The Beatles' Missed Opportunity with Anthology 4: What went wrong with “Real Love?”

The last two decades have produced some treats for Beatles fans, with various box sets and collectable merchandise hitting stores and websites. However, it would seem that the Fab Four have finally hit a miss with fans this year with the release of their Anthology 4 album.

To fill in those who may not know, The Beatles were a popular 60s British Band, made up of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and George Harrison. They officially broke up in 1970, devastating fans. Fans begged for the members to reunite, until Lennon, one of the chief singer-songwriters of the group, was assassinated in 1980, destroying any hope of a future reunion.

Before his death, Lennon had recorded various song demos on tape. His widow, Yoko Ono, lent some of these demos for McCartney, Harrison, and Starr to tinker with. The surviving trio decided on three songs: “Free as a Bird,” “Real Love,” and “Now and Then.” Thanks to the work of Electric Light Orchestra front man, Jeff Lynne, the first two demos were cleaned up, overdubbed with vocals, drums, and guitar, and released with the albums The Beatles’ Anthology 1 (1995) and Anthology 2 (1996). “Now and Then,” however, was deemed beyond saving, and was rejected for the release of Anthology 3 (1996). “Now and Then” would not be finished until 2023.

Source: themetropolitan.metrostate.edu

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