The Beatles are on track for their 18th number one single after their “last recorded” song sold better than the rest of the top five combined on its opening weekend.
“Now And Then” was originally written by the late John Lennon and engineered by his bandmates, including George Harrison, who also passed away.
But thanks to advances in technology, it’s finally ready and will become another number one single from the Fab Four when it’s released on Thursday, according to the Official Chart Company’s first look.
It would also be their first chart-topper in 54 years, the last being 1969’s The Ballad Of John And Yoko.
“Now And Then” was originally written by the late John Lennon and developed by his bandmates
Sir Paul McCartney in the 1990s with George Harrison, who played the guitar track in 1995 before he died in 2001
The clip – directed by the acclaimed Peter Jackson – combines moving archival footage of the Fab Four with footage of Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr recording new segments for the song
The stunning video for the new Beatles track Now and Then has been released online
Other previous number one songs include classics such as “Hey Jude”, “All You Need Is Love”, “Yellow Submarine” and “Help!”. and Love Me Do – her first number one hit.
The remastered track comes from a Lennon demo recorded at his home in New York’s Dakota Building in the late 1970s.
After his death in 1980 at the age of 40, Lennon’s wife Yoko Ono gifted the recording to the remaining Beatles in 1994, along with Free As A Bird and Real Love, which were released by the band in the same decade.
During this time, Harrison, Sir Paul and Sir Ringo recorded new parts and completed a rough mix for Now And Then with producer and musician Jeff Lynne.
However, the band did not release the song, citing issues surrounding the extraction of Lennon’s vocals and piano as technology was limited at the time. Harrison later died in November 2001 at the age of 58.
Filmmaker Peter Jackson’s recent Beatles documentary used audio restoration technology that allowed the band’s singing, music and conversations to be isolated, a technique later used for Now And Then.
It contains the band’s earliest footage, filmed in a Merseyside church hall in 1962, before they became the world’s most famous rock stars and manager Brian Epstein convinced them to all wear sharp suits
The final scene in the video shows the Beatles taking a bow before they disappear and the camera fades to black
The footage was provided by the band’s original drummer Pete Best and his brother Roag. Pictured are the Beatles, including Pete Best on drums
The Fab Four: (Clockwise from far left) George Harrison, Ringo Starr (on drums), Sir Paul McCartney, John Lennon in New York in 1964
The song, which features Harrison’s electric and acoustic guitar recorded in 1995, was completed last year by Sir Paul and Sir Ringo.
Jackson also created a music video for the song, which features the Fab Four reunited while Lennon and Harrison play instruments alongside recent footage of surviving members Sir Paul and Sir Ringo.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Sir Paul said: “I like the idea of not letting go of each other.”
“You know, when you have someone you love so much. In many cases it is a relative and even if they leave you don’t want to let them go – that’s what people say when someone dies.
“They are in your memory, always in your heart.” And yes, that definitely applies to me and the boys.”
Reflecting on how he thinks the band should be perceived, he added: “I remember the Beatles, I remember joy, talent, humor and love.”
“And if people remembered us for these things, I would be very happy.”
Sir Ringo said he wanted the group to be remembered “with love”.
The drummer added: “How many streams did we do last year?” A billion? Three billion? It blows my mind. The beat still goes on, you know?’
Emotional fans took to social media to praise the “compelling, emotional and touching” music video for The Beatles’ final track.
Using CGI, the Peter Jackson-directed clip cleverly reunites Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr with the late John Lennon and George Harrison.
One fan called it “so captivating, emotional and touching.” Fantastic work from everyone involved.’ Another wrote: “Honestly, so emotional!” Their last work together…’
Another wrote: “Honestly, so emotional!” Their last work together…’
The video contains the band’s earliest footage ever, filmed in a Merseyside church hall in 1962, before they became the world’s most famous rock stars and manager Brian Epstein convinced them to all wear smart suits.
Pete Best, the Beatles’ pre-Ringo star drummer, handed over the film camera footage showing the leather-clad group to his former band with the help of his brother Roag.
Roag said he bought the silent footage from a man who filmed the performance at St Paul’s Presbyterian Church Hall in Birkenhead in February 1962, eight months before they released their debut single.