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"NOW AND THEN," THE LAST BEATLES SONG? Hmm. . .
Those fellows. |
by
Rip Rense
Copyright 2023 Rip Rense, The Rip Post. May not be
reprinted without permission.
Okay, so where are we?
It’s 2023, and we have a new Beatles song---with two Beatles and a
Beatles producer who are no longer here. Yet “Now and Then” not only
sounds like The Beatles, it has some of the infectious, get-under-your-skin
stuff, and originality of structure, that all Beatles songs had. It is
not merely, as most bloggers are saying, a second-tier, or lesser
Beatles song; a (warning: teenaged term ahead) “deep track” album fare.
It’s not a “deep track”---it’s deep.
Indeed, there is more to “Now and Then” than most have suggested. Aside
from its touching, tender side, it has
an allure, a subliminal charm that was at the center of great Beatles
music. Paul McCartney, who produced, pulled this off. The song is, after
all, the first number-one Beatles single in the United Kingdom since
1969’s “The Ballad of John and Yoko.” The earlier virtual Beatles
reunion songs, "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" (produced by Jeff Lynne)
did not do as well.
The circumstances of “Now and Then’s” very existence are astonishing,
and you can’t help but think about them when listening. It’s a John
Lennon home demo from 1977, miraculously cleared of buzz, piano,
background TV noise using artificial intelligence technology invented
for “The Beatles Get Back” documentary by director Peter Jackson. It
includes bass, harmony vocals from 81-year-old McCartney and drums from
83-year-old Ringo Starr. George Harrison strums an acoustic from the
first pass at recording the song, back in 1995. No one ever really
expected this thing to be finished, let alone a hit.
But the lovely, surprising aspect of “Now and Then” is that its jaw-dropping, downright
bizarre history falls away after a few listens, and the song simply
becomes The Beatles. Part of it is McCartney gently finishing the “I will
love you” and "Always to return to me" phrases lyrically and musically, so re-creating classic
Lennon-McCartney collaboration. Part of it is hearing the
endearing, heartfelt pulse and fills of Ringo. Part of it is the
warm George Martin-esque string arrangement by McCartney, Giles
Martin, and composer Ben Foster. And part of it is just something you
can’t put your finger on, as was the case with all good Beatles songs.
Yes, I do have a nitpick: McCartney should never have cut Lennon’s “I
don’t want to lose you” bridge. If you listen to (superb) fan efforts to
restore the bridge on Youtube (see links at end of the article), you
will hear that the song not only gains welcome length, but a refreshing
break from the overall melodic proceedings. It becomes a fuller, more
varied piece,
with greater impact. Still and all, who’s to argue with a number one?
So as I said, where does that leave us? Is this “the last Beatles song,”
as McCartney avers, and as it is billed? Well, it might---might---be
the last original, new Beatles song, absolutely. There will, of course,
be more releases of Beatles outtakes and alternate versions from the
past, possibly including such gem rarities as the restored 13-minute
“Revolution 1” and the full version of Harrison’s “It’s All Too Much”
(preferably souped up with a Martinesque orchestral underpinning.) Giles
Martin has flat-out told USA Today that there will be no more “new”
Beatles songs simply because The Beatles do not play together on any old
demos of unreleased songs. Assuming he meant new and original
songs, that’s also likely true. But it is otherwise. . .not true. As Peter
Jackson noted in an interview with The Times of London:
“We can take a performance from Get Back, separate John and
George, and then have Paul and Ringo add a chorus or harmonies. You
might end up with a decent song, but I haven’t had conversations with
Paul about that.”
What Jackson meant, apparently, was completing partially done "Get Back"
performances with today's Paul and Ringo. Depending on what he has in
mind, that's a perfectly viable idea. But there is much more:
The AI program dubbed “MAL 9000” after redoubtable Beatles aide Mal
Evans (in tribute to HAL 9000” in “2001: A Space Odyssey”) now means,
for example, that all mono camera rolls (sixty hours) from the
“Get Back” sessions can be remixed in big, beautiful multi-track
realizations. That’s a wow. This clears the way for a “Get Back Jams”
album and DVD, consisting of the best parts of the playful sessions:
such things as casual run-throughs of Buddy Holly’s “Maybe Baby,”
“Crying, Waiting, Hoping,” McCartney operatically mugging his way
through “Besame Mucho,” as well as, say, the hard rock version of “Two
of Us,” the unfinished Lennon romp, “Suzy Parker,” the proto-version of
“Dig It” (with the parade of name-checks of Liverpool cronies) the early
Lennon-McCartney country ditty, “Because I Love You So,” and on and on.
Great. Let’s have it. And top it off with the multi-track live performances
of the finished new songs at the time, from the rooftop and the studio. Boffo.
More important, MAL 9000 clears the way for creating a polished,
fabulous Beatles version of a song that was first slated for “Get Back:”
Harrison’s defining anthem, “All Things Must Pass.” Yes, really. The
Beatles did a number of run-throughs. One, in particular, contains
stunning multi-part harmony vocals. Harrison’s sometimes
lost-in-the-shuffle lead vocal can now be restored to studio quality,
and adjusted in terms of tempo, if necessary. Or, better, use his 1969 solo
studio recording, with fabulous vocal, where he accompanies himself on
electric guitar---and add the group. The harmony vocals can be
separated and mixed to glorious effect. Ringo’s drums can be given full,
dynamic presence. In sum: a viable version good enough to have been on
the “Get Back/Let it Be” album can now be cherry-picked into shape. (And
there is no reason why Paul could not add a bit of instrumentation, such
as acoustic guitar or piano.) How and why The Beatles did not finish
this song has always been a kind of failure. Now it can be a success. Do
it.
