The Beatles - "Now And Then"

[119]

Fascinating story of the last ever Beatles track, using vocals from John that were eventually, successfully isolated from a demo where they were drowned out by his piano.

interestingly the strings were played by the orchestra without them having a clue what it was for, and in fact, one member finally recognised himself playing in the track that they laid down around two years ago.

First play tomorrow on Scott Mills on R2.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APJAQoSCwuA

[James6112]

Thanks, that was nice

Looking forward to hearing it at 1400 today

[pitboard]

Three observations.
There’s usually a pretty good reason for a tune to lie neglected in a drawer since the dawn of time.
John Lennon’s later work was a bit weak
I hope they barred Jeff Lynne from the studio.

[marcosgt]

pitboard said:

Three observations.
There’s usually a pretty good reason for a tune to lie neglected in a drawer since the dawn of time.
John Lennon’s later work was a bit weak
I hope they barred Jeff Lynne from the studio.

I watched the piece on YT last night (well, up until John Bishop got involved) and have to agree, based on what I heard.

Many artists produce lots of tracks that they discard as unworthy and this one sounds like that to me.

It was interesting to see how they used the technology to stitch together Lennon's voice with Harrison's guitar from the '90s and Ringo and Paul's recent efforts and I'm sure this is exactly the kind of technology that The Beatles would have embraced if they'd had it in the '60s (As George Martin's son said and, boy, does he look like his dad!), but, like all the 'new' Beatles songs released since the final album in 1970, it's weak and probably not even worthy of inclusion as a rarities album track, if I'm honest.

Of course, some Beatles fans will lap up the sound of John moving a chair, but this doesn't inspire me.

M

[119]

Yeah i see your point, however, it was a song Paul/they had that was basically unusable due to the poor quality of the demo and with all the fascinating tech thats now available has rescued it from the 'bin'.

And i suspect that had always liked it but since John died, they didn't have any way of using it as he wasn't around to redo the vocals.

[Pitre]

Extraordinary use of new technology and I'm looking forward to hearing it. What with the digital visual resurrection of the 'young' Abba and the 300 year-old Stones still cranking out great music it just reflects how great the sixties and seventies were in terms of pop music.

Not quite sure where it goes from here but I imagine it won't be too long before we get a synthesised new AI vocal recording using Elvis's voice...

[rjfp1962]

They did quite a big build up to this last night on BBC1's The One Show, with Giles Martin and Lauren Laverne.

Also showed a nice short film to promote Now and Then. BBC6 Music starts coverage at 1:40pm today, leading up to playing it at 2pm.

Looking forward to it..

[QuartzDad]

[119]

QuartzDad said:

Bless him.

[James6112]

Fired up Radio2 on the Sonos

I wonder if the Beatles new single will beat the Stones latest in 2023!

It’s a funny old world.

Edited by James6112 on Thursday 2nd November 13:52

[DoctorX]

Hmmm. Not one of the classics is it?

[Pit Pony]

DoctorX said:

Hmmm. Not one of the classics is it?

I'm from Liverpool and I fking hate the beatles.
I think it's the pointless tourism.
I have always been amused that Speke Airport was renamed after one of them. The irony that it was probably the first place they went to escape once they'd become half famous.

[DoctorX]

George Harrison's quotes in here

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/02/the-...

[Debaser]

DoctorX said:

George Harrison's quotes in here

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/02/the-...

[I-am-the-reverend]

They've played it twice on R6.


I've forgotten it already. It's plodding, Jeff Lynne-u-like filler.

I get it that Paul McCartney badly misses his friend but Paperback Writer it is not.

[I-am-the-reverend]

This is peak Beatles to me - one of the very few bands that got better and better and quit whilst ahead.

Anything after 1970 just isn't Beatles AFAIAC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTZ804WxpGg

[marcosgt]

Agreed, the only good Beatles stuff post 1970 was by The Rutles!

Listening to it now and it's very post-Beatles Lennon style.

It's got a couple of decent bits, but the basic song is weak and the flourishes, judging from what I saw and heard last night, are very much 2023!

[Wacky Racer]

The Beatles can do no wrong for me, bought my first record Please please me in 1963.

If Macca released a record of one of his farts in stereo it would go to the top of the charts.

Philistines the lot of you.

[520TORQUES]

I-am-the-reverend said:

This is peak Beatles to me - one of the very few bands that got better and better and quit whilst ahead.

Anything after 1970 just isn't Beatles AFAIAC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTZ804WxpGg

I used to visit 1 Savile Row for work, the thought of all those highly skilled tailors beavering away making the best military officer uniforms and high end suits next door to that event raises a smile.

The coppers don't look impressed.

[ThePrisoner]

I-am-the-reverend said:

This is peak Beatles to me - one of the very few bands that got better and better and quit whilst ahead.

Anything after 1970 just isn't Beatles AFAIAC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTZ804WxpGg

Yep. They knew what was coming , it was the right decision.

Lennon once said ( Myth of fact ? ) .He didn't what the Beatles doing Cabaret in Las Vegas after their fame had Faded.

The last few attempts to give the band some closure are just an embarrassment.

Lennon dropped kicked those demo's a long time ago and had moved on .