In an exclusive interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today program, legendary musician Sir Paul McCartney revealed that he has employed artificial intelligence (AI) to realize his vision of creating “the final Beatles record.” McCartney shared how this cutting-edge technology enabled him to extract John Lennon’s voice from an old demo, allowing him to complete the unfinished song.
“We just finished it up, and it’ll be released this year,” McCartney disclosed, without divulging the title of the song. However, it is widely believed to be Lennon’s 1978 composition, “Now And Then.” This particular track had been considered for a Beatles reunion in 1995 during the production of the Anthology series, which chronicled their illustrious career.
The demo tape containing the unfinished song had been gifted to McCartney by Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, a year prior. The recordings were lo-fi and embryonic, captured on a boombox as Lennon sat at his piano in his New York apartment during his “retirement” era. Renowned producer Jeff Lynne cleaned up two other tracks from the tape, “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” which were released as “new” material by the Beatles in 1995 and 1996, marking their first such release in a quarter-century.
Although the band attempted to record “Now And Then” during the same sessions, the endeavor was swiftly abandoned. Lynne reflected on the experience, stating, “It was one day—one afternoon, really—messing with it. The song had a chorus but is almost totally lacking in verses. We did the backing track, a rough go that we really didn’t finish.” McCartney later revealed that George Harrison refused to collaborate on the song, citing the poor sound quality of Lennon’s vocal as the reason for his reluctance.
Moreover, technical issues plagued the original recording, featuring a persistent electrical buzz from Lennon’s apartment circuits. In 2009, a bootleg CD surfaced, containing a version of the demo without the background noise, leading to speculation that the recording may have been stolen from Lennon’s apartment after his death. Throughout the years, McCartney expressed his desire to complete the song, mentioning collaborations with Lynne and his intention to finish it eventually.
However, McCartney’s aspiration became a reality with the advent of AI technology. The breakthrough came in the form of Peter Jackson’s documentary, “Get Back,” where dialogue editor Emile de la Rey trained computers to recognize the voices of the Beatles and isolate them from background noise, including their own instruments, resulting in clean audio. This process allowed McCartney to virtually “duet” with Lennon during his recent tour and facilitated the creation of new surround sound mixes for the Beatles’ “Revolver” album.
Speaking about the role of AI in the completion of the final Beatles record, McCartney shared, “He [Jackson] was able to extricate John’s voice from a ropey little bit of cassette. We had John’s voice and a piano, and he could separate them with AI. They tell the machine, ‘That’s the voice. This is a guitar. Lose the guitar.’ So when we came to make what will be the last Beatles’ record, it was a demo that John had, and we were able to take John’s voice and get it pure through this AI. Then we can mix the record, as you would normally do. So it gives you some sort of leeway.”
While McCartney expressed excitement about the possibilities AI unlocks, he also acknowledged the concerns surrounding its broader applications. He noted instances where AI-generated renditions of his songs featuring Lennon’s voice have surfaced online, causing a mix of fear and intrigue about the future. McCartney’s exploration of AI and its potential impact aligns with his ongoing efforts to push creative boundaries.
In addition to his musical endeavors, McCartney is preparing to launch a new book and accompanying photography exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery titled “Eyes Of The Storm.” The project showcases portraits taken by McCartney himself between December 1963 and February 1964, a period when the Beatles soared to global fame.
As the music industry witnesses the fusion of AI and artistic expression, Sir Paul McCartney’s use of this technology to complete “the final Beatles record” ushers in a new chapter for the iconic band, blending the past with the future and offering fans a remarkable musical experience like never before.
