The Latest and Last Beatles Song: “Now and Then”

The last surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr use recordings of John Lennon and George Harrison to create the final Beatles record, “Now and Then.”

The Beatles have released what will be their final song, “Now and Then.” The surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr finalized the track using old recording of John Lennon and George Harrison.

McCartney and Starr explain the origins of the song in the short documentary below. The track originated after John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono gave the surviving Beatles three recordings of songs written by Lennon before he was killed. McCartney, Starr, and Harrison used two of the three songs earlier. They had created new Beatles songs in the 1990s to along along with the Anthology documentary about the Beatles. Those two songs were “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love.”

The third Lennon song that McCartney, Starr, and Harrison tried to turn into a Beatles song in the 1990s was “Now and Then.” But this Beatles track was not completed at that time, perhaps partly or mainly due to George Harrison’s disdain for the song. Or, according to McCartney’s more recent version of events, the song was not finished due to technical and time constraints. One of the challenges was that Lennon’s demo recording did not have a clear enough separation between his voice and the piano.

But a jump in time has made the new track possible. Director Peter Jackson, in creating the Beatles documentary about the making of the Let It Be (1970) album, The Beatles: Get Back (2021), used a new technology. It allowed him to separate out the voices of the Fab Four in the original film footage from that session. This technology would also allow the Beatles to separate out John Lennon’s voice from the piano on “Now and Then.”

Then, producer Giles Martin, son of Beatles producer George Martin, added in guitar parts that George Harrison had created when the three Beatles worked on the song in the 1990s. Ringo Starr recorded a new drum track, while McCartney added bass and other instruments, including a slide guitar track as a tribute to Harrison. McCartney’s voice joins Lennon’s voice in the background during the song, and McCartney also added the line “always to return to me” in the lyrics.

Now and then,
I miss you;
Oh, now and then,
I want you to be there for me,
Always to return to me
.

And so, we have what is likely the last Beatles song we will ever have created by the four actual Beatles. While it may not be a match for some of their masterpieces, it is great to hear John singing with the other lads again. Check out the official video for “Now and Then.” The video mixes old footage of the four Beatles with today’s Paul and Ringo, leading the viewer to imagine them all together again. It might even bring a few tears to your eyes.

What do you think of the new song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Ringo Starr Records a John Lennon Song (with a little help from Paul McCartney)

    On Ringo Starr’s new album What’s My Name, he includes a recording of one of the last songs written by John Lennon, “Grow Old With Me.” The touching track also features another Beatle, Paul McCartney, playing bass and singing backing vocals.

    Ringo Starr recently explained to Billboard how Jack Douglas, who produced Lennon’s Double Fantasy, approached him about a tape of demos Lennon had made in Bermuda in 1980. Starr said that listening to the tape was “very emotional” for him. And it was on that tape he found one song that Lennon had never released, “Grow Old With Me.”

    So Starr called McCartney, who agreed to help out. One final additional touch was that Douglas added a string section to the song. And unknown to Starr, Douglas added a brief musical riff from George Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun” (listen closely at around the 1:40 mark). Thus was created a bit of a Beatles reunion of sorts.

    The lyric video below for Starr’s recording of “Grow Old With Me” includes Lennon’s handwriting to help display the lyrics. Check it out.

    The recording touched Starr. As he explained to Billboard, “It moved me. I did my best and it’s very me, but you know, [Lennon] wrote those words and he’d written songs for me before, so I thought, ‘No, I’m gonna do it.'”

    If you listen closely, in addition to the Harrison reference in the music, you may hear Starr’s message to Lennon. At around the 3:02 mark, you can hear in the background, Starr saying, “God bless you, John.”

    John Lennon and Yoko Ono originally planned to include “Grow Old With Me” on Double Fantasy (1980). But the song was not ready when they wanted to release the album, so they saved it for what they hoped would be their next album.

    Lennon’s demo of “Grow Old With Me” with Ono was released after his death. Lennon’s version appears on the 2010 posthumous album, Milk and Honey. You may hear Lennon’s version below.

    Ringo Starr‘s album What’s My Name was released on October 25, 2019.

    What do you think of Ringo Starr’s take on “Grow Old With Me”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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  • The Beatles’ “Black Album” from “Boyhood”
  • All I’ve Got Is a Photograph
  • Hear the Beatles Sing Without Music on “Abbey Road” Medley
  • Behind the Scenes With the Beatles on the Set of “Help!”
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    Performance of the Day: “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”

    While My Guitar Gently Weeps Prince

    George Harrison passed away in 2001 before his induction at the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. So, his former Traveling Wilburys colleagues Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne led an all-star group, including Steve Winwood and Prince, for a rousing performance of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

    Come listen for Tom Petty’s haunting vocals, but stay for Prince’s amazing guitar solo at the end. Seriously, do not stop before Prince takes over.

    The rest of the Beatles initially were not very impressed with “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” when Harrison first played it for them in 1968. But the song became one of their classics, with Eric Clapton playing on the original Beatle version.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Video of the Day: George Harrison’s “What Is Life”

    What Is Life Video

    One of my favorite songs is George Harrison’s “What Is Life.” I love the way it sounds and the way it makes me feel, even without even delving into the lyrics. So I was happy to learn that Harrison’s estate held a contest for a new “official” video of the song.

    For the contest, Georgie Harrison’s wife and son (Olivia and Dhani Harrison) — along with Genero.tv — asked fans to create videos to go with “What is Life.” The 2014 contest was timed to coincide with the release of The Apple Years 1968-1975 box set.  The set includes the album that introduced the world to the song, All Things Must Pass.

    The winner of the contest was Brandon Moore.  His video features a woman dancing in different settings to “What Is Life,” including around a cemetery. Eventually, she meets a young man, and they dance together.

    Olivia and Dhani Harrison selected the video as their favorite.  They noted, “The dancer really expressed unbounded joy, and managed to capture the spirit of “What is Life” through movement, which the director captured beautifully.”

    Check out the winning video for George Harrison’s “What Is Life.”

    What is your favorite George Harrison song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    October 1992: They Were So Much Older Then

    Dylan 30th

    Our video for the day is the performance of Bob Dylan’s “My Back Pages” at The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration.  The concert — held at on October 16, 1992 at Madison Square Garden — celebrated Dylan’s 30 years of recording.  And this performance featured Dylan, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Eric Clapton and George Harrison.

    It is an amazing collection of legends onstage doing on of Dylan’s great early songs.  “My Back Pages” originally appeared on his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan.

    What is amazing about this performance is how at the time of the concert, the singers were already legends and they seemed old at the time.  But looking at it now, they all seem so young.  Or maybe part of that is because I am so much older now.

    Check out the video, which begins with Roger McGuinn singing the song, which he had previous recorded with The Byrds and released in 1967.  Then, the others follow until Dylan takes the lead himself.  In the meantime, one may watch Dylan’s face to make any guesses about what he is thinking as the others sing his song.

    There are various interpretations of “My Back Pages,” although most read it as Dylan’s rejection of his younger idealism.  But like many of his songs, listeners may find their own meaning and a little of their own life in the song.  And, more than two decades ago, we found a little more connection to the song through many of the rock legends of our youth.

    What is your favorite version of “My Back Pages”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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