While this week saw The Beatles musically reunited for the final time thanks to the release of their new single ‘Now and Then’ which was made possible through revolutionary new technology, Paul McCartney has revealed that he still misses the real company of his late bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison.

Lennon passed away in 1980 after he was shot and killed outside of his apartment building in New York City, while George Harrison died in 2001 of lung cancer at the age of 58. However, in the interim years, McCartney has said that he has struggled to reconcile the losses of his childhood friends.

“I like the idea of not letting go of each other,“ he said in a recent interview with The Times. ”You know, when you have somebody you love so much. In many cases it’s a relative, and even though they go, you don’t want to let go — that’s what people say when somebody dies.”

He continued: ”They’re in your memory, always in your heart. And, yes, that’s certainly true of me and the boys.” This is a sentiment he has expressed in the past, explaining that he still speaks to Harrison while out in his grounds, thanks to a tree that he thinks holds some of his calm spirit.

He recalled flicking through photo albums, explaining: “The sweet is ‘How lucky was I to have those men in my life’. But the fact that they’re not here is bitter. I see photos of George and remember how we went hitchhiking, sitting by the road, buying ourselves creamed rice. John and I went hitchhiking too. We ended up in Paris.“

“All the memories flood back,“ he continued, “but, oh God, it’s sad these guys are not here. It’s a bitter pill you just have to swallow and then get on with the sweetness, you know? That’s the way I do it.”

Nevertheless, the new song ‘Now and Then‘ has been celebrated by McCartney, Ringo Starr and fans all over the world alike for other a glimpse of the gang back together once more.