After a week of anticipation, The Beatles have unveiled what has been described as their “final song.” Named “Now And Then,” this musical masterpiece has been in the works for a staggering 45 years. The genesis of the song can be traced back to John Lennon, who penned its initial bars in 1978. Remarkably, the composition was ultimately completed just last year.

All four Beatles are featured in this track, and it holds the distinction of being the final song officially credited to the legendary quartet of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr. In a poetic full-circle moment, “Now And Then” will be released as a double A-side single along with their 1962 debut, “Love Me Do.”

This release marks a momentous occasion that might signify the concluding chapter for arguably the most renowned band in the history of rock music. In the United Kingdom, “Now And Then” will make its debut on BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music shortly after 14:00 GMT. Simultaneously, the song will become available on popular streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Prime Music.

For those who prefer physical copies, CDs, vinyl records, and cassettes will be available the following day. Furthermore, starting from the 10th of November, the song will be included in the newly remastered and expanded editions of The Beatles’ Red and Blue greatest hits albums.

The original demo of “Now And Then” has been in circulation as a bootleg for several years. This apologetic love song aligns with John Lennon’s solo work from the 1970s, bearing a resemblance to “Jealous Guy.”

Last year, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr undertook the task of finishing the song in the studio. Additionally, George Harrison makes a posthumous appearance through rhythm guitar parts he had recorded in 1995, and producer Giles Martin has contributed a new string arrangement to enhance the composition.

The journey of this song commenced in 1978 when John Lennon recorded a demo featuring vocals and piano at his residence in New York. Following Lennon’s passing, his widow, Yoko Ono, presented the recording to the remaining Beatles on a cassette that also contained demos for “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love.” These two songs were eventually completed and released as singles in 1995 and 1996, marking The Beatles’ first “new” material in 25 years.

The band initially attempted to record “Now And Then,” but the session was abruptly abandoned. As producer Jeff Lynne recollected, “It was one day – one afternoon, really – messing with it. The song had a chorus but was almost totally lacking in verses. We did the backing track, a rough go that we really didn’t finish.”

Ultimately, the quality of the recording was deemed too subpar to salvage, with Harrison reportedly describing it as “rubbish.” Nevertheless, McCartney retained his belief in the song’s potential.

During the production of The Beatles’ documentary “Get Back,” director Peter Jackson’s film company developed a groundbreaking software tool that could “de-mix” complex recordings featuring overlapping sounds. This technology was employed last year to create a new mix of the band’s “Revolver” album.

Giles Martin explained, “It has to learn what the sound of John Lennon’s guitar is, for instance, and the more information you can give it, the better it becomes.” For “Now And Then,” this software succeeded in “lifting” Lennon’s voice from the original cassette recording, eradicating background hiss and the hum of mains electricity that had hindered previous attempts to complete the song.

In McCartney’s own words, Lennon’s voice is now “crystal clear” in “Now And Then.” A 15-minute documentary aired on “The One Show” on Wednesday offered a striking illustration of this transformation: the ethereal, distant voice of the 1970s suddenly appears as if it was recorded at the hallowed Abbey Road Studios.

Starr expressed, “It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him back in the room.” McCartney added, “All those memories came flooding back. My God, how lucky was I to have those men in my life? To still be working on Beatles music in 2023? Wow.”