MY thoughts on 'Now and Then'... AND rumour busting!

Tonight we're taking a look at 'Now and Then', The Beatles final release and addressing some rumours!
Demo Video - • Video
TIME STAMPS -
0:00 Intro
2:01 Dispelling the Myth
2:45 Original Demo Isolated
3:58 Release Isolated
5:35 Vocal Comparison
6:43 Pitch Correction
7:44 Demo Vocal Proof
9:31 The Missing ‘Chorus’
12:01 The Second ‘Chorus’
13:25 An AI Cover (‘TimmySean’)
17:18 The AI Learning Process
For more, check out my other sites! / wingsofpegasus www.wingsofpeg... / wingsofpegasus Twitter - @wingsofpegasus Insta - @wingsofpegasusofficial

[@loosilu]

I can't imagine how hard it hit Paul the first time he heard the clean version of this vocal. This was a labor of love.

[@lauraallen55]

Yasssss!

[@PaulMiller-mn3me]

For some reason it seems fitting that the final Beatles song was a Lennon tune. I’m sure Mac is okay with that

[@5roundsrapid263]

It hit me so hard when I watched the documentary. I’m so sick of autotune and AI, that when I heard it done right, I was speechless.

[@charliesaucier3352]

​@@5roundsrapid263Same here when I watched it! Brought tears to my eyes!

[@jaysharpESQ]

Maybe. Maybe if YOU were Paul. Sounds like it'd be really special. Now, I'm not saying John and Paul were all businesses or anything I'm not trying to pretend like they weren't friends any more (even though it is clear they did drift considerably apart in latter years...) But all I'm doing, I'm sorry for nitpicking, just trying to illustrate a point which is we really don't know what is in Paul's head nor would we ever know what was in the head the moment he first heard John's vocal clear.... Or even if he ever did hear it isolated or like that all. Anyway, I know you meant well and for that you get a ❤ and a single tear yellow round Paul McCartney face😢 but it's probably gonna close down my long ass comment and I'll get reprimanded just because.... Randomness: THINKING OUT LOUD WHERE can I join the writers in striking??? In NYC?

[@thescarletandgrey2505]

It’s one of those big-hit level songs that at first doesn’t sound like a big hit. But after listening to it a few times you want to listen to it forever.

[@mightyV444]

I admit, when I heard it for the first time I felt a bit underwhelmed and definitely did not expect it to soon become my earworm! 😄

[@balbutie]

so true.

[@5roundsrapid263]

It felt awkward at first, but after three listens or so it was stuck in my head. It is so liberating to have a new song stuck in my head that isn’t rubbish! 😂

[@thescarletandgrey2505]

@@5roundsrapid263 you mean like “Stayin Alive”? Woops sorry 😂

[@5roundsrapid263]

@@thescarletandgrey2505 The Bee Gees were brilliant songwriters, in my opinion. That wasn’t their best song, but it was miles ahead of todays hits!

[@angelatheriault8855]

This song feels right to me. The Beatles always were ridiculously successful at connecting at an emotional level with their audience and this song just proves it all over again.

[@tjcint]

Connecting at an emotional level .. they were masters ...

[@charliesaucier3352]

I totally agree! Would love to see both Paul and Ringo accepting a Grammy Award on behalf of The Beatles' for the bands last release! Wouldn't that be cool!

[@pleasantvalleypickerca7681]

I really like how they seperated and cleaned up John's vocal. It's a good song and a fun video. Anything that brings joy into a troubled world gets a thumbs up. So nice to hear John one last time.

[@lauraallen55]

Absolutely the point of it and a stunning epitaph for the Beatles.

[@rogerdale5451]

These are very sophisticated people, Giles Martin, Ringo, Paul, et al., and obviously were extremely cautious to bring it up to a workable part, without erasing the humanity- the sweet natural voice from a demo.

[@lauraallen55]

Excellent job done on it, the care taken shows the love for one another and for the fans.

