Despite The Beatles’ popularity and dominance spanning decades in the 20th century, it didn’t stop their influence on the younger generation. Today, parents still introduce the group to their children, their songs are everywhere from films and other aspects of pop culture, or on the radio and music platforms. It’s virtually impossible to have never heard one of their songs, as they work their way into everyday life at some point. Some people might not be their biggest fan and prefer other styles of music but even those people can agree that The Beatles were a force and forever changed the music industry. The core group that made The Beatles stars are Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Although I was born after the height and release of their music, as well as the tragic deaths of John Lennon and George Harrison, they continue to prove their music, messages, and bond are as strong as ever particularly in recent years and especially with the new release of “Now and Then.”
History
The Beatles are a group that rarely needs an introduction but I find that it can enrich the experience of appreciating their latest release. Before they became the best-selling band of all time, they were four teenagers from Liverpool, England. From their humble beginnings, they could never imagine they would become larger than life, and that their influence would change music, fashion, film, and global representation. They took their local success to a global level by helping kick off the counterculture movement and aiding the rock ‘n’ roll phenomenon. Lennon and McCartney met first in 1957, after the music group Quarrymen introduced John Lennon to their classmate Paul McCartney who quickly joined Lennon and Quarrymen. After the inclusion of McCartney to the Quarrymen, George Harrison was brought in to be the lead guitar player. Soon after playing gigs and other venues, those core three brought in Stuart Sutcliffe to play the bass. Sutcliffe and Lennon were credited with the new name “The Beatles” which is a combination of beat and beetles. A friendship that is often reflected on was the relationship between Lennon and McCartney who would go away together and play acoustic sets. Then the biggest shift happened: in the early 1960s after Brian Epstein discovered and made a five-year contract with The Beatles, Sutcliffe died of a brain hemorrhage, and they fired their old drummer and brought on Ringo Starr thus kicking off their infamous era.
“Now and then”
60 years ago “From Me to You” became their first No. 1 hit. Cut to November 2023, “Now and Then” breaks the record for the longest duration between first and last No. 1 and is on its way to becoming the fastest-selling vinyl single of the year. In addition, there are incredible components that make this single so amazing to their worldwide audience. They are the oldest band to have a No. 1 hit with McCartney being 82 and Ringo 83. Furthermore, two of the members of this group have been deceased for more than 20 years making it astounding that all four Beatles voices on the song with the help of modern technology like Artificial Intelligence.
So how did this amazing feat come about? It originally started as a demo recorded by John Lennon in the 1970s but then two decades later, Yoko Ono gave the record to Paul McCartney in 1994 in an effort to make the last Beatles song with the remaining band members. After Peter Jackson directed and produced the 2021 documentary The Beatles: Get Back he went on to help Starr and McCartney remix and re-record the song with the past original recording. Ringo Starr shares that this song represents the closest thing to having the deceased members back in the room again. To accompany the release of the song, a short film was made about the experience where the director and others involved shared their emotions and feelings about the whole ordeal. The final version includes Lennon’s vocals from the 1970s, guitar tracks from Harrison in 1995, new drum tracks from Starr, and guitar and piano contributions from McCartney. The two living Beatles recorded backing vocals and McCartney added a guitar solo in Harrison’s style.
Conclusion
Paul McCartney was eager to mention that using this state-of-the-art technology would be something the old Beatles would have wanted and that this song is genuine Beatles. This is touching and exciting, especially to millions all over the world. The term, Beatlemania, refers to the hyper-focused female-led fan culture surrounding The Beatles in the 1960s. This era set a precedent for fan culture going forward and was one of the earliest female-led examples that set the stage for boy band marketing. However, their entire audience and fans aren’t exclusive to one gender, people from all walks of life support the group and this latest release re-ignites the love for the band.