What I love MOST about this episode (well, I actually LOVE the whole thing!) is Paul’s thoughts in the beginning, and then the SILENT intro (respectful, anticipatory and thought provoking) and the silent ending. Makes you appreciate the weight of this special moment, and this episode. Well done. Mitch, really respect all your thoughts and knowledge!
This so far has been the best discussion about The Beatles Week 2023! Thank you for having the great Mitch Axelrod as a guest, what a pleasure to hear his insights and takes. Now and Then has become a welcome ear worm during the past few days, having it finished was a dream come true for me ❤
Ya know, if Paul has the "audacity" to say something off the cuff, folks pick him apart. If he is careful with his words, people say he isn't genuine. Can anyone really blame the guy for being careful? Look how people pick apart everything he says, sometimes years later? I hope he doesn't give a dang. I really do. I am glad he is such a positive dude, it has served him well, and his positivity has outlasted his critics. I am just grateful for the obvious love that he and Ringo put into this song. I am also grateful that Olivia and Sean approved it, and that Giles Martin participated. Thank you too to Peter Jackson. This is something pure and lovely, let's celebrate that! Thanks as always guys, for your show.
Great discussion guys. Always appreciate your honest opinions. Love hearing from Mitch and appreciate his podcast and his Facebook page. This song is truly a gift to us all and we are lucky to have it. How it measures up in the overall canon remains to be seen but right now the key is to be grateful for what the Beatles have given us. Looking forward to hearing from you about the Red and the Blue. Take care and thank you!
Excellent dialog and info here. And glad that unlike most Beatles-related podcasts, there is no BS here. I recently joined Mitch's FB page and I am really enjoying that, too. Well done men!
The video made me cry, too, but it also inspired me to take a second look at people who are in my life these days. Some really mean something to me, others are irritants and I'm a bit meh about them, but, still....
Darn it, give Paul his due, if you can find it in your heart to do so. He did it out of love for John and the Beatles, good grief! Paul was showcasing John and restraint in oder to do so, I think, after-all it was his demo. Yes, homages to his fallen friends, the ending is beautiful too. Great discussion. Thankyou!
Yeah, I agree. If Paul had sung more than people would have accused him of making himself the center of attention, but as it is, they still find a way of criticising him. The song, is, to me, more of a John song with his former band mates backing him than a Beatles track. That should please folks who like to say that Paul has hijacked the Beatles legacy, but those folks don't seem to want to be pleased. For me, this is a love letter to John and George, and we fans need to be a little more grateful and a little less cynical. I really am sick of the Paul bashing as if we know the inside story between those four guys. We don't.
45:35 - Andy's right - about the devices - it sounded all right on my little device, but it was the vinyl were it really exploded, both sides did. That remix of Love Me Do was tops.
I agree with Andy. Free As A Bird is a masterpiece and I still love it to this day. One of the greatest of all Beatles tunes. I love Now and Then, and watching the video elevated it to elite. The greatest finale ever. Exquisitely done.
Thank you guys so much for having Mitch back on the show. This was an absolutely amazing conversation. It was an incredible week with the documentary video on Wednesday, then the song on Thursday, then on Friday we saw the music video I went to a local store and got the clear vinyl single. It's just so amazing that John wrote this song in 1977 and Paul, Ringo and Giles Martin and Peter Jackson recently finished it. I personally think it could be about either Paul or May Pang. If this is the kind of song John was writing in 77 all he needed was a really good collaborator and he could have made a fantastic song with it. Thank goodness Paul did just that. I was born in 1990 so I'm ecstatic to be alive when a brand new Beatles song is released and to go buy it.
Paul is a certified genius. I don't think we appreciate taking on old demo and creating THAT. It's truly unbelievable. The verse "abuse" didn't work for the message. This is a farewell and goodbye from the Beatles. It's a masterpiece considering what they started with. The strings, drums and guitar work is beyond tasteful. No other band could achieve this. The brilliant video works perfectly for the sendoff.
