Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. "Now And Then — The Last Beatles Song"
Premieres Thursday, Nov. 16 at 8:27 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream on PBS.org and the PBS App beginning Sunday, Nov. 12 – Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023
“Now And Then – The Last Beatles Song” is a short film documenting the 60-year journey of a track recorded by John Lennon in his apartment in the 1970s through its release as the final song from all four band members.
"Now and Then's" eventful journey to fruition took place over five decades and is the product of conversations and collaborations between the four Beatles that go on to this day. The long mythologised John Lennon demo was first worked on in February 1995 by Paul, George and Ringo as part of The Beatles Anthology project but it remained unfinished, partly because of the impossible technological challenges involved in working with the vocal John had recorded on tape in the 1970s. For years it looked like the song could never be completed. But in 2022 there was a stroke of serendipity. A software system developed by Peter Jackson and his team, used throughout the production of the documentary series Get Back, finally opened the way for the uncoupling of John’s vocal from his piano part. As a result, the original recording could be brought to life and worked on anew with contributions from all four Beatles. This remarkable story of musical archaeology reflects The Beatles’ endless creative curiosity and shared fascination with technology. It marks the completion of the last recording that John, Paul and George and Ringo will get to make together and celebrates the legacy of the foremost and most influential band in popular music history.
This historic track is the product of decades of conversations and collaborations between the members of the band. In 1994, Yoko Ono, Lennon’s wife, mentioned to George Harrison that she had a tape of her husband recording some original songs.
Ringo Starr. "Now And Then — The Last Beatles Song"
In February 1995, Paul, George and Ringo worked on the Lennon demo as part of The Beatles Anthology and were successful in putting together the songs “Free As a Bird” and “Real Love,” released in the mid-1990s. But “Now and Then” proved to be an insurmountable technical challenge, as John’s vocal was partially obscured by his piano accompaniment. The song lay dormant for decades.
"Now and Then's" eventful journey to fruition took place over five decades and is the product of conversations and collaborations between the four Beatles that go on to this day. The long mythologised John Lennon demo was first worked on in February 1995 by Paul, George and Ringo as part of The Beatles Anthology project but it remained unfinished, partly because of the impossible technological challenges involved in working with the vocal John had recorded on tape in the 1970s. For years it looked like the song could never be completed. But in 2022 there was a stroke of serendipity. A software system developed by Peter Jackson and his team, used throughout the production of the documentary series Get Back, finally opened the way for the uncoupling of John’s vocal from his piano part. As a result, the original recording could be brought to life and worked on anew with contributions from all four Beatles. This remarkable story of musical archaeology reflects The Beatles’ endless creative curiosity and shared fascination with technology. It marks the completion of the last recording that John, Paul and George and Ringo will get to make together and celebrates the legacy of the foremost and most influential band in popular music history.
But in 2022, there was a stroke of technical serendipity. A software system developed by Peter Jackson and his team for the documentary series GET BACK finally opened the way for the uncoupling of John’s vocal from his piano part. As a result, the original recording could be brought to life, and the newly cleared vocal enabled McCartney and Starr to complete the track last year. The final recording includes John’s original vocal, McCartney’s bass and a slide guitar solo he added as a tribute to George Harrison, drums by Starr, and a guitar part Harrison had recorded nearly three decades ago.
George Harrison and Paul McCartney. "Now And Then The Last Beatles Song"
This remarkable story of musical archaeology reflects The Beatles’ endless creative curiosity and shared fascination with technology. It marks the completion of the last recording that John, Paul, George and Ringo will get to make together and celebrates the legacy of the foremost and most influential band in popular music history.
John Lennon. (undated photo) "Now And Then — The Last Beatles Song"
Watch On Your Schedule:
PBS will offer free viewing access from Sunday, Nov. 12 through Saturday, Nov. 18, on PBS.org, the PBS App and on KPBS TV. KPBS members can stream the film with KPBS Passport Sunday, Nov. 19 - Monday, Dec. 11, 2023.
Jen is a web producer at KPBS, responsible for program promotion, membership-related activities, and is the editor of the KPBS community calendar. Jen has worked at KPBS since 2000. She is originally from Las Vegas and attended UNLV.
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