The Beatles will release their final song and have announced a new expanded edition of the Red and Blue albums.
The last Beatles song. Sixty years after their first single, “ Love Me Do », a new chapter closes for the most beloved group in the world. Thursday, November 2, the Beatles will release their last song, “ Now and Then “. John Lennon wrote and sang it on the piano at his home in 1977. George Harrison played his guitar parts in 1995, when the three surviving Beatles attempted to record it during the sessions for Anthology. Today, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have completed their friends’ work, a labor of love that seems to encapsulate the entire long history of the Beatles. John, Paul, George and Ringo appear in different decades, but they all play the same song, for a final moment where everyone is reunited.
“ Now and Then » will be the last piece of the new edition of the legendary Beatles anthologies, 1962-1966 And 1967-1970, forever known as the Red and Blue Albums. These are pop music’s most iconic hit collections, the map that has guided decades of fans to music. The albums will be released on November 10, a week after “ Now and Then “. They have been expanded to 75 titles.
“ Now and Then » is a real Beatles song. Hearing John and Paul singing the first chorus together is intensely powerful, to say the least. Their voices unite on George’s guitar, while Ringo plays the drums. Never tearful, but deeply touching, like the film Get Back. The song hits much harder emotionally than the singles. Free As a Bird ” Or ” Real Love ” of Anthology from the 1990s, which always sounded like improved demos. “ Now and Then » comes from the same tape, which Yoko Ono gave to Paul, George and Ringo after John’s death. But it’s a stronger song, and thanks to the latest audio technology, it’s possible to hear much more of John’s voice and piano. Peter Jackson’s sound team uses the process of ” de-mixing ” of Get Back and last year’s Revolver box set.
The song will be released worldwide on November 2. Apple Corps Ltd/Capitol/UMe will also release it as a physical single on vinyl and cassette, as a double A-side with the band’s 1962 debut single, ” Love Me Do » (yes, the version with Ringo on drums). Peter Jackson directed the clip, a technical tour de force which will be launched the next day, Friday November 3. This is the director’s first music video.
A 12-minute film featuring the song will be released on November 1, written and directed by Oliver Murray. He talks about how the song came to be, with Sean Ono Lennon, Paul, Ringo and Jackson, from John’s piano (Sean points out that his father never stopped playing music in their house) to Paul and Ringo who record their games in 2023.
“ Now and Then » is produced by Paul and Martin, and mixed by Spike Stent. This is the first time Macca has been officially credited with producing The Beatles. “ Paul arranged it completelyexplains Giles Martin. But when Paul gave it to me, he had changed the structure of the song and written it, he did the guitar solo and pretty much all the vocals and guitars, and I just added a few extra elements with him. » To top it all off, Paul and Giles added backing vocals from three Beatles classics. “ If there were backing vocals, it was important that all the Beatles participated. The song therefore takes up small elements of “ Eleanor Rigby “, ” Here, There and Everywhere » and a bit of “ Because “. »
“ Obviously that’s not the case, but it sounds like John wrote it for Paul, in a very emotional waysays Martin. It’s a bittersweet song, which is very John, but with a mixture of happiness and regret. It’s like ‘In My Life’ in this regard. »
“ Now and Then “, these are the four boys from Liverpool, today separated by death, 60 years after the hesitant boys who played ” Love Me Do », their voices full of terror. Everything has changed in 2023, but not the most important thing, namely this fierce, irrepressibly enthusiastic passion for their musical bond. It’s a tribute to a friendship where Paul and Ringo go the extra mile to finish a song left unfinished decades ago, simply out of loyalty and camaraderie. It’s a tribute to their crazy love for the song, and for each other. There is no other story in music like “ Now and Then “. It’s a poignant farewell, no doubt. (The final scene of Jackson’s music video will destroy you for good, be prepared). But it’s a final tribute that sums up the whole story of why this music is important, and why this music is more loved today than ever.
