NEW YORK (AP) — Sixty years after the onset of Beatlemania and with two of the quartet now dead, artificial intelligence has enabled the release next week of what is promised to be the last “new” Beatles song.

On Thursday, it was announced that a track titled “Now And Then” will be released on Nov. 2 as part of a single with the first Beatles single, “Love Me Do,” which was originally released in England in 1962.

“Now And Then” comes from the same batch of unreleased demos written by the late John Lennon, which were taken by his former bandmates to construct the songs “Free As a Bird” and “Real Love,” released in the mid-1990s.

During the recording sessions, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison collaborated on “Now And Then,” but they were hindered by technological constraints.

Using artificial intelligence, Peter Jackson was able to resolve these issues by separating John Lennon’s original vocals from a piano that was used in the late 1970s. This resulted in significantly clearer vocals, which enabled Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to finish the track last year.

The survivors included a lot of elements in it. The latest release features a guitar track that was originally recorded by Harrison almost thirty years ago, a fresh drum section by Starr, as well as McCartney’s bass, piano, and a slide guitar solo that he added as a tribute to the late Harrison, who passed away in 2001. McCartney and Starr also provided backup vocals.

In addition, McCartney incorporated a string arrangement with assistance from Giles Martin, the son of the Beatles’ former producer, George Martin.

Not only that, but they also incorporated backing vocals from the original Beatles tracks of “Here, There and Everywhere,” “Eleanor Rigby,” and “Because.”

McCartney expressed his excitement about the upcoming release of a new, never-before-heard Beatles song in 2023, stating that it was emotional to hear John’s voice so clearly on the recording. He also noted that all members of the band contributed to the recording, making it a true Beatles creation.

Olivia, the widow of Harrison, stated that in the 1990s, he believed that the technical difficulties hindered the band from releasing a song that met their standards. She also mentioned that if he were still alive, he would have eagerly joined Paul and Ringo in finishing the song now that improvements have been made.

On the Wednesday prior to the song’s debut, a 12-minute movie detailing the narrative behind the new recording will be released to the public.

Towards the end of the month, the Beatles’ collections “1962-1966” and “1967-1970” will have extended versions available. The compilation “Now And Then,” although released much after 1970, will also be included in the latter collection.

The remaining members of the Beatles have adeptly unveiled new endeavors, such as revamped versions of their previous records that feature studio outtakes and Jackson’s “Get Back” movie, typically released to cater to sentimental fans during the holiday season.

This year marks the finale of new music.

According to Starr in a recent interview with The Associated Press, this will be the final song featuring all four members of The Beatles – John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

Source: wral.com