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Is Paul McCartney preparing to announce a new studio album?

By Paul Sinclair

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71

‘Things’ are happening in the Paul McCartney camp right now that suggest some kind of announcement – likely to be news of the release of Macca’s 17th solo studio album – is imminent.

Paul was in his hometown of Liverpool at the weekend and as was widely reported he was spotted out and about with The Late Late Show host James Corden, apparently filming an episode of the ever popular Carpool Karaoke.

Amazingly, later on McCartney played a short set in The Philharmonic pub to around 50 lucky locals. The set included a new song (“this hasn’t been released yet”).

The top of Paul’s twitter page was changed to just white space before the weekend and on Sunday he tweeted the mysterious image at the top of this post, with no explanatory text at all. Is it a road going into a tunnel? Is it a pyramid in front of a setting sun? Answers on a postcard! The tease continued yesterday, with the another picture tweet of the image at the bottom of this post. At least we can see what that is – microphones in a studio!

Paul’s adept at promotion (remember his lunchtime gigs on the back of a truck to promote New) and the Carpool Karaoke will have been agreed on the proviso that it goes out at the right time to promote a forthcoming release.

If this activity does relate to a new studio album, it will be the follow-up to 2013’s New and the first since Paul signed to Capitol Records (which happened in late 2016).


Paul tweeted this image on Monday.

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71 Comments

71 thoughts on “Is Paul McCartney preparing to announce a new studio album?”

  1. I just pre-ordered the colour vinyl of the LP.

    Interestingly, my first attempt was through a Rolling Stone magazine article within the email that comes out of the US. The link took me to a USD$39 price, but the only postal addresses it would accept were in the US.
    I then went to the Macca website and through that link, which recognises I’m in Australia, it was AUD$100 (which is about USD$70) – – 45% more for me in Aus.
    As annoying as how much of the RSD stuff goes to the US so we have to pay inflated eBay prices (yes, I mean you, Macca’s ‘Christmas Song’ on red or green vinyl)

  4. Can’t imagine it will be a McCartney III as it would go against the fabric of this type of solo album which is TOTALLY solo, produced by himself and all instruments played by himself.
    We know that the new album has a named producer and that his live band plays on at least parts of it and there might even be a guest or two so highly unlikely it will be a McCartney III… My take on it :)

  5. I’d go with the McCartney III theory.

    The first drawing has a triangle (3 sides) 3 lines in the triangle and then three loops around it.

  6. I think it’s going to be McCartney III. New picture uploaded to fb. McCartney’s name written on lined paper and there are 3 lines after his name…

  11. I herby predict the fortcoming album to be entitled, “Cave Train” with it’s ever so slight reference to the best post Beatles related creation Caveman.

  13. Catweazle – PM is 75 years old. It’s amazing he could sing his old songs – even reasonably well – into his 60s.

    Many of his famous tunes are difficult for even a young, skilled tenor. Dude is 75. Time has just unfortunately caught up with him a bit.

  14. i’m a beatles fan of many years but i gave up on solo McCartney quite a while back. Live his voice is definately not what it used to be.

    1. Have you seen him performing ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ on his last couple of shows? It’s truly awful! He should definitely change the keys to some of those songs, but it is not even charming anymore, it detracts from the overall experience. As a matter of fact, I find his shows getting more and more predictable by the minute. Since 2010, his set is virtually the same (with just a few changes here and there), he says the same things before playing certain songs, tells the same old stories (like the one which he says that George Harrison was a great ukelele player and says “let’s hear it for George”!!!), the effects are the same, stage design etc. Quite frankly, I wasn’t amused with “New”. Even though the producers were top notch, the songs were bland and uninspired. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Paul McCartney, but I feel that these days he is doing nothing for his true fans other than play gigs for people who have never really dug deep into his catalogue or the Beatles. “Na na na na na na na, na na na na Hey Jude, and now only the boys, the girls… Arhhh

      1. I really like much of “New” but can’t disagree with your sentiments about his live performances. Everyone changes the keys to songs as their voices change… it’s just the reality of getting old, so I can’t understand the logic of Paul persevering. He could also tweak some arrangements and melodies to suit his voice. If anyone is allowed to do that, he is!

        1. Absolutely! Jon Bon Jovi has been changing the key to almost every single song he plays live. Genesis also had to do the same thing for their “Turn It On Again Tour” in order to accomodate Phil’s voice. So, why can’t Paul? I would even feel more excited about a possible forthcoming McCartney live album or tour, but at this pace, no… Remember the US Tour from 2005? The one that spawned “The Space Within Us” ? That was the last great got to see tour, the setlist was adventurous, reinvigorated and even inspired, I should say!

