Over half a century after The Beatles disbanded, their musical legacy lives on, and one of their lost gems has just been brought back to life. The surviving members of the legendary rock band used the power of AI to complete their final song “Now and Then”.
John Lennon originally recorded a demo for “Now and Then” in the late 1970s, but the song remained unfinished and unheard for five decades. The initial plan to include it in The Beatles Anthology project in 1995 fell apart because extracting Lennon’s vocals proved to be a mission impossible at the time.
A breakthrough finally came years later with the introduction of AI-powered audio restoration technology, used by Peter Jackson in his documentary The Beatles: Get Back. According to the band’s press release, this song reflects their endless creative curiosity and shared fascination with technology.
“It marks the completion of the last recording that John, Paul, George, and Ringo will get to make together and celebrates the legacy of the foremost and most influential band in popular music history,” reads The Beatles’ official statement.
In addition to introducing The Beatles to the AI technology that made “Now and Then” possible, Peter Jackson also directed the music video for this song, which features unseen footage from various chapters of the band’s illustrious career.
