NewsPaul McCartney reissues McCartney III
The ‘3×3 Edition’
Paul McCartney has announced a third anniversary vinyl reissue of his 2020 album, McCartney III.
The ‘3×3 Edition’ constitutes three tri-colour vinyl pressings that will be allocated randomly to fans who place an order. Each includes a “print handwritten by Paul”, new cover art and an Ed Ruscha sketch poster (Ed’s the guy that designed the cover to ‘Now and Then’).
These records are only available D2C (Direct-to-Consumer via Paul/Universal stores) and you are only allowed to order two copies per customer. On top of that there’s no guarantee you will receive two different variants (i.e. you may get the same vinyl twice). All this means it’s impossible to get all three variants, without getting creative.
At the time of release (December 2020), McCartney III was issued in at least nine different vinyl pressings (includes a ‘333 Edition’ limited to 333 units via Third Man Records). Seven months later the remix-type album McCartney III Imagined was released, also with multiple vinyl variations. Therefore, it’s very surprising that McCartney has chosen to do this and even that he wants to do this. Give it a rest, why don’t you?
He’s just announced a 50th anniversary reissue of Band on the Run, the third time he’s reissued that particular album in the last 13 years. Paul seems wilfully determined to not address the elephant in the room which is that it has been almost three and a half years since his last Archive Collection Reissue. Fans are waiting for Wings’ London Town and Back to the Egg albums to be properly reissued for the first time ever. He’d do well to concentrate on that rather than giving McCartney III a frankly unwelcome third outing, in 36 months!
There is no indication at the time of writing as to how limited these are. The release date is this Friday, 15 December 2023, via Capitol Records. You can pre-order via this link.
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I think Back To the Egg is a great album. They filmed video clips for most if not all of the songs on the album which you assume would be included in the box set.
If it helps, his Got Back Tour Book mentions there will be an Archive in 2024 but doesn’t mention which one will be made.
Well he’s obviously not going to give us what we want. And next year is the 6th anniversary of Egypt Station release, so look forward to the Sarcophagus Edition……..
Wow, yet another reissue of a reissue! How about adding some marbles and drinks coasters and a scarf for the 4th anniversary…or if you’re out there macca, a refund on the reissues of Band On The Run that are now “out of date” so I can waste my hard earned cash on yet another set of previously released material on a format that I bought at the dawn of the 80s…
I for one, am not wishing for a reissue of either Wings’ London Town or Back to the EggSub-Par macca/wings efforts that never got repeated playings on my turntable. Instead, how about concentrating instead on releasing unreleased film/video/out takes, etc. for your fans who are still willing to buy what your selling if it’s actually worth the price.
m84 usa
Yes, how about different coloured marbles embedded into a special edition half inch thick clear vinyl pressing of the album.
Your right like every other wings album they are average! Wings became huge on the back of brilliant singles, they flattered to deceive! It’s became a thing on this site to shout about egg/ London Town I bet the people that keep going on about them would not buy them when and if they where released! Now a bluray of the film give my regards to Broad Street would sell by the bucket load..
Having recently looked at the original CD issue of III and the ‘Reimagined III”, Ed Ruscha is also responsible for the artwork for those too. I think his artwork is trending downward with each subsequent release (including ‘Now and Then’).
He is going to see them once and never think about them again. I wonder which marketing genuis is coming up with all these ideas?
Come on Paul, let’s see what you got when you open them up :)
For McCartney and his manager, it’s not about music anymore. It’s about “Merch”.
What a self-aggrandizement. If it were Sergeant Peppers’ 3rd birthday I could understand it.
He had assured that he was preparing a new album. I think it is now impossible for him to do so, you can understand it because of his age and voice. But he is still able to compile the material for the archival editions of London Town and Back To The Egg.
On a personal note, it is a relief for me and my pocket to stop buying vinyl, and especially these silly editions. It’s enough for me to collect CDs and avoid traps like Hackney Diamonds.
And Gilbert O’Sullivan is re releasing his single, Ooh Macca Noo Macca Nay.
