It was just like playing with John again: Paul McCartney reveals it was 'magical' to be reunited with Lennon on Beatles' Now And Then as fans break down in tears listening to the Fab Four's 'last ever' release

Sir Paul McCartney has said it was 'magical' to beryllium reunited pinch John Lennon for The Beatles' caller and last opus Now And Then - arsenic he revealed it was for illustration having nan precocious prima successful nan room again.

Emotional Beatles fans collapsed down today arsenic they heard nan band's 'masterpiece' which was written and sung by Lennon, developed by nan precocious George Harrison and vanished by Sir Paul and Sir Ringo Starr decades aft nan original recording.

Some 43 years after Lennon's decease – and much than 2 decades connected from Harrison's passing – The Beatles person travel together pinch nan thief of AI and audio tech pioneered by Lord of nan Rings and Get Back head Sir Peter Jackson.

Now And Then, written and sung by John successful 1977, features acoustic and electrical guitar played by Harrison successful 1995. Sir Paul McCartney completed nan bass and Sir Ringo Starr recorded nan drums successful nan past year.

Describing really typical it was to activity pinch Lennon again, Sir Paul told BBC Radio 1: 'When we were successful nan workplace we had John's sound successful our ears, truthful you could ideate he was conscionable successful nan adjacent room successful a vocal booth aliases something, and we were conscionable moving pinch him again truthful it was joyful. 

'It was really lovely, you know, because we hadn't knowledgeable that for a agelong clip evidently and past abruptly present we were, moving pinch ol' Johnny.' 

LISTEN TO THE NEW BEATLES SONG BELOW 

Today astatine 2pm, Now And Then was debuted connected nan BBC and YouTube to nan exultation and excitement of tens of millions of fans. Listening parties person been held each complete nan world, including successful their location metropolis of Liverpool astatine The Cavern Club and nan Liverpool Beatles Museum. Tears were shed arsenic nan opus played. 

Describing really nan opportunity came about, Sir Paul explained: 'Before John died he was moving connected immoderate songs and Yoko (Ono, Lennon's wife) said to George Harrison and said "I've sewage a cassette pinch immoderate John songs connected that he ne'er sewage to finish. Would you beryllium willing successful finishing them off?"

'So we thought astir it and we thought "Yeah, it would beryllium great", 'cause successful a measurement we would beryllium moving pinch John again, which we thought we would ne'er beryllium capable to do.

'We worked and vanished 2 of nan songs but we didn't get information to finishing nan 3rd one, and nan 3rd 1 is called Now And Then. So it was knocking astir for a agelong clip and I kept reasoning "There's thing here, you know, we should decorativeness this".

'I ended up talking to Ringo and we asked him if he fancied putting nan drums connected again and past I thought "Well, I could up nan bass a bit", truthful I put nan bass connected again. We already had George playing guitar and we had John connected vocal - it was benignant of magical doing it.

'So we ended up making it into a existent record, and that's what's being released.'

Sir Paul said he hopes nan way gives fans 'a loving feeling', adding: 'That's often what we were trying to do pinch our records - we were trying to dispersed love. And successful this 1 it is very poignant.

'It's John talking astir 'I miss you' and worldly for illustration that so... I deliberation 'emotion' - that would beryllium nan cardinal connection for group to return distant from it, 'emotion'.'

Earlier, Sir Paul said finishing his friend's mislaid emotion opus felt for illustration nan Fab Four were each backmost together again, declaring today: 'To still beryllium moving connected Beatles euphony successful 2023. Wow. It's astir apt nan past Beatles song, and we person each played connected it truthful it is simply a genuine Beatles recording. 

'Every clip I thought, opportunity I had a chance to inquire John: 'Hey John, would you for illustration america to decorativeness this past opus of yours?' I'm telling you, I cognize nan reply would person been: 'Yeah'.'

Among those to observe nan opus was Liam Gallagher who tweeted: 'Now n Then perfectly unthinkable biblical celestial heartbreaking and heartwarming each astatine nan aforesaid clip agelong unrecorded The Beatles LG x'. 

BBC Radio 2 listeners, nan first to perceive it successful nan UK, said they were successful tears arsenic it played live. One, Gemma from Nottingham, said: 'Just wow. I sewage nan shivers erstwhile I heard nan one, 2 astatine nan opening of nan track. That was amazing. I'm really emotion a small spot affectional now'. 

