Now and Then
A "new" Beatles song and some timeless inspiration.
Whenever I get stuck on a creative project I always ask the same question: what would the Beatles do?
For me, the best Beatles work always has these elements:
Universal.
All you need is Love
Simple.
I wanna hold your hand
Playful.
“Goo-goo-g’joob!” From I Am the Walrus
Emotional.
And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me. Shine until tomorrow, let it be
Surprising.
The entire Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album — songs, art direction, films.
So, fast forward to November 2023. And what do have we here? A “new” Beatles single called, “Now and Then.”
The new finished song launched this week is born from a home demo of a John Lennon song he wrote around 1977.
Piano and voice. That was it.
There were other performances of the song. Most notably a 1995 guitar section from the late, great (and quite reluctant to re-create this song) Beatle George Harrison.
Alas now, with two of the Fab 4 no longer with us, the surviving members of the band, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, went into the studio and using some breakthrough audio restoration A.I. technology, worked with some friends and created a “new,” lovely and emotional song: “Now and Then.”
Along with a fantastic and playfully surprising video.
And a wonderful, must-watch 12-minute documentary.
Now some of you may be rolling your eyes and saying, “Haven’t we heard just about enough from these damn Beatles?!”
Maybe.
But few other artists have truly influenced and touched (and continue to) move us like these four lads from Liverpool and their vast and vibrant body of work.
What can help you today, whether you’re a Beatles fan or not, is the thought process.
The “What would _______do?” process.
And this is where you can be as creative as you like.
State your challenge and ask:
What would The Clash do?
What would Jay Z do? (I asked that when I went from creative director to CEO).
What would Taylor Swift do?
And beyond music, of course.
What would Shakespeare do?
What would Picasso do?
What would Manchester United do?
What would Apple do?
What would Larry David do?
All of which brings me to you. Let’s say you’re stuck on a project right now. What if you asked your favorite icon: what would you do?
This is terrific, thanks Rob.
There is a short documentary on Netflix called "What Would Sophia Loren Do?" An American woman asks that question when she needs inspiration.
I like that new Beatles song. I also like Paul McCartney's bass playing on the new Rolling Stones song, "Bite My Head Off."
Interesting how Peter Jackson has become a creative partner of the band.
Thanks for sharing Rob. Makes you wonder what music they would be creating today.