Music

The Beatles releasing ‘final’ album this year — with a little help from AI

By
Jack Hobbs
Published June 13, 2023
Updated June 13, 2023, 10:33 a.m. ET

They simply won’t “Let it be.”

Sir Paul McCartney revealed Tuesday that he plans to use AI technology to “extricate” John Lennon’s voice from a previously unheard track to create “the final Beatles record,” reports the BBC.

“We just finished it up and it’ll be released this year,” McCartney, 80, told the outlet.

The musician said that in order to use Lennon’s voice, he turned to “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson for help.

“He [Jackson] was able to extricate John’s voice from a ropey little bit of cassette that had John’s voice and a piano,” explained McCartney. “He could separate them with AI — he could tell the machine, ‘That’s the voice, that’s the guitar, lose the guitar.’ And he did that, so it has great uses.”

“We were able to take John’s voice and get it pure through this AI so then we could mix the record as you would normally do,” continued the singer.

While the former Beatles frontman did not specify the name of the track, it is speculated to be titled “Now and Then” which was composed by Lennon before his death in 1980.

Sir Paul McCartney
Sir Paul McCartney revealed Tuesday that he plans to use AI technology to “extricate” John Lennon’s voice from a previously unheard track to create “the final Beatles record,” reports the BBC. Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP
McCartney said that in order to use Lennon's voice, he turned to "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson for help.
McCartney said that in order to use Lennon’s voice, he turned to “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson for help. Samir Hussein/WireImage
While the former Beatles frontman did not specify the name of the track, it is speculated to be titled " Now And Then" which was composed by Lennon (2nd right) before his death in 1980.
While the former Beatles frontman did not specify the name of the track, it is speculated to be titled “Now and Then” which was composed by Lennon (second from right) before his death in 1980. Chris Walter

According to McCartney, he originally received the demo in 1994 from Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, 90, alongside several other songs on a cassette labeled “For Paul.”

The Post has reached out to McCartney for comment.

McCartney revealed that the group attempted to initially record the song in 1995 but the session quickly ended after various issues with the late singer’s vocals emerged.

McCartney revealed that the group attempted to initially record the song in 1995 but the session quickly ended after various issues with the late singer's vocals emerged.
McCartney revealed that the group attempted to initially record the song in 1995 but the session quickly ended after various issues with the late singer’s vocals emerged. Getty Images
McCartney also revealed that lead guitarist George Harrison (left), who died in 2001, refused to work on it because the vocals were "rubbish."
McCartney also revealed that lead guitarist George Harrison (left), who died in 2001, refused to work on it because the vocals were “rubbish.” AFP via Getty Images

“It was one day — one afternoon, really — messing with it,” music producer Jeff Lynn, 75, said. “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 also revealed that lead guitarist George Harrison, who died in 2001, refused to work on it because the vocals were “rubbish.”

“It didn’t have a very good title, it needed a bit of reworking, but it had a beautiful verse and it had John singing it,” the singer told Q magazine in 2006. “[But] George didn’t like it. The Beatles being a democracy, we didn’t do it.”

"It didn't have a very good title, it needed a bit of reworking, but it had a beautiful verse and it had John singing it," the singer told Q magazine in 2006. "[But] George didn't like it. The Beatles being a democracy, we didn't do it."
“It didn’t have a very good title, it needed a bit of reworking, but it had a beautiful verse and it had John singing it,” the singer told Q magazine in 2006. “[But] George didn’t like it. The Beatles being a democracy, we didn’t do it.” Bettmann Archive

Even though it has taken nearly 50 years for the rock icon to fulfill his dream, McCartney said that he was excited about the new possibilities AI technology present to the future of music.

“All that is kind of scary but also exciting because it’s the future,” gushed McCartney.

No official release date for the track has been announced.

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