How a new Beatles song could be created in 2023
Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) It is one of the biggest unanswered questions in rock history: would the Beatles have reunited if Lennon had not been murdered in 1980? The band went through a long and bitter breakup, which led to short-term tension between members.
McCartney and Lennon went after each other (quite explicitly) in their solo records. Harrisson suggested he was liberated by the breakup, seemingly unbothered. Starr was disappointed in McCartney, who refused to delay the release of his debut solo album, overshadowing the drummer’s own solo project.
But by 1976 McCartney would often visit his old friend in New York. They had even contemplated performing together on Saturday Night Live. McCartney would apparently show up to Lennon’s apartment uninvited, eager to share musical ideas. Both Starr and Harrisson had played on several of Lennon’s records, with great results.
This context of reconciliation represents appeasement for Beatles fans. But it also leaves a bitter taste in many people’s mouths. Surely a new project was bound to happen given this renewed artistic chemistry!
Earlier this month, Sir Paul McCartney announced that such a project could still happen. This is more than 40 years after Lennon’s tragic death, and more than 20 years after Harrisson sadly lost his battle with cancer.
Using recent developments in AI, one of John Lennon’s unfinished songs will be refined to releasing standards. It is still unclear which song this will be, but most have speculated this will be “Now And Then”, an incomplete love song only known through cassette recordings of Lennon singing. An attempt had been made to finish off “Now And Then” in 1995, along with “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love” (both completed post-mortem based on recordings made by Lennon). Sadly, the tape’s sound quality was deemed too low.
AI is now able to create (beautiful) videos of Freddie Mercury performing “Yesterday”, basically from scratch. It would therefore not be surprising if 1995’s shortfallings can be rectified today, giving rise to a full, high-quality song.
This project obviously does not come without controversy. People will point to the fact that this is not truly a reunion, that the AI will remove the human touch, or even that Lennon and Harrisson would possibly object to this use of technology.
Things do not necessarily need to be taken so seriously, however. McCartney seems to be taking this project in a lighthearted and touching manner. He admits AI can be “scary”, but chooses here to see the “exciting” aspects of the new technology. Instead of an attempt to change the course of history, this is better seen as a way for a music legend to relive the excitement of making music with his mate. All of this while making sure his beloved friend’s legacy lives on.
