Now And Then: A Sentimental Ballad by The Beatles

Sentimental ballad

The version of Now And Then unveiled this November 2, 2023 is enriched with Paul MCartney’s bass, George Harrison’s electric and acoustic guitar and Ringo Starr’s drums. Paul added a slide guitar part again, Paul and Ringo did backing vocals, while Giles Martin (sound engineer and producer, son of Georges Martin, the official producer of the Beatles in the 60s) signed the string arrangements. The verdict ? Theoretically and practically, it is indeed a Beatles song. At different times, all four members of the group contributed to it. Now And Then (“From time to time“) is a pretty sentimental ballad about regrets but whose original chorus is not cut out to make it a hit. The production and arrangements, however, strengthen the melody. It lasts four minutes and eight seconds. We hear Lennon’s voice and the piano in the intro before the strings, drums and choirs appear. The strong strings of the violins are reminiscent of Eleanor Rigby and the guitar solo (Paul or George?) is very beautiful. Is it a title about friendship as Paul McCartney believes today? Or a song about his relationship with Yoko like Lennon wrote a lot of during the “Double Fantasy” era? We’ll never know. The emotion is there. It’s undeniable. But if it was not chosen by Lennon for “Double Fantasy”, it is because its author was perhaps not entirely satisfied with it.

No Artificial Intelligence

In a 12-minute “making of” film directed by Oliver Murray which accompanies the release of Now And Thenthe two surviving Beatles are particularly moved. “And suddenly, there it is, John’s voices’exclame Paul McCartney. Clear as crystal. It’s quite moving. And we all play on it, it’s a real Beatles recording. In 2023, still working on Beatles music and being about to release a new song, I think that’s an exciting thing.” On the other hand, it is clear that artificial intelligence has not been used. Technology, yes. This is thanks in particular to a process already used in 2021 by director Peter Jackson in his documentary The Beatles, Get Back and by Giles Martin for the remastered reissue of “Revolver” in 2022 that Lennon’s vocals may have been isolated from the original soundtrack. This voice and its piano part were then “cleaned” and mixed with the new parts played by Harrison (in 1995), Paul and Ringo. No, it’s not an artificial robot that sings like Lennon or a virtual piano that we hear on Now And Then.

The Red and the Blue

Without shying away from our pleasure of hearing a new track from the Fab Four, Now And Then This also applies to marketing. While the Rolling Stones have recorded an excellent new album, “Hackney Diamonds“, where we also hear Paul McCartney’s bass (on the nervous Bite My Head)the “Beatles” brand had to give it a good look. Now And Then is the first pawn in a vast campaign.

In one week, on November 10, the famous compilations “The Beatles 1962-1966” (better known as “double Rouge”) and “The Beatles 1967-1970” (the “double Bleu”) which were released in 1973, are released in a package edition. Twice three colorized vinyls (in red and blue, you guessed it), songs added (12 on the “Red”, 9 on the “Blue”), remastered sound, Dolby Atmos… It’s nice work. The youngest, Now And Then appears on “Bleu” while the Beatles’ very first single Love Me Do is included in a remastered version on the “Rouge”. Collectors know how to spend their money. For pre-order, the package of 6 colorized LP’s (3 for “Red”, 3 for “Blue”) is sold at 149 Pounds Sterling, or 170 euros. We don’t care, we have the original versions and they are enough to make us happy.