In the world of music, rumors can spread like wildfire, leading to confusion and speculation among fans. Paul McCartney wants to set the record straight regarding the upcoming Beatles record that caused a stir recently. In a tweet, McCartney addressed the confusion surrounding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and made it clear that nothing, including the vocals of the late John Lennon, has been artificially created.
As reported by Deadline, McCartney acknowledged the speculation and guesswork surrounding the project, stating, “Seems to be a lot of guesswork out there.” He emphasized that nothing has been artificially or synthetically created, and all the recordings are real. McCartney explained that the technology was used to extract Lennon’s vocals from an old lo-fi demo from the late ’70s. The intention was to clean up and enhance existing recordings, a process that has been ongoing for years.
While the specific song was not revealed by McCartney, it is widely believed to be “Now and Then,” a 1978 Lennon composition. Yoko Ono had provided four demos for potential use in the Beatles Anthology project back in 1995. Two of these demos, “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” made the cut, with McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison adding instrumentation and harmony vocals. However, the sound quality of the “Now and Then” demo was considered subpar by Harrison, resulting in its shelving. The surviving Beatles did not record backing for the fourth song, “Grow Old With Me.”
In McCartney’s recent BBC interview, he mentioned that advancements in AI technology now allow him to extract Lennon’s voice from the original cassette recordings. This revelation generated both excitement and concern among fans, with some mistakenly believing that McCartney was creating a Lennon soundalike using AI.
McCartney assured fans that more details will be shared in due course and hinted at the release of something related to the project later in the year. The clarification from McCartney aims to alleviate any misconceptions and reaffirm that the authenticity and integrity of the Beatles’ music remain intact.
Been great to see such an exciting response to our forthcoming Beatles project. No one is more excited than us to be sharing something with you later in the year.
We’ve seen some confusion and speculation about it. Seems to be a lot of guess work out there. Can’t say too much…
— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) June 22, 2023
