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 .
The track, called 91ƵNow And Then,91Ƶ will be available Thursday, Nov. 2, as part of a single paired with 91ƵLove Me Do,91Ƶ the very first Beatles single that came out in 1962 in England, it was announced Thursday.
91ƵNow And Then91Ƶ comes from the written by the late John Lennon, which were taken by his former bandmates to construct the songs 91ƵFree As a Bird91Ƶ and 91ƵReal Love,91Ƶ released in the mid-1990s.
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison worked on 91ƵNow And Then91Ƶ in the same sessions, but technological limitations stood in the way.
With the help of artificial intelligence, cleared those problems up by 91Ƶseparating91Ƶ Lennon91Ƶs original vocals from a piano used in the late 1970s. The much clearer vocals allowed McCartney and Starr to complete the track last year.
The survivors packed plenty into it. The new single contains guitar that Harrison had recorded nearly three decades ago, a new drum part by Starr, with McCartney91Ƶs bass, piano and a slide guitar solo he added as a tribute to Harrison, who died in 2001. McCartney and Starr sang backup.
McCartney also added a string arrangement written with the help of , son of the late Beatles producer George Martin.
As if that wasn91Ƶt enough, they weaved in backing vocals from the original Beatles recordings of 91ƵHere, There and Everywhere,91Ƶ 91ƵEleanor Rigby91Ƶ and 91ƵBecause.91Ƶ
91ƵThere it was, John91Ƶs voice, crystal clear,91Ƶ McCartney said in the announcement. 91ƵIt91Ƶs quite emotional. And we all play on it, it91Ƶs a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023 to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven91Ƶt heard, I think it91Ƶs quite an exciting thing.91Ƶ
Harrison91Ƶs widow, Olivia, said he felt in the 1990s that the technical problems made it impossible to release a song that met the band91Ƶs standards. With the improvements, 91Ƶhe would have wholeheartedly91Ƶ joined Paul and Ringo in completing the song now if he were still alive, she said.
Next Wednesday, the day before the song91Ƶs release, that tells the story of the new recording will be made public.
Later in the month, expanded versions of the Beatles91Ƶ compilations 91Ƶ1962-196691Ƶ and 91Ƶ1967-197091Ƶ will be released. 91ƵNow And Then,91Ƶ despite coming much later than 1970, will be added to the latter collection.
The surviving Beatles have skillfully released new projects, like remixes of their old albums that include studio outtakes and Jackson91Ƶs , usually timed to appeal to nostalgic fans around the holiday season.
This year, it91Ƶs the grand finale of new music.
91ƵThis is the last track, ever, that you91Ƶll get the four Beatles on the track. John, Paul, George, and Ringo,91Ƶ Starr said in a with The Associated Press.
David Bauder, The Associated Press