RED (1962-1966) Anniversary Edition
CD 1
1. “Love Me Do” (new mix of original Red version)
2. “Please Please Me” (new mix of single version)
3. “I Saw Her Standing There” (new mix of Please Please Me version)
4. “Twist and Shout” (new mix)
5. “From Me to You” (new mix of single version)
6. “She Loves You” (new mix of single version)
7. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (new mix)
8. “This Boy” (new mix)
9. “All My Loving” (new mix of With the Beatles version)
10. “Roll Over Beethoven” (new mix of With the Beatles version)
11. “You Really Got a Hold on Me” (new mix of With the Beatles version)
12. “Can’t Buy Me Love” (new mix of A Hard Day’s Night version)
13. “You Can’t Do That” (new mix of A Hard Day’s Night version)
14. “A Hard Day’s Night” (new mix of A Hard Day’s Night version)
15. “And I Love Her” (new mix of A Hard Day’s Night version)
16. “Eight Days a Week” (new mix of Beatles for Sale version)
17. “I Feel Fine” (new mix of single version)
18. “Ticket to Ride” (new mix of single version)
19. “Yesterday” (new mix of Help! version)
CD 2
1. “Help!” (new mix of single version)
2. “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” (new mix of Help! version)
3. “We Can Work It Out” (2015 stereo mix from 1 ; new Dolby Atmos mix for digital/streaming)
4. “Day Tripper” (2015 stereo mix from 1 ; new Dolby Atmos mix for digital/streaming)
5. “Drive My Car” (new mix of Rubber Soul version)
6. “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” (new mix of Rubber Soul version)
7. “Nowhere Man” (new mix of Rubber Soul version)
8. “Michelle” (new mix of Rubber Soul version)
9. “In My Life” (new mix of Rubber Soul version)
10. “If I Needed Someone” (new mix of Rubber Soul version)
11. “Girl” (new mix of Rubber Soul version)
12. “Paperback Writer” (2022 mix from Revolver Special Edition)
13. “Eleanor Rigby” (2022 mix from Revolver Special Edition)
14. “Yellow Submarine” (2022 mix from Revolver Special Edition)
15. “Taxman” (2022 mix from Revolver Special Edition)
16. “Got to Get You Into My Life” (2022 mix from Revolver Special Edition)
17. “I’m Only Sleeping” (2022 mix from Revolver Special Edition)
18. “Here, There and Everywhere” (2022 mix from Revolver Special Edition)
19. “Tomorrow Never Knows” (2022 mix from Revolver Special Edition)
BLUE (1967-1970) Anniversary Edition
CD 1
1. “Strawberry Fields Forever” (2017 mix)
2. “Penny Lane” (2017 mix)
3. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (2017 mix from Sgt. Pepper’s Anniversary Edition)
4. “With a Little Help From My Friends” (2017 mix from Sgt. Pepper’s Anniversary Edition)
5. “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” (2017 mix from Sgt. Pepper Anniversary Edition)
6. “Within You Without You” (2017 mix from Sgt. Pepper’s Anniversary Edition)
7. “A Day in the Life” (new edit with a clean start: 2017 mix from Sgt. Pepper’s Anniversary Edition)
8. “All You Need Is Love” (2015 stereo mix from 1; new Dolby Atmos mix for digital/streaming)
9. “I Am the Walrus” (new mix of Magical Mystery Tour version)
10. “Hello, Goodbye” (2015 stereo mix from 1; new Dolby Atmos mix for digital/streaming)
11. “The Fool on the Hill” (new mix of Magical Mystery Tour version)
12. “Magical Mystery Tour” (new mix of Magical Mystery Tour version)
13. “Lady Madonna” (new mix)
14. “Hey Jude” (2015 stereo mix from 1; new Dolby Atmos mix for digital/streaming)
15. “Revolution” (new mix of single version)
CD 2
1. “Back in the USSR” (2018 mix from The Beatles (White Album) Anniversary Edition)
2. “Dear Prudence” (2018 mix from The Beatles (White Album) Anniversary Edition)
3. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (2018 mix from The Beatles (White Album) Anniversary Edition)
4. “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” (2018 mix from The Beatles (White Album) Anniversary Edition)
5. “Glass Onion” (2018 mix from The Beatles (White Album) Anniversary Edition)
6. “Blackbird” (2018 mix from The Beatles (White Album) Anniversary Edition)
7. “Hey Bulldog” (new mix)
8. “Get Back” (2015 stereo mix of single version from 1; new Dolby Atmos mix for digital/streaming)
9. “Don’t Let Me Down” (2021 mix of single version from Let It Be Special Edition)
10. “The Ballad of John and Yoko” (new mix of single version)
11. “Old Brown Shoe” (new mix of single version)
12. “Here Comes the Sun” (2019 mix from Abbey Road Anniversary Edition)
13. “Come Together” (2019 mix from Abbey Road Anniversary Edition)
14. “Something” (2019 mix from Abbey Road Anniversary Edition)
15. “Octopus’s Garden” (2019 mix from Abbey Road Anniversary Edition)
16. “Oh! Darling” (2019 mix from Abbey Road Anniversary Edition)
17. “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” (2019 mix from Abbey Road Anniversary Edition)
18. “Let It Be” (2021 mix of single version from Let It Be Special Edition)
19. “Across the Universe” (2021 mix from Let It Be Special Edition)
20. “I Me Mine” (2021 mix from Let It Be Special Edition)
21. “The Long and Winding Road” (2021 mix from Let It Be Special Edition)
22. “Now and Then” (new mix)
