Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have joined forces to create a version of the song “Grow Old with Me,” one of the last written by John Lennon before his fateful death.
The beautiful track was included on John’s posthumous album titled Milk and Honey, 1984, and the urge to come together for a new version has been present since George Harrison was still alive.
During the process of creating the Beatles anthology, the three members alive at the time considered recording the song, but the idea never went forward. After a conversation with producer Jack Douglas (responsible for Double Fantasy, by John and Yoko Ono), however, Ringo decided to get the project off the ground.
He said:
“Jack asked me if I had ever heard the Bermuda Tapes, John’s demos of that time. And I had never heard it all. The idea that John was talking about me back then before he died, well, I’m an emotional person. And I just loved this song. I sang as best I could.”
“I find myself in tears when I think so deeply about John. And I did my best. We did our best. The other good thing is that I really wanted Paul to play, and he said yes. Paul came and played bass and he sings a little with me.”
“So John is there somehow. I’m there and so is Paul. It is not a publicity stunt. It’s just what I wanted. And the string arrangement Jack made for this song, if you listen carefully, they make a line of ‘Here Comes the Sun’. So somehow it’s the four of us.”
The version of “Grow Old with Me” will be on Ringo Starr’s What’s My Name? Album, set for October 25th. In it, Ringo will play drums and take on vocals, while Paul was responsible for bass and backing vocals. The guitar will still have the legendary Joe Walsh (Eagles).
Hear “Grow Old with Me” original version:
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