Bringing the Beatles back together again one last time: How Peter Jackson used clips of John Lennon and George Harrison making music video for ‘Hello, Goodbye’ at London’s Saville Theatre to reunite the Fab Four on film for new single Now and Then

• Director entrusted with Fab Four archives again after hit documentary Get Back
• READ MORE: After one final masterpiece, the Beatles bow out with new video

It was a heartwarming trick of editing which left many fans in tears.

In the music video for the Beatles’ final song, Now and Then, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr were seen appearing to perform with John Lennon and George Harrison one last time.

Acclaimed director Peter Jackson – who was entrusted with the band’s precious archives to create Disney+ documentary Get Back – cleverly used footage filmed for their 1967 hit Hello, Goodbye to make the scene work.

The Beatles recorded three bits of footage at London’s Saville Theatre to promote the track. One – not that which features in Now and Then – then debuted on the Ed Sullivan show in the US in November 1967. 

The Now and Then video also shows scenes from footage that was filmed for John Lennon’s 1973 song and album Mind Games – after the Beatles had split up acrimoniously. 

Among the other archive clips used was a short segment showing Lennon in an electronics shop in Japan in 1979, the Beatles at Twickenham in 1968 and footage of the band performing in Manchester in 1963. 

The final scene in the video, which poignantly fades to black after the four Beatles have disappeared, is believed to have been created from a gig the band performed at Manchester’s Ardwick theatre in 1963.  

With the help of CGI, the video shows the four band members back together again as they perform alongside each other

In the music video for the Beatles ‘ final song, Now and Then, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr were seen appearing to perform with John Lennon and George Harrison once again. Acclaimed director Peter Jackson cleverly used footage filmed at London’s Saville Theatre for their 1967 hit Hello, Goodbye to make the scene work

https://youtube.com/watch?v=MYAjwzjoJP8%3Frel%3D0

The Now and Then video also shows scenes from footage that was filmed for John Lennon’s 1973 song and album Mind Games

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xwDrJqqEmVw%3Frel%3D0

READ MORE: ADRIAN THRILLS’ FIRST REVIEW: The Beatles’ ‘last song’ Now And Then is an emotional, human record – a belated swansong that’s well worth the wait

Jackson also included what he called a ‘collection of unseen outtakes in the vault, where the Beatles are relaxed, funny and candid.’ 

Speaking in the short film that was released earlier this week about the making of the music video, he added: ‘We wove humour into some footage shot in 2023. The result is pretty nutty and provided the video with much needed balance between the sad and the funny.

‘I realised we needed the imagination of every viewer to create their own personal moment of farewell to The Beatles.’ 

The new music video was released early this afternoon. Emotional fans took to social media to hail the ‘compelling, emotional and touching’ compilation of footage.

Ending with a poignant fade to black, it is a fitting tribute to a band who brought joy to billions with music which continues to resonate nearly 50 years after they split up.

Just 15 minutes after the video was put on YouTube early this afternoon, more than 60,000 people had seen it. As of 6pm on November 3, it had been watched more than 2.1 million times.

The song itself was released yesterday and has already been listened to by more than 5million fans on YouTube and millions more on streaming platforms.

WATCH THE NEW BEATLES SONG BELOW 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Opxhh9Oh3rg%3Frel%3D0

It includes the earliest ever footage of the band, filmed in a Merseyside church hall in 1962, before they became the world’s most famous rock stars and manager Brian Epstein convinced them to all wear smart suits

The footage has been provided by the band’s original drummer Pete Best and his brother Roag. Pictured, the Beatles including Pete Best on drums

John Lennon smiles at the camera in the cleverly-constructed music video for Now and Then

Sir Ringo Starr is seen in the video performing a drum segment for the new song 

Sir Paul is seen alongside his younger self and George Harrison

The final scene in the video shows the Beatles bowing before they disappear and the camera fades to black` 

The video also includes the earliest ever footage of the band, filmed in a Merseyside church hall in 1962, before they became the world’s most famous rock stars and manager Brian Epstein convinced them to all wear smart suits.

