The surviving Beatles are to release a new single based on a recording by the late John Lennon.

Song ‘Now And Then’ has been reworked by Paul McCartney, who has added vocals, and drummer Ringo Starr, with archive guitar tracks from George Harrison added to a recording given to the band by Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono.

ELO’s Jeff Lynne, who produced the original track, tells The Express, “The song had a chorus but is almost totally lacking in verses. We did the backing track, a rough go that we really didn't finish.

"It was sort of a bluesy sort of ballad, I suppose, in A minor. It was a very sweet song; I liked it a lot, and I wish we could have finished it."