02 November 2023 , 14:29
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Fans of The Beatles have been reacting online following the release of the Liverpudlian band's "final song".
Titled Now And Then, the track features all four members of the Scouse band and is the last song to be credited to Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Ringo Starr and the late John Lennon and George Harrison. The first bars of the single were written by John Lennon in 1978 and the song finally completed last year.
Now And Then received its first play on BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music at 14:00 GMT today, with it also landing on streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music at the same time. Following its release, music fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the track that took 45 years to make.
The Beatles are back! (Popperfoto via Getty Images)One fan said: "‘Now & Then’ by The Beatles is absolutely beautiful. What an unexpected but wonderful end to The Beatles’ incredible discography. What a treat to experience a new release by The Beatles. Something I never thought I would have in my lifetime." Another added: "I love it. It feels like a Beatles song. Love the tonality of Johns voice. Haunting lyric with the right level of sweetness. I think I will curl up into a little ball while it rains now…"
Someone else commented: "brb crying about the beatles' latest release now." A fourth wrote: "It really does feel like a farewell track to The Beatles as a whole, doesn't it?" A fan added: "New Beatles is nice. Can imagine it finding a place on Abbey Road or Let It Be. Lennon's vocals sound a bit too fluffy, like they're running at a lower bitrate, but they've done good work with it overall. Suitably plaintive given this very much is the end."
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One social media shared: "being around for the last new Beatles song is so special, I love it." While someone else said: "This new Beatles song ('Now And Then' is it?!) sounds very contemporary but also a bit dull. I reckon it would have been panned by music critics if released back when it was intended."
Another wrote: "New Beatles is nice. Can imagine it finding a place on Abbey Road or Let It Be. Lennon's vocals sound a bit too fluffy, like they're running at a lower bitrate, but they've done good work with it overall. Suitably plaintive given this very much is the end."
Speaking to the Mirror earlier today, Beatles expert Dale Roberts shared his thoughts on the track and what it means for the band's legacy. "I think it’s incredible that over 66 years since four normal, working class lads from Liverpool formed a band, that we are all still so excited by them releasing a new song," Dale told us. "I’m blown away with how they have isolated John Lennon’s vocals and cleaned it so perfectly from a tape recorder. It’s great that the lads are back together, for one last time."
Dale, owner of Liverpool Eco Tours which focuses on progressive and sustainable tourism in Liverpool, went on to add: "The Beatles releasing a new single is not something I expected when I entered into The Beatles tourism industry in 2015, but what a time to be alive!"
"Right now the world is hurting, be that through fears about the economy, climate change or the dreadful situation we hear about daily in the Middle East. Never before have the immortal words sang by John Lennon in the song Imagine been needed," he continued to muse. "All You Need is Love feels ahead of it’s time, but it shows the age old problems of man and how we never learn to Give Peace A Chance."