The Beatles have now released the music video for "Now and Then", directed by Sir Peter Jackson.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude, love and admiration for my daughter Heidi, who has literally spent hours researching the imagery in this video so she could produce this detailed description. It is so vivid and detailed, I had to share it with you.
Now and Then music video description
A close up of George strumming his guitar in the 1995 recording session. Only his hands, shirt and guitar are in frame. His shirt is long sleeved and a dark green plaid pattern. He is using a red guitar pick.
A close up of Paul strumming a riff on his guitar in the 1995 recording session. Only his hands, guitar, and a microphone are in frame. He has a fabric bracelet with rainbow stripes on his left hand and a silver chain-link bracelet on his right hand.
A cassette is placed into a cassette player and the lid firmly pressed shut.
In 2023 Ringo sits at his drum kit and clears his voice. Only the drumsticks in Ringo’s hands, the side of a tom drum, and Ringo’s shirt with a rainbow hand making the peace symbol are in frame.
A close up of the four strings of a bass. Pink light reflects off the neck of the bass. Paul’s 2023 left hand comes into frame. He is wearing a gold ring on his ring finger and is holding a black guitar pick. He strums a single string.
A close up of the headstock of the bass. The Hofner logo is in gold cursive letters. Paul’s right hand moves up along the neck and briefly into the frame.
The play button on the cassette player is pressed. Paul and Ringo say “1, 2, 3” together somewhere out of frame.
In 1995 George places his hand on the neck of the guitar, getting ready to play the first notes.
As the first note plays, the hammers inside a grand piano strike the strings. In 1995 a close up of Paul and then George each strumming a guitar. The camera pans up to show George’s face for the first time, then pans across the recording studio to show Paul’s face for the first time.
A close up of George’s face. He nods in time with the beat, just before the lyrics begin.
“I know it’s true.” A close up of the needle on an analogue decibel meter as it moves in time with the lyrics. The decibel meter fades away to revel a sunset over a body of water.
“It’s all because of you.” The camera slowly pulls back to reveal the silhouette of John on the left of the frame watching the sunset. The orange light shines in his round glasses.
“And if I make it through.” A hazy image of the four Beatles on a beach in 1963 wearing striped Victorian bathing costumes and holding straw boater hats to their chests slowly comes into focus on the right of the frame. It’s as if John is looking at a memory.
“It’s all because -” The memory starts to fade out.
“- Of you.” Paul in his recording studio in 2023 replaces the beach memory. He holds headphones to his ears as he sings. He looks towards the silhouette of John, as if John is now the memory.
Ringo’s face is revealed for the first time and looks intently down as he plays the drums in his home studio in 2023.
“And now and then.” The needle on the analogue decibel meter again moves in time with the lyrics.
In 1995 George, Paul, and Ringo are in the recording studio. Ringo is in the background playing the drums. George strums an acoustic guitar. Paul is sitting down, perhaps at a piano.
“If we must start again.” Paul begins to sing the lyrics as George and Ringo continue to play.
John stands on a busy footpath in New York in 1974. He is wearing a black hat and coat. A large sign behind him reads SGT PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND ON THE ROAD.
“Well, we will know for sure.” In 2023 Paul plays the bass in his studio.
“That I -” In 1966 George stands in front of some large branches during the filming of Strawberry Fields Forever. In 1995 George, Paul, and Ringo continue playing back in the studio. In 1979 John smiles and starts to sing in an electronics shop in Japan.
“- will love you.” In 1995 Paul and George play their guitars to each other in the recording studio. Ringo plays the drums in the corner of the recording studio.
“Now and then.” In 2023 Ringo and Paul sing in the recording studio. They both dance along as they sing.
“I miss you.” On stage at Shea Stadium in 1965, George and John sing into the same microphone. George plays a Gretsch guitar.
“Oh, now and then.” In 2023 Ringo and Paul sing in the recording studio. They look towards each other.
“I want you to be there for me.” A young George leans against a red railing atop a building in New York in the mid-1960s. A young John does a silly dance, a big grin on his face, on a small country road as he is about to get into a car in the mid-1960s.
