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While anticipation is high for the next box set release in the Paul McCartney Archive Collection, the superstar artist is taking advantage of his new affiliation with Capitol/UMe to restore another four catalogue titles to print in new editions. May 18 will see the reissue on single CD and black and colored vinyl of 2013's NEW (Macca's last solo album to date), 2005's Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, 1978's Wings Greatest compilation, and 1977's RAM-inspired Thrillington. All of the vinyl reissues will include download cards.
NEW, crafted with producers Giles Martin, Mark Ronson, Ethan Johns, and Paul Epworth, featured such standout tracks as "Queenie Eye" and "Save Us" (both McCartney tour staples) and lyrically drew on McCartney's recent experiences as well as those from his pre-Beatles youth. It was his final album on Hear Music before returning to Capitol Records. Teaming McCartney with modern production paid off when the album opened in the U.S. top five. A limited edition pink vinyl edition will be released alongside the standard black vinyl. A 12 x 12" poster is also included.
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Chaos and Creation in the Backyard dates to 2005. Produced by Nigel Godrich, it yielded the lovely, Grammy-winning throwback "Jenny Wren" as well as the catchy, piano-pounding single "Fine Line," rocking "Promise to You Girl," and biting "Friends to Go." McCartney played almost all of the instruments on the record, with just a few guests plus strings and brass arranged by Joby Talbot. A top ten debut in the U.S., it was nominated for additional Grammy Awards including Album of the Year. This return to the vinyl format will encompass both standard black vinyl and a limited gold-colored release.
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Wings Greatest, from 1978, was the first compilation of Wings' hit material. Its 12 tracks encompassed hits like "Band on the Run," "Live and Let Die," and "Silly Love Songs" alongside four tracks that hadn't previously appeared on any McCartney LP: "Another Day," "Junior's Farm," "Hi, Hi, Hi" and "Mull of Kintyre." The penultimate Wings album release, the collection became a hit album in its own right, reaching the top five of the U.K. Albums Chart. It will be available as a limited blue vinyl release containing a 20 x 30" poster.
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Last but not least is the 1977 release of Thrillington, from Percy "Thrills" Thrillington. Recorded in 1971, this wholly delightful album presented the tunes from Paul and Linda's RAM LP, including "Too Many People" and "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" in lush instrumental fashion arranged and conducted by Richard Hewson and featuring guitarist Vic Flick and The Mike Sammes Singers among its personnel. The upcoming release will mark the first appearance of Thrillington on vinyl since its 1977 premiere on the Regal Zonophone label in the U.K. and Capitol stateside. The limited version will be pressed on red/black marbled vinyl.
All four of these titles will be available on May 18 from Capitol/UMe. You'll find pre-order links just below!
Paul McCartney, NEW (Hear Music HRM 34848-01, 2013 - reissued Capitol/UMe, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Side One
- Save Us
- Alligator
- On My Way to Work
- Queenie Eye
- Early Days
- New
Side Two
- Appreciate
- Everybody Out There
- Hosanna
- I Can Bet
- Looking at Her
- Road
- Scared
Paul McCartney, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (Parlophone 00946 337958 1 5, 2005 - reissued Capitol/UMe, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Side One
- Fine Line
- How Kind of You
- Jenny Wren
- At the Mercy
- Friends to Go
- English Tea
Side Two
- A Certain Softness
- Riding to Vanity Fair
- Follow Me
- Promise to You Girl
- This Never Happened Before
- Anyway
Wings, Wings Greatest (MPL/EMI PCTC 256, 1978 - reissued Capitol/UMe, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Side One
- Another Day
- Silly Love Songs
- Live and Let Die
- Junior's Farm
- With a Little Luck
- Band on the Run
Side Two
- Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
- Hi Hi Hi
- Let 'Em In
- My Love
- Jet
- Mull of Kintyre
Percy "Thrills" Thrillington, Thrillington (Regal Zonophone EMC 3715, 1977 - reissued Capitol/UMe, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Side One
- Too Many People
- 3 Legs
- Ram On
- Dear Boy
- Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
- Smile Away
Side Two
- Heart of the Country
- Monkberry Moon Delight
- Eat at Home
- Long Haired Lady
- The Back Seat of My Car
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They could have added extra cuts to the Wing's Greatest CD. It's hugely disappointing that they didn't.
I think they want to restore the album as is for the vinyl collectors. I have read many vinyl collectors want the albums restored to the same way they were first released.
Which has little, or nothing, to do with the CD. Keep the vinyl as is/was, but expand the CD. Missed opportunity indeed.
I agree, ten tracks on a CD is really skimpy. I wonder if they will expand the liners at least.
While I am excited to see the Thrillington album on CD as a standalone (since I don't have it), I am concerned with the delay in the Archive series. Where is Wings Wild Life, Red Rose Speedway, London Town, and Back To The Egg? Are those going to be forgotten? I hope the record companies don't forget CD buyers. The recent news that Springsteen's Volume 2 will not be on CD and the B-sides as download only debacle of Macca's Flowers In The Dirt don't give me hope.
Agreed. All of those albums you mention are definitely (IMO), lower-tier McCartney but they deserve the same treatment as the others previously released (As do others not yet represented). There’s also some B-sides, outtakes, etc., from some of those albums I am interested in having,
Not only I'm waiting for Wings Wild Life, Red Rose Speedway, London Town, Back To The Egg, I am also waiting for Press to Play, CCCP, Flaming Pie, Tripping the Light Fantastic, Unplugged, Paul is Live, Back in the US, Back in the World, and Good Evening New York City!
Not sure that any of those live albums will get anything in the way of expanded sets (Wings Over America sure didn’t), but CCCP and Flaming Pie would be great.
So would Run Devil Run and Memory Almost Full (I particularly enjoy “Memory”)!
There's absolutely no reason McCartney's camp can't release at least 2 Archive series box sets a year. His hardcore fans will buy them. Press To Play gets my vote for the next release.
When Flowers In The Dirt was being promoted, the question was asked of his management team if there would be any more Archives. The answer was "We're talking to Paul… Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway might be nice…." Universal-Capitol was working on a 'comprehensive plan' for his back catalogue as well.
Personally, I think Capitol wants to do album sets like his contemporaries (Bowie, Bruce, etc.) — which would get the catalogue out quickly under the new distributor. If an Archive does happen, and I really hope it does, I don't see it coming until 2019 at the earliest — especially with a new album on the way and White Album 50th.
Weird coincidence that I have been listening to my original WINGS Greatest CD (Parlophone/EMI) in my car and the sound is great. 70s Wings is my favorite McCartney era, even over The Beatles.
WINGS GREATEST - for the U.S market, it's still unbelievable that the album was missing "Listen To What The Man Said" (a #1 hit in America), but included "Mull Of Kintyre" (which was virtually unknown in the USA, although a #1 hit in the UK).
In the USA, "Mull Of Kintyre" was the b-side of "Girls School", a #33 hit in late 1977.
Otherwise, a great and hit-packed album.
This would have been a great opportunity to correct that mistake (on the CD version), and add "Listen To What The Man Said" (#1), and maybe "Helen Wheels" (#10), and the live single version of "Maybe I'm Amazed", a #10 hit in early 1977.
These titles are being reissued in Japan in Mini LP CD packaging. Anyone know if that applies to the US CD reissues as well?