It is arguably the most moving moment in Glastonbury history: at the 2022 festival, Paul McCartney plays footage of John Lennon performing “I’ve Got a Feeling” from the Let It Be film and duets with his late bandmate’s vocals, isolated from the original tapes by Get Back director Peter Jackson. “I know it’s virtual but come on,” McCartney says, not a dry eye in the field. “It’s John. We’re back together.”
Now the same cutting-edge sound separation tech has been applied to the grainy demo tape of the last remaining Beatles song, “Now and Then”. One of four tracks Lennon recorded at home in 1977, the song was gifted to the remaining Beatles by Yoko Ono in 1994 to complete their retrospective Anthology project. This particular song, however, was rejected as a possible third new single after two days of tinkering due to its unworkable, hum-drenched sonics. “F***ing rubbish” was George Harrison’s considered verdict.