@@2LegsAPaulMcCartneyPodcast i judt hste hsbing to say goidbyr to them. They've inspired me in so msny ways over all this time. I've definitely "learned somethin in all these years"
I don't see the comment that I left so I'll do it again. This was a great conversation between the three of you. I enjoyed it a lot and you all were spot on. Such a great and moving song. Can't wait till Friday. Do you guys think I have a better chance of getting it at Target or Walmart on the 10th? Anyway I'll be taking a hammer to this phone about now so take care lol
Paul McCartney truly took a sad song and made it better. For that, I am extremely happy that this artistry is out in the world and spreading love. About the bridge, John and Paul always edited each other. That is evident in Get Back. Take note of the switch from 4/4 to 3/4 at the very end. For me, that’s a hat tip to George Harrison’s contribution to We Can Work It Out.
@@2LegsAPaulMcCartneyPodcast Much appreciated! Plus, I love how they used George Harrison’s clock on the cover of Now and Then. There’s a great backstory on that.
Since Real Love was already released as a JL song - that's why Now & Then was the first song attempted in 1995 prior to moving on to the easier Real Love to finish off as a Beatles song version. As I've read recently it was attempted since they had more time; which was NOT the case. @14:35 - LOL - so glad i'm not a member but can publicly lurk. I could not handle those personalities.
@@farrellmcnulty909my point was Now & Then was the first song attempted in '95 before they moved on to record Real Love. The guys picked Now & Then over RL initially but soon realized that was gonna need some major work. Had the tape been fine - you'd see more George & Paul lyric/music contribution similar to Free As A Bird. But now with the loss of George - you see the contributions similar to Real Love as more instrumental/backing vocals. The Beatles supporting a John song in the manner of Real Love.
Andy was awesome @17:46 - For her sake, I hope Swift does well in life, but I'm so apathetic to her music I don't even want to listen to it to form an opinion. I would just prefer to be happy with the bands and artists I enjoy - The Beatles being #1.
Great chat guys, I do only disagree with Mitch at the end. Paul is still Uber competitive and a top 10 hit I think to him and Ringo would be a big deal!
I don't think Paul would have written anything to sing alone to. If George was alive I truly believe they would have done something to sing together like they did in FAAB
I appreciate the honesty in this show. Andy is right: Penn Gillette is irrelevant and Mitch is right: George was an angry guy - his attitude often irritated me, his talent notwithstanding. Having said that, Now and then does feel incomplete. It needs a bridge written and sung by Paul, akin to A Day in the Life.
@@2LegsAPaulMcCartneyPodcast Well, there was that bridge, but John decided to sing it in falsetto, which I've never liked. He had such a deep, rich voice.
I wonder if Paul didn't think he could sing well enough at this juncture, as compared to 37 year old John? I don't feel that way, but perhaps Paul does?
Sometimes the most half-finished meandering demos can turn into the best songs! That's the nature of song development. I never understood the hyper-critical tone of certain artist's demos. Listen to the first Strawberry Fields demo. It sounds OK, nothing stellar. And the finished record is phenomenal. Now and Then is special on many levels of storytelling and connection. Very emotional send-off!
The significance of a "final" Beatle record and what the song represents is a wonderful thing. The song itself however is, for me, just... mediocre. I like it more now I've had time to listen to it and I love George's guitar parts and Paul's bass and piano parts, but listening objectively rather than emotionally I don't think it's anything special. I've always thought that the demo of it was appalling and there is a famous fan made version that I prefer. Even though I'm not crazy about the song, it is a thrill to have "new" Beatles material and they are set to reach Number 1 over here tomorrow. But the video? WOW!!!! The video is perfect! Watching it had me in tears, it's beautiful, funny, emotional and a celebration all at the same time. I cannot praise that video highly enough and have watched it dozens of times!! 🙂
Did anybody notice the change in the drumhead behind George in 1995 in the documentary versus Peter Jackson's music video? It looks like the Suzy and the Red Stripes drumhead was changed to a Beatles MMT one by Jackson. A little digital trickery!