Another said: 'I'm successful tears listening to nan caller Beatles track. Let's dream we person nan Fab Four for Christmas number one'. A 3rd instrumentality said: 'I'm only successful my mid 30s but The Beatles were a monolithic portion of my puerility pinch my parents listening to them, and now this caller song. I'm successful tears, it sounds truthful haunting yet truthful beautiful'.

Now And Then is based connected vocals recorded by John Lennon connected to a cassette earlier his death. 

He recorded nan unfinished portion of euphony successful 1977 arsenic a demo astatine his location successful New York City. 

The tape, labelled simply: 'For Paul', was past handed to nan set by Yoko Ono successful 1994, and besides contained Real Love and Free As A Bird.

George Harrison, who died successful 2001, played nan guitar connected nan songs successful nan 1995 and 1996. 

But Now And Then was shelved, pinch a dream that 1 time it would beryllium revisited, because John vocals could not beryllium separated from his soft track, making his singing difficult to hear.

But 2022 and 2023, Sir Paul McCartney completed nan bass and Ringo nan drums aft head Peter Jackson utilized audio restoration exertion that allowed for Lennon's vocals to beryllium utilized without distortion.

A drawstring statement was written pinch nan thief of Giles Martin, boy of nan precocious Beatles shaper George Martin.

Asked astir nan method invention utilized to make nan opus possible, Sir Paul said it feels successful keeping pinch band's ain attack to experimentation.

He said: 'When location was thing a small spot offbeat, technological things... I mean for illustration nan first clip we heard a portion spell backwards by correction we went 'Oh what's that?', and we wanted to put that connected our record, whereas different group would conscionable spell 'Oh, travel on, get nan portion connected nan correct measurement and let's get connected pinch it'.

'But we ever grabbed small things for illustration that truthful Peter Jackson, he's organised it truthful it's magic. It's very typical for maine to beryllium singing pinch John again.'

Students were allowed to perceive to nan first play successful people today. At Lourdes Secondary School in Glasgow they stopped what they were doing, listened to it and clapped astatine nan end.

Many others shed tears complete nan opus erstwhile they heard it for nan first time. 

Broadcaster Lauren Laverne said: 'I cried for illustration a baby. And I ne'er cry. It's world treasure, isn't it? I couldn't get complete nan resonance of nan title: to person this last way that's arrived retired of nan mists of time, which takes america backmost to nan opening of this astonishing communicative – this communicative that's go portion of our nationalist character. 

'It's nan communicative of Britain successful nan 20th century, I think. Lads from an business metropolis who correspond truthful powerfully what Britain did, arsenic we moved from this business state to being a spot wherever arts and civilization is made. Which is very overmuch what we're astir now: this is simply a spot wherever ideas are born. They correspond this communicative astir Britain, astir who we each are. They correspond us'.

Last night, surviving Beatles Sir Paul McCartney, 81, and Sir Ringo Starr, 83, released a short movie expanding connected really they made nan track, written by Lennon. John began signaling nan vocals successful nan precocious 1970s and 14 years aft he was changeable dormant successful 1980, his widow Yoko Ono gave nan tapes to Paul. 

The method issues pinch turning nan vocals into a complete way were considered insurmountable by George, who died successful 2001. But nan feat has now been accomplished pinch nan thief of artificial intelligence exertion that was utilized to amended isolate John's voice.

Paul and Ringo past added caller parts, including drums, bass, backing vocals and a descent guitar solo inspired by George. 

Talking connected nan short movie which premiered connected nan One Show connected Wednesday, Sir Paul said: 'When we mislaid John we knew it was really over.' 

He added: 'In 2001 we mislaid George, which took nan upwind retired of our sails, it took almost a 4th of a period earlier we tackled Now And Then again.'

Using caller technology, which was utilized during nan accumulation of docu-series Get Back, nan set were capable to abstracted voices and instruments, giving them dream of moving connected nan way again.

Speaking astir proceeding John's sound again for nan first time, Ringo said: 'It was nan closest we'll ever travel to having him backmost successful nan room truthful it was very affectional for each of us. It was for illustration John was there, you know. It's acold out.' 