If you want to get more esoteric about MAL prospects, many fans would love to
have a version of McCartney's "Goodbye" with the charming Mary Hopkin
arrangement that he produced---with his demo vocal substituted for
Hopkin. Ditto for Harrison's "Sour Milk Sea," with George's demo vocal
AI-extracted and substituted for Jackie Lomax. With Paul, Ringo, and
George already playing on that track, it would then qualify as a Beatles
number.
In non-AI matters, there are outtakes on the “white album” and elsewhere
that Giles Martin released without mixing, incredibly enough,
saying he wanted the public to hear them just as he did when first
listening. A weaker, flimsier justification is not imaginable. If you
have a viable alternate performance of a Beatles song, there is simply a
responsibility to present it in its best suit. One example that springs
to mind is “I’m So Tired” with soaring guitar answers from Harrison.
That Martin did not properly mix this was egregious. Entering the realm
of creating, there are also harmony vocals that were recorded for “I’m
So Tired,” but appear only once in the song. Why not “fly” them in on
repeat verses? Do it. (Ditto for other unmixed outtakes.)
But back to “good old MAL,” to apply a term of endearment previously
reserved for the real Mal. . .Here is a riddle:
When is a Beatles song
not a Beatles song? Answer: when it doesn’t sound like one. What? Here’s
what I mean. . .
With “Now and Then,” we have four Beatles from various eras and
circumstances, and they have combined to produce what passes the smell,
I mean hear, test for a Beatles song. (And heart test.) If it
meows like a cat. . .So why couldn’t this be done again? Right, with
other Lennon demos. There are scores of them recorded at home in the
‘70’s, some completed songs, some fragments. (See accompanying article.)
With AI, all of these homemade cassettes can be rendered in studio
quality, as Lennon’s vocal was on “Now and Then.” So, quite suddenly,
there is a full archive of Lennon material that begs to be finished.
Correct: enough for at least an album of new Lennon songs. Get out the
smelling salts.
Sean Lennon, a multi-instrumentalist and singer, could finish his
father’s songs on his own, if he chose, with, oh, guitars, bass, piano,
vocals---and/or he could hire musician friends for the job. Good idea!
He could also take partially completed Lennon songs, and complete them
with his own music and lyrics, creating Lennon-Lennon compositions. Also
a good idea!
And yes, some could be finished as Beatles songs by McCartney and Ringo, in much
the same way that “Now and Then” has been. Glaring problem: what of the
lack of Harrison? The answer is controversial, but also simple. Audition
the many guitar solos in Harrison’s solo albums (and guest spots)---and their outtakes.
Pick one that suits the mood of a Lennon song, and, if necessary,
key-correct and/or tempo-correct it into place.
Frankenstein-ian? Yes, but no more so than “Now and Then”----no,
check that---actually, less so---because McCartney
performed a Harrison-esque solo on that song, whereas this would be the
genuine George article! I mean, really, why not? What, because enough is
enough? Are you kidding? With The Beatles? Never. But wait, there is
more.
Here is a crazy flight of fancy, an ardent Beatles appreciator’s deranged
notion. . .what Jackson called "fanboy stuff". . .or, given present circumstances, is it?
There are about two dozen new, never-released George Harrison songs
lurking somewhere in the Harrison Estate archive, including the
legendary “Valentine,” praised by the late Billboard editor Timothy
White as one of Harrison’s greatest works. (True:
read my story here.)
George sings these songs, accompanies himself on guitar, and in some
cases, there are additional instruments. Olivia Harrison has alluded in
several interviews to having “George’s friends” finish the songs.
“George’s friends” begin with Ringo and Paul, of course. So why not do
this, too?
Do you see where this is going?
McCartney and Ringo and Giles Martin apply the “Now and Then” formula to
another Lennon tape or two. . .then do the same with Harrison tapes. . .then
McCartney and Ringo do some new McCartney songs, adding Harrison guitar
solos (and, yes, I say, AI’ing McCartney’s old voice to give it more of a
youthful character.) Add one or two Ringo tunes. Need Beatles harmony
vocals? Do what Giles and Paul did on “Now and Then:” borrow them from
existing Beatles songs, key/tempo-correcting as necessary. Supplement
with vocals from today's Paul and Ringo, as was done on "Now and Then."
Right, you do see where this is going: a
full album. Crowned by "Now and Then," buttressed by new mixes of "Free
as a Bird" and "Real Love" with AI-clarified Lennon vocals, and the other
reunion song that the Threetles passed on, "Grow Old With Me" (the
George Martin arrangement commissioned by Yoko Ono, with AI-extracted
Lennon vocal.)
Gasp.
The weirdest thing is, this is actually possible. After all these years
of being resigned to the fact that, as Lennon sang long ago, the
dream is over, an
album of new Beatles songs is actually possible. Shocking? That's an
understatement. The test? Well, the same
that applies to “Now and Then:” if it sounds like The Beatles, and is
performed by The Beatles, it’s The Beatles.
But. . .should a thing be done, merely because it is possible? "Now and
Then's" dramatic chart-topping reflects a profound world-wide hunger for
beauty, solace, but, as Harrison once said, "The Beatles can't save the
world---they'll be lucky if they can save themselves." Isn't it enough
to be pleased with the minor miracle of a good new Beatles song in 2023?
And hope for some great "Get Back" material, restored outtakes, a
Beatles "All Things Must Pass" down the road?
Hmm. . .
Do it.
MIXES OF "NOW AND THEN" WITH THE BRIDGE RESTORED.
1. With band and a bit of Paul's slide guitar:
https://youtu.be/wjNzrx-KICc?si=gYZ6WSwVJ4qgTTxA
2. Band with orchestral passages accentuated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gD4qnrLIUs
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"Now and
Then"