The Beatles did it again: when in June of this year, Paul McCartney said that what would be the last song of the most famous quartet of musicians in the world was going to be presented, everything was talked about.
What was not said is that this song would generate a series of events that had not been seen or experienced since the last century.
The return of the Beatles to the top of the charts, the word “sold out” on the image of their albums and merchandise, and the virilization of their stories, legends and songs by all possible means.
On November 2, the Beatles were once again in the mouths and ears of the world when “Now and Then” was shared, a melody that could only be played with today’s technology.
Although the song is not new to Beatles fans because John Lennon had written, sung and recorded it as a demo on a cassette around 1977, what was new was the participation of Paul McCartney, Ringo Star and George Harrison.
The trio had already heard Now and Then when in 1994 Yoko Ono delivered two cassettes with Lennon’s home recordings that included Now and Then, Free as a Bird, and Real Love. These last two songs would be part of the “Anthology” albums, after Harrison, Star and McCartney left their mark with their musical arrangements.
The idea was also for Now and Then to be included in Anthology, however, due to the quality of the recording, the demo never became a Beatles song until almost thirty years later.
And for that, Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, would have to appear, who used technology to separate instruments and voices from mono tracks while giving another color to the documentary Let It Be.
Upon learning of the tools that already existed, the cassette containing Now and Then was given to Jackson to separate Lennon’s voice. What was received in return was, in Paul’s words, John’s “crystal clear” voice.
With the vocals isolated, Paul added his bass, Ringo added drums, and 1995 recordings of George’s guitar were used. An orchestral arrangement was added to the sounds of the Beatles. And there it was: a new song from the quartet.
Artificial intelligence
Without the technology that exists today, Now And Then would not have been touched by the still-living Beatles. However, when McCartney first discussed the song and commented that artificial intelligence was going to help get John’s voice from the cassette, there were several misinterpretations.
“I think the most important thing and what people are perhaps most confused about is that they believe that this song was composed or recorded with the help of artificial intelligence, and that is false. The song is 100% organic. AI was only a tool to separate the voice from the piano,” explained Santiago Salazar.
Santiago is a music producer, graduated with honors from Berklee College, who has closely followed the work of the Beatles and their new song. For him, the use of technology only further enhanced Lennon’s original creation.
“It is a wonderful song that perfectly reflects Lennon’s melancholic stage in the seventies, in which I believe he was beginning to give signs that a reunion with the Beatles was open… and now we see them again,” Santiago added.
Reactions
The Beatles did it again. For adults and children alike, Now and Then has shaken them. Regardless of whether you like it or not, John’s voice, Paul’s accompaniment on the choirs and bass, Ringo’s drums and George’s guitar have generated an amalgamation of feelings.
It is enough to look at the reactions on social networks after the publication of the song and its video, or just ask the fans to realize that the Beatles did it again.
“Only The Beatles can manage to touch the fibers of the soul and heart so deeply to the point of tears. In times where we all run and run over everything and everyone along the way, it was a great balm for my soul,” said Xavier Cevallos, a Cuenca native who has followed the quartet all his life.
For others, listening to a new Beatles song was remembering that feeling that came when they knew there was a new single from the “Fab Four.”
“I think that’s one of the most important things about this. Have the illusion of hearing something new. Now everything is in the cloud and it is faster, but that excitement was felt again, of waiting for the time for it to be published and listening to it,” Antonio Martínez told El Mercurio.
And that’s precisely what the world is doing: listening to Now and Then, which has been titled as the Beatles’ last song. Perhaps, for some, for those who have followed the English band it is like that.
For others, however, who never had a close relationship with the band, perhaps Now and Then is just the beginning of a deal that may make them say: why didn’t I listen to them before. (YO)