I still wouldn’t have been tempted personally, but it would have been nice if those officially registered on his fan club/social media channels had the chance to buy a bundle containing all three of these new variants. Alternatively stop this palaver, melt them down and give us London Town/Back to the Egg instead!
Ha, remember when they did that McCartney III variant that was pressed from melted copies of McCartney and McCartney II?
Maybe this is to make sure they can use the leftovers for McCartney IV.
I’m sorry, but this just seems like a money grab by Universal! Why not release a remastered “Back to the Egg”? Come on Macca!!!
Yep, good point.
Coming up next, The Rolling Stones will release 12th week anniversary edition of Hackney Diamonds…
They kind of did with their new expanded edition CD… that was only 6 weeks since the original was released.
Honestly I will never understand, and will always hate, this whole random edition you will be sent. It serves nobody. Not only, but if they do three variants and you are only allowed to buy two, it is literally against themselves and really stupid. Really. REALLY. Glad I am not a fan.
Agreed! Recent David Bowie releases were doing this – you would know that someone didn’t like their color because they would send it back to the retailer, only for you to get it as “new” with the outer wrap sliced open… with a color you didn’t want either.
Easy to be a McCartney basher I thought ,then he goes and releases
stuff like this.Quite apart from the pointless nature of it, how does a committed
eco warrior sit with this wasteful use of vinyl. He is a living legend but he knows it
too I am afraid
Your “eco warrior” question is spot on. Neil Young could be asked exactly the same question.
Another money grab by Sir Paul. He needs more money for his retirement. Something like $1.2 billion US isn’t enough….
I guess Paul McCartney can release whatever he likes, but this seems a bit self-indulgent. One wonders whether MPL are doing any market research to see if people are really clamouring for this sort of thing. Judging by the other comments here, apparently not.
Personally, I spent years hoping for a ‘Press To Play’ reissue (I appreciate that almost no-one else was). Then I realised there probably wouldn’t be a great deal on it anyway: no meaningful live performances from that era, so maybe a disc of perfunctory b-sides and phoned-in remixes, with a Blu-Ray of the 1986 ‘special’ which I can happily live without.
So on the plus side, Macca’s inexplicably sluggish approach to releasing his remaining archive titles has saved me a few bob!
Check out the Nothing Is Real podcast 2-parter on Press To Play. It sounds likely that there is some interesting stuff in the vault (though whether we ever get to hear it is another matter!).
That was fascinating, thanks for the recommendation. (A couple of nice hat tips to Mr. Sinclair in there as well.)
On the one hand, there seems to be a lot more unreleased material from that era than I’d assumed; on the other, it sounds as if McCartney has completely disowned PTP which probably puts a deluxe reissue right at the bottom of his to do list.
So I reckon I am now simultaneously more likely and less likely to buy it anytime soon!
I’d love a deluxe edition of Press To Play. There is supposed to be a version of the album recorded before Hugh Padgham turned up.
After hearing XTCs album The Big Express in Dolby Atmos I think Press To Play would really benefit from the same treatment. Sonically The Big Express is very similar but the Atnos version is sympathetic to the 80s production and given the album more space and air. Might need Mr Wilson to do it though…and I bet he’d love to!
Nice to know I’m not the only one! I’ve always thought it’s one of McCartney’s most underrated albums and would love to hear a pre-Padgham version, if only so we could decide for ourselves whether his involvement was as disastrous as Eric Stewart has claimed. Or maybe a remix along the lines of ‘Time Out Of Mind’ would be the way forward…
Totally fantasising here, of course. Even if it does ever get the SDE treatment, I suspect it will probably be a grudging exercise in box-ticking, fleshed out with umpteen unwanted mixes of ‘Spies Like Us’ :-(
Actually, a lot of material from that era has leaked as bootlegs and some very rare remixes (some quite interesting, in fact). There are some live performances from that era as well, and if you want to get creative, you can add a bunch of never-heard material from the period (some were hinted at on Oobu-Joobu). It definitely needs reappraisal, and IMHO, it is a much better and daring album than some of his lazier work from the late 90s.
