NewsPaul McCartney / MORE Japanese mini-LP SHM CDs
Mid-period Wings
Paul McCartney is releasing a second batch of Wings era albums as limited edition Japanese mini-LP SHM-CDs (compatible with all CD players).
These are sometimes called ‘paper sleeve’ editions and and each are presented as vinyl replica CDs with the usual exacting standards from Japan including OBI-strip, extra booklet with Japanese lyrics, ‘rice paper’ sleeve for disc protection and re-sealable outer clear sleeve. The albums in question are:
- Venus and Mars (1975)
- Wings at the Speed of Sound (1976)
- Wings Over America (2CD) (1976)
- Thrillington (1977)
- Wings Greatest (1978)
These editions really normally are incredible and match the originals in amazing detail, so Venus and Mars has the two posters, stickers, inner sleeve etc., and Wings Over America has the poster and three inner sleeves (even though there’s only two CDs).
Masterings are all as per the original Archive Collection releases, so 2014 for Venus and Mars and Wings at the Speed of Sound, 2013 for Wings Over America and 2012 for Thrillington (which was in the Ram box). No one seems to know about Wings Greatest. The official line from the label is “Remaster taken from latest remastered album” (?). All the CDs are ‘album-only’ with no bonus tracks.
As with batch one (now sold out) these are extremely limited, but the SDE shop has secured a guaranteed allocation and is offering them only as a 6CD bundle, which you can order via this link or the buttons below. Strictly one bundle per customer please (multiple orders will be cancelled).
All five are released on 16 December 2024.
Extra information
Venus And Mars
Released in 1975, Venus And Mars was the first of two albums to feature what many (Paul included) regard as the perfect Wings line-up, with the McCartneys and Denny Laine now joined by guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Joe English. Recording was done in New Orleans and Los Angeles.
2014 remaster. Includes miniature 2 x poster, 3 x sticker, inner-sleeve and the booklet featuring the Japanese translations of the lyrics.
At Speed Of Sound
Released in 1976, Reinforced by months on the road, the cohesion of a settled line-up was much in evidence on Wings At The Speed Of Sound, the band’s fifth album. So much so, that each band member had at least one lead vocal performance, including Linda’s ‘Cook Of The House’ and Denny Laine’s ‘Time To Hide’. Made at Abbey Road Studios, it was Paul’s first album to be recorded in Britain since Red Rose Speedway. Two more hardy perennials emerged in the shape of ‘Let ’Em In’ and ‘Silly Love Songs’. The album was another massive success, peaking at Number 2 in the UK (where it was the fourth biggest album of the year) and topping the charts in the US, spending nearly a year in the Top 100.
2014 remaster. Includes inner-sleeve and booklet featuring the Japanese translations of the lyrics.
Wings Over America
Released in 1976, selected from 90 hours of recordings, Wings Over America is a faithful account of the 1975-76 world tour that captures the band at its peak. It was taped at several of the US shows, but mixed as if it were a single performance. Paul combined old Beatle favourites with highlights from a solo catalogue that was now achieving real stature. Though an expensive triple disc on vinyl (it had been planned as a double, but a rival bootleg version encouraged Paul to expand it) sales were remarkable and it remains one of very few live albums to make Number 1 in America – incidentally becoming the band’s fifth Number 1 album in a row.
2013 remaster. Includes miniature poster, booklet, 3 x inner-sleeve and booklet featuring the Japanese translations of the lyrics.
Thrillington
Released in 1977, The mysterious Thrillington was an instrumental cover version of Wings’ 1971 album RAM, recorded that same year at Abbey Road Studios, under the pseudonym of Percy “Thrills” Thrillington. Paul produced the album while Richard Hewson (who had previously worked on The Beatles’ Let It Be) arranged and conducted. Thrillington was shelved following the formation of Wings and finally appeared, after a teaser ad campaign in the press, in 1977.
2012 remaster. Includes inner-sleeve and booklet featuring the Japanese translations of the lyrics.
Wings Greatest
Released in 1978, Wings Greatest was the first official retrospective of Paul’s post-Beatles career and included many of his single-only releases since 1970 including ‘Live And Let Die’, ‘Hi Hi Hi’ and ‘Mull Of Kintyre’. Despite there being enough hits to fill a double album, the decision was made to slim it down to one disc, even at the expense of a US Number 1, ‘Listen To What The Man Said’.
Remaster taken from latest remastered album. Includes inner-sleeve and booklet featuring the Japanese translations of the lyrics.
