Written by: Lennon
Recorded: 1979; 20, 21 March 1995
Producer: Jeff Lynne
Unreleased
Based on a 1970s demo by John Lennon, Now And Then was briefly considered for release on Anthology 3 but later rejected.
Also known as I Don't Want To Lose You and Miss You, Now And Then was recorded by Lennon at his home at the Dakota Building in New York City.
In January 1994 Yoko Ono gave Paul McCartney two cassettes of John Lennon's home recordings, which included a number of incomplete and previously unreleased songs. They included Free As A Bird, Real Love, Grow Old With Me and Now And Then.
On 20 and 21 March 1995 the three surviving former Beatles began constructing a backing track to be added to Lennon's demo of Now And Then. However, during the second day work on the song ended.
According to McCartney, George Harrison "didn't want to do it," possibly because the song needed to be extensively rewritten before it could be released. Another factor was a humming sound on Lennon's demo which proved hard to mask.
It was one day - one afternoon, really - messing with it. 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.
Now And Then had been considered as a third reunion single. It was replaced on Anthology 3 by the orchestral track A Beginning, recorded in 1968 as an unused introduction for Don't Pass Me By.
Since 2006 there has been speculation that McCartney intends to complete the song, as a Lennon-McCartney composition, with new verses and a drum track recorded by Ringo Starr.
I hope some day this song can be completed.
This recording should be released. It is strange how information is so hard
to come buy regarding this track. The
secrecy surrounding this recording is
in very poor taste,and a crime for Beatle fans dying to hear it.
New reports on the internet say the song was finished by Paul McCartney over a year ago. There were a number of Sessions by McCartney over a two or three year period. former Beatle engineers Ken Scott and Eddie Klein have both said in no uncertain terms the song is finished and sounds very Beatley. All four Beatles are on the track according to Klein and Scott. Klein actually engineered the sessions when McCartney embellished and finished the song. Still there seems to be some sort of official cover up denying the public the right to know about the finished recording.
Interesting news, Ben. And thanks for the use of the adjective "Beatley". It's one of my personal favorites.
any more hints if and when this might officially surface?
If the song is finished and there is a hold up, it may be from either the Harrison or the Lennon estate.
Now there's a tape on high quality, enough to record it again, and there's some guitar than George did before he died, so Paul & Ringo can complete this with no excuses.
Not sure I am all that happy McCartney would finish it and release it. Obviously I want to hear it, but without John around to OK it and George having rejected it before, something just seems...off...about finishing it and releasing it now that George has passed on.
Free As a Bird and Real Love were both so beautiful, but it really featured a collaborative effort from the boys. I don't know. I'd rather him release Carnival of Light and the 27-minute version of Helter Skelter
Free as a Bird, Real Love, Now and Then, Carnival of Light, and the 27 min. version of Helter Skelter should all get released on to one new Album, w/ the original recording of Free as a Bird, Real Love and Now and Then.