One interesting observation during the Nothing Is Real podcast was that the commercial failure of PTP discouraged McCartney from releasing any more ‘experimental’ albums, which is why he’s subsequently channelled his less radio-friendly output into side projects like The Fireman or the Liverpool Sound Collage.
By the mid-1980s, the public had essentially pegged him as a mainstream pop artist – hardly surprising really, given his previous output – and I suppose someone who clearly still wanted to have hits was always going to end up retreating to safer ground, just as U2 did after ‘Pop’. (Interesting that David Bowie did pretty much the opposite!)
I remember a 1989 interview in which he was pretty disparaging about his recent albums and said he felt the need to produce something more substantial to tour behind; hence ‘Flowers in the Dirt’, which – although I’d rate as one of his finest albums – is no-one’s idea of “daring”.
I do think he’s done some solid work since then but I agree, PTP was probably the last ‘proper’ McCartney album where he ventured beyond his comfort zone and for me, that makes it one of his most interesting. It’s a pity he seems to regard it as a failure and apparently prefers to keep talking up M3, which I always thought was more of a marketing triumph than an artistic one. Ah well!
Who is this for? definitely a “no dice” reissue.
If had a penny for every artist who celebrated the 3rd anniversary of an album I’d have a penny.
I’m holding out for the 4th anniversary edition of the 2nd anniversary edition.
Even apart from this album not warranting a completist approach, I’m not playing this game any more, where to be completist you need to roll the dice on which edition you will get.
I did get lucky with Bowie’s Metrobolist and get a white vinyl, but I was going to buy that anyway.
Ha! They forgot to add the ‘III’ to the front cover! Or are the letters of his name positioned in such a way that they are supposed to stand for the Roman numerals ‘III’?? With so many versions of this, you’d think they’d keep things a bit clearer. For some reason I’ve ben thinking that his was the ‘Imagined Version’ of McCartney III … Anyways: as a collector, I certainly won’t buy this.
Reissues and re-releases only seem worthwhile if new content is offered or if the previous issue has sold out/ been deleted so aint available at a reasonable price.Trying to sell the same content to the same fans with minor cosmetic presentation alterations ( i.e McCartney/ Kate Bush etc..)when it is already easy to get and your fans already have it is the most pointless cynical thing an artist can do.How they manage to sell this stuff is a mystery to me.Fans simply do not need another copy of a record they already own!
Thank goodness! I’ve been waiting ages for this reissue – losing sleep wondering if it would ever happen! It slipped out all but unnoticed at the time and has been an obscure, unappreciated gem in his catalogue for years – at least three. I mean, there was no publicity and hardly any variants – maybe only 20 or 30. Most Macca fans don’t even know it exists. The next item on the wish list has to be a deluxe remaster of that 80-single box set in its own coffin. Here’s hoping Paul focuses on giving us that before the Earth’s carbon and wood resources run out!
That cover rivals the last Sting effort for pure cringe. Does Macca think he’s Castro sheesh?
It will certainly make Discogs or Ebay listings interesting. If sellers want to list a specific colour variant they will have to unseal them thus losing the vital description “new and sealed”
I always hate it when record companies adopt this tactic of random colours. They are not stickers in a sticker pack of random stickers. And way more expensive than those stickers
A rating of this version would have been interesting, to understand what SDE readers think of it. However for me it’s a resounding no. Among other things, they don’t ship to Italy.
I want to pay for music and special content, not colours and photocopy.
Artists are now signing big million pound/dollar deals with the 3 music corporations where there the artist gets a huge wedge of cash in exchange for the corporation being able to promote and exploit that artists back and future catalogue as they like to recoup their investment.
Unfortunately it’s making these artists look desperate, ABBA, The Beatles and especially Paul.
But the artist have no say in these releases and they just see it as the corporation holding up their side of the deal, to promote and keep these artists in the public conversation…and it’s working.
The corporations know they will sell these as a majority will be bought by eBay scalpers and fans who see these releases as an investment.
