There is no denying the global superstardom of the Beatles. Since the release of “Please Please Me,” their debut album in 1963, the Beatles have remained arguably the most iconic band in the history of music. Despite their mere seven-year existence, they permanently changed the culture around rock and roll and influenced virtually every rock band to follow. They’re your favorite band’s favorite band’s favorite band, if you catch my drift.
After the group’s disbandment in 1970, each member went on to enjoy fruitful solo careers. While every member released at least one album that can be claimed as a “classic” just years after their break-up, no one had as tumultuous a start to their solo career than John Lennon. After the releases of two iconic, commercially successful records, “John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band” and “Imagine,” Lennon released a politically driven album in 1972 that received blistering reviews from critics. Only a few years later, Lennon decided to take a break from music to focus on the birth of his son, Sean. While Lennon was not actively recording records like he had been for the previous twelve years, he was constantly playing music around the house and recording demos. Lennon was tragically murdered in 1980 just weeks after the release of his return “Double Fantasy.”
In the mid-1990s, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr got back together to record new Beatles songs with help from Jeff Lynne. John’s late wife Yoko Ono also sent them recordings of his demos he recorded in the mid-1970s. They were able to put together two songs, “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love.” However, Lennon’s vocals and piano were too sparse in his recording to separate due to technological restraints. Once Harrison passed away in 2001, the rest of the crew gave up on the project for nearly a quarter-century.
In 2022, the crew that produced “Get Back,” the documentary about the formation of the Beatles’ 1970 album “Let It Be,” used similar technology on Lennon’s demo recordings to separate his vocals from the piano. McCartney and Starr then incorporated Harrison’s guitars from the 1995 recordings while putting their finishing touches on the song to finally complete the final product. Nearly 50 years later, “Now and Then” is here.
The song itself is beautiful. It is a pensive piano ballad, which is made clear during the song’s first four seconds as Lennon tickles the ivories with simple minor chords backed by acoustic guitar strums. The lyrics, while straightforward, cut like a knife. Lines like “I know it’s true / It’s all because of you / And if I make it through / It’s all because of you” and “And now and then / If we must start again / Well, we will know for sure / That I will love you” naturally take your mind to what could’ve been with the Beatles. While these lyrics were likely not written about the band, knowing how their lives unfolded decades after the original development of the lyrics certainly tugs at the heartstrings.
Even though the lyrics Lennon wrote will strike a chord with many, the story behind the instrumentation is what moves me the most. George Harrison is my personal favorite Beatle, and his signature slide guitar has always been one of my favorite sounds in all of music. Since Harrison passed away in 2001, he wasn’t able to be a part of the final stage of the recording process for this song. However, they kept Harrison’s guitar parts, but one key element was missing: his iconic slide guitar! So McCartney felt it was best to play a slide guitar solo, in Harrison’s style, to honor him. Who cut the onions?
The Beatles were a band who pioneered seemingly every trend in rock and roll, but one of my favorite innovations of theirs was the implementation of strings in rock music. I have been on the record stating my love for strings in rock music, and I likely wouldn’t be able to experience that combination if not for the Beatles. Several of their biggest hits were beautifully string-laden, such as “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Yesterday” and “Eleanor Rigby.” McCartney made it a mission to fuse every element of what made the Beatles great into this piece, making it as triumphant of a swan song as possible. Usually arranged by then-producer George Martin, these strings were arranged by his son, Giles. Because of course they were. Eerie jabs of staccato lure you in before they unfold into a spellbinding, descending melody of elongated bliss.
None of this would be possible without McCartney’s outspoken desire to sustain the legend of the Beatles. They are a band with never-ending lore, as each person packs their own hefty punch. As decades went by, beef was had, members passed away, and a longing for new Beatles music only grew stronger. “Now and Then” is a story of friendship, loss and a relentless passion project of love.
