Comments on: Now And Then

By: Lonedrone

Lonedrone — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 19:50:33 +0000

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.

By: Paul Sullivan

Paul Sullivan — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 23:43:04 +0000

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…

By: Paul Sullivan

Paul Sullivan — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 23:20:25 +0000

Yes. This is right. Important not to conflate completism with assessment of quality tho…

By: Paul sullivan

Paul sullivan — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 23:03:43 +0000

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:-)

By: JFrench

JFrench — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 15:07:10 +0000

I sob every time I hear Here Today…no, I blubber

By: David Leicester

David Leicester — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 20:01:23 +0000

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 !!

By: MikeP

MikeP — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 02:29:46 +0000

Just because some “fans” demand it be released doesn’t mean it should or will.
I agree with Bob above; leave it alone.

By: pat

pat — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 15:40:17 +0000

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?).

By: manteau

manteau — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 16:16:41 +0000

“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?

By: Jonas Svensson, Sweden

Jonas Svensson, Sweden — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 10:48:59 +0000

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.

By: Rising Sun

Rising Sun — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 18:58:26 +0000

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

By: alevels

alevels — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 03:11:06 +0000

I like the song how it is it has its own sound and I think it should stay that way

By: sertaneja

sertaneja — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 23:12:36 +0000

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.

By: BeatleBug

BeatleBug — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 00:21:40 +0000

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!

By: Werner Brückner

Werner Brückner — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 13:05:15 +0000

“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…

By: English Garden

English Garden — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 02:40:01 +0000

And in the end, the songs we get are equal to the ones They make..

By: Julian

Julian — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 16:29:21 +0000

this song’s never going to be released, is it?

By: Jonas

Jonas — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 13:12:21 +0000

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…

By: Harry Mutton

Harry Mutton — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 23:26:05 +0000

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?

By: Bongo

Bongo — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 21:37:07 +0000

I agree with Bob, Let It Be!