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AI might help the Beatles win their final Grammy. Will more veteran acts follow?

BBG News

2025 Grammy’s Record of the Year nominations have me absolutely thrilled! As a film enthusiast of music, I find myself captivated by the vibrant pop tunes of emerging talents like Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, and Sabrina Carpenter. Yet, the nominations don’t stop there – Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” offers an operatic edge that’s simply vicious in its brilliance, while Beyoncé and Billie Eilish deliver some profound, sweeping masterpieces that tug at my heartstrings. The anticipation is killing me!

Six decades after they first received a Grammy, the Beatles‘ song “Now and Then” is once again making waves on the Grammy charts. This track was revived from a well-known demo that John Lennon recorded in muddy conditions. The creation of “Now and Then” was facilitated by advanced AI technology, which isolates different instruments, as demonstrated in the documentary series “The Beatles: Get Back.

Even the tragic deaths of Lennon and George Harrison didn’t deter the most captivating prospect in rock music: the release of a brand-new, final Beatles song, with all four members participating.

The Recording Academy praised the single with nominations for best record and rock performance. The music industry viewed the success of “Now and Then” as a significant milestone in production technology and songwriting. However, the academy has imposed strict guidelines on when AI can be utilized in creating music, and when it results in disqualification.

In a perfect world, “Now and Then” might be the ideal setting for AI’s role in music. This timeless masterpiece, steeped in history, was brought to life with subtle technology that accentuates rather than creates. Its Grammy win could potentially spark a wave of veteran artists exploring ways to manipulate or modify old recordings, keeping the past alive and dynamic instead of fixed.

In simpler terms, Giles Martin, a producer known for “Now and Then” and son of the Beatles’ longtime producer George Martin, likened AI to nuclear power. Just as nuclear power can be used to generate energy or cause destruction, so too can AI. However, he finds that listening to John Lennon’s voice without manipulation gives him a sense of being with him, which is almost the opposite experience of using AI.

2023 marked a significant shift in the Recording Academy’s guidelines regarding the use of artificial intelligence in music eligible for awards. I, as a supporter of this change, believe that to be considered for a Grammy, the creative input of humans should be predominant. This means that the human authorship involved in the submitted work must carry weight and significance.

“A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any category,” the academy said.

Back in November of 2023, “Now and Then” never faced any danger. This popular tune was actually a home recording by Lennon from 1978 that Beatles enthusiasts were already familiar with. Remarkably, the surviving members attempted to professionally record and mix it as early as 1995, but their efforts didn’t yield significant results. For many years prior, this song was considered a prized artifact by Fab Four devotees – it being the last one that all four members could potentially collaborate on.

Get Back” documentary by Peter Jackson, combined with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr’s passion for the song, as well as George Martin’s meticulous mixing (with a group of engineers), that eventually led to winning the award.

At that point in time, Jackson managed to isolate John’s voice from a small, tangled cassette segment,” McCartney shared with the BBC. “We had only John’s voice and a piano, but using AI technology, he could distinguish between them. Essentially, they instructed the machine, ‘This is John’s voice. Ignore the guitar.’

He went on to say, “It’s a bit thrilling yet nerve-wracking, given it’s the unknown, but we’ll simply have to discover what lies ahead.

Initially, the idea of integrating a highly debated technology, which some found unsettling, into something as universally admired as the Beatles’ catalog caused unease among certain fans. However, Martin and the musicians clarified that the “AI” was essentially a powerful version of everyday mixing tools, not the voice-imitating or song-creating software typically associated with the negative aspects of artificial intelligence in music.

As a cinephile, I liken our recent findings to unearthing a long-lost Pompeii villa equipped with a spa. Just as archaeologists peeled back layers of time to reveal its grandeur, we’ve employed cutting-edge techniques to bring the structure back into focus. The building stood in its heyday, much like John’s song echoed in its own era. With our technology, we’re not just cleaning it; we’re restoring it to its former glory for future generations to marvel at.

