The Beatles release 'Now and Then,' their final song, with AI assistance

The legendary band has made a surprising return with a new song titled "Now and Then," marking their first release since 1995.

This track is notably promoted as the final Beatles song, a fitting conclusion given that two original members have passed away, and the remaining duo, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, are well into their 80s.

The unique aspect of "Now and Then" lies in its creation process. The song was built upon a demo track recorded by John Lennon in the 1970s and a guitar track contributed by George Harrison in 1995. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr then added their musical touch to the composition, thanks to the assistance of modern machine learning technology.

This technology, initially employed by director Peter Jackson during the production of the "Get Back" documentary for Apple, played a pivotal role in the song's development. It was capable of cleanly separating Lennon's vocals from the piano track, enabling McCartney and Starr to spice up the song as they saw fit.

The result is a melancholic Lennon ballad, with his vocals standing out as a highlight. McCartney provides his bass lines, while Starr handles the drums. The guitar solo is reminiscent of Harrison's style, even though it wasn't played by him, but he contributes rhythm guitar in the background. The song also features a full orchestral arrangement, staying true to The Beatles' signature sound.

While "Now and Then" was originally intended for release in 1995 as part of The Beatles Anthology, technological limitations prevented its completion at the time. Now, with the aid of AI technology, the song has been finally released.