Pete Best, The Beatles’ drummer before Ringo star, handed the cine camera footage – which shows the group dressed in leather – to his former band with the help of his brother Roag.

READ MORE: The Fab Four’s final farewell: Beatles fans break down in tears as they listen to band’s poignant ‘last ever song’ 

Roag said he purchased the silent footage from a man who filmed the performance at St Paul’s Presbyterian Church Hall in Birkenhead in February 1962, eight months before they released their debut single.

‘The lads are rocking backwards and forwards with guitars, mouths to the microphones, singing,’ he said.

It is also the only video from before Pete Best was replaced by Ringo Starr in August 1962, but his brother says he is not visible in the footage.

‘From a family perspective, I went, ‘Ah, come on!’ One of the guys is actually standing in front of Pete so all you can see is Pete’s drum kit and Pete’s hands occasionally with the sticks,’ he said.

Three-time Oscar-winner Peter Jackson, who directed The Lord of the Rings trilogy, has improved the quality of the footage and Roag told BBC News ‘it looks absolutely fantastic’.

Mr Jackson and his team were instrumental in the production of Now And Then. They used new technology and AI software – the same that was used on Jackson’s innovative 2021 Beatles documentary Get Back – to isolate John Lennon’s vocals from his piano so it could be used without distortion.

Jackson – who directed the 2021 docuseries The Beatles: Get Back –  has used about six seconds of the film in the Now And Then video. 

The original is almost a minute long and will be unveiled at the Liverpool Beatles Museum, which Roag owns.

Ahead of the launch of the video, Jackson told the BBC he discovered other ‘unseen outtakes in the vault, where The Beatles are relaxed, funny and rather candid’.

Beatles superfan John Lennon, who changed his name by deed poll from Alan Williams in April 2022, holds the first copy of the newly released last Beatles song, Now And Then

Beatles fans at HMV Liverpool – including Mr Lennon – for a special midnight launch event for the release of the last Beatles song

Fans queueing up to get their hands on a copy of the single 

Emotional fans listen with tears in their eyes at a party at the Liverpool Beatles Museum

He added: ‘We wove the humour into some footage shot in 2023. The result is pretty nutty and provided the video with much needed balance between the sad and the funny.’

Jackson admitted that the responsibility of creating a music video for the last ever Beatles song produced a collection of anxieties almost too overwhelming to deal with.

READ MORE: Gen Z discovers The Beatles: Teens share videos of them crying to the Fab Four’s final song Now And Then

 

He added: ‘My lifelong love of The Beatles collided into a wall of sheer terror at the thought of letting everyone down.’ 

Emotional Beatles fans broke down in tears as they listened to the ‘masterpiece’ which was released on the BBC and YouTube yesterday ahead of the video.

And reaction to the video has been hugely positive, with fans hailing it as a fitting finale and farewell for the Fab Four.

One fan on X, formerly Twitter, wrote: ‘I’m in a puddle of tears – joy and sadness at the same time’. 

Another fan called it ‘so compelling, emotional and touching. Fantastic work by all involved.’ Another wrote: ‘Honestly so emotional! Their last work together…’ 

Another wrote: ‘Honestly so emotional! Their last work together…’ 

A fan said under the video on YouTube: ‘Wow, wasn’t expecting this to hit me this hard. I feel the video completes the song. 

‘Peter Jackson did an amazing job blending so many eras of footage seamlessly.’

Another said: ‘This went from touching to cheeky and ended emotional. Wow. That was perfect. That final shot of the empty stage really got me.’ 

A third wrote: ‘Probably going to go down as one of the most iconic music videos in history.. all good things come to an end.. but what a journey!’ 