Until everyone stops buying these types of releases from both the original source and eBay, and that isn’t going to happen, it will continue and get worse.
Paul McCartney has no say in a Paul McCartney release? That seems unlikely.
“you are only allowed to order two copies per customer. On top of that there’s no guarantee you will receive two different variants”
If after all the wringing dry of every possible format for a single album has been gone through the artist (and there is none more powerful) produces yet one more “collectable” and actually laughs at the consumer by making them jump through hoops like a convoluted gameshow to buy it.
I stopped scratching the itch long ago and I feel a lot healthier. Have one copy and then spend your money supporting an artist who needs it (eg. Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot down to £59.99) I love a beautiful SDE but this multiple collecting is a disease.
I first did it with ABBA product in the mid 70s single, picture sleeve, cassette, coloured vinyl of one song, looking at them now brings a lot of nostalgia for a simple time in my life where I was first discovering music. If I had tried to buy all the 30+ variations of Voyage however successful I was there would be no benefits like nostalgia just a feeling I might of missed one.
Stop buying the multiples and make the record company focus on one excellent product. Wait to buy when the price has at least halved so they learn to price fairly and consistently.
I apologise for preaching and of course do what you want with your money but where else can I talk about a predominatly male problem that needs addressing. I want good product to flourish and people to love music not the box it came in (unless its REALLY pretty).
I like the cover. Better than the other dice versions.
Love the triple coloured vinyl.
Can’t imagine they have pressed many of these as most of his fans would have one or more of the original release.
Perhaps they could have pressed some different music music on it though.
This is a surprisingly rapid reissue of your initial post Steve – but you’ve added an additional line at the end which makes your reissue more valid than McCartney’s.
I’m waiting for the third anniversary of steve’s comment to be released on multi-colored vinyl.
In all sincerity, I happen to not like the colors of this vinyl edition. But that’s just me.
I presume the cover is meant to be a stamp?
I like the cover. Better than the other dice versions.
Love the triple coloured vinyl.
Can’t imagine they have pressed many of these as most of his fans would have one or more of the original release.
The only interest in this album was that he had been made during lockdown , the period was incertain , no concert …. in lack of music i bought the vinyl and cd editions. Both have been sold on the second hand market since for 10 (vinyl) and 1 euro (cd) . So reissue of the reissue …not for me
I think you’ll find it was actually made during rockdown.
I only own one copy of this album and it’s on CD. Nobody tell Macca, please.
Absolutely fakking ridonculous!
No wonder people are not buying (physical) music anymore, it’s just too much.
Ugh. Wish he’d leave this wankfest of a snoozer alone long enough to give us archive editions of London Town and Back To The Egg. ENOUGH ALREADY!
Isn’t it about time for London Town and Back Ro The Egg?! I really have no clue why those two fine albums are again get ignored in favour of the umpteenth version of McCartney 3 or Band On The Run.
As a fan of just shy of 60 years, I feel like we are being trolled. Who came up with this? Scott Rodger? Universal? Ridiculous. A blu-ray of the surround mixes would have been welcome. But more color vinyl? Seems like Yoko and Sean got it right with the upcoming Mind Games set. Perhaps Mr. McCartney should consult them about how to do the reissues right.
There comes a point when you begin to wonder if the goal is to completely burn out people who still buy physical media until no one is buying, so they can switch everything over to streaming and downloads. It’s not like there’s a shortage of the other 700 variants they’ve put out.
Also, yet another Band On The Run!? Yawn.
At least BotR will have something different.
Paul McCartney & The Emperor’s New Clothes.
Ed Ruscha’s art is just shit!
Thanks Paul …. I’m saving a fortune this year, between the Beatles and your underwhelming releases.
Why, Macca, why?
I can’t get over the fact somebody actually produced and presenting that dogsh&t artwork for ‘NOW AND THEN’ to Paul. And he loved it.
I love this album but I have enough copies.
I bought McCartney III’s various coloured vinyls. It was all very exciting until you actually listened to the album. Based on that experience I won’t be getting caught up in that again. Totally different story with The Rolling Stones Hackney Diamonds. Lots of interesting formats plus and most importantly a great album.
