{"id":4545,"date":"2023-11-12T23:36:10","date_gmt":"2023-11-12T14:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/?p=4545"},"modified":"2023-11-12T23:36:10","modified_gmt":"2023-11-12T14:36:10","slug":"the-end-of-the-beatles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/arts-entertainment\/the-end-of-the-beatles\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe End\u201d of the Beatles"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

Fifty-three years after their breakup, the last Beatles song, \u201c<\/span>Now and Then<\/span><\/a>,\u201d was released on November 3rd, 2023. Originally a never-to-be-finished rough draft written by John Lennon, the song has bridged both old and new fans together. From four boys in Liverpool to a global sensation, the Beatles made a mark on history throughout the 1960s, revolutionizing rock and inspiring musicians, even after their end.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Beatles <\/span>first formed in 1960<\/span><\/a> with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best. Ringo Starr would replace Best in 1962, forming the classic and last lineup of the band. The group began their career writing silly love songs like \u201cPlease Please Me\u201d and \u201cI Want to Hold Your Hand,\u201d reflecting their young innocence. <\/span><\/p>\n

Building off the foundations of American rock, the Beatles quickly rose to popularity in England and once broadcasted on American television, spread to the US. Beatlemania\u2014a term used to describe the band\u2019s <\/span>euphoric fan devotion<\/span><\/a>\u2014catapulted them into household name status.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Across the 1960s, the Beatles went through numerous changes as the four members blossomed into their own individual artists, each possessing a unique flair. As all things must pass, the chemistry of the band eventually faded as it was no longer the brotherhood it once was before. It became a group of independent musicians simply collaborating on each other\u2019s songs. Their era as the Beatles came to an end, and the once tight-knit group of boys went on to pursue their separate solo careers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lennon left behind an unfinished demo version of \u201cNow and Then,\u201d <\/span>recorded in the late 70s<\/span><\/a>, just before his death in 1980. Given to McCartney in 1994, the plan was for the band to release it after some modifications, much like they did with Lennon\u2019s other posthumous works, \u201cFree As A Bird,\u201d and \u201cReal Love.\u201d However, this plan never materialized because Harrison deemed the work \u201c<\/span>rubbish<\/span><\/a>\u201d for the public. Despite their best efforts, the three remaining Beatles, along with producer Jeff Lyne, found it difficult to salvage the disjointed \u201cNow and Then.\u201d The vocals and piano tracks were lodged together and proved nearly impossible to use. The song was shelved shortly after, remaining a bittersweet memory of Lennon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nearly three decades after Harrison\u2019s death in 2001, McCartney and Starr <\/span>revisited<\/span><\/a> the forgotten song. Leveraging new technology, the pair successfully separated Lennon\u2019s previously fused vocals and piano tracks. They then added their own bass and drums, accompanied by Harrison\u2019s guitar lines from the 1990s. The song was also <\/span>produced by Giles Martin<\/span><\/a>, the son of George Martin, who was not only the Beatles\u2019 sole producer, but often considered the fifth member of the band. Working on the song turned out to be a long-awaited reunion for all members of the band. It was a reunion that allowed for the flame of friendship within the Beatles and their beloved colleagues to be relit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the closest we\u2019ll ever come to having him back in the room,\u201d Starr <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> in 2023, referring to the collaborative effort to build on Lennon\u2019s unfinished work. The song provided an opportunity for reconciliation, addressing past tensions that marred the recording of the <\/span>Let it Be<\/span><\/i> album and the \u201cGet Back\u201d documentary, ultimately <\/span>prompting the band\u2019s break up<\/span><\/a>. Although not all members were physically present, the song offered the closure needed to acknowledge the end of their time together and the future of the band, replacing the previous disbandment that left all members with a strained relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy god, how lucky was I to have those men in my life,\u201d <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> McCartney in a 2023 interview, reminiscing on his time with the Beatles and reflecting on writing with the band once again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Teased only a few weeks prior to its release, \u201cNow and Then\u201d was released as a single alongside a remastered version of their debut single, \u201cLove Me Do,\u201d on November 3rd, 2023. The song immediately captured public attention, with streaming services like Spotify creating special promotional features for the Beatles. It garnered fairly positive reactions from fans, both old and new, providing a space for unity under the Beatles\u2019 title rather than remaining divided into separate subgroups of fandom.<\/span><\/p>\n

The song starts with a \u201cOne, two, three four\u2026\u201d by McCartney, similar to how he began, \u201cI Saw Her Standing There,\u201d the band\u2019s starting track on their debut album, <\/span>Please Please Me, <\/span><\/i>in 1963<\/span>.<\/span><\/i> Lennon\u2019s vocals and piano track follow shortly after. Despite Lennon and Harrison\u2019s absence, the song pays tribute to the Beatles\u2019 legacy, incorporating each member\u2019s distinct element. <\/span><\/p>\n

Like a standard Beatles song, there is a classic Beatles vocal harmonization accompanied by McCartney\u2019s signature bass lines and Starr\u2019s drums. Lennon\u2019s influence lives on as the song retains a Lennon-like song melody even with the add-ons and his missing physical presence. And because Harrison was part of the 1990s attempt to salvage the song, McCartney honors him with a Harrison-like slide guitar solo. A strings arrangement, reminiscent of iconic Beatles songs like \u201cA Day in the Life,\u201d was also added.<\/span><\/p>\n

The song\u2019s wistful and bittersweet lyrics illustrate Lennon\u2019s simple yet vast and everlasting love for his former bandmates. \u201cAnd now and then if we must start again \/ Well we will know for sure that I will love you,\u201d sings Lennon in a chilling yet comforting tone, expressing that, no matter the timeline, fate binds the Beatles together\u2014a message that highlights the inseparable bond amongst the bandmates that only they can truly understand. As a whole, the song speaks to the enduring strength of love, highlighting how it can persist even after separation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow and Then\u201d serves as a final goodbye to the Beatles\u2019 era but also as a modern beginning, uniting listeners as one. Though there may not be upcoming Beatles songs, the band lives on through their influence on past and future artists. \u201cNow and Then\u201d stands as the Beatles\u2019 last effort to spread their original message: \u201cIn the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span> Fifty-three years after their breakup, the last Beatles song, \u201cNow and Then,\u201d was released on November 3rd, 2023. Originally a never-to-be-finished rough draft written by John Lennon, the song has bridged both old and new fans together. From four boys in Liverpool to a global sensation, the Beatles made a mark on history throughout the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":4546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4545"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4545"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4548,"href":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4545\/revisions\/4548"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}