For the past year or so, a lot has been said about Paul McCartney’s decision to use AI to bring The Beatles back in one form or another for more than one project. And while some decry the use of tech to resurrect musicians who have been gone for years, the guitarist himself seems to be very much on board.
During an interview with Australian outlet The Daily Telegraph, McCartney admitted that when it comes to AI and The Beatles, “even though it’s sort of mechanical trickery, it feels very real.”
He was referring specifically to a moment in the Get Back documentary that came out in 2021. Director Peter Jackson used AI to separate John Lennon’s vocals from past recordings by the band. That allowed McCartney to “sing” with him on stage again, many years after the songwriter was shot and killed. The Wings performer admitted in the chat that, “It’s one of my favourite bits in the show now.”
“It was hard to hold your emotions back actually,” McCartney added about hearing only Lennon’s vocals playing on stage after such a long time. “You could just get overcome,” he shared. The guitar player also referred to the whole process as “magic” and said, “it was my buddy, who’s been dead a long time, and here he was, back, and I’m working with him again.” It’s easy to understand how this could mean so much to McCartney, even if it was not welcomed in the same manner by all who watched and listened.
The Get Back docuseries wasn’t the only time AI was used to assist The Beatles lately. Earlier this summer, McCartney spoke to the BBC and said that the new technology was being used to “extricate” John Lennon’s vocals from a past recording and that he was planning on using it to finish a song, which he himself is calling “the final Beatles record.” That track is apparently set to come out sometime this year.
Some in the music industry love the idea of more music coming from The Beatles, as they remain the most celebrated band of all time. But others are wary, if not downright upset about the idea since Lennon has been dead for many years and can’t possibly have a say in how his likeness or voice is being used. And some aren’t sure that McCartney should go this route, even if they’d love more songs from the band.
In addition to reportedly finishing up an old Beatles song, McCartney is preparing for another tour of Australia, where The Daily Telegraph is based. He’s slated to bring his Got Back run of shows to the continent in October, scheduling concerts for cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide, marking his first proper trip to the country in years.
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