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’.
There was one more that we didn’t do, which was a pity. It didn’t have a very good title, it needed a bit of reworking, but it had a beautiful verse and it had John singing it. But George didn’t wanna do it.
Q magazine, November 2006
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.
Me too. Need more Beatles!!
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.
What Beatles fans “want” should be of no concern in any decision to release it or not.
It’s in poor taste to think you “deserve” to hear it simply because you consider yourself a fan.
No you are wrong
Give to Lennon’s kids to finish it with Paul and ringo to help
Want a legacy it would it would be.for their father
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.
Yoko has final say on the matter, as she should.
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
A lot of tracks were’t collaborative after 1965. I don’t think that’s a criterion to apply. What’s more interesting – imho – is the American soul covers on the early albums. Are they useful? Beatles for Sale is 50 per cent covers, but the Lennon MCartney stuff is so extraordinary that you have to wonder why they didn’t just carry on with the self penned stuff after AHDN…
At that point, they were so busy touring and doing press stuff, they had little time (or energy) to pound out a lot of good quality original stuff, much less take the time to properly arrange them as ‘Beatle Songs’, hence the fall back to Cavern day standards that they could run off in their sleep.
I agree completely. Yoko has veto power (as she should) so I wouldn’t expect to see it released. (Easy to say 8 years later 😉 ).
WHY should Yoko have the final word on her dead husband’s demo from over 40 years ago? It’s a Lennon composition, not an Ono one (thank God).
well, as I understand it, she is in charge of the Lennon estate, which I imagine John would’ve been fully supportive of. she does have control over what goes out, whether you are happy with that as a fan shouldn’t really make a difference. she has the rights to choose what to put out. but, of course, you have the right to be annoyed about her choices (and I know I wish the Beatle people would just put out everything)
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.
It seems many unreleased songs were prepared by the engineering staff during the Beatles remaster project. At sometime between 2007-9 many of these unreleased songs were prepared by the remastering staff working for Apple. For some reason they weren’t released. Clearly the unreleased material was being prepared for something. Now four years later not a word. Strange days indeed.
Please let this be released!
Everything in the vault has been mixed for release for (50 year) audio copyright renewal purposes.
I agree that Now & Then must be released, but not in isolation. Other unreleased songs which Paul & Ringo should ‘complete’ (to Free As A Bird and Real Love standard) and re-master, include these excellent 60’s demos : Child Of Nature, Sour Milk Sea, Goodbye, Bad To Me, I Lost My Little Girl, Take Good Care Of My Baby, September In The Rain, I’m In Love, One & One Is Two, a medley of the ‘Threetles’ songs (released on the Anthology DVD, plus Carnival Of Light.. Enough material for a Beatles “Post script” album, which should also include Free As A Bird & Real Love, plus Christmas Time Is Here Again which has only ever been issued as a single B-side (and deserves an album release)…
Yes. This is right. Important not to conflate completism with assessment of quality tho…
Apparently some YouTube user tried to remix the demo of “Now and Then” you all can check it out on YouTube. I don’t think its legal because of copyrights… I hope the Beatles don’t find it he may get sued… I do wish they would complete the track it would be a nice addition to another Beatles chapter. They should get as many tracks out before they do die. I mean even look at Michael Jackson they even remixed an album of demos and it doesn’t sound half bad. I can’t even think of a person attempting that with the Beatles with there unreleased tracks. Every artist will have 5 tracks unreleased tracks for every 1 released track.
This has nothing to do with The Beatles.
That’s nonsense. Why? All the great stuff is fragmented and rhen brought together. It depends on the original input and the proper engagement of the final producer. In this case it’s Paul redefining John. That’s ‘Beatley’ enough for me. Listen to it. And be grateful:-)
I agree with Bob, Let It Be!
If you don’t believe in it don’t buy it, but don’t attempt to stop the rest of us from getting a chance to hear it! Of course it has to do with the Beatles, it is the Beatles! All Four Beatles are on the track. McCartney did a number of sessions several years ago, editing, writing additional bits, overdubbing, then more recently, McCartney, Ringo and Jeff Lynne did the final touches it is complete up to or exceeding the FAAB Real Love standard. As our previous poster said, in 2007-9 staff at EMI/Abbey Road prepared a number of unreleased tracks, which ones? well who knows, maybe Sour Milk Sea with George’s vocal flown in, or found on the multi’s, and Carnival Of Light, Now and then, maybe All For Love, a bunch of unreleased Beatles tracks were prepared as possible bonus tracks on expanded issues or for some purpose. These things cost money to do, they must have done all this secret work, for all these years for some purpose Is this not so?
For crying out loud McCartney just said on camera in that Jeff Lynne BBC 4 documentary that he couldn’t wait to go in with Jeff and finish Now and then, a little rude inside joke I suppose? or a clue?
Fortunately, what you or I may want doesn’t matter. The only one who can approve or deny is Yoko.
As it should be….and she has said (some years ago now) that she wasn’t keen to let Paul finish it and have it released.
Yes, Mike P, I agree. And if that is Yoko’s view then I happen to agree with her on this also. It is beautiful. It is JOHN’s thing! I see no reason why any of the several John’s home recorded versions (with John’s piano only) could not be worked up into a beautiful finished reccording. I don’t see that it has much to do with Paul, or even with Ringo, or with George’s estate for that matter. With George Martin now deceased, whom would John have trusted, next best, to get it into a full arrangement and production suitable for release as ‘finsihed’? It never was a (REAL) ‘Lennon, Mc.Cartney’ anyway.
Considering all the officially released Beatles’ songs that have one or more members NOT playing on them, I don´t think it is entirely necessary to release today only songs that have John AND George playing on them. If Paul & Ringo add their new backing to whatever they choose of these left-overs, they may very well be allowed to call it a Beatles recording, if they so choose. The quality of the end result is another matter though…
this song’s never going to be released, is it?
And in the end, the songs we get are equal to the ones They make..
“Now and then” is such a beautiful song, maybe as epic as “imagine” , and John has dedicated it to Paul. If it becomes a “Beatles” song, it will be one of the best ever. The problem for Paul might be, that he has a wonderful song dedicated to John, but there is no chance that it will ever be a “Beatles” Song, as John cannot join in…
If you were here today. Oooooh, here today….
Love that song; the first time I heard it was the closest I ever got to crying over my laptop. I play it on the guitar all the time. It’s the only song I know where the lyrics truly matter to me. (I know, I know.)
But as for “Now and Then”, I don’t know that I need them to remake it. I’d like to just see them clean up the demo a bit and release it officially. Bootlegs make me feel guilty! 🙂
Not guilty
For listening to a track
By a man who can’t come back… >snif<
I'm not trying to be smart, I only want to hear the rest!
I sob every time I hear Here Today…no, I blubber
It’s one of the most beautiful songs John has ever written, Also painful He sings as if he was really missing someone. I feel like crying every time I listen to it. Now…At least we can listen to ti on youtube. There are some videos with drums and guitars and some people say it’s by The Beatles. I don’t think they are, I am not sure, I always listen to that amazing video featuring only John and his piano. And his pain.
I like the song how it is it has its own sound and I think it should stay that way
it’s a beautiful song by John, so deep and personal. i think they should complete it, Paul and Ringo, and then release it. when an artist dies his work must surface, unless he had stated otherwise. and time leaves a stream of purity along that unfineshed art, so i think it’s a shame let not know worldwide such beauty. i mean it for the George’s unreleased (Valentine ecc) too
In a filmed interview (can´t remember which at the moment), Paul described the discussion regarding the recording. George Harrison told Paul “It´s fucking rubbish”, Paul said “But it´s John, you know”, George replied “Yeah, but it´s still fucking rubbish!” It would be very difficult for Paul to try to finish the track after that. Another thing is, the Threetles could have asked Yoko for other John songs, perhaps a bit more upbeat than this dreary poorly-recorded piece on a cassette.
Now and then, Grow old with me, Free as a bird are just about the same type of song, all very slow piano based ballads.
Today, if they so decided and their ex-partners´ wives agreed to it, Paul and Ringo could get together and use both John AND George leftovers to make an album, but that would be squeezing things beyond what is up to their standards. Personally, I am okay with what they have done together already. I don´t need a record constructed by The Twotles sold under the name The Beatles.
I saw the interview with Paul you mentioned just recently on UTube and I got a bit mad at George. Fair enough – “Now And Then” is not a lost masterpiece but it has enough potential to be made into a decent song.
It’s a little strange: the three of them said working on “Real Love” was less fun than “Free As A Bird” because it was practically finished and they didn’t get to input as much – but on “Now And Then” they really would have had the opportunity to contribute massively to finish it and they discard the track!?
There are several finished versions of “Now And Then” floating around in cyberspace and some of them are really well done. I think George should have thought more about the fans and give the track a serious chance.
You are right, they could have asked Yoko for other demos as John recorded dozens of home tapes over the years – but to be honest most of the unreleased songs (read: fragments) are really not that great. The best bits went into the songs released on “Double Fantasy / Milk & Honey”. It would have been interesting if they had reworked some tunes from “Milk & Honey” but I think they wanted to present something that had never been officially released before.
It’s just sad – we could have had three “new” Beatles songs but we only got two because George didn’t like the song (maybe subconscious revenge on his part because he never got the space he deserved on the albums?).
And why do you think Paul was not mad at George when he reported that story about George rejecting the song ‘Now and Then’. I think George knew that Lennon’s song ‘Now and Then’ was not a good thing for Paul once they got into it, that it could somehow damage his psyche to finish and release it. George loved Paul and trying to protect him; deep down Paul knew that to be true and why he was not mad at George for rejecting it.
George had a good ear and McCartney valued his opinion. But Just like when there were four of them, all had to agree, and at least George didn’t. Paul didn’t release the song on its 40th anniversary (2019). What is he waiting for?
“Now and then” is simply one of my John Lennon’s favourites, just him and his piano, the melody is haunting, sometimes I fing myself humming or whistling it. It needs no further embellishment or decoration. by the way, I’ve just read here that it was dedicated to Paul, could you be more specific, Werner?
Just because some “fans” demand it be released doesn’t mean it should or will.
I agree with Bob above; leave it alone.
No, no, no, it must be released. I absolutely love it, can’t get enough of the song, it’s brilliant. Please please me someone. Jeff, Paul, Ringo hurry up !!
I really like iamaphoneys version(s). He pretty much nailed the song, even approximated the typical Jeff Lynne production style and it is really well arranged.
In fact a lot of iamaphoneys music stuff is very good. “Shoes” is brilliant. But the PiD/conspiracy ideas put forth in the RA videos sort of cancels out the effort, which is is why the project never really took off as intended (I’m guessing).
There is speculation Paul is somehow linked to iamaphoney. Some things really seem to point in that direction. One thing is the amount of money/effort put into the project. But more obviously, the stuff has never been taken down for copyright reasons.
Whoever said it needs a chorus, well it doesn’t need a chorus as there are three parts to the song, if anything when it goes back to Now and then….. then that’s the chorus. It’s a beautiful song with a memorable melody, I’m not sure why George wouldn’t do it.
The tape was given to Paul from Yoko and as far as I recall it was marked as ‘for Paul’. I think that’s correct, but please put me right if not. So for me it’s for Paul to do what he wants with. I suspect he’s already done something and is waiting for the moment that is right.
Don’t leave it too long Paul.