Ringo Starr says making “final” Beatles song was “like having John Lennon back”

31 October, 2023

a black and white photo of John Lennon and Ringo Starr

Ringo Starr has opened up about the “emotional” experience of creating The Beatles‘ upcoming “final” song ‘Now And Then’.

The legendary drummer teamed up with his former bandmate Paul McCartney to make the last-ever track to feature all four members of the band, with the help of AI technology. It’ll be released globally at 2pm GMT this Thursday (November 2).

John Lennon first wrote and recorded a demo of ‘Now And Then’ with just his piano and vocals in the late ’70s. In 1994, his widow Yoko Ono gave the recording to McCartney, George Harrison and Starr.

The surviving members – along with producer Jeff Lynne – recorded new parts and completed a rough mix for ‘Now And Then’, but “technological limitations” meant that Lennon’s vocals and piano were not able to be separated for a clear enough mix.

However, McCartney and Starr were recently able to use the same technology to isolate and improve Lennon’s vocal that was employed to enhance the audio in Peter Jackson’s acclaimed documentary Get Back (2021), and later on the 2022 remixed edition of ‘Revolver’.

Starr has now recalled the process of finally completing the imminent new Beatles single with McCartney.

“He called me up and said he’d like to work on ‘Now And Then’,” he remembered (via Music News). “‘What do you think?’,” he quoted Macca as saying. “‘I think it’s great’.”

Starr continued: “So he put the bass on, he sent the files to me. I put the drums on. It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him [Lennon] back in the room so it was very emotional for all of us.”

The drummer went on to say that “it was like John was there” with them in the recording studio.

McCartney previously explained that Lennon’s voice is “crystal clear” on ‘Now And Then’, adding: “It’s quite emotional.”

He said: “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.”

Additionally, The Beatles are set to release new expanded editions of ‘1962-1966 (The Red Album)’ and ‘1967-1970 (The Blue Album)’, mixed in stereo and Dolby, next Friday (November 10).

‘Now And Then’ has been teased with images of a cassette tape across social media and online as well as via projections in the Fab Four’s native Liverpool.

Meanwhile, an extended edition of The One Show on BBC One tomorrow evening (November 1) will include a poignant short film about the song, written and directed by Oliver Murray.

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