Good morning, rock fans! Davey Mac here and I’ve simply blown away by the new Beatles song “Now And Then” and accompanying video and 12-minute documentary…they’re all awesome! Between this new piece of Beatles magic and the absolutely extraordinary documentary which was Peter Jackson’s Get Back…the Beatles are back, baby!
2nd July 1964: The Beatles, John Lennon, George Harrison (1943 – 2001), Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, pictured on their arrival in London following a tour of Australia. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, if you look at it, Peter Jackson has had quite the career. From winning multiple Oscars for his brilliant Lord Of The Rings trilogy, to an excellent re-make of the classic King Kong, and more…Jackson has become one of the biggest and most successful directors in film-making today. But it is Jackson’s recent work with the Beatles that is putting him over-the-top (in my opinion) as an important rock historian.
HOLLYWOOD, CA – FEBRUARY 29: (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER AND US TABS OUT) Director Peter Jackson poses withhis Oscar for Best Director during the 76th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater on February 29, 2004 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
As detailed in another article on this site, Jackson recently made the amazing and epic Get Back for Disney Plus…in which he restored film from the Let It Be recording sessions (and documentary) to tell the story of a band…still very much on top musically…but separating in some ways. However, John, Paul, George, and Ringo get back on the same page by the end of the three-part film to play the iconic and legendary rooftop concert. It all adds up to one of the greatest rock docs ever.
The Beatles, one of the most famous groups in the history of pop music; from left to right, George Harrison (1943 – 2001), Ringo Starr, John Lennon (1940 – 1980), and in front, Paul McCartney, at the EMI studios in Abbey Road, as they prepare for ‘Our World’, a world-wide live television show broadcasting to 24 countries with a potential audience of 400 million. (Photo by BIPs/Getty Images)
And it was from the technology that Jackson used for the Get Back movie which allowed the Beatles to isolate John’s vocals and George’s guitars for this new song “Now And Then.” Specifically, Jackson and his team were able to separate John’s singing from his piano and thereby allow the guys to make one last Beatles tune. And it rocks. He then directed the accompanying and beautiful music video as well. So good on Peter Jackson. He’s moved from award-winning director to important rock ‘n’ roll contributor…and I thank him for it!
– Davey Mac
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND – NOVEMBER 28: Director Sir Peter Jackson emerges from from a Hobbit house before delivering a speech at the “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” World Premiere at Embassy Theatre on November 28, 2012 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
