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Called "Now and Then," the song - billed as the last Beatles
song - also features parts recorded by surviving members Paul
McCartney and Ringo Starr as well as the late George Harrison.
"There it was, John's voice, crystal clear," McCartney said in a
statement. "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."
"Now and Then" dates back to the late 1970s when Lennon recorded
a home demo in New York City, where he was murdered in 1980. The
Beatles broke up in 1970. Harrison died of cancer in 2001.
Years after his death, Lennon's widow Yoko Ono handed a set of
recordings including "Now and Then" to the other Beatles, who
added their own parts to it. But technological limitations meant
Lennon's vocals and piano could not be separated to produce the
clear mix required to finish the song.
The idea to revive the tune followed Peter Jackson's 2021
documentary series "The Beatles: Get Back," which had managed to
isolate instruments and vocals using AI.
The same technology was applied to "Now and Then," which was
then completed by McCartney and Starr, Universal said. It will
release worldwide at 1400 GMT on Nov. 2.
"It was the closest we'll ever come to having him back in the
room, so it was very emotional for all of us," Starr said,
referring to Lennon. "It was like John was there, you know. It's
far out."
(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar in London; Editing by Matthew
Lewis)
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