Nothing Is Real: The Beatles and Artificial Intelligence

The Beatles have once again made headlines this week, with news of the release of Sir Paul McCartney’s latest book, 1964: Eyes of the Storm. The book release is set to accompany a new exhibition in the National Portrait Gallery, opening later this month, displaying a once lost collection of photographs taken by McCartney at the height of Beatlemania.

However, the release of Eyes of the Storm was not the only piece of news to emerge from the recent publicity. What has sparked an enormous reaction among the Beatles community, is the exciting announcement of a new song, set to be released this year. Confirmed in a recent BBC interview, it is thought the song will become the final ever track to be released under the name ‘The Beatles’, and as McCartney suggested, that Artificial Intelligence will be used to complete it.

The Reaction

The reaction from the Beatles community has been a mixed one. There is a great deal of excitement within the fanbase. After all, this presents the first chance to hear new material since the releases of “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” from the 1995 Beatles Anthology. In addition, this is a special occasion for many younger fans in particular, as this will essentially be their first, and likely only opportunity to buy a new Beatles record. The thought that new material will be available from a band that dissolved over fifty years ago and has two deceased members, is frankly remarkable, such is the incredible impact of The Beatles today.

However, there is also a large section of the fanbase that is vehemently opposed to the project. The wider argument being that the arts possess such a humanistic quality, and anything that might be seen to threaten this, should not be associated with. The power of AI is undeniably astonishing. It is a technology that is nowhere near fully developed, yet it is already possible to see what can be achieved through its seemingly limitless potential. That being said, it is therefore no surprise that this new technology is currently being treated with a great deal of caution, and the use of AI in the arts, and music in particular, is always going to pose some controversy. McCartney himself admitted that the concept of using AI to recreate John Lennon’s vocals, for example, is certainly a rather scary one.

The Concern

To better understand the reaction of the Beatles fanbase, it is important to clarify what exactly is meant by AI in this instance. There were fears that AI would be used to copy and then recreate sections of music, such as Lennon’s vocals, which caused some upset in the community. However, the intended use, as McCartney stated, is rather to clean up a previously recorded track.

Although unconfirmed, this track is likely to be a 1978 demo recorded by John Lennon entitled “Now and Then” with the purpose of AI simply being to assist in the production process, by separating vocals from piano. What has been confirmed so far, is that the new song will contain no unoriginal material, and nothing previously recorded by Lennon will be copied, or recreated in any way, at the hands of AI.

There is still a level of concern however, that arises surrounding the moral dilemma of releasing a song under the name ‘The Beatles’ without the permission of two former members, John Lennon and George Harrison. While their Estates can, in effect, give this permission, it would be impossible to truly know whether either member would have agreed to the project. This is an issue that transcends the use of AI, and these moral objections have been clearly vocalised by the fanbase, with many denouncing their support of the new release.

The Reality

That being said, the reality is, that this is not the first time new Beatles music has been released since the band’s dissolution in 1970. “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” were two songs recorded as part of the 1995 Anthology project, which marked the first time that questions over newly released material had to be navigated, without the involvement of former members. Both songs originated from demos, which the remaining members added to, and were then issued under the name ‘The Beatles’. Moreover, the original demo of “Now and Then”, the rumoured 2023 release, was also ‘messed with’ during the 1995 sessions, however, according to producer Jeff Lyne, the release was decided against at the wishes of George Harrison.

This is therefore not a new occurrence in the post Beatles world, and raises the question, is there really any need for concern at all? The use of the term ‘AI’ has certainly fanned the flames of doubt over this announcement, such is the controversy associated with it. But the role it will play in post-production is no different to the work that studio engineers have been doing for decades. Rather, it is hoped that AI will simply create a cleaner final track than what was previously achieved using conventional post-production techniques.

It is also important to remember that The Beatles were no strangers to technology and pushed the boundaries for what was deemed possible in the recording studio. Examples include the first use of audio feedback on 1964’s “I Feel Fine”, followed by “Rain”, the first pop song to use tape played backwards. In fact, the majority of The Beatles’ studio recording from 1966 onwards was in some way designed to test the limits of the technology available. It should therefore come as no surprise that McCartney is eager to get involved with the latest advancement, proving that at eighty-one years of age, he is still very much curious about the future.

Going Forward

Any announcement of new a Beatles project will always spur the community into discussion and confirmation of a new song is one of the biggest pieces of Beatle news in recent years. There is often a slight tendency for the fanbase to over speculate, however, and rumours have started to emerge that the new song is being released in preparation for another Anthology style project. Whether this is true or not, previous efforts such as Peter Jackson’s 2021 film, Get Back, have proven that much has emerged about the band since the 1995 tell-all Anthology film, as there seems to be no end to new Beatles material, even sixty years on.

McCartney’s Eyes of The Storm is no exception, and the exhibition is sure to bring in fans from across the globe. It could be suggested that his subtle reference to AI, today’s popular buzzword, was simply an attempt to appear tuned-in with the latest technology, and it is important not to jump to conclusions. Nevertheless, regardless of any controversy that may surround AI, the announcement of a new Beatles song in 2023 is surely news to be celebrated. Its release is certain to be a highly anticipated event, drawing upon mixed emotions of sadness and excitement, for what will ultimately become the final ever song by The Beatles…for now.