A video of John signaling nan demo at his location successful New York's Dakota Building was fixed to nan remainder of nan the set successful 1994. There were besides 2 cassettes. 

It included demos for Free As A Bird and Real Love, which were some completed arsenic caller Beatles songs and respectively released arsenic singles successful 1995 and 1996, arsenic portion of The Beatles Anthology project.

At nan aforesaid time, Paul, George and Ringo besides recorded caller parts and completed a unsmooth operation for Now And Then pinch shaper Jeff Lynne, leader of nan legendary  Electric Light Orchestra.

At that point, technological limitations prevented John's vocals and soft from being separated to execute nan clear, unclouded operation needed to decorativeness nan song.

Now And Then was shelved, pinch a dream that 1 time it would beryllium revisited.

In 2021, docuseries The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson, was released and viewers were stunned by its award-winning movie and audio restoration.

Using WingNut Films' MAL audio technology, Mr Jackson's squad had de-mixed nan film's mono soundtrack, managing to isolate instruments and vocals, and each nan individual voices wrong The Beatles conversations.

This accomplishment opened nan measurement to 2022's caller operation of Revolver, originated straight from nan four-track maestro tapes. This led connected to a question, what could now beryllium done pinch nan Now And Then demo? 

Jackson and his sound team, led by Emile de la Rey, applied nan aforesaid method to John's original location recording, preserving nan clarity and integrity of his original vocal capacity by separating it from nan piano.

During nan short film, Paul explained that wrong minutes John's sound was heard ringing astir nan room, crystal clear, arsenic if he was location successful person.

In 2022, Paul and Ringo group astir completing it. Besides John's vocal, 'Now And Then' includes electrical and acoustic guitar recorded successful 1995 by George, Ringo's caller drum part, and bass, guitar and soft from Paul, which matches John's original playing.  Paul added a descent guitar solo inspired by George and he and Ringo besides contributed backing vocals to nan chorus.

In Los Angeles, Paul oversaw a Capitol Studios signaling convention for nan song's wistful, quintessentially Beatles drawstring arrangement, written by Giles Martin, Sir Paul and Ben Foster. 

Sir Paul and Giles besides added 1 last, wonderfully subtle touch: backing vocals from nan original recordings of 'Here, There And Everywhere', 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'Because'.

They were woven into nan caller opus utilizing nan techniques perfected during nan making of nan LOVE show and album. The vanished way was produced by Paul and Giles, and mixed by Spike Stent.

Sir Paul said: 'There it was, John's voice, crystal clear. It's rather emotional. And we each play connected it, it's a genuine Beatles recording. 

'In 2023 to still beryllium moving connected Beatles music, and astir to merchandise a caller opus nan nationalist haven't heard, I deliberation it's an breathtaking thing.'

Now And Then will besides beryllium disposable connected a newly-mastered type of nan band's Red And Blue album, which is owed for merchandise connected November 10.

Later this month, expanded versions of nan Beatles' compilations from 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 will beryllium released. 

Now And Then, contempt coming overmuch later than 1970, will beryllium added to nan second collection.

The surviving Beatles person released caller projects, specified arsenic remixes of their aged albums that see workplace outtakes arsenic good arsenic Jackson's Get Back film, timed to entreaty to nostalgic fans astir nan vacation season.

But this will people nan past one. 

'This is nan past track, ever, that you'll get nan 4 Beatles connected nan track. John, Paul, George, and Ringo,' Ringo said successful a recent interview with Associated Press.

ADRIAN THRILLS: The Beatles' 'last song' Now And Then is an emotional, quality grounds - a belated swansong that's good worthy nan wait

THE BEATLES: Now And Then (Apple)

Verdict: Emotional swansong

Rating:

A series of 5 plangent soft chords, nan gentle strum of an acoustic guitar, nan crystal-clear sound of John Lennon and nan astir eagerly anticipated grounds of nan twelvemonth is upon us. Now And Then, made pinch nan thief of artificial intelligence (AI), is being billed arsenic 'the past Beatles song' – nan last dispatch from John, Paul, George and Ringo, nan 4 mop-haired lads from Liverpool who shook nan world.