For me, it’s less so the over-saturation of her music (some of which I really like - although I’m definitely not as obsessed with it as some) and more the over-saturation of her in general… Nowadays she can be seen eating a sandwich and it makes the news 🙄😂
What I love MOST about this episode (well, I actually LOVE the whole thing!) is Paul’s thoughts in the beginning, and then the SILENT intro (respectful, anticipatory and thought provoking) and the silent ending. Makes you appreciate the weight of this special moment, and this episode. Well done. Mitch, really respect all your thoughts and knowledge!
Enjoyed! I love the new song.
This so far has been the best discussion about The Beatles Week 2023! Thank you for having the great Mitch Axelrod as a guest, what a pleasure to hear his insights and takes.
Now and Then has become a welcome ear worm during the past few days, having it finished was a dream come true for me ❤
Thank you very much! Mitch is a great guest and we were honored to have him for an epic show and topic!
Thanks very much but the pleasure was all mine. I’m a fan first and I love talking Beatles.
Mitch has given the best intelligent response to Now and Then i have heard ! It is the perfect ending just embrace it folks !
Thanks a lot but my wife might argue with you about me being intelligent. 😂
Ya know, if Paul has the "audacity" to say something off the cuff, folks pick him apart. If he is careful with his words, people say he isn't genuine. Can anyone really blame the guy for being careful? Look how people pick apart everything he says, sometimes years later? I hope he doesn't give a dang. I really do. I am glad he is such a positive dude, it has served him well, and his positivity has outlasted his critics. I am just grateful for the obvious love that he and Ringo put into this song. I am also grateful that Olivia and Sean approved it, and that Giles Martin participated. Thank you too to Peter Jackson. This is something pure and lovely, let's celebrate that! Thanks as always guys, for your show.
Great discussion guys. Always appreciate your honest opinions. Love hearing from Mitch and appreciate his podcast and his Facebook page. This song is truly a gift to us all and we are lucky to have it. How it measures up in the overall canon remains to be seen but right now the key is to be grateful for what the Beatles have given us. Looking forward to hearing from you about the Red and the Blue. Take care and thank you!
Excellent dialog and info here. And glad that unlike most Beatles-related podcasts, there is no BS here. I recently joined Mitch's FB page and I am really enjoying that, too. Well done men!
Thank you Anthony! We like to get to the point and cut out all the nonsense!
@@2LegsAPaulMcCartneyPodcast You're very welcome!
An everlasting work of art, melted my heart. Thank you.
The video made me cry, too, but it also inspired me to take a second look at people who are in my life these days. Some really mean something to me, others are irritants and I'm a bit meh about them, but, still....
Darn it, give Paul his due, if you can find it in your heart to do so. He did it out of love for John and the Beatles, good grief! Paul was showcasing John and restraint in oder to do so, I think, after-all it was his demo. Yes, homages to his fallen friends, the ending is beautiful too. Great discussion. Thankyou!
This!
Yeah, I agree. If Paul had sung more than people would have accused him of making himself the center of attention, but as it is, they still find a way of criticising him. The song, is, to me, more of a John song with his former band mates backing him than a Beatles track. That should please folks who like to say that Paul has hijacked the Beatles legacy, but those folks don't seem to want to be pleased. For me, this is a love letter to John and George, and we fans need to be a little more grateful and a little less cynical. I really am sick of the Paul bashing as if we know the inside story between those four guys. We don't.
Well put@@carolynrabbani6469
45:35 - Andy's right - about the devices - it sounded all right on my little device, but it was the vinyl were it really exploded, both sides did. That remix of Love Me Do was tops.
I agree with Andy. Free As A Bird is a masterpiece and I still love it to this day. One of the greatest of all Beatles tunes.
I love Now and Then, and watching the video elevated it to elite. The greatest finale ever. Exquisitely done.
I agree.
I've always loved Free as a Bird and I really don't understand why anyone wouldn't like it
What an amazing week! Great times for the Beatles/Solo Beatles community! Apple let the Stones new album and T Swift new album have their time…..
