The Beatles had one last hurrah earlier this month with the release of its final single, “Now and Then,” on Nov. 2. As with most releases from the Fab Four, the track proved to be a success for the group, and according to Ringo Starr, serves as a “nice way to finally close that door.”
Speaking with the AARP, the rocker gave a bit of detail on how the track came to be, noting that Paul McCartney had the idea to complete the track in 2022.
“Last year, Paul called and said, ‘You remember that unfinished song of John’s, ‘Now and Then’? Why don’t we work on that?’” he recalled. “He sent it to me, and I played the drums and sang. We had a great track of John [Lennon] singing and playing piano and George [Harrison] playing rhythm guitar.”
The famous drummer also took a moment to dispel some rumors about the track’s creation. “There were terrible rumors that it’s not John, it’s A.I., whatever bulls- - t people said,” she said. “Paul and I would not have done that. It’s a beautiful song and a nice way to finally close that door.”
Following the release of “Now and Then” — first recorded in 1977 as a demo by Lennon — the track debuted at No. 7 on the Nov. 18-dated Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Now and Then” marked the group’s 35th top 10 hit, which in turn, extended its record for the most among groups. “Now and Then” also became the group’s first top 10 since 1996.