“Always to return to me.” In 2023 Ringo and Paul sing in the recording studio. They are joined by George and John from 1967. George, wearing a bright purple outfit with a ruffled collar, plays a guitar. John, not wearing his signature glasses and dressed in a cream pinstripe suit jacket, mimes exaggerated waves as he dances around, then plays the acoustic guitar.
“I know it’s true.” In 1995 George plays guitar in the recording studio next to another George from 1967, who is wearing his salmon-coloured Sgt. Pepper costume.
“It’s all because of you.” The camera pans across a stage. First showing 1967 John in his green Sgt. Pepper costume. Next showing 2023 Ringo in his peace shirt playing the drums. Then 1967 George in his salmon-coloured Sgt. Pepper costume. Then finally 2023 Paul wearing a simple black jacket and his headphones from the recording studio.
“And if you go away.” Paul and George look at each other on the stage.
“I know -” In a different recording studio in 2023, a conductor stands at a podium while various string instruments are played.
“- You’ll never stay.” Paul sits at a table with Giles Martin as the strings are recorded. The conductor waves his baton. Back on the stage, 1967 George strums his guitar with a flourish and gestures to Ringo playing the drums. John looks at Ringo.
In 2023 Ringo plays the drums alone in his home studio. He hits the cymbal with a flourish.
“Now and then.” Back in the recording studio, 1967 John points at 2023 Paul and Ringo as they sing and dance along. 1967 George dances while playing the guitar.
“I miss you.” Ringo presses his hand to his heart.
“Oh, now and then.” The string orchestra plays in their recording studio.
“I want you to be there for me.” The camera pans to the conductor’s podium to show that the conductor has been replaced by 1967 John who is dancing and waving his hands.
John mimes playing a cello. A violinist glances up. Paul watches from the table. John makes more silly hand gestures. Another violinist glances up.
Now at the table, 2023 Paul is joined by his 1967 self, wearing a crocheted vest and miming playing a violin, and 1967 George playing the guitar.
Back at the podium 1967 John holds the knot of his tie, shaking it so it flaps around while he dances.
Back at the table 1967 Paul and George mime undressing. 2023 Paul turns to look at each of them with an exasperated expression.
Now in 2023 at Ringo’s home studio, 1967 Ringo sits at the drum kit wearing a bright yellow shirt. A huge, cheeky grin on his face as he plays.
At the conductor’s podium, John pulls a silly face while dancing an exaggerated twist-like move. 2023 Paul smiles slightly from the table as he spins in his chair.
In Ringo’s home studio, 2023 Ringo and 1967 Ringo play side by side, each with their own drum kit.
On a stage with a sparkling background, 2023 Paul sits on a stool playing the bass and 2023 Ringo sits behind him playing the drums. The 1967 versions of The Beatles move around them as they play, packing up the equipment on the stage. John rolls an amp off the stage. George and Paul start packing up the cymbals from Ringo’s drum kit. Ringo just taps a beat on the front of the bass drum with his drumsticks. 2023 Paul and Ringo continue to play their instruments. Holding a cymbal, 1967 Paul leans over 2023 Paul’s shoulder and playfully shakes his head.
“I know it’s true.” Back in the recording studio in 1995, George and Paul play their guitars.
“It’s all because of you.” In 1967 Ringo, George, Paul, and John bob along to the music wearing their red jackets from penny lane. In the background various still images of them in their Sgt. Pepper costumes fade in and out.
“And if I make it through.” In 1969 The Beatles stand in a field of long grass and pink flowers at John and Yoko’s home in Tittenhurst Park. In 1968 The Beatles sit closely together with their instruments as they record the music video for Hey Jude.
“It’s all because -” In 1966, The Beatles wear black suits and stand in front of a green, leafy background while filming the music video for Paperback Writer. In 1965 they walk out onto the field at Shea Stadium.
“- Of you.” In 1965 The Beatles perform on Blackpool Night Out. In 1963 they pose backstage with a stuffed panda. In the early 1960s The Beatles play at a club in one of their earliest performances.
Crowds silently cheer in the background as progressively younger photos of The Beatles as young men, teenagers, and young children are displayed.
As the final notes play, in 1964 The Beatles stand on a stage. Lights behind them spell BEATLES. In unison, they bow. John, George, Paul, and Ringo fade out, leaving behind a stage empty except for the microphone stands and drum kit.
The lights spelling BEATLES fade off.
Fades to black.