Fans on YouTube were hugely positive about both the song and its accompanying video 

Fans on X were gushing about the video. One told how they were in a ‘puddle of tears’ after seeing it

Sir Paul McCartney (right) and Sir Ringo Starr performed new vocals and instrumental segments for the track

Roag Best, pictured with the first known drumskin to display the name of The Beatles in September, said the footage ‘looks absolutely fantastic’

Questions: John pictured with Yoko recording a demo in New York at the time Now And Then was written

Yoko Ono handed over a series of demos that John had been working on prior to his death, some of which they released at the time. Paul, George and Ringo worked on them in 1995 and 1996 (pictured)

George and Paul in the initial sessions 20-plus years ago when the decision was made to attempt to finish the track

Beatles superfans queued into the night to get their hands on the vinyl single at a special midnight launch event in Liverpool. 

First in line was John Lennon, who changed his name from Alan Williams in April 2022.

The event allowed 200 fans in the home city of the four Beatles members to be the first to purchase a copy of the single, in either clear, blue or black vinyl.

Now And Then was originally recorded as a demo by John Lennon in the 1970s.

He recorded the unfinished piece of music in 1977 as a demo at his home in New York City. 

The tape, labelled simply: ‘For Paul’, was then handed to the band by Yoko Ono in 1994, and also contained Real Love and Free As A Bird.

It was later developed by the other band members in the 1990s – including Harrison, who played guitar for the song before his death from cancer in 2001.

Artificial intelligence software was used to separate John Lennon’s vocals from his piano playing – something which had been technically impossible until now thanks to advancements in technology. 

Jackson had used the same technology when creating the acclaimed documentary series Get Back.

A string arrangement was written with the help of Giles Martin, son of the late Beatles producer George Martin. 

Those who performed on the track had no idea they were playing alongside the Fab Four, such was the secrecy of the project. 

But as it stands, it is the last piece of music recorded by each member of The Beatles – and serves as the band’s final farewell.

Sir Paul McCartney playing bass on the new and final song Now And Then. He said it was just like playing with John Lennon again. It features all four Beatles

Back in the studio! The Beatles also released a short film revealing how they made their last song together 43 years after John Lennon ‘s death. Sir Paul McCartney pictured in the 1990s with George Harrison, who played the guitar track in 1995 before he died in 2001

The video cleverly blends archive footage of the band members with the present day

The Fab Four are seen as young men in matching outfits

Referencing George Harrison ‘s death, Sir Paul said of the song: ‘In 2001 we lost George, which took the wind out of our sails, it took almost a quarter of a century before we tackled Now And Then again’

Film director Peter Jackson, who directed the video for Now and Then, said the finished product was ‘nutty’ 

Sir Paul McCartney, meanwhile, said it had been ‘magical’ to feel as though he and Ringo had reunited with George Harrison and John Lennon one last time.

He said: ‘I ended up talking to Ringo and we asked him if he fancied putting the drums on again and then I thought ‘Well, I could up the bass a bit’, so I put the bass on again. 

‘We already had George playing guitar and we had John on vocal – it was kind of magical doing it’. 

The musician described Now And Then as ‘the last Beatles record’ in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, in support of an exhibition showcasing Sir Paul’s Beatlemania photos at the National Portrait Gallery.

Sir Paul said he hopes the track gives fans ‘a loving feeling’, adding: ‘That’s often what we were trying to do with our records – we were trying to spread love. And in this one it is very poignant.’ 

Full lyrics of final Beatles hit ‘Now And Then’

[Intro]

(One, two, three)

[Refrain]

I know it’s true

It’s all because of you

And, if I make it through

It’s all because of you

[Verse 1]

And, now and then

If we must start again

Well, we will know for sure

That I will love you

[Chorus]

Now and then

I miss you

Oh, now and then

I want you to be there for me

Always to return to me

[Verse 2]

I know it’s true

It’s all because of you

And, if you go away

I know you’ll never stay

[Chorus]

Now and then

I miss you

Oh, now and then

I want you to be there for me

[Bridge]

(Ah)

(Ah)

(Ah)

(Ooh)

(Ah)

[Refrain]

I know it’s true

It’s all because of you

And, if I make it through

It’s all because of you

[Instrumental Break]

[Outro]

Source: Genius 

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