Paul Ellis AFP
A new song from the Beatles has hit the top of the UK's official singles chart.
The track entitled "Now and Then" was produced with the help of AI to include the vocals of John Lennon and guitar by George Harrison, who died in 1980 and 2001 respectively.
What will now be known as the Beatles' last song, was released on 2 November 2023, and its music video has already racked up over 19 million views.
The song is the Beatles' 18th UK chart-topper and their first in 54 years.
The Beatles remain second to Elvis Presley, who has scored 21 number ones on the chart since his first hit in 1957.
Song history
"Now and Then" was initially recorded as a demo by Lennon, and received lukewarm reviews from music critics after its release.
It was one of several tracks on a cassette that Lennon had recorded at his home in New York's Dakota Building in 1979 -- a year before his murder.
It was given to McCartney by Lennon's widow Yoko Ono in 1994.
Two other songs, "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love", were cleaned up by the producer Jeff Lynne, worked on by the other former Beatles, and released in 1995 and 1996.
An attempt was made to do the same with "Now And Then" but the project was abandoned due to background noise on the demo.
AI has now made it possible to extract the vocals from that recording although its use in music is the subject of industry-wide debate, with some denouncing copyright abuses and others praising its prowess.
The two surviving Beatles finished "Now And Then" last year, including George Harrison's electric and acoustic guitar parts recorded in 1995.
Music Video
The music video was directed by the Academy Award-winning Peter Jackson who shot to fame after the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