Stones hasn’t released anything that i would say great after Exile On Main Street. Hackney Diamonds is just overcompressed turd!
Bonkers. Unnecessary. Frankly embarrassing. Get on with something worthwhile.
Yep!
Like (AFFORDABLE and COLLECTIBLE) book-sets or booklets (NOT MEGA BOXSETS) featuring multi-hybrid SACDs and HIREZ 5.1+ SURROUND SOUND via HFPA-BLU-RAY!
Simply having a wonderful……..oh no!!!!
Rupert the red nosed reinbear just turned around and ran back to the north pole holding both paws over his eyes, with plum pudding in his ears, screaming all the way….NOOOOOOOOOO, not this!!!!
Christmas 2023 was canceled today.
This issue is the bloody limit of unnecessary releases, for one of the worst McCartney recordings in history.
Let’s make this X-mas great again: Don’t buy this record! ……
It seems like an odd marketing decision, given that they were just released and again in a box of all solo releases. We all have a choice to buy or not. Mine is not to buy it, but I am not a collector of coloured variants. It does get my interest for a few seconds. My FOMO definitely clicks in.
If there was an extra track or two, well that’s a different story….
I will second the wish for the Back to the Egg and London Town Archive versions to be released finally. But I am losing hope.
:(
I did collect some of the initial coloured vinyl variants of this album and the Reimagined version. But this 3rd anniversary (?!) edition is just taking the mick. There was an element of FOMO but it quickly disappeared. As a diehard Macca fan I’m embarrassed by this. He doesn’t even play any of this album on his current tour (apart from the sound check).
I’m waiting for the Deluxe Edition. Should be out in February or March.
Not a fanatic Paul McCartney / Wings fan but have been keeping up to date with releases via this website.
First thought was £35 and you get a random variation of a single LP. £35!
Alas I think Paul McCartney is just having a laugh at his fans expence – which is very sad.
‘Hand written by Paul’ – hello photocopier!
Peter Gabriel new album of original material at 2CD+BD at £22!
Must admit the cloured vinyl does look nice.
Makes me feel feel sad. :(
With every new McCartney announcement, my patience wears ever thinner. Surely he must know that a London Town/ Back To The Egg reissue is begging to be released. This is a surprise though. My money would have been on another photo book, rather than yet another McCartney III release. I do wonder how much creative input he has anymore. Is this truly his idea or does his marketing team go “Paul, we really should put out another coloured vinyl variant of the last album. If you agree, give us a thumbs up. Great! That’s confirmed”.
This release in principle alone certainly is most unnecessary and unwelcome. I really don’t want to play this game anymore. Something in me really does want the funky psychedelic-looking variant though, but I’ll be buggered if I’m ordering multiple copies from multiple country websites with absolutely no guarantee of even getting the one I want. There’s also nothing to say that these variant have been pressed in equal numbers. What the chances that the one I want has only a miniscule pressing and the other two are the majority.
Nope, I’m out this time.
Oh – and somebody needs to tell Macca that Ed Ruscha art simply isn’t very good……
It’s fitting the album then, isn’t it?
The McCartney marketing team are absolutely clueless. Just when you thought they were finally giving us something interesting with BOTR Underdubb we get more POINTLESS McCartney III variants.
By all means lets press more M3 but let the FITD digital downloads from a Super Deluxe Box set sit in digital purgatory….
Im looking forward to the 4th anniversary edition. Apparently itll have a diffrent coloured font
4X3 [maybe 4X$ ?] to be released about this time next year. :-)
At the very least, this waste of time reissue should have been repackaged with McCartney III Imagined
I’m surprised III and III Imagined wasn’t packaged together and then at one point release it with some further remixes and/or unreleased tracks.
As my dad always said “you can’t polish a turd”
… but you can roll it in glitter
.
And to top it off, for some reason the cover doesn’t even look like Paul.
Absolute nonsense. I thought things were bad when we had albums