The Beatles have finally completed one of John Lennon's unfinished demos, "Now and Then", and released it as a single. The song features Lennon's voice and piano, along with new contributions from Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
The song was originally recorded by Lennon in the late 1970s but was left incomplete. The Beatles tried to finish it in the mid-1990s for their Anthology project but gave up due to technical difficulties. Lennon's vocals were on the same track with his piano and a TV in the background, making it hard to isolate and enhance.
However, with new software that enabled them to extract Lennon's vocal, the Beatles decided to revisit the song and add their own parts. The song was produced by Giles Martin, the son of the Beatles' legendary producer George Martin.
Martin said that he was happy to work on the song, but he had no intention of remixing the other two Lennon demos that the Beatles finished for Anthology with Jeff Lynne producing -- "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love". He said that Lynne was a brilliant producer and that it would be an insult to him to do that. He also said that McCartney and Harrison would agree with him and would want Lynne to be involved in any such project.
"Now and Then" has been released as a single with their first single, "Love Me Do", on the flip side. The song also closes out the reissue of 1973's compilation, 1967-1970 (The Blue Album), which features some of the Beatles' most iconic songs from their later years.
The song has received positive reviews from critics and fans, who praised the Beatles' ability to create new music from old material and to honor Lennon's legacy. The song is also seen as a fitting farewell to Harrison, who died in 2001, and a tribute to the Beatles' enduring friendship and musical bond.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]