[@davidjohnson6553]

Such is the Beatles legacy that finding an unreleased Lennon song is afforded the same respect as finding Beethoven's 10th symphony. You gotta hand it to those boys!

[@coffee-xg6my]

Fil, there's three possible reasons I can see that they left out that pre-chorus in the final release. First, I think they wanted to shorten the song from the 5 minute demo to the current 4 minutes that it is for purposes of releasing as a single as is traditional practice which you are aware of. (usually 3 to 4 minutes is a preferred length). Second, as you pointed out, the lyric was not finished in the last part of that pre-chorus.You'll notice he just trails off just humming. And because I suspect they wanted to shorten the song anyway, then that would have been the obvious part of the song to cut out. And thirdly, the lyrics that are on the pre-chorus seem to be more specific to a personal relationship as we hear him singing lines such as, "I don't want to use or abuse you" and "sweet darling". Whereas, the other parts of the song that were used in the release are more open to interpretation by the listeners. Some people have imagined it being about the band members' feelings for each other as a group and missing the old days ("Now and then I miss you") or even a message of endearment from John to Paul. I've read that allegedly, there was a note attached to the tape in John's handwriting that read, "To Paul" or "For Paul" but I haven't been able to confirm that. I do know that in the few years just before John was killed, he and Paul were starting to get back on good terms and hanging out together whenever Paul would make a trip to the states and stop in to visit John in New York. But regardless, leaving out that pre-chorus allowed for a more open interpretation which I suspect Paul probably intended.

[@moonbeam2062]

I agree. Those are some excellent points and actually make perfect sense.

[@AttiMatter]

Yes!!

[@da_great_mogul]

And there's no way McCartney could have sung it instead with his 2022 range. Yes, he could have lowered the key by 4 or 5 steps to get the highest part to match his current day highest note but that would have then rendered Lennon's verses as artificially low (i.e., too "bassy"). I think McCartney could have played the missing melody as his own lead/slide guitar part to keep the integrity of the song (and thus avoiding the lyrics that had no relevance to the verses) as well as avoid the attempt to imitate the inimitable Harrison's slide guitaring.

[@thesolitaryadventurer]

I agree with your analysis... My belief is that the 3rd point dominated thinking. The word "abuse" would have fuleed a lot of nonsense talk about John Lennon. And in today's world, Twitter would have been inundated with absolute nonsense that mainstream media would have pulled into their headlines.

[@heygreydey]

and all poor reasons to leave out such a beautiful and signature section. among all the covers coming out lately I’ve been looking out for the odd and brave exceptions to the exception.

[@roseyc.5846]

Hi Fil: I was there, a 14 year old girl, when The Beatles arrived here in the States and created that wonderful, exhilarating bedlam..it was heavenly! So, as a fan for SO MANY years, I have mixed feelings about this release... happy, yet sad. I miss John (and George) so much. But, as good as it is to have a release in 2023, I found the video somewhat disturbing, though I totally get what they were attempting to do. It is a tribute; however, because two are gone, it brings a measure of sadness and melancholy, at least for me. Thank you so much for doing this analysis, as I've been giving this a good deal of thought lately, again with mixed emotions. They made such an enormous impact on music, the world and our lives. Stay safe and sane.. Rosemarie ❤

[@gansosmansos]

ACDC did a much better job of mixing Bon and Malcolm both in the studio and the video with "Mists of Time"

[@juliefore]

I really enjoyed the song. I enjoyed the video until they added in the ai generated images of George and John. I loved all of the old photos and videos blended together, I just couldn’t cope with the fake images and video.

[@A.Briggs628]

As a huge John Lennon, and Beatle fan, I thank you very much, Fil! I appreciate your taking the time, sharing your experience, and knowledge with us! I love the song. I’m so grateful to be living during this incredible event! They did a fantastic job putting the video together, with photos of John and George. You have to smile seeing John dancing around, and being silly. Thanks again, Fil. I enjoyed this very much! 😊❤

[@carmenv5160]

I was so happy when I first heard Now and Then because that IS John's voice.