First and only time I bought a brand new Beatles single
Enjoyed the show. Great times for Beatles fans
I got my 12"inch (red vinyl) at Target yesterday 🤣🤣🤣 I swore I wouldn't, but if you're a Beatles fan, thanks for playing.
Thanks for another great Saturday morning, gents!
Thanks Matt!
I wish I caught this live, but I didn't know it was coming on. I'm looking forward to see the rest of this later on after errands.
Thank you guys so much for having Mitch back on the show. This was an absolutely amazing conversation. It was an incredible week with the documentary video on Wednesday, then the song on Thursday, then on Friday we saw the music video I went to a local store and got the clear vinyl single. It's just so amazing that John wrote this song in 1977 and Paul, Ringo and Giles Martin and Peter Jackson recently finished it. I personally think it could be about either Paul or May Pang. If this is the kind of song John was writing in 77 all he needed was a really good collaborator and he could have made a fantastic song with it. Thank goodness Paul did just that. I was born in 1990 so I'm ecstatic to be alive when a brand new Beatles song is released and to go buy it.
Paul is a certified genius. I don't think we appreciate taking on old demo and creating THAT. It's truly unbelievable. The verse "abuse" didn't work for the message. This is a farewell and goodbye from the Beatles. It's a masterpiece considering what they started with. The strings, drums and guitar work is beyond tasteful. No other band could achieve this. The brilliant video works perfectly for the sendoff.
1000%!!!!
@@2LegsAPaulMcCartneyPodcast i judt hste hsbing to say goidbyr to them. They've inspired me in so msny ways over all this time. I've definitely "learned somethin in all these years"
This was such a lovely conversation, and it was awesome to hear Mr. Axelrod's first hand account of the press conference. Thank you!
I don't see the comment that I left so I'll do it again. This was a great conversation between the three of you. I enjoyed it a lot and you all were spot on. Such a great and moving song. Can't wait till Friday. Do you guys think I have a better chance of getting it at Target or Walmart on the 10th? Anyway I'll be taking a hammer to this phone about now so take care lol
Thanks Tripper.
@@tomhunyady7465 Anytime at all:-)
Imma be honest, I read that as “Miles Axlerod” and was very disappointed when it wasn't the bad guy from Cars 2.
Paul McCartney truly took a sad song and made it better. For that, I am extremely happy that this artistry is out in the world and spreading love. About the bridge, John and Paul always edited each other. That is evident in Get Back. Take note of the switch from 4/4 to 3/4 at the very end. For me, that’s a hat tip to George Harrison’s contribution to We Can Work It Out.
Great take on that!
@@2LegsAPaulMcCartneyPodcast Much appreciated! Plus, I love how they used George Harrison’s clock on the cover of Now and Then. There’s a great backstory on that.
@@ryban1001 yeah I saw the sleevenote how he bought in 1997 and then Olivia looked at it when Paul called. So awesome!!
@@ryban1001 It's on the inner sleeve of the vinyl single. I know it's the 12", but not sure if it's the 7" (I'd imagine it so)
Since Real Love was already released as a JL song - that's why Now & Then was the first song attempted in 1995 prior to moving on to the easier Real Love to finish off as a Beatles song version. As I've read recently it was attempted since they had more time; which was NOT the case. @14:35 - LOL - so glad i'm not a member but can publicly lurk. I could not handle those personalities.
Well, A SONG called Real Love was released under Lennon's name, but it wasn't with the same verses, if memory serves.
@@farrellmcnulty909my point was Now & Then was the first song attempted in '95 before they moved on to record Real Love. The guys picked Now & Then over RL initially but soon realized that was gonna need some major work. Had the tape been fine - you'd see more George & Paul lyric/music contribution similar to Free As A Bird. But now with the loss of George - you see the contributions similar to Real Love as more instrumental/backing vocals. The Beatles supporting a John song in the manner of Real Love.
