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ATTENTION, APPLE!
AI MUST RESCUE ALL FOUR BEATLES REUNION
SONGS
Attentions, Apple Corps Ltd.!
All four mid-90’s Beatles reunion tracks can be rescued with artificial
intelligence---not just the forthcoming new Beatles song, "Now and
Then."
It’s an opportunity that must not be missed.
Let it be hoped that Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, producers Jeff Lynne,
Giles Martin,
and Apple are planning to AI Lennon’s poor sound quality vocals
on all songs sent by Yoko Ono in 1994: “Free As a Bird,” “Real
Love,” and “Grow Old With Me”---to accompany what McCartney calls the
“final” Beatles song, “Now and Then.”
Lennon’s voice has been AI-enhanced to near-studio standards on
"Now and Then"---and the same can be done on the other problematic
mid-90's reunion songs, along with other important improvements.
This would effectively amount to a new Beatles EP, rather than a single
song.
Note: in an interview with the BBC, McCartney referred to cleaning up
"some existing recordings," plural---perhaps a hint that all four
reunion songs are being AI-improved.
Here is how it could work:
“FREE AS A BIRD”:
The "ghostly" Lennon vocal (see accompanying story) that
fetched so much criticism would be eliminated! Lennon could be given
proper presence, full fidelity, at long last. (Note: a later remix by Lynne done for
“The Beatles 1” DVD improved matters slightly, but AI would solve the
problem entirely.) What’s more, Lennon could now harmonize with
McCartney on the lines, “Whatever happened to the life that we once
knew?” (written by Lennon), via AI. Right: John and Paul singing
together again---the mind boggles. Icing on the cake would be for Ringo to re-record his drum part while sitting at his kit,
enabling him to find his groove. (Lynne recorded it piecemeal, with Ringo following click tracks, of all things un-Beatle.) Pipe dream: a
small string accompaniment to add grace to the proceedings.
“REAL LOVE”:
Again, Lennon's voice can be repaired. For “The Beatles 1” DVD remix,
Lynne did boost the vocal somewhat, and added many more Harrison guitar
fills. But AI would make a definitive
improvement here, giving Lennon normal presence. For my taste, Ringo should be allowed to redo his drum
part, straight through, without overdubbing fills.
“GROW OLD WITH ME":
Like "Now and Then," this could be another rescued gem. After
"The Threetles" passed on this song (reportedly because
Harrison found it too sad, given Lennon's fate), Ono asked Beatles producer George Martin
to create an arrangement for it. Martin wrote a lovely string
accompaniment, with flute, but the sound quality of Lennon’s home demo
was crude, tinny, with an intrusive toy rhythm box. It was, nonetheless,
released on John Lennon Anthology in 1998. AI would render the
vocal near perfect---and cruddy rhythm box erased! If Paul and Ringo were to
add bass, drums, backing vocals, so much the better. (Note to purists:
many Beatles songs featured only one, two, or three Beatles, and it was
Harrison who most objected to this one.)
"NOW AND THEN":
All four Beatles play and sing on this "final" Beatles record.
McCartney reports that AI has removed the terrible tape buzz from the
original demo, and Lennon's hazy vocal has been sharpened and
focused---"purified" was his word. The gentle ballad has
also been graced with a string arrangement, courtesy of Giles Martin and
McCartney.
Repairing, restoring, and remixing these final songs with AI would constitute
a fulfillment of the declining Ono’s wish that all four Lennon demos
that she selected be finished as Beatles works. Yes, the woman who has
long been singled out for breaking the group up. . .would be
the catalyst for completing its poetic reunion.
BACK TO "NEW SONG" |
"Now and
Then"