The Beatles have released their last song, a full 45 years after John Lennon wrote down its first bars.
“Now and Then” came out Thursday after a week of teasing and build-up, and it’s already getting rave reviews. The song features bars written by John Lennon in 1978, and with a little help from artificial intelligence, it was completed in 2022, according to the BBC. All four original members of the Beatles are featured on the track, which will be the last time John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr will be credited as part of the band, per the outlet.
“Now and Then” was released as an A-side single with the Beatles’ 1962 debut song, “Love Me Do.”
Eager fans waited for the song to drop in their time zone, with the first play released on BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music at roughly 14:00 GMT. The song was quickly streamed to Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music.
Nov. 3 marks the release date for CD, vinyl and cassette copies of the song.
The single is being described as an “apologetic love song” that carries similarities to Lennon’s “Jealous Guy,” according to the BBC.
McCartney and Starr completed the single. Harrison’s portions were pulled from guitar recordings that date back to 1995, and a new string arrangement was included by producer Giles Martin.
The history of “Now and Then” runs deep. Lennon recorded a demo that included vocals and piano in 1978, which Yoko Ono later gave to the Beatles on a cassette. The cassette also included demos of the songs “Free as a Bird,” and “Real Love,” according to the BBC. After numerous attempts to record “Now and Then,” the song was shelved.
“It was one day – one afternoon, really – messing with it,” producer Jeff Lynne said about an abandoned recording session. “The song had a chorus but is almost totally lacking in verses. We did the backing track, a rough go that we really didn’t finish.”
During the creation of the Beatles’ documentary, new software allowed the “de-mixing” of old recordings, and technology was used to create a new mix of the band’s music. The software essentially lifted Lennon’s voice from the original recording, removed the hiss that was in the background, and cleaned up the electrical hums that previously tainted the completion and clarity of the song. (RELATED: John Lennon’s Ex Dishes On Their Sex Life And Relationship During His Marriage To Yoko Ono)
McCartney said Lennon’s voice is now “crystal clear” on “Now and Then,” according to BBC.