John's tribute to Paul everything john was unable to say to paul remember me now and then
59:20 - They mustn't want us to buy the red and blue sets, or else they wouldn't charge 75 bucks for each LP set. I'm downloading it from I tunes. 😆
I mean it's 3 LPs each. A 3 LP set shouldn't cost more than $60.
@@t221000 Agreed, but would you care to go a bit lower?😆
Andy was awesome @17:46 - For her sake, I hope Swift does well in life, but I'm so apathetic to her music I don't even want to listen to it to form an opinion. I would just prefer to be happy with the bands and artists I enjoy - The Beatles being #1.
Morning everyone. We had a great time with this episode.
That's why I love these kinds of shows - they're always a lot of fun to watch...AND comment on.
The conversation was amazing. I'm so happy you had Mitch on again.
Great chat guys, I do only disagree with Mitch at the end. Paul is still Uber competitive and a top 10 hit I think to him and Ringo would be a big deal!
I don't think Paul would have written anything to sing alone to. If George was alive I truly believe they would have done something to sing together like they did in FAAB
I appreciate the honesty in this show. Andy is right: Penn Gillette is irrelevant and Mitch is right: George was an angry guy - his attitude often irritated me, his talent notwithstanding. Having said that, Now and then does feel incomplete. It needs a bridge written and sung by Paul, akin to A Day in the Life.
Thanks Chris lol.
@@2LegsAPaulMcCartneyPodcast Well, there was that bridge, but John decided to sing it in falsetto, which I've never liked. He had such a deep, rich voice.
I wonder if Paul didn't think he could sing well enough at this juncture, as compared to 37 year old John? I don't feel that way, but perhaps Paul does?
There was a pre-chorus in the demo that was decided to be dropped from the final version for whatever reason.
Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Peter Jackson?
Do you guys think Free As a Bird and Real Love were Jackson-Martinized at this point and Paul is just holding off for the moment? It's a thought.
Would night be surprised if we got those two released for the 30th anniversary of the Anthology.
@@tomhunyady7465 Yeah, that's what I'm hoping for.
Sometimes the most half-finished meandering demos can turn into the best songs! That's the nature of song development. I never understood the hyper-critical tone of certain artist's demos. Listen to the first Strawberry Fields demo. It sounds OK, nothing stellar. And the finished record is phenomenal. Now and Then is special on many levels of storytelling and connection. Very emotional send-off!
Good point!
bro u trippin'
Anytime after listening to Axelrod's monologing I think of the Billy Madison judge scene.
glad this video is getting views like you guys deserve; good or bad publicity exposure. (Pop Goes The 🤡)
The significance of a "final" Beatle record and what the song represents is a wonderful thing.
The song itself however is, for me, just... mediocre.
I like it more now I've had time to listen to it and I love George's guitar parts and Paul's bass and piano parts, but listening objectively rather than emotionally I don't think it's anything special. I've always thought that the demo of it was appalling and there is a famous fan made version that I prefer.
Even though I'm not crazy about the song, it is a thrill to have "new" Beatles material and they are set to reach Number 1 over here tomorrow.
But the video?
WOW!!!!
The video is perfect!
Watching it had me in tears, it's beautiful, funny, emotional and a celebration all at the same time.
I cannot praise that video highly enough and have watched it dozens of times!! 🙂
It's a grower for sure. I (Andy) liked it after 1 or 2 listens last Thursday. After the video? mic drop. Fantastic, as you point out!
Did anybody notice the change in the drumhead behind George in 1995 in the documentary versus Peter Jackson's music video? It looks like the Suzy and the Red Stripes drumhead was changed to a Beatles MMT one by Jackson. A little digital trickery!
Yes, i noticed that.
That’s digital for ya, things taken down easily, wiped out, easily. Think hard-copy❗
I don't dislike Taylor Swift as a human being or as a musician, but I do hate the over-saturation of music I'm not interested in listening to.
For me, it’s less so the over-saturation of her music (some of which I really like - although I’m definitely not as obsessed with it as some) and more the over-saturation of her in general… Nowadays she can be seen eating a sandwich and it makes the news 🙄😂
@@TheChristian0515 Well-said