          1. I last saw Sir Paul live in 2010. To be fair, I was expecting the worst, but his voice was very good that night. I think it’s a little bit luck of the draw how he sounds on any particular night, but obviously over the years and decades the range has decreased.

  15. On another wee side note, Just got an email from HMV stating that they have more stock of Air’s Moon Safari, Glow in the Dark vinyl. Apparently limited in number.

  17. Whatever it means it doesn’t matter to me! Since Macca did not listen to his fans about Flowers In The Dirty deluxe box (all of you know what I mean) misfortune I’m just waiting for the missing Wings albums deluxe boxes only. If it’ll be release or not remains to be seen.

  18. I was only thinking of this a few months ago. he’s never really went longer than 5 years between albums so i’d say its around the corner

  19. I can’t see them announcing the White Album 50th anniversary release just weeks before the “Yellow Submarine” movie is re-released in theaters, and surely the White Album set would be coming out in the fall, way too far away to announce now. I’d say that signs are pointing toward McCartney’s full album coming out next Monday, his birthday, and we’ll probably see him on Corden’s show next week as well. (Geoff Emerick has worked with Paul fairly recently—”(I Want To) Come Home”—so it’s possible he’s involved in the new album.)

  20. Am I the only person who sees this and thinks of the stereo pictures from the inside of Press to Play?

    I think it’s an SDE of that album :)

  21. There’s a newer image on Macca’s twitter feed now, a black and white photo of a guitar which, on closer inspection, is the same one he used when he played the new song. New album a-comin’ methinks.

  24. It’s for his new album and nothing to do with the Beatles. He recorded it last year and it’s been expected for seemingly ages. He played a new song in Liverpool over the weekend and was filmed for an episode of Carpool Karaoke, which will presumably air only once the new album is released. Thought his last couple pf albums were really good, fingers crossed for this. Hope we also get Wildlife and Red Rose this year, September for October perhaps ahead of a November White album anniversary box.

    2. It is from Westworld but it is not the maze. It is the drawing of Arnold’s four-level pyramid of consciousness, shown a few times in Westworld when the theory of consciousness was explained.

  29. Now another picture on Twitter of his Les Paul .
    New album coming soon then !
    What version will you be buying ?
    Cd , vinyl , delux cd with extra tracks , super delux box 6 months later with dvd , coloured vinyl and of course Japanese version with extra extra songs .
    Gona be an expensive summer.

  33. It looks more a railroad than just a road…maybe he became a Born-Again Christian and he’s preparing a cover album of Bob Dylan’s Slow Train Coming :-))))))

  34. I think he should be much more worry about releasing the missing Wings albums in deluxe edition box set than prepering a new one !!!!!
    I suppose there’ll be no more since Paul and Capital Records made a deal back in 2016 !!!!!

      1. “it depends”……

        If the new music is a pile of tosh then give me a well constructed back catalogue any day.

        Having said that the back catalogue needs to be well thought out and include something unheard / worthwhile.

      2. My take…if new music wasn’t any good or interesting, I wouldn’t be interested in the old stuff anymore anyway, no matter who it is!! Always focus on how an artist evolves AND maintaining the catalogue in cool ways with SDEs…btw, the “New” album was brilliant…Macca never made a bad record, and at this rate, he never will…and wow, new album, White Album 50 AND SDEs of Red Rose Speedway AND Wild Life?!?!? Now THAT is a handful (and $$$)

  35. As Emmerick has changed his Twitter pic to the same as Macca you’d assume it’s Beatle related and the microphone pic looks like an old Abbey Road picture .
    Or has he helped Macca on a new recording ?

  36. Confused. Chris Carter announced on his weekly “Breakfast with The Beatles” program here in Southern California last Sunday that the Archive releases for “Wild Life” & “Red Rose Speedway” were coming out later this year. Can’t see a new studio album, White Album at 50 box plus 2 new Archive realeases all coming out at roughly the same time.

    1. The White Album does seem likely to happen this year, although it would be unusual for Paul to take the lead in ‘hints’ and promotion and not the main Beatles page. I’ve heard the same thing about archive releases… Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway.

  38. I didn’t think too much of ‘New’ and he’ll have to do much better this time to convince me he’s still got it. And as much as I would have loved to be there I really find that little ditty pretty lame.

  40. I can’t say I’m at all interested in McCartney but my immediate association on seeing that drawing was Glastonbury pyramid stage.
    Too early for an announcement for next year’s festival though surely!

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