[@loosilu]

I think all Beatle fans felt it in their gut the second we heard it!

[@5roundsrapid263]

It’s unmistakable. If they’d faked anything, it would be instantly noticed. The whole world has recognized John’s voice for 60 years!

[@user-hd9nc7zp1v]

I have listened to the original demos from the actual cassette on KZbin like with Free As A Bird and Real Love original tape cassette and that is John Lennon's real actual voice.

[@olivermueller1979]

I was a bit wary when I heard that there was going to be a "new Beatles song". Not because of the AI aspect but because I thought it would sound like they threw some glitter at a song that John didn't deem good enough to record himself. I'm relieved that it turned as it did. I liked John's demo, but they very respectfully improved it and turned it into a really lovely song.

[@loosilu]

I love that Paul didn't try to speak for John or George. He left a ton of space to evoke them and let them fill it.

[@lauraallen55]

I never once thought they would do what you were afraid of. ;)

[@rickboer7715]

But if it's all you got what else can you do?

[@olivermueller1979]

@@rickboer7715 You mean John's demo? Hmmm... That's where I think they really used AI in a great way to turn a demo into a good song without taking the essence from John's original (in my opinion). Of course I can only guess, but I think that if they had gone ahead in 1995 and released Now and Then based on 1995 technology, the result would have been a lot worse. Just a gut feeling. And while I do enjoy Free as a Bird or Real Love as songs, I'd be curious to see how they would sound with today's technology. But they're done and fine as they are.

[@brianinglis3805]

​@@olivermueller1979 Free As A Bird & Real Love could've done without Jeff Lynne's overproduction which makes them sound like ELO songs not Beatles songs. Hopefully they can de mix John's vocals & de Lynne the production of these tracks for the 30th anniversary expanded editions of Anthology.

[@66impala71]

Thank you Fil! You always fill in the blanks for me as a music lover but not a musician. Especially for this lovely Beatles release.

[@Bluejeangirl62]

I agree! Fil always nails it in his videos! I so enjoy listening to his thoughts about various artists and certainly his expertise in music theories and yes, even the “mathematics” of music. Listening to him blows my mind most of the time as I am NOT a musician, but merely a music fan. Thanks again, Fil… you’ve given us John back, in the way Paul and Ringo meant it to be! ❤😊

[@johnglielmi6428]

Studio monitoring is so advanced now, using all the digital technologies available. They could truly extract just the vocals alone from any recording. It's not like back in the early days of analogue recordings where it was virtually impossible to separate any of the sounds unless they were recorded on a separate track already. So I'll believe Paul and Ringo when they say how they made the song. Also Let's give them Kudos for the video as well. It was so amazing to see the four of them together all at the same time, even if it was only a virtual trick. It brought tears to my eyes to see it. R.I.P. John and George, you are never forgotten and your music lives on forever!

[@paulrobertson3326]

Great video! Thanks for including that cover by Timmy Sean - what a great arrangement he created!

[@rhondamadgirl]

I like the song. Happy to hear John. Bring all the old stuff out that we may not have heard. It’s The Beatles! I’ll take it.

[@jackvonewegen7656]

Great job Phil. The inclusion of Ringo to such an extent, I think, really makes this recording’s rhythm and beat unfold in true Beatle fashion. His importance to the bands “sound” should never be doubted and always appreciated. One could argue Ringo is the most universally gifted “performer” in the band and the catalyst for the great vocal harmony of John, Paul & George.

[@jskit92380]

Thank you Fil. Your take is informative and appreciated. After all these years, it's nice to once again hear The Beatles. ☮🖤🤘

[@TheSteveBoyd]

First off, people who insist this couldn't be achieved without replacing Lennon's voice with a robot obviously know nothing about rocket surgery. Second, they made the right choice getting rid of that half-finished bridge. If John and Paul were actually writing together, I'll bet they would've decided to throw it out.

