How AI helped The Beatles win a Grammy
What's the story
The Beatles, the legendary British rock band, has added another feather to their cap by winning their eighth competitive Grammy award. The honor was given for their 2023 track 'Now and Then,' a groundbreaking piece that became the first song to be made with artificial intelligence (AI) assistance and receive a Grammy nomination. The innovative track beat strong contenders like Green Day, Pearl Jam, The Black Keys, Idles, and St. Vincent in the Best Rock Performance category.
Tech resurrection
Resurrecting unfinished Beatles song
'Now and Then' is a one-of-a-kind song, first written from a demo recorded by John Lennon in the late '70s. The other band members — Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison — contributed in the mid-'90s, intending to add the final song to The Beatles Anthology project. However, technical limitations separating Lennon's vocals and piano from the original lo-fi demo kept it unreleased until now.
AI's role
AI plays crucial role in completing 'Now and Then'
The completion of 'Now and Then' was made possible in 2021, thanks to filmmaker Peter Jackson and his sound team. They developed a machine-learning (ML) technology, a form of AI that uses algorithms to learn from data. This tech was instrumental in isolating and cleaning up different components of Lennon's recording, thereby overcoming the technical challenges that had previously halted the song's release.
AI clarification
McCartney clarifies misconceptions about AI in music
The use of AI to complete 'Now and Then' sparked some controversy as people misunderstood the technology's role. McCartney clarified in 2023, "To be clear, nothing has been artificially or synthetically created. It's all real and we all play on it." He further explained that they had just cleaned up some existing recordings with this technology, a process that has been going on for years.
Award acceptance
Sean Ono Lennon accepts Grammy on behalf of The Beatles
The Grammy award for 'Now and Then' was received by John Lennon's son, Sean Ono Lennon, at the Los Angeles ceremony. He called The Beatles "the greatest band of all time," and urged listeners to share their music with the younger generation. This reflects the timelessness of the 1960s' spirit of peace and love that still echoes through The Beatles's music.