Paul McCartney regrets not finishing third Beatles reunion song

Paul McCartney recently shed some light on one of the unfinished mid-'90s Beatles reunion tracks that was left unreleased.
Macca spoke to Britain's Q magazine about the unreleased John Lennon song, titled "Now And Then," explaining that, "There was one more that we didn't do (for The Beatles Anthology), which was a pity. 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. But George (Harrison) didn't wanna do it. The best thing about it all was to work with John again. Hearing him in the headphones, it was like he was in the next room -- 'f***, I'm singing harmony with John.' It's like an impossible dream."
We asked Harrison's widow Olivia Harrison how she feels about any unfinished Beatles Anthology reunion songs being released: "Well, I don't know that much about it. But I know that if they thought something wasn't good enough then that's probably the reason no one's heard it. You know, if they never got around to it -- sometimes that's it, time runs out."
The then-surviving Beatles, McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, dubbed "The Threetles" by the British press, spent four sessions between February 1994 and March 1995 attempting to flesh out "Now And Then" along with the eventually released reunion songs "Free As A Bird," and "Real Love." The songs were recorded at Macca's home studio, The Mill, in Sussex, England with producer and ELO co-founder Jeff Lynne.
The trio eventually abandoned the track, due in large part to a persistent buzz found on the demo tape that couldn't be erased. Lennon's demo for "Now And Then" -- also known as "I Don't Want To Lose You" -- has been available on the underground circuit for years.
In May 1995, the group allegedly started work an all-new McCartney-Harrison collaboration called "All For Love," which also remains unreleased.
In October 2005, Lennon's widow Yoko Ono talked about a further "electronic" Beatles reunion using the unfinished Lennon track. She explained to The Washington Post that, "I sent those songs to them when the situation was quite different. Now that George is gone, I don't know if the same would apply."
The Beatles' reunion single "Free As A Bird" peaked at number six in 1995, with the group's second reunion single "Real Love" topping out at number 11 in 1996.

Is there a bootleg of Now And Then?

Seems from the sound of it that there are no more tapes of Lennon songs Yoko could have handed over after all.

Quoted from GreenApple

Is there a bootleg of Now And Then?

There is. I'll upload it in the bootlegforums. Available now.

Yoko Ono has granted permission for an unfinished track by her late husband John Lennon to be finished by his Beatles bandmates.

The song, called Now And Then, will be completed by Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr after Ono - who owns the rights to Lennon's solo material - gave the project a cautious green light.

She says, "It's up to them. But no, I'm not against it."

McCartney and Starr previously tried to revive the track more than a decade ago for inclusion in The Beatles Anthology. However, George Harrison vetoed the idea.

Sad days!

I know john was working on his next songs!!

Free as a bird ect were (not for the Beatles!)
I have the solo accustic he did & piano stuff!

John was not ready for the Beatles as --It as a the band--Did not allow
freedom of self!
This is why George left also!

John said it on one of his songs--
I don't beleave in Beatles--I beleave in me--Yoko & Me! I am John!

He just wanted to be seen for him & not as a beatles!That was a
product & could be sold!
Buttons-postes-socks-ect!!

Who cares? Doing it don't add nothing to the beast and don't take anything from it. I'd like to hear it, I hope there is something of George though.

Welcome back, TheMasterOfGoingFaster!!!

I heard the demo to this song and thought it was one of
the best songs Lennon ever wrote.
I can imagine how the song would sound but it woundn't work i think,
not without John & George (obviously!)

It sounds somewhat mournful to me ...

Im listening to it, if they have any George put him on to it and rerecord the rest of it. It'll sound good, the lyrics kinda fit the situation. Any situation. Maybe a new chorus? Who knows. As I said I'd like to hear it, but it's not that important.

Whatever they decide, I hope they don't get Jeff Lynne! Lennon's vocals sound so thin and 'phasey' on FAAB and Real Love, like there's 2 or 3 playing simultaneously or something.

Quoted from thefadedline

Whatever they decide, I hope they don't get Jeff Lynne! Lennon's vocals sound so thin and 'phasey' on FAAB and Real Love, like there's 2 or 3 playing simultaneously or something.

Yeh I've wondered about that. But is that just because the recording of John's voice they used was pretty poor quality? I don't really know much about production. I think the fact that lennon's voice is to thin and phasey kind of makes the songs more atmospheric. Sorry bit off topic!

Well I have heard the original FAAB demo's and, without being big-headed, I feel I could do a better job of his vocals myself... I dunno.

From contactmusic.com:

Quoted Text

The surviving members of THE BEATLES are to release a new single compiled from archive recordings. The track, called Now And Then, is based on a John Lennon recording given to MCCartney by the late musician's widow Yoko Ono. Archive tracks from George Harrison will also be woven into the new song, along with vocals from Sir Paul MCCartney and drumming from Ringo Starr, reports British newspaper the Sunday Express. ELO musician Jeff Lynne, who produced the track's original sessions, says, "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. "It was sort of a bluesy sort of ballad, I suppose, in A minor. It was a very sweet song; I liked it a lot, and I wish we could have finished it."

i'm new and do not yet have permission to the bootleg-forum, could someone post that tune here?
or is it against the rules? thanks!

sebastian, sweden.

Quoted from Sebastian

i'm new and do not yet have permission to the bootleg-forum, could someone post that tune here?
or is it against the rules? thanks!

sebastian, sweden.

Try this  :
http://rapidshare.com/files/21668027/Now_And_Then.mp3.html

... for the password to the bootlegforums you can send a private message to Bobber, somedude210 or The End.

Quoted from raxo

Try this  :
http://rapidshare.com/files/21668027/Now_And_Then.mp3.html

... for the password to the bootlegforums you can send a private message to Bobber, somedude210 or The End.

thank you!
i've sent a message to the end, just waiting for a response.

Quoted from Sebastian

thank you!
i've sent a message to the end, just waiting for a response.

A pleasure ... I'll see you there then!  

An awful choice, if you ask me. The demo sounds badly and boring. I wish Paul and Ringo do a cover of it instead of overdubb it.

Quoted from Sebastian

sebastian, sweden.

I'm not you, I'm Sebastian, from Spain, heheheh. What a surprise to find one member with my name here!. Well, it's yours too, obviosly, heheheh.

Quoted from sewi

I'm not you, I'm Sebastian, from Spain, heheheh. What a surprise to find one member with my name here!. Well, it's yours too, obviosly, heheheh.

i stole it from you. buggers!  

Is this the song as far as The Threetles made it?

The vocal sounds terrible. Personally I think it just proves one thing, that Jeff Lynne was never the best person to produce The Beatles.

Whether or not the demo ever reaches final phase of completion, the Fab legacy is intact. Granted, it would be nice to have a "final" final Lennon/McCartney piece, but if the song sounded tinny or "thin", it wouldnt be worth the effort. I for one would hate to end this historic collaboration on a flawed note. I've heard the demo--there are some beautiful moments there--but unless technology advances a bit further, a better digital enhancement of John's voice is sorely needed for salvaging this gem. Too bad John laid his vocals down on (by today's standards)home-made, poor -quality analog. Perhaps if Paul could get permission to record it himself...but then on second thought, that wouldnt do (*shrugs*)--I figure the whole thrill for Macca would be to do it with his old best mate (albeit posthumously). If they can find a way to fix the technical shortcomings, it would absolutely marvelous to hear Paul sing with John again...

Quoted from BlueMeanie

The vocal sounds terrible. Personally I think it just proves one thing, that Jeff Lynne was never the best person to produce The Beatles.

I tend to agree w/ this..although I'm a MAJOR Lynne fan (in a separate sense), being addicted to ELO in the 70's and 80's (and even his earlier work w/ Roy Wood and Wizzard)

I never thought I'd miss Phil Spector....but...

Quoted from 829

I tend to agree w/ this..although I'm a MAJOR Lynne fan (in a separate sense), being addicted to ELO in the 70's and 80's (and even his earlier work w/ Roy Wood and Wizzard)

Didn't know he produced Wizzard.

It's a shame about the quality of the vocal. And a bit of a surprise. I've just been listening to the Strawberry Fields demo's recorded at Kenwood, and the quality of the vocal recording is mostly far superior.

What a beautiful song! I'm sorry it's such a bad recording. It does sound unsalvagable for a commercial release.

For the first time in many moons I'm impressed by a Lennon song. It sounds very contempory, far better than anything on Double Fantasy.

I would like to hear it reworked with a different producer. But then, I suppose that Lynne's 'big sound' masks the poor quality of the original tape.

Quoted from BlueMeanie

Didn't know he produced Wizzard.

It's a shame about the quality of the vocal. And a bit of a surprise. I've just been listening to the Strawberry Fields demo's recorded at Kenwood, and the quality of the vocal recording is mostly far superior.

sorry, I wasnt clear on that point--I meant Jeff Lynne's older association w/ Roy Wood, not producing.

and as far as SFF demo...of course it sounds better

I think some of those final demos of John's sounded like they were recorded up in the Dakota's bathroom  w/ some cheap Phillips tape recorder propped up on the sink--a far cry from Kenwood, or for THAT matter, the "cavern"ous (sorry for pun),Abbey Road.

Yoko probably locked him in!!

Quoted from BlueMeanie

Yoko probably locked him in!!

(and John screaming "Aisumasen! Aisumasen! (sp?) let me out! My bread is burning in the oven!!")

*reads the above with awe*

I feel as if I was there.

it sounds very ELO!! great song though but John's voice sound's more
like Julian Lennon's.

I think this is an amazing song...the demo sounds a little unfinished,but i heard macca was gonna do something with this song.
Wouldnt it be great if he released it along with the launch of all the beatles albums on i-tunes.
We live in hope eh?

I can't wait for the real thing

Any ideas?

http://iamaphoney.blogspot.com/2008/01/now-and-then-is-spreading.html

February 9?

I'd go with this idea:

Quoted Text

The Abbeyrd's Beatles News Page described it this way: While this sounds very professionally produced, we don't think this is anything more than a clever, but unauthorized, mash, thanks to the overuse of echo and the audio from Beatle songs woven through it. A mash, but a well-done one, at that.

I would have thought that the tapes are well and truly under lock and key. Probably in a farmhouse in Sussex! I don't recall hearing any