A new Beatles song will be released next week, featuring the voice of late member John Lennon and developed using artificial intelligence, record company Universal Music Group said on Thursday.
Paul McCartney expressed his excitement, stating that they found John’s voice crystal clear, making it an emotional moment for the band. “Now and Then” was written by John Lennon in the late 1970s and shared with McCartney by Yoko Ono in 1994. While other Lennon demos were completed and released, technological limitations prevented the separation of Lennon’s vocals and piano on “Now and Then”
Over 25 years later, AI-assisted software, used to enhance audio from the Beatles’ “Let It Be” recordings, isolated instruments and vocals for the “Get Back” documentary. The technology inspired the surviving band members to revisit Lennon’s demo, leading to a new mix. McCartney and Starr added new parts to the song, including guitar recordings by Harrison and a string arrangement by McCartney, Giles Martin, and Ben Foster.
The new song also incorporates backing vocals from classic Beatles tracks, and Jeff Lynne contributed to the production.
Here’s a little teaser:
