Together and separately, the Beatles have always had a talent for surprising. On November 2, one of the most anticipated releases in its long event-filled history arrived. Now And Then It’s the last song by the Beatleswritten and sung by John Lennon in the 1970s, developed by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and finally completed by Paul and Ringo four decades later.
The double A-side single pairs the Beatles’ last song with their first song: Love Me Do, their UK debut in 1962; a way to “come full circle” for the most legendary quartet in pop music.
The Beatles’ last single produced with the help of artificial intelligence, made history on Friday by placing itself as number one on the official UK chart60 years after registering the first.
The UK Official Charts Company has indicated that the band has set a record for recording the longest period of time between their first single and their last, for the six decades and six months that separate Now And Then by From Me to YouMay 1963, according to EFE.
They thus surpass Elvis Presley, with 47 years and 6 months between All Shook Up (1957) and a reissue of It’s Now or Never (2005). In addition, the Beatles mark the longest distance, 54 years, between their last number one, The Ballad of John and Yoko in 1969, and the current one, which they achieved just nine days after its release on November 2.
This beats 44 years of Kate Bush between Wuthering Heights (1978) and Running Up That Hill (2022). They are also the oldest group to be at the top, says Official Charts.
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Among other statistics, Now And Then It is also the best-selling single of the year to date., with 48,600 physical and download sales in the first 7 days. It is also the best-selling vinyl single of the century so farwith 19,400 copies, he specifies.
“It’s amazing. It left me speechless. It’s a very emotional moment for me. I love it!”declared Paul McCartney.
Now And Then It came accompanied by a 12-minute documentary titled Now And Then – The Last Beatles Song.
This moving short, written and directed by Oliver Murray, tells the story of the Liverpool quartet’s final song, with exclusive footage and commentary from Paul, Ringo, George, Sean Ono Lennon and Peter Jackson.