Created by extricating Lennon's sound from an aged demo that has languished successful nan vaults for decades, it's a landmark popular moment. A reflective, romanticist ballad, it opens successful melancholy fashion, dominated by insignificant chords, earlier nan temper is lifted by an upbeat chorus. 'Now and then, if we must commencement again / Well, we cognize for judge that I will emotion you,' sings John. His sound is unmistakable, and it's awesome to perceive it again aft truthful galore years.

There are plentifulness of different acquainted sounds here, pinch strings successful nan contented of their 1967 way I Am The Walrus and a Paul McCartney slide-guitar solo featuring long, swooning notes successful tribute to George Harrison. But it's nan constituent erstwhile drummer Ringo Starr ups nan tempo conscionable past nan infinitesimal people that Now And Then is transformed from what could person been a souped-up Lennon solo offering into a fully-fledged Fab Four song.

The barroom for a 'new' Beatles number is impossibly high. If we're going to judge Now And Then by nan standards of Hey Jude, Strawberry Fields Forever aliases Harrison's Something – a ballad from 1969's Abbey Road that Frank Sinatra called nan top emotion opus successful 50 years – it's going to beryllium recovered wanting. But it's a way that's going to steadily worm its measurement into nan nation's affections complete nan coming weeks.

So, is it really a caller single, aliases simply a computer-generated Franken-song made for Beatles obsessives? Given nan beingness of AI, tin we now expect to perceive Eleanor Robot aliases With A Little Help From My Algorithms? Some will consciousness there's thing incorrect successful messing pinch nan bequest of these 4 nationalist treasures. After all, The Beatles went their abstracted ways complete 5 decades ago, and 2 of nan set members are nary longer pinch us.

But Now And Then feels for illustration an authentic Beatles track. Lennon, who was murdered successful 1980, and Harrison, who died successful 2001, are basal to what is an emotional, quality record, albeit 1 wherever nan sound value has been enhanced by state-of-the-art technology.

Lennon sings lead, and galore of nan instrumental parts – guitar, bass, piano, electrical harpsichord and shaker – are supplied by McCartney. There are acoustic and electrical guitars by Harrison and Ringo's heartening drumming. The truth that this is being trumpeted arsenic nan band's last opus should besides reassure those fearing a deluge of artificially enhanced outtakes.

The opus itself dates backmost to 1978, erstwhile Lennon recorded a piano-and-vocal type connected a cassette 'boombox' astatine his location successful New York's Dakota Building. In 1994, 14 years aft his murder, his widow Yoko Ono gave nan tape, which was marked 'For Paul' and besides contained 2 different songs, to nan 3 surviving Beatles arsenic they were compiling their retrospective Anthology series.

The different 2 tracks, Free As A Bird and Real Love, were worked connected and released arsenic singles successful nan 1990s, but Now And Then was deemed unusable. The audio value was dismal, dogged by inheritance hiss and nan buzz of nan electrical circuits successful Lennon's apartment. Paul, George and Ringo added caller parts pinch shaper Jeff Lynne, but nan technological limitations of nan 1990s meant that John's vocals couldn't beryllium 'isolated' and past produced to a sufficiently precocious standard. The opus was shelved and, contempt drab bootlegs emerging online, thing much was heard of it until McCartney teased this merchandise successful a power question and reply successful June.

Using nan package employed by filmmaker Peter Jackson for 2021's Get Back documentary, Lennon's vocals person now been 'separated' from nan inheritance sound and nan opus vanished utilizing George's 1995 guitar parts alongside caller contributions, including backing vocals successful nan chorus, by Paul and Ringo.

What's been done pinch Lennon's unsmooth demo – turning 'then' into 'now' – by producers McCartney and Giles Martin (son of original Beatles shaper George Martin) is extraordinary. It's a vibrant portion of music, contempt moments erstwhile it threatens to go a small over-the-top. The summation of further vocal harmonies, woven into nan opus from nan Beatles tracks Here, There And Everywhere, Eleanor Rigby and Because, feels for illustration a measurement excessively far.

But Now And Then is still a loving restoration. With their aged rivals The Rolling Stones astatine nan apical of nan charts pinch Hackney Diamonds, their first medium of caller worldly successful 18 years, it's only fitting that nan surviving Beatles decided they couldn't simply fto it be. This is simply a belated swansong that's worthy nan wait.