Paul McCartney Announces “RAM” Reissue
Paul McCartney has just announced that RAM, the 1971 album recorded with his wife Linda, will be re-released across a variety of formats with new content.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is an album from a long, long time ago, when the world was different,” McCartney said. “This is an album that is part of my history – it goes back to the wee hills of Scotland where it was formed. It’s an album called RAM. It reminds me of my hippie days and the free attitude with which was created. I hope you’re going to like it, because I do!”
The reissue joins two others by the bassist, including McCartney and McCartney II, collectively known as the Paul McCartney Archive Collection.
As with the others in the Collection, RAM gets the “Deluxe Edition” treatment, offering a 112-page book, photo prints and handwritten lyrics and notes along with four CDs and a bonus DVD.
RAM was the only album credited to both Paul and Linda, and was Paul’s second post-Beatles LP. The couple wrote most of the album’s material at their Scottish farm on the Mull of Kintyre and entered the studio in late 1970 to record it. The album went on to reach #1 in the UK and #2 in the US.
The multi-disc editions of the re-issue will include the original tracks and bonus tracks, including “Another Day” and “Oh Woman, Oh Why” – two tracks originally released together as Paul’s first post-Beatles single ahead of RAM.
The original RAM release was issued in mono with alternate mixes, made available only to radio stations at the time, making it a much sought after version. The mix will be included for the first time commercially on the Deluxe Edition as well as a limited edition vinyl edition.
This new edition of RAM was remastered at Abbey Road by the team who recently remastered the entire Beatles catalog.
The new editions will be released in May, and are available for pre-order.
RAM re-issue formats:
- 1 CD digipak single disc
- digitally remastered 12-track standard edition
- 2 CD digipak remastered album
- 8-track bonus audio CD including rarities, b-sides and the hit single, ‘Another Day’.
- 4 CD/1 DVD box set & download remastered album
- Bonus audio CD
- Remastered Mono album
- Thrillington CD
- Bonus film DVD
- 112 page book
- 5 prints in vintage style photographic wallet
- 8 full size facsimiles of Paul’s original handwritten lyric sheets
- Mini photographic book of outtakes from the original album cover photo shoot
- Hi-Res: 24bit 96kHz files of the remastered and bonus audio CD, accessed via a download code inserted on a card within the deluxe edition package
- 2LP 180gm, gatefold vinyl with download remastered album
- Bonus audio disc
- Digital download of all 20 tracks
- 1LP, Remastered mono album
Sir Paul is playing in my city on the 15th of april, but unfortunately I won’t be able to attend as the tickets sold out in less than an hour :(
I’m not a fan of Paul’s solo stuff but this album is great.
one of, if not the first, album I ever bought
Ram? Big critical assessment of it here (with a link to great lost Mike McGear/McCartney album of the same time) http://www.elsewhere.co.nz/essentialelsewhere/807/paul-and-linda-mccartney-ram-1971/:
One of my favorite all time albums, and one of the first albums I bought. I still have my vinyl copy!