11/02/2025
in 2023, The Beatles released what many considered to be their "last song" - Now And Then. It became their first #1 song in 54 years on the UK charts and peaked at #7 on the US Billboard Charts. It would also go #1 in Austria, Germany and Japan. The B-Side contains the original 1962 mix of Love Me Do which does, in fact, feature Ringo on drums instead of session drummer Andy White.
Now, I know this song has divided fans young and old. To many who have lived in a time where all four Beatles were together (either as a band or solo), it's understandable why it might not feel like a "real Beatles record" given the use of machine learning-assisted programming to isolate John's lyrics from the original demo tape. This mix also features George's recorded parts from the Anthology sessions in the 90's, and updated bass and drum parts from Paul and Ringo. I'm sure it would have been better if all four Beatles were still with us.
With that said, I think it is the perfect final chapter in The Beatles's anthology (no pun intended). In fact, "Now And Then" was supposed to open Anthology 3 but due to the technology at the time it was impossible to isolate John's vocals from the piano he used on the demo tape. George passing away in 2001 made it even more difficult to return to the song. In my opinion, it is 100% a Beatles record. It's the lifelong commitment of four friends to each other and the genuine love they had for each other.
