The return of the Beatles: a new and moving song thanks to artificial intelligence
The Beatles, legendary Liverpool group, are about to make their comeback with a new song called “Now and Then”. This song, recorded more than forty years ago by John Lennon, was reworked and completed recently thanks to the use of artificial intelligence.
The history of this song dates back to the 1970s, when John Lennon recorded a demo of “Now and Then” in his New York apartment. Unfortunately, following his premature death in 1980, the tape remained in the boxes, because the techniques of the time did not allow Lennon’s voice to be extracted with sufficient quality.
It was thanks to the documentary series “Get Back”, produced in 2021 by Peter Jackson, that the project to finish the song was able to see the light of day. Using new technologies based on artificial intelligence, Jackson managed to separate Lennon’s voice from the piano on the original cassette, thus allowing the singer’s voice to be found “crystal clear”, in the words of Paul McCartney.
To finish the track, fellow surviving Beatles members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr added electric and acoustic guitar recordings made by George Harrison, who died in 2001. Ringo’s drums, McCartney’s piano and bass, and as the vocals of the two living Beatles, were also integrated into the track. The end result was described as “moving” by Ringo Starr, making it seem as if John Lennon was back among them.
This latest Beatles song is generating a lot of excitement among the band’s fans around the world. “Beatlemania” has persisted for more than fifty years, and new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, offer new possibilities for revisiting the legendary works of the Beatles and bringing them together once again.
“Now and Then” will be available online from Thursday, November 2. Fans can already pre-order the title on the group’s online store, but some media, such as vinyl and cassette, are already out of stock.
This release is also accompanied by the reissue of the two emblematic Beatles compilations, “1962-1966” and “1967-1970”, in an expanded version. These albums retrace the incredible journey of the Beatles, who left their mark on music history with their 14 best-selling albums and nearly a billion records sold.
There’s no denying that the Beatles’ legacy continues to fascinate current generations, and this new song, the result of a posthumous collaboration between the band’s members, is further proof of their lasting impact on the music industry. Thanks to artificial intelligence, The Beatles give us one final musical gift, reminding everyone why they remain one of the most influential bands of all time.