[@paulknight9998]

The bridge was finished. Only the last line of the lyrics was unfinished.

[@loosilu]

I've seen the orginal printed lyrics from 1995, marked up by Jeff Lynne. They had already decided to remove it.

[@aBeatleFan4ever]

Steve - If John & Paul had been working together on this (like they had in the 1960s) I think they would have come up with a different middle section. I really like the finished song they put together... but I think it would have been a bit longer - with a new middle section - had John & Paul actually worked together on it. Would love to hear what they might have come up with.

[@TLguitar]

​@@aBeatleFan4everListen to the production of John's demo a KZbin channel called "Now And Then" uploaded a few months ago. Whoever made that version kept the pre-chorus and it sounds so much better in my opinion. What you hear on John's demo is just him laying out the skeleton of the bone; with psychedelic guitars and more texture built upon it you can see how much could have been extracted from this song as a composition. I think the official release made some questionable decision.

[@donaldwebb]

It's clearly a more interesting and less repetitive song with the bridge

[@dagmar.6954]

Thanks for clearing up this debate about John's voice. This song & the video gives me such nostalgic vibes. I grew up with the Beatles music as a young girl. This also makes me a little sad since John & George are no longer with us (John was murdered in 1980 & George died of cancer in 2001). But I enjoyed the video showing them all together. I am sure Paul & Ringo loved doing this tribute & it must have brought back a lot of fond memories for them.

[@deborahdoesscrap]

Thank you so much, Fil. I was on my way to Denver, CO and had the car radio blasting when they played this for the first time. Such a sense of nostalgia overcame me as I was driving. I grew up with the Beatles and given my age at the time, I was convinced I was going to go to a Beatles concert, be spotted in the crowd by Paul and swept off my feet, LOL!! Hearing John's voice and the music and just the whole experience was wonderful. Your videos are always so educational and especially for someone who doesn't know anything about music except that I love it and that it has had such a huge impact on my life. I will always feel blessed to have lived during the most amazing time for music and for me, it all started with the Beatles.

[@ScabibbleWilly]

Beautifully done Fil!❤ what a gift to all of us Beatles lovers!

[@Rhubarb2]

Timmy Sean nailed it. Gave me goosebumps. Thanks for another great video

[@DaleBaker-nz9fh]

It’s a good song, and am glad it got them another number one….man what a great group. I love your videos Fil. You gives these a thousand per cent. Utter magic.

[@annmiller1347]

Thanks for the great analysis, Fil! This new song gave me chills…what a wonderful gift to all of us

[@tammydoolittle6054]

Thank you Fil for explaining this, it was an awesome analysis!

[@kathypeacock6466]

Fascinating analysis. I'm impressed by the lightly pitch-corrected vocal. It's like they anticipated how John would have sung it in the studio during an official take.

[@perseapolaris9015]

Fil..🎸🌹thanks to show us what the IA ..can do..and what she can't do..!! love you.🤘🥴💌

[@crunchyfrog555]

The amount of people I've had to correct about this bloody stupid myth about AI. What's frsutrating is that the Beatles put out the making of video, and Giles Martin and Peter Jackson have explained how it's done. It's not difficult to understand there's NOTHING added to the voice AI wise.

[@knockedoutloaded279]

Fantastic ai vocals...

[@RockinJohnny]

Exactly John hasn't come back from the dead he was already alive when he recorded his piano n vocal parts on a Sony cassette machine, it wasn't possible at the time to split the piano n vocal and Phil explained this too. With new technology i.e.. AI both tracks were not only split but cleaned up as well, this was not generated AI as some seem to think.

[@cmonman3639]

"Number* of people"

[@crunchyfrog555]

@@cmonman3639 What are you referring to and how does that change anything?

[@Terminus_El_Camino]

@@crunchyfrog555 One of those...