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21 thoughts on “Paul McCartney / MORE Japanese mini-LP SHM CDs”
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Where’s Back to the Egg???
Nice that these are offered in a package deal so I don’t have to chase the individual CD’s. The fact that this comes out only a few months after the first batch gives me hope that London Town and Back To The Egg will be reissued like this as well. Although nothing that Macca does makes sense to the fans so not holding my breath.
These are very nice.
I have the entire set that came out early 2000’s from McCartney through to Press to Play (TOCP-65500 to TOCP-65516) and they are beautifully packaged and true to the original artwork, especially the replication of the custom labels. on the CD’s. Yes, Wings Over America is a 3CD on this issue. The only disappointments on this issue set are that McCartney and Ram only have the CD graphics that match the original 80’s silver/black CD release rather than the original Apple logos for the 70’s LP’s. Similarly, the Obi’s for McCartney, Ram, Wildlife, Red Rose Speedway and Band on the Run all have the MPL/Capitol Obi’s that were issued on the 70’s Japan vinyl LP’s from 75 onwards when McCartney switched from Apple to Capitol. Not the Apple Obi’s as initially released from ’70 through ’74.
On this new issue we get a close replication of those original Apple Obi’s, but disappointing that we don’t get the original Apple and/or custom labels on the CD’s rather we get “archive” type editions.
So, both issues are not entirely true to the original LP releases, but each has their merits, and of course current issue has more recent remastering and are SHM-CD’s.
I still love my original set from the early 2000’s, but I will grab the new issue also!
PS: to add to others comments what I REALLY WANT is archive editions of London Town and Back to the Egg and ideally a WINGS 1978-79 multi box like we had for WINGS 1971-73 with Wildlife and Red Rose Speedway.
I’d like to see WINGSPAN get re-mastered and maybe expanded in the future.
There was a poster in Wings Greatest first release. It seems the miniature poster is not included on this release. Am I wrong?
Anyway, already placed an order yesterday. Thank you Paul.
I expect the poster which was 2 sided. The band on one side and a collage on the other. Discogs does not show the poster. The LP which this one replicates had it so I fully expect it.
The image of the SHM on the Udiscover store shows the poster is present.
Thank you Dave!
Before all the usual storm of comments starts, fantastic set of replica cd’s. Perfect mastering on SHM cd. Yes, no the first time and certainly not the last time. Yes, we are still waiting for the other SDE’s. And if you don’t like them, well then don’t buy them. Thx Paul!!
Stopping just short of London Town and Back To The Egg.
Wings Greatest came out in between the two – but it does give us some hope for reissues of them now…
These have all been released as SHMs before as has Wings Greatest as a general CD reissue so I wouldn’t build your hopes up.
Actually, ‘London Town’ was released before ‘Greatest’ as the latter includes “With a Little Luck.” So, once again, the wait continues…
Actually, I have “London Town” and “Back To The Egg” from the early Japanese mini-LP Paul McCartney releases CDJapan had available about a decade ago. They’re not SHM, but they sound better than the Capitol/MLP CD editions I had, which I assume is because of better remastering. I was hoping this 2024 re-release of the Paul McCartney and Wings catalog would be done in SACD format this time. But alas, that’s not the case. Regardless, if anyone is interested in acquiring any of these Japanese mini-LPs, I think you’re going to be impressed with the painstaking attention to detail in replicating all the original album artwork in miniature.
Wings Greatest was remastered in 2018 so that’ll be the remaster used.
Was it though? Not convinced… It likely contains a mishmash of masterings.
I think you’re right in that the tracks from the albums already given the Archive treatment use those masterings, but tracks such as With A Little Luck are 2018 remasters. That’s probably why they don’t specify a specific year.
The attention to detail of the Japanese paper-sleeve releases is normally quite remarkable, but perhaps the most impressive I ever saw was the Springsteen 1975-85 live box, which swapped out the 5 LPs for 5 CDs.
There was a 3CD Japanese version of Wings Over America which I have, but they only did that once and all other versions have reverted to the 2CD configuration.
I have got the Japanese 3 CD configuration of Wings over America and it is a very classy production.
Great to see these coming out; am in for them; and here’s hoping the continue through Macca’s solo years. ‘London Town’ and ‘Back to the Egg’ and beyond – unlike some we could mention!
The same way the first pressing of Yessongs was treated in Japan; 3 cd’s. The same way as the album!