The Beatles' Now and Then: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison's 'last' song released

After years of fan speculation and multiple attempts to finesse its recording around The Beatles Anthology era, The Beatles have released their 'last' song with original line-up John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison: Now and Then.

The final-ever song from The Fab Four has been released across digital, CD and vinyl formats on Thursday November 2 2023 2PM GMT, with the announcement coming alongside the release of a Now and Then - The Last Beatles Song short film written and directed by Oliver Murray.

Sir Peter Jackson, the director behind The Beatles: Get Back documentary, has also worked on the official music video for Now and Then, set for release on November 3 2023.

Marrying the group's final release with their first, Now and Then will be released as a double A-side with their debut Official Singles Chart appearance; 1962's Love Me Do.

Now and Then will also be included in a reissue of The Beatles' 1967-1970 ('The Blue Album') compilation LP; with both that and 1962-1966 ('The Red Album') celebrating their 50th anniversaries in 2023 and receiving new pressings on November 10.

See the tracklistings for 'The Red Album' and 'The Blue Album' 2023 reissues here.

LISTEN to Now And Then, the last song by The Beatles now:

Read everything you need to know about The Beatles' Now and Then below:

What is The Beatles' 'last' song Now and Then?

Now and Then is the 'last' song released by the original, full line-up of The Beatles.

Originally recorded a solo Lennon piano and vocal demo, the track first came to fruition in 1979.

With Lennon's demo having been recorded in the late 1970s at his home in the Dakota Building, New York City, The Beatles revisited the song in 1995 with the intention of including it as part of The Beatles Anthology project. But, while Free as a Bird and Real Love were reworked with producer Jeff Lynne and made publicly available, Now and Then was abandoned; remaining unreleased. Until now.

In 2021, The Beatles: Get Back docuseries was released, directed by Peter Jackson, with its award-winning film and audio restoration.

Using WingNut Films’ MAL audio technology, Jackson’s team had de-mixed the film’s mono soundtrack, isolating its instrumental components and vocals, and all the individual voices within The Beatles conversations. This paved the way for 2022’s new mix of the group's 1966 Revolver album, sourced directly from the four-track master tapes.

Peter Jackson and his sound team, led by Emile de la Rey, applied the same technique to John’s original home recording of Now and Then. In 2022, Paul and Ringo decided to complete the song.

Will The Beatles' Now and Then be available in Dolby Atmos®?

Now and Then by The Beatles is available to listen to now on Dolby Atmos®.

Will Now and Then be included on The Beatles' 1967-1970 ('The Blue Album') reissue?

Now and Then is set to feature on a 50th anniversary reissue of The Beatles' 1967-1970 compilation. Read more on that here.

When will The Beatles' Now and Then music video premiere?

The Now and Then music video, directed by Sir Peter Jackson, lands on Friday November 3 2023.

What's this about The Beatles' Now and Then having been worked on in 1995 for Anthology?

As part of their 1996 Anthology era, The Beatles revisited three previously-unreleased tracks featuring the late John Lennon's demo vocals. While two tracks - Free as a Bird and Real Love - made the release, attempts to rework Now and Then were abandoned.

What year was The Beatles' Now and Then first recorded?

John Lennon first recorded his rough solo piano and vocal demo of Now and Then in 1979.

Who produced The Beatles' Now and Then?

Now and Then was produced by Paul McCartney, Giles Martin and Jeff Lynne.

See The Beatles' Now and Then credits in full below:

Produced by Paul McCartney, Giles Martin
Additional Production: Jeff Lynne
Vocals: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Backing Vocals: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr
Guitars: George Harrison
Guitars, Bass, Piano, Electric Harpsichord, Shaker: Paul McCartney
Drums, Tambourine, Shaker: Ringo Starr

Additional Credits:
String Arrangement: Paul McCartney, Giles Martin, Ben Foster
Mixed by Spike Stent
Engineered by Geoff Emerick, Steve Orchard, Greg McAllister, Jon Jacobs, Steve Genewick, Bruce Sugar, Keith Smith
Source Separation / MAL Courtesy of WingNut Films Productions Ltd.
Head of Machine Learning: Emile de la Rey.

Who designed The Beatles' Now and Then single artwork?

The cover is the work of renowned artist Ed Ruscha.

See Ed Ruscha's cover for The Beatles' Now and Then below:

What is The Beatles' Now and Then - The Last Beatles Song short film?

Written and directed by Oliver Murray, Now and Then - The Last Beatles Song short film accompanied the band's single announcement and sees McCartney, Starr et al detailing the makings of the project.

WATCH The Beatles' Now and Then - The Last Beatles Song short film trailer below:

MORE: Where every The Beatles song and album has charted in the UK

When is The Beatles' Now and Then released?

Now and Then will be released at 2PM GMT, Thursday November 2 2023.

Will The Beatles' Now and Then be released digitally?

It will! The track will be available on streaming services from 2PM GMT November 2 2023.

Will The Beatles' Now and Then be released on physical CD single?

Now and Then will receive a physical CD release.

Will The Beatles' Now and Then be released on vinyl?

Now and Then will be available in the below vinyl formats:

Digital and streaming exclusives: 7-inch black & coloured vinyl (light blue, clear), 12-inch black vinyl
Limited edition The Beatles Store exclusives: cassette; 7-inch blue & white marbled vinyl.

What's the tracklisting for The Beatles' Now and Then single?

The tracklisting of the double A-side single is:

1. Now and Then

2. Love Me Do

When are The Beatles' 1962-1966 ('The Red Album') and 1967-1970 ('The Blue Album') re-releases out?

Both reissues will be available from November 10 2023, in celebration of their 50th anniversaries. Read more on 1962-1966 ('The Red Album') and 1967-1970 ('The Blue Album') reissues here.

When did The Beatles' debut single Love Me Do chart in the UK?

Love Me Do peaked at Number 17 in the UK.

What is Yoko Ono's involvement in The Beatles' Now and Then?

In 1994, Yoko Ono Lennon provided Paul, George and Ringo with John's rough Now and Then demo, along with this demos Free as a Bird and Real Love.

MORE: Where every John Lennon song and album has charted in the UK

How were John Lennon's vocals added to The Beatles' Now and Then?

John's vocals were cleaned-up using Peter Jackson's sound team's WingNut Films’ MAL audio technology.

What has Paul McCartney said about The Beatles' Now and Then?

Paul said: “There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear. It’s quite emotional. And we all play on it, it’s a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023 to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s an exciting thing.”

What has Ringo Starr said about The Beatles' Now and Then?

Ringo said: "It was the closest we’ll ever come to having [John] back in the room so it was very emotional for all of us. It was like John was there, you know. It’s far out."

MORE: Where every Paul McCartney song and album has charted in the UK

How many Number 1 albums have The Beatles had?

The Beatles boast the most Official Number 1 albums in the UK, with 16 to their name.

See the list of artists with the most Number 1 albums in the UK here.

The Beatles' Now and Then is released on Friday November 3 2023 via Apple Corps.

Article images: Apple Corps.