[@DawnLenn]

I was hoping you'd do a video on this. The song has really grown on me the more I've listened to it, and I got really emotional watching the video Peter Jackson directed. I personally prefer John's original demo, though- it has such a haunting sound, and there is just something magical about John Lennon on the piano. Of course, I'm a piano girl, so I might be biased 😊. I'm really bummed that the record company is blocking the demo now. I wish they'd release it as a b-side or something. I would gladly pay to have it!

[@debbier938]

Hi Fil, This was an interesting video on this song. And glad they did not overdo pitch correction on John’s voice. And I agree sometimes you have to adjust the EQ so everything blends better. I enjoyed TimmySean’s take on the song as well. I thought it had, and added many Beatles musical elements to the song giving it a more modern sound. Thank you for taking a look at this song and explaining how it really is John’s voice! Great Job, You Are The Best! Debbie☮️

[@markkinnish1196]

Great update Fil as always the Beatles always pushed the boundaries that’s what made them great and so unique. Keep up the great work. Watch all your videos

[@rockergirl1976]

Amazing analysis on this song…❤️ Thanks Fil!!!

[@KevinsHeaven]

Great review and breakdown. Love Now and Then…Beatles!

[@RomiPetrut]

Phil you are the best! My respect

[@williamgioioso1330]

I love the Timmy Sean version. I am a huge early Beatles fan and he NAILED it! I feel it is a great companion to the original. What a gift from the Beatles and Timmy Sean.

[@lauraallen55]

I like tribute or covers of Beatles but never more than the original!

[@rogerdale5451]

As long as Yoko isn't squreetching and caterwauling in the background, I'm fine with that.

[@SuperAnimelover100]

Ain't that the TRUTH !

[@koralart]

Your fantastic analysis blew me away!!! How smart and intelligent! Thank YOU so much!

[@Guardducks]

Thanks Fil. ✌🏽

[@daveowen9481]

Thanks Fil, another great analysis.

[@KaraLey98]

Fil, this is so so interesting. When the song came out, it seemed nearly every website wanted to explain how it had been done. I didn’t click on any of them-knowing that if I really expected to hear how this was accomplished, that you would have the best explanation here on your channel along with the tech display. Thank you!

[@sourisvoleur4854]

The Timmy Sean version sounds great.

[@fullfatdeano]

Fab video - always love your incisive analysis, particularly loved the shout out to Timmy Sean's work (amazing stuff), quite liked the AI philosophy thoughts at the end :-) Keep up your amazing work 🙂

[@DavidHolliday]

This is an excellent video, Fil. I like Timmy’s version of the song as well. He’s obviously a talented guy.

[@meredithinserra4670]

You are right! That Timmy Sean version is fabulous! Thanks for the recommendation! I would love to hear what Paul and Ringo think of Timmy's version!

[@elisabethaxelsson4736]

I like this song very much, its beautiful and sad and so Beatles.

[@SuperAnimelover100]

Exactly.

[@tammydoolittle6054]

Congratulation Fil for hitting 329K subscribers! You and your channel are the best on the Internet! Keep on rockin'! 🎸🤘💜

[@tommyzai7038]

Thanks, Fil. I think Paul, Ringo and the production team did a fabulous job on this . . . it's a lovely farewell/tribute song.

[@kln58cub]

Thanks Fil for checking out the Now and Then video and song. I'm glad I have been watching you for a good while before finding the video of everyone working to put Now and Then out there. I was just excited that because I watch your videos I understood and appreciated what they discussed that much more. While it is extraordinary what can be done in a studio, nothing, absolutely NOTHING should ever replace good honest to god vocal talent & emotion with AI and then calling that manipulated voice talent.

[@1msbucket]

I think this is a great example of creative tecnology at work. Thanks for the explanation Fil.

[@aminahmed2220]

What a fantastic video have a good day ❤😊

[@davidschecter5247]

Wonderful video. Thanks so much for taking the time and making the effort on this.