The standout track – a humbly charming ballad showcasing the band’s distinctive vocal harmonies and melancholic string arrangements – largely alleviated any lingering doubts. It further demonstrated the Beatles’ ongoing fascination with advanced studio techniques, such as multitrack recording and tape-loop experiments. As Martin remarked upon hearing it at Abbey Road, “I felt like an interloper; my father should have been here.” He added, “There’s a deep emotional obligation attached to it, so you simply strive to do your best.

According to Daniela Lieja Quintanar, the curator of “All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace,” an interdisciplinary exhibition on art and AI with a significant focus on music, the financial backing from the surviving band members and their closest partners is a key indicator of ethical AI application.

Quintanar stated that when art owners and caretakers work together with protocols, they achieve favorable outcomes. He suggested that artists and creative individuals should seize control over technology and demand swift accountability from its developers. This approach has been instrumental in many artistic communities resisting the use of machine learning. Instead of shunning or fearing it, they engage, research, study, and write about it.

The concept of “Now and Then” proved quite effective (however, Jackson’s music video for the single, which combined footage of all four members, received a mix of positive and negative feedback). Yet, it prompts fresh queries as influential figures in media, technology, and beyond integrate AI into daily life and creative processes.

Is it possible that we might witness a growing trend of previously “lost” musical projects or established recordings being revisited and modified, with the potential for them to receive recognition at future Grammy Awards?

As a music enthusiast, I can only dream about it. Picturing myself immersed in James Brown’s ‘Live at the Apollo’, feeling like I’m part of that very audience, is an experience I yearn for.

I’m not one to lay down strict guidelines, but I shudder at the thought of a world where we don’t have personal connections with our favorite artists. Where I can’t share with my kids the unique magic of Bob Dylan performing ‘Happy Birthday’. Anything that encourages creativity should be celebrated, but it must never replace the essence and authenticity of an artist’s work.

A significant number of Grammy voters expressed joy at the release of a new Beatles single. However, it’s unlikely that many academy members would approve of classic rock being continuously reimagined with AI for an endless cycle of nostalgia. In 2024, changes in academy membership meant that two-thirds of those who selected this year’s Grammy Award nominees had not been part of the Recording Academy as recently as 2018.

For Grammy-voting professionals who are concerned about how AI might impact their future careers, the joy of discovering treasured musical artifacts from history may be overshadowed by the growing fear of becoming obsolete.

Gregory Butler, a media and AI expert as well as an Emmy- and Grammy-nominated composer and producer, opines that the Beatles were an unexpectedly mainstream pick for this venture, given their legendary status. However, they’re no longer active in creating new music. Butler suggests that by using AI to produce music, they struck a balance – emphasizing the use of AI while keeping the specifics vague. This message conveyed a friendly image of AI towards artists and listeners, though not everyone in the industry may be ready for it. Regardless, he predicts that AI is inevitably on its way, potentially taking over significant portions of work from musicians who rely on music for their livelihood.

If the Beatles managed to win awards for their albums or live rock performances, it would serve as an emotionally powerful conclusion to what is widely regarded as the most distinguished pop music recording career. Martin remarked that ‘Now and Then’, their final song, holds deep significance for him because John wrote it for Paul. Losing his best friend was a profound loss for Paul, just as losing my father was for me. Despite any disagreements they may have had, they shared an incredibly close bond. I believe Paul missed him, not only personally but also creatively, and yearned to work with him again, to collaborate once more. This technology provided a means for that reunion.

Currently, it’s evident that emotional depth and advanced technology can harmoniously blend at the Grammys, significantly shaping the essence of what composing, performing, and recording music entails today. These are questions that the Beatles posed 60 years ago and continue to ponder in 2025.

As a movie buff, I’d express it like this: “Dad always believed that The Beatles had an incredible stroke of luck. They managed to capture every cultural pulse and adapt effortlessly with the changing tides of their artistic creations,” I mused. “Paul McCartney doesn’t seem phased by AI one bit. He once told me, ‘Nobody will ever be me,’ and he’s spot on. It’s got industry bigwigs fretting, but at the end of the day, he can simply say, ‘I am Paul McCartney.’

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2025-01-24 14:36

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