On November 2, The Beatles will released a new song, Now And Then, followed on November 10 by expanded reissues of seminal compilation albums, The Red and Blue Albums.
Now And Then was demoed by John Lennon in 1979 and was one of three home recordings Yoko Ono handed to the three remaining Beatles, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, in the 1990s to work on as part of The Beatles Anthology project alongside Free As A Bird and Real Love.
McCartney, Harrison and Starr worked on the song with ELO’s Jeff Lynne in 1995, recording a rough backing track, but unlike Free As A Bird and Real Love, they abandoned it after a few days in the studio. Lynne has said they didn’t finish the track because there wasn’t a verse in place on Lennon’s demo and background noise on the recording made it difficult to work with his vocal, while McCartney told Q Magazine in 1997 that Harrison simply hadn’t been a fan of the song itself, so it was shelved. "George didn’t like it," said McCartney. "The Beatles being a democracy, we didn’t do it."
However, using similar AI technology that director Peter Jackson had utilized on The Beatles: Get Back documentary, Lennon’s vocal was extracted from the demo and, using Harrison’s guitar parts from the 1995 sessions, McCartney and Starr were able to complete the song last year.
"There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear. It’s quite emotional," says McCartney of the recording. "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."
"It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us," adds Starr. "It was like John was there, you know. It’s far out."
McCartney and producer Giles Martin wrote a new string arrangement for the song and using the techniques used on the making of the LOVE live show and album backing vocals from the original recordings of Here, There And Everywhere, Eleanor Rigby and Because have been incorporated into the track which is produced by McCartney, Martin and Mark ‘Spike’ Stent. Now And Then will be released as a double A-Side with Love Me Do, The Beatles’ first single in 1962.
Bootlegs of Lennon’s demo have been circulating online for a number of years, and McCartney has spoken on several occasions of wanting to finish the third song Ono had passed on to the remaining Bealtes. Earlier this year McCartney told Radio 4’s The Today programme he was working on an unnamed Lennon demo which was quickly speculated to be Now And Then, prompting some fans to use AI to ‘complete’ the recording themselves.
A 12-minute documentary, Now And Then – The Last Beatles Song, will also be released featuring, McCartney, Starr, Harrison, Jackson and Sean Ono Lennon. You can watch the trailer here:
The Beatles are also releasing expanded reissues of 1973 compilations, 1962-1966 ‘The Red Album’ and 1967-1970 ‘The Blue Album’.
21 songs have been added to the original track listing in total, twelve on The Red Album, and nine on The Blue Album. Revolver is much more represented than before on The Red Album, while the addition of Within You Without You and I Me Mine represent more of Harrison’s contributions on The Blue Album.
The new CD tracklistings are below with * indicating new inclusions. They will also be available as 4CD slipcased sets and 6LP vinyl sets.
1962-1966 (2023 Edition)
CD1
1: Love Me Do (2023 Mix)
2: Please Please Me (2023 Mix)
3: I Saw Her Standing There (2023 Mix) *
4: Twist And Shout (2023 Mix) *
5: From Me To You (2023 Mix)
6: She Loves You (2023 Mix)
7: I Want To Hold Your Hand (2023 Mix)
8: This Boy (2023 Mix) *
9: All My Loving (2023 Mix)
10: Roll Over Beethoven (2023 Mix) *
11: You Really Got A Hold On Me (2023 Mix) *
12: Can’t Buy Me Love (2023 Mix)
13: You Can’t Do That (2023 Mix) *
14: A Hard Day’s Night (2023 Mix)
15: And I Love Her (2023 Mix)
16: Eight Days A Week (2023 Mix)
17: I Feel Fine (2023 Mix)
18: Ticket To Ride (2023 Mix)
19: Yesterday (2023 Mix)
CD2
1: Help! (2023 Mix)
2: You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away (2023 Mix)
3: We Can Work It Out (2023 Mix)
4: Day Tripper (2023 Mix)
5: Drive My Car (2023 Mix)
6 Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (2023 Mix)
7: Nowhere Man (2023 Mix)
8: Michelle (2023 Mix)
9: In My Life (2023 Mix)
10: If I Needed Someone (2023 Mix) *
11: Girl (2023 Mix)
12: Paperback Writer (2022 Mix)
13: Eleanor Rigby (2022 Mix)
14: Yellow Submarine (2022 Mix)
15: Taxman (2022 Mix) *
16: Got To Get You Into My Life (2022 Mix) *
17: I’m Only Sleeping (2022 Mix) *
18: Here, There And Everywhere (2022 Mix) *
19: Tomorrow Never Knows (2022 Mix) *
1967-1970 (2023 Edition)
(2CD: stereo / Digital + Streaming: stereo & Dolby Atmos)
* = newly added track
CD1
1: Strawberry Fields Forever (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)
2: Penny Lane (2017 Mix)
3: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (2017 Mix)
4: With A Little Help From My Friends (2017 Mix)
5: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (2017 Mix)
6: Within You Without You (2017 Mix) *
7: A Day In The Life (2017 Mix)
8: All You Need Is Love (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)
9: I Am The Walrus (2023 Mix)
10: Hello, Goodbye (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)
11: The Fool On The Hill (2023 Mix)
12: Magical Mystery Tour (2023 Mix)
13: Lady Madonna (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)
14: Hey Jude (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)
15: Revolution (2023 Mix)
CD2
1: Back In The U.S.S.R. (2018 Mix)
2: Dear Prudence (2018 Mix) *
3: While My Guitar Gently Weeps (2018 Mix)
4: Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (2018 Mix)
5: Glass Onion (2018 Mix) *
6: Blackbird (2018 Mix) *
7: Hey Bulldog (2023 Mix) *
8: Get Back (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)
9: Don’t Let Me Down (2021 Mix)
10: The Ballad Of John And Yoko (2015 Stereo Mix / 2023 Dolby Atmos Mix)
11: Old Brown Shoe (2023 Mix)
12: Here Comes The Sun (2019 Mix)
13: Come Together (2019 Mix)
14: Something (2019 Mix)
15: Octopus’s Garden (2019 Mix)
16: Oh! Darling (2019 Mix) *
17: I Want You (She’s So Heavy) (2019 Mix) *
18: Let It Be (2021 Mix)
19: Across The Universe (2021 Mix)
20: I Me Mine (2021 Mix) *
21: The Long And Winding Road (2021 Mix)
22: Now And Then *