[@purpleelephantdebh]

thank you, Fil, for this analysis. when i heard it, i knew it was John and not AI. i do love the sound of John's voice.

[@williamwarlick3497]

Fil, thank you brother, it's so obvious. Pure Johnny!

[@arniebaird7852]

Thanks for your in depth and very understandable explaination of AI, Fil. We are living in a truly amazing time of change!

[@glamgal7106]

I listened to the version that you gave the link to and I also listened to the VEVO version. Thanks for providing a very interesting and informative analysis of “Now and Then” with regards to whether or not AI was used in making the song. At first, I was a little bit confused when I saw the “1964 AI” in brackets under the title until you explained it. I was glad that you explained the differences between the use of AI and applying different effects in recording/music production. When I worked in computer/electronics store, that was when I’d heard about Artificial Intelligence being an integral component in graphics cards and gaming, sometimes also in cryptocurrency but believe me, I’m not particularly familiar with that high level of technology. It’s refreshing to hear John’s voice in the song. I’d tend to think that his surviving band members wouldn’t want to fake it. No worries about you “going on so long” because for me, you’re giving me an education in music technology. Many thanks for all you do, Fil. Cheers!

[@roryblake7311]

Thank Fil! You nailed it!

[@roryblake7311]

Got your message about giving me a free guitar. I appreciate it but I have too many, as it is! Thanks anyway.... Ro

[@TimmySean]

Thanks for shouting out my little A.I. experiment, Fil!

[@roberthubal6278]

Great interpretation 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@eddieonmelrose]

Thanks For for correctly breaking it down.... The more I hear it the more I like it! !! And its number 1 in England!!

[@lyndarosborough869]

Thank you ! Another Excellent analysis Fil … your work really helps us understand these studio techniques … (especially on this one ! )

[@diannewilkerson4793]

Thank you so much, Fil, for your insights into this amazing song by the Beatles thanks to Paul and Ringo. It is something of a miracle, really! I never dreamed this kind of thing would ever have been possible when I was 8 years old in 1964!! It is thrilling and touching that Paul and Ringo were able to do it finally. You have great proof that nothing artificial was done to John's voice. Thanks again!! 🥰🎹🎸🎶❤

[@mandibottley7308]

Timmy's version sounds exactly like I imagined the song to be

[@softshallow7435]

Love your channel Phil! You are si informative, i’m learning a lot from your channel, you ( obviously) know your stuff. Keep it going!

[@softshallow7435]

Phil your videos are not too long, they can never be long enough when they are interesting to listen to. They fly by.

[@PC4USE1]

I am not a musician nor am I a studio technician. That being said,John used to 'double track ' his vocals on many songs. He was able to make 2 separate recordings and layer one over the other. Is THAT AI? The only thing AI did was isolate John's voice from the other parts of the song and get rid of that hum. I see many reviewers 'sh-tting' over this song but I think it is quite beautiful. Life long Beatles fan since 1964 at 8 years old. I am now 67. You cannot fool me as to what is John and what is not. Thank you, Fil for bringing clarity to a cloudy subject.

[@davidmullens7565]

I so admire and respect your musical knowledge and appreciation Phil...😊

[@Deebhoy]

This is a great video Fil. Thanks for all your work.

[@luzmarrufo5363]

Thank you, Fil, for your analysis video! As always, I appreciate your musical opinion. I believe this to be a fitting final song for The Fab Four. It's too bad that many are under the impression that it is not really John Lennon's voice on this track. I'm not a musician, but it is obvious to me that John's original vocal was well preserved for this song and not computer generated. It is very well put together. Only The Beatles could pull off releasing a new song 50+ years after they broke up and have it go to number 1! 💕💕

[@therealzilch]

Fascinating as usual. Thanks again, Fil, from rainy Vienna, Scott

[@JC-rb3hj]

Thank you, brilliant as usual.

[@robertscopa2626]

At first, it was hard to separate my emotional response from my analytical response. After numerous listenings and giving it some time I think it was a wise move not to make this sound like any of the sixties version of the Beatles. I know there are nods to classic Beatle production, especially with the strings and guitar solo. But McCartney and Ringo are both in their 80s and this version had to reflect on where they are now. The end result was worth the wait . I can't listen to this without being happy and melancholy at the same time. Thanks for the interesting analysis .

[@dmcarp2807]

Good explainer on actual post production used with Lennon's vocals in Beatles release ---with A I used in vocal separation only. Adding example of an upbeat cover of Beatles release using 'A I vocal alteration' was a statement on possibilities of A I and seemingly an endorsement.

[@Shell6424]

Studio manipulation is scary. But it’s John’s voice. I like the educational analysing, thanks Fil for posting.

[@morbidmanmusic]

All music studio recording is manipulating.. so there is no escape.

[@joeylodes]

Beautiful song and touching video.

[@majorneptunejr]

The ending with the band disappearing and then the lights saying Beatles going out, was very emotional.

[@bobsimon7780]

Dear Phil, I have watched several analysis videos of this song already. I just want to say thank you for presenting a fresh perspective on this beautiful song. And provided information that other people well regarded in this field have not. It was a well done video and I really enjoyed your presentation. Keep up the good work

[@MrGman2804]

Thanks for the Timmy Sean tip. I was very impressed with what he did!

[@dvsreed]

This song is a wonderful gift to Beatles fsns.....but it's also sad to think of all the songs that never came

[@wlflightlr]

Thank you Fil! Thanks for playing and talking about the Timmy Sean version, I really like it! He did a great job of creating a kind of 1964 up tempo rock & roll version.

[@JayJ1095]

9:30 My guess is that a lot of the production side of the song was done back in the 90s while they were still trying to combat the noise in the original recording, so if they'd decided not to include that section back then, they wouldn't have added it back in because George wouldn't have a part in that section.

[@karenwalker3770]

Good afternoon from beautiful Sacramento California Fil! Thank you so much for this great analysis! Although George has always been my favorite, I was really happy to hear John sing another song! I did check out the video by TimmySean, and you're right...its a nice take on the song! It immediately reminded me of "Believe" by Cher redone by Adam Lambert at the Kennedy center honors!! Its ALWAYS great to hear George play the guitar again as well...and Im grateful that Yoko gave permission for Johns demo to be used. Its incredible how it began around '79-'80, and then again in '94 during the Anthology they had another go at it (although George personally didn't like it! LOL!!), and all these years later its finally released. Quite a journey!

[@terryloh8583]

Another great video. Thanks for explaining how these things work and showing the proof. :)

[@macsmiffy2197]

McCartney has said he sang along with John in places where the voice was ‘thin’, to get a more rounded sound. He mimicked John’s flattened vocals as opposed to his own, more rounded voice. He said it was normal for them to sing whole songs together, so didn’t think it was departing from what the Beatles did.

[@krollpeter]

The better guitar player, technically the better drummer, the only member 100% proficient on keyboards, he can play cello, trumpet .... to make it short, he plays way more instruments than all Beatles played on records, and some of them absolutely on pro-level. As if that was not enough ... the best of all: One of the best bass players in pop, excellent singer, and one of the most productive songwriters ever lived. That's Paul McCartney. Yes, he did support John Lennons voice often. Not a few Beatles songs were actually mostly him, in particular after '65. If you want to see things with this background in mind, yes, then you can count it as a Beatles song.

[@awade116]

Thanks, Fil.

[@chanceofd]

Great explanation!

[@AdamFPetrie]

Hey FIl! Adam Petrie here. Long Time no see. Great Video! You Nailed it.

[@JimmyD718]

Great video 😊 Timmy Sean’s version is incredible ❤

[@ginnyvogel7754]

This is such a useful analysis. There is so much misinformation out there along with a lot of high emotion.

[@markrinehart8813]

After watching this a few times, I now have the answers to a couple question's I had: 1. Why John's demo sounded more haunting, and 2. Why Paul redid the piano, instead of using John's piano in the demo. The answer to both is the pitch correction Paul had them do. In John's demo he was singing flat of the notes, and more notes were minor not major as in the changes made by Paul. So of course with Paul changing notes to major, John's piano part no longer matched up. Pitch correction altered the actual feeling John had intended, and made it necessary for Paul to redo the piano part John had originally played.

[@jennifermason9557]

I think many of us were all hoping for another Real Love. And we got this, and it is glorious. When I first heard it, it sounded to me more like Ringo and Paul guesting on a John song. The Beatles tracks with strings often featured cello and, as others have commented, the cellos are not dominant in this. Those cellos were part of their sound and almost George Martin's signature. George's voice is also, obviously not prominent and Paul's voice has changed tonally in his later years (but still a fabulous singer). As a result, we don't get those signature harmonies that we got on Free as a Bird and Real Love. But the song itself is mesmerising. That perfect mix of longing, sadness, joy and reflection that we got from a number of John's songs. Each repeat listen, I hear something new - which is what the very best of the Beatles songs do. Think Hard Days Night, Eleanor Rigby, Let it Be, Something, Don't let me down. Part of me wishes that they would remix John's vocals on Free as a Bird and Real Love. As someone else said, this is a labour of love, What a joyful thing to put out in the world. And bonus points for Timmy - loved that version too.

[@davidcatalano3781]

I can't say anything different than anyone else is already added in the chat so I will just say thanks again Fil, and also thanks for that other version of then and now at the end of the video that was really cool. Many Blessings!

[@kencooper8835]

Muddled lyrics possible insertion: "..But If you have to go.. Away. If you have to go.. Then I'll miss you every day." or Please return without a delay." or Please return to me someday." or Please tell me what to unsay." or I'll look for you every day." or ...?

[@AndyMangele]

I found your video a lot more interesting than the actual song, to be honest!

[@paulschipper9428]

I'm so glad you made this video, it made me subscribe to your channel. There has been so much confusion on this issue and I don't know why, it's not as if the makers did not explain it. The visual showing of the computer traces, along with your excellent and clear explanation of the whole process deserves praise. Well done and thank you Fil!

[@hairyhondaman]

Very interesting analysis. Keep up the good work. 👍👍

[@lindadescafano3749]

That was a very interesting in depth analysis. It was great to hear the isolated vocals and to see not too much of a difference on the pitch monitor. I really like the song and I think the cover version by Timmy Sean is good as well. 😊🎸🎵

[@stevedahlberg8680]

Right on. As a musician of many decades and Studio guy, it's good to hear this kind of take on it. And I thought of tons of details you didn't reference, but there's not time for everything is there! I love everything about this and while the guys cover sounded pretty artificial, I really loved his take on it. And in fact I really loved how he paid homage to Paul McCartney's bass guitar line here, which I absolutely love in this song. He basically replicates it and jazz is it up a little bit, but it preserves the feel of it at that faster tempo even.

[@constancemerwin8171]

thank you for this. commented on Patreon message page .

[@colinmaxwell5050]

An amazing analysis!

[@Terminus_El_Camino]

Well, it's no Cheese and Onions... Seriously though, I really appreciate the song as a labor of love for Paul and Ringo. It's a great listen. Great video, Fil.

[@juliestrom412]

😆

[@cherylhurst7093]

Nice to hear you discussing this. I really like the song. What a treat to have this pop up in my KZbin recommendations right after I heard Paul McCartney on the podcast Paul McCartney A Life in Lyrics today. He was talking about the song he wrote for John after he was shot called Here, Today. It was the latest episode from November 8, 2023.

[@don66hotrod94]

I first heard this last Saturday on the way home from my Brother-in-Law's funeral. I couldn't stop bawling. Never a huge Beatles fan, but this is something special.