The legendary Beatles are set to release their ‘final record’ later this year, thanks to the help of AI technology and New Zealand director Sir Peter Jackson. Paul McCartney has confirmed that the upcoming song will feature the voice of late member John Lennon. Although the title of the song has not been revealed, it is believed to be ‘Now and Then’, a tune written and recorded by Lennon in 1978. ‘Now and Then’ had been discussed as a potential reunion song by the Beatles, and Lennon recorded a demo tape with several songs that was given to McCartney by his widow, Yoko Ono, before his death. Although the group tried to record it, the session was quickly abandoned, and two members rejected the song.
However, with the help of AI technology, McCartney was granted the ability to finish the song. Sir Peter Jackson had already used the technology to separate dialogue and background noises in his movie ‘Get Back’, and the director applied that knowledge to the Beatles song. Using the AI software, the team was able to extract the pure voice of John Lennon from the demo tape, which he had recorded in his home just before his demise. Jackson trained computers to recognize the Beatles’ voices and separate them from background noises, creating clean audio. This enabled the band to complete the song with Lennon’s voice.
McCartney did not reveal the exact release date of the record, but it is expected to hit the airwaves later this year. This will be the third song from the Beatles to feature posthumously. Jeff Lynne produced the group’s first two songs, ‘Free As A Bird’ and ‘Real Love’, derived from Lennon’s demos, which were published in 1995 and 1996. The upcoming song is a fitting tribute to the group’s legacy and will undoubtedly generate excitement among their devoted fans worldwide.
