Paul McCartney Unveils AI-Generated ‘Final’ Beatles Hit Set for 2023 Release

In a surprising revelation, Paul McCartney recently confirmed that a new but final Beatles song is coming. It was created with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

This groundbreaking venture uses AI to extract the late John Lennon’s vocals from a previous song. It allows the Beatles to craft a unique musical track that transverses time.

During an interview with BBC Radio, McCartney, one of the remaining Beatles members, commented about the AI music production. His comments sparked intrigue about AI’s role in music production.

In addition, McCartney, 80 years old, talked about the impact of AI in duplicating his youth voice and resurrecting the vocals of the late George Harrison and John Lennon.

COMING UP ON @GMA: How Paul McCartney is using AI to tap into unreleased music from John Lennon. @LaraSpencer talks what this could mean for the music industry’s future, ahead. pic.twitter.com/Oip8f6zHos

— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 14, 2023

The Beatles member also expressed his fascination with AI. In a CBS News report, he addressed that though he is not much of an internet fan, he knows that AI can produce songs and use the voices of his former bandmates.

He said, “It’s a very interesting thing. It’s something we’re all sort of tackling at the moment in terms of trying to deal with what’s it mean.”

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The Power of AI Technology

AI, a technology created to have human intelligence, has created impressive steps in powering machines to do certain tasks. Some of these tasks include generating art, composing music, and creating reports.

Furthermore, McCartney also acknowledged AI’s amazing potential. He stated, “All of that is kind of scary, but it’s the future.”

While AI impresses with its ability to provide precise results, critics emphasize ethical concerns linked with this controversial advancement.

"When we came to make what will be the last Beatles record… We were able to get John's voice through AI."

Ahead of his exhibition at @NPGLondon of Beatles photos, Sir Paul McCartney spoke to @Marthakearney and revealed that a new record will be released this year.#R4Today

— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) June 13, 2023

The 2021 documentary “The Beatles: Get Back” offers a glimpse into the band’s creation of the 1970’s album “Let It Be.” Paul McCartney revealed that the sound engineer used AI in the documentary.

In addition, the engineer also successfully obtained voices from background music and separated John Lennon’s voice and piano music.

McCartney recalled, “We had John’s voice and a piano, and he could separate them with AI. They tell the machine, ‘That’s the voice. This is a guitar. Lose the guitar.'”

As fans await this groundbreaking technological success, McCartney shared some information. “When we came to make what would be the last Beatles record, it was a demo that John [Lennon] had that we worked on. And we’ve just finished it up; it’ll be released this year.”

With AI’s help, they preserved John Lennon’s vocals, allowing for smooth integration into the new record. Moreover, like with any transformative advancement, there are positive and negative sides to consider.

McCartney addressed AI’s duality. He stated, “So there’s a good side to it and then a scary side, and we’ll just have to see where that leads.”

While the use of AI in music creation opens up a lot of potential, it also sparks questions about artistic authenticity and the possible destruction of traditional creative methods.

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This is not the first time the Beatles created a song following the band’s breakup in 1970. Post-band hits like “Free as a Bird” (1995) and “Real Love” (1996) were a part of the band’s broad retrospective.

In 1995, Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono gave McCartney a demo tape labeled “For Paul.” It includes songs that Jeff Lynne reproduced. These song releases show the Beatles’ continuous commitment to sharing their music with the world.

Speculations are buzzing about possibly including “Now and Then” in the new Beatles record. John Lennon originally recorded it in 1978.

Then the Beatles released it as their “reunion song” for their 1995 anthology collection. If this is true, the much-awaited release will surely captivate music lovers and Beatles fanatics.

Paul McCartney’s candid comments have also highlighted the ethical considerations and creative possibilities in this cutting-edge venture. As fans eagerly await its release, it’s still uncertain how AI will continue shaping music in the future.

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