Why The Beatles’ ‘Now and Then’ Includes a Snippet of ‘Eleanor Rigby’
Contrary to some reports, The Beatles‘ “Now and Then” was not created using artificial intelligence. A producer discussed how tidbits of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” and other songs were used to finish “Now and Then.” Shockingly, “Now and Then” isn’t much of a hit in the United States so far and “Eleanor Rigby” missed the top 10.
The Beatles’ ‘Now and Then’ includes bits of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and ‘Because’
Giles Martin is the son of Beatles producer George Martin. Giles worked on a number of Beatles projects, including the album Love, which features the music of the Fab Four Cirque du Soleil show Love. He also helped produce The Beatles’ “Now and Then.” During a 2023 interview with Variety, Giles discussed the reported use of AI to create “Now and Then.”
“It’s not artificial or intelligent,” he said. “No, it’s the same process that I used … in Love. And Paul was nervous about this, actually … My thought was this: that I really thought this needs to sound like The Beatles. And I have Paul, and he’s definitely the producer of this track, and I’m producing it with him.
“The band would have probably sang ‘ahhhhs’ in those things, but they’re not around anymore,” he added. “So I’m not using AI to recreate their voices in any way. I’m literally taking the multitrack tapes of ‘Eleanor Rigby,’ some stuff from ‘Because’ and ‘Here, There and Everywhere,’ just in the same way The Beatles are splicing that in.” In other words, Giles spliced in bits of recordings of “Eleanor Rigby,” “Because,” and “Here, There and Everywhere” to complete “Now and Then.”
Giles Martin wanted the new song to sound like The Beatles
Giles ruminated on AI a little more. “So, no AI, no,” he said. “It might have been easier if I used AI, but I didn’t.
“And it’s funny, because it gives a different quality,” he added. “I was listening to the song today, and the backing vocals have a sort of tape feel to them, like they’re on tape.” Giles said “Now and Then” rightly felt like a song by the Fab Four. If he had used machine learning to create the track, it might have rung false.
How ‘Now and ‘Then’ and ‘Eleanor Rigby’ performed on the charts in the United States
“Now and Then” reached No. 5 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 for a single week. The tune appeared on an edition of the record 1967-1970. That compilation peaked at No. 1 for one of its 182 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.
On the other hand, “Eleanor Rigby” climbed to No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for eight weeks. Considering how famous “Eleanor Rigby” is, it might surprise fans that the ballad didn’t hit the top 10. “Eleanor Rigby” appeared on the album Revolver, which topped the Billboard 200 for six weeks. Revolver spent a total of 94 weeks on the chart.
“Now and Then” is a great song and it’s standing on the shoulders of “Eleanor Rigby.”
