The string arrangement for The Beatles’ final single ‘Now And Then’ was recorded on 1 May 2022 at Capitol Records Tower Studios in Los Angeles.

The session was produced by Paul McCartney and Giles Martin, marking one of the final major creative stages in completing the long-shelved John Lennon demo.

Background

‘Now And Then’ originated from a 1979 demo recorded by John Lennon. The surviving Beatles — Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr — first worked on the track during the 1995 Anthology sessions, but it was ultimately left unfinished.

In 2022, McCartney and Starr revisited the recording using advanced audio restoration technology developed with Peter Jackson’s MAL (Machine Assisted Learning) system, which enabled Lennon’s vocal to be isolated with greater clarity than previously possible.

Recording session

The orchestral arrangement was written by Paul McCartney, Giles Martin, and Ben Foster, and conducted by Jérôme Leroy.

Session musicians were deliberately kept unaware that they were working on a Beatles recording. The score was labelled Give & Take to preserve confidentiality.

Key personnel

• Paul McCartney – producer
• Giles Martin – producer / arranger
• Ben Foster – orchestration
• Jérôme Leroy – conductor

Location

Capitol Records Tower, Los Angeles, California, USA

FAQ

What was recorded on 1 May 2022?

The string arrangement for The Beatles’ final single ‘Now And Then’ was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles.

Who produced the session?

Paul McCartney and Giles Martin produced the recording session.

Why were musicians not told the song title?

The session was kept confidential, and musicians were given a working title to preserve secrecy around the project.