McCartney credited Peter Jackson’s documentary The Beatles: Get Back for inspiring this process. In the film, AI technology separated individual voices and sounds from noisy archival recordings.
This same method was applied to Lennon’s demo for “Now and Then.” AI isolated Lennon’s vocals and piano, transforming a previously unusable cassette recording into a pristine track suitable for modern production.
“AI was really like an editing tool,” explained Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. “It enhanced the work of humans, rather than replacing them.”
Navigating the AI Controversy
The announcement of AI’s involvement in creating “Now and Then” initially sparked outrage among fans.
Many feared that Lennon’s voice had been artificially generated. McCartney addressed these concerns, emphasizing on social media that the track was authentic and featured all original Beatles members.
“Nothing has been artificially or synthetically created. It’s all real,” McCartney stated. “We cleaned up some existing recordings—a process which has gone on for years.”
