the Beatles’ last song, made with the help of AI software. He also said that the track would be released sometime this year. That time has nearly arrived: The Beatles’ final song, “Now and Then,” is out November 2 at 10 a.m. Eastern (via Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe).
The single will be issued digitally and as a double A-side single (on 7″ vinyl, 12″ vinyl, and cassette) backed with the band’s first single, 1962’s “Love Me Do.” A 12-minute documentary about “Now and Then” will precede the song on November 1. Watch the trailer for the Oliver Murray–directed short film below.
“Now and Then” was written and sung by John Lennon, who recorded the track as a demo at his home in the Dakota in New York in 1978. The original recording featured just Lennon’s voice and piano. In 1994, Yoko Ono gave the demo to McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, along with Lennon’s demos for “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love.” Working with producer and Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) mastermind Jeff Lynne, the remaining three Beatles recorded new parts for a version of “Now and Then,” but technological limitations of the era prevented them from separating Lennon’s vocals from the piano on his original demo.
After shelving “Now and Then” for decades, McCartney and Starr revisited the project after working with director Peter Jackson on his Get Back documentary. Jackson and his sound team devised a method to isolate Lennon’s vocal on the original tape with the help of AI.
“There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear,” McCartney said of the experience in a press release. “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.”
“It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us,” Starr added. “It was like John was there, you know. It’s far out.”
