Beatles has released the following statements regarding d…
Here is a summary of official statements made by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr regarding the final Beatles song, **”Now and Then”**, released in November
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### 🎙️ **Paul McCartney** said:
> “There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear. It’s quite emotional. And we all play on it—it’s a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023, to still be working on Beatles music and about to release a new song the public haven’t heard—I think it’s an exciting thing.”
He also clarified concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in the production:
> “Nothing has been artificially or synthetically created. It’s all real, and we all play on it. We cleaned up some existing recordings… a process which has gone on for years.”
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### 🥁 **Ringo Starr** said:
> “It was the closest we’ll ever come to having John back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us. It was like John was there, you know. It’s far out.”
He added:
> “This is the final track you’ll ever hear with the four lads.”
He also reassured fans:
> “We would never fake John’s voice. He’s really there.”
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### 🧬 **Context about the song and production**:
* The track originated from a piano-and-vocal demo recorded by **John Lennon** in the late 1970s.
* Yoko Ono gave the demo to the surviving Beatles in the 1990s. While they completed “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love,” they abandoned “Now and Then” due to poor sound quality and technical limitations. George Harrison reportedly called it “rubbish” at the time.
* In 2022, new audio separation technology—developed by Peter Jackson’s team during the making of *Get Back*—was used to isolate John’s vocals from the demo, making completion possible.
* **George Harrison’s** guitar parts, recorded in the 1990s, were incorporated into the final version.
* **Paul** added bass, guitar, piano, and backing vocals, while **Ringo** contributed new drum tracks.
* A string arrangement was added by Giles Martin and Ben Foster.
* The production carefully preserved the song’s authenticity. No AI-generated vocals were used—John’s real voice was enhanced, not imitated.
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### 👨👩👦 **Family endorsements**:
* **Sean Ono Lennon** (John’s son) said:
> “It’s incredibly touching to hear them working together. It’s the last song my dad, Paul, George, and Ringo got to make together. It’s like a time capsule.”
* **Olivia Harrison** (George’s widow) stated that George would have “wholeheartedly joined” the effort if he were still alive.
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