Single release: Now And Then

‘Now And Then’, described as “the last Beatles song”, has been released worldwide.

The song was based on a 1970s demo by John Lennon. It was briefly worked on by Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr in 1995, and was completed by McCartney and Starr in 2022 and 2023.

‘Now And Then’ was finally released as a single on streaming services on 2 November 2023, and later on the remixed reissue of the 1967-1970 compilation, also known as the Blue album.

The song was also issued as a double a-side single on 3 November 2023, with a new ‘true stereo’ remix of ‘Love Me Do’. The single was released on white marble, light blue, clear, and black 7″ vinyl, red 12″ vinyl, black 12″ vinyl, and cassette.

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On 1 November 2023, the day before the single dropped, a short film on the making of the song was released. It contained footage from the recording sessions in 1995 and the 21st century, as well as contributions from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sean Ono Lennon, Peter Jackson, and others involved in its creation. The film was directed by Oliver Murray and produced by Jonathan Clyde and Sophie Hilton.

The video

The music video for ‘Now And Then’ was directed by Peter Jackson, and was released on 3 November 2023.

The video features previously-unseen footage of The Beatles, including brief shots of the band performing in Birkenhead on 10 February 1962. The material was supplied by their former drummer Pete Best.

It is the only known footage of The Beatles performing in their leather stage gear. It was bought by Best’s brother Roag, and cleaned up by Jackson.

The video also contains footage of The Beatles recorded during the 1995 sessions for Anthology, as well as previously-unseen archive material including home movie footage of Harrison, new shots of McCartney and Starr, and archive shots of The Beatles.

Press release

“NOW AND THEN” TO BE RELEASED WORLDWIDE
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2 AT 2PM GMT / 10AM EDT / 7AM PDT

THE BEATLES’ 1962-1966 (‘THE RED ALBUM’) AND 1967-1970 (‘THE BLUE ALBUM’) COLLECTIONS EXPANDED, MIXED IN STEREO & DOLBY ATMOS FOR 2023 EDITION RELEASES OUT NOVEMBER 10

London – October 26, 2023 – Together and apart, The Beatles have always had a talent for the unexpected. And now, 2023 brings one of the most anticipated releases of their long and endlessly eventful history. “Now And Then” is the last Beatles song – written and sung by John Lennon, developed and worked on by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and now finally finished by Paul and Ringo over four decades later.

“Now And Then” will be released worldwide at 2pm GMT / 10am EDT / 7am PDT on Thursday, November 2 by Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe. The double A-side single pairs the last Beatles song with the first: the band’s 1962 debut UK single, “Love Me Do,” a truly fitting full-circle counterpart to “Now And Then.” Both songs are mixed in stereo and Dolby Atmos, and the release features original cover art by renowned artist Ed Ruscha. The new music video for “Now And Then” will debut on Friday, November 3. More details including global premiere plans will be announced.

A 12-minute “Now And Then – The Last Beatles Song” documentary film, written and directed by Oliver Murray, will debut on November 1. The film’s global online premiere will be hosted on The Beatles’ YouTube channel at 7:30pm GMT / 3:30pm EDT / 12:30pm PDT. This poignant short film tells the story behind the last Beatles song, with exclusive footage and commentary from Paul, Ringo, George, Sean Ono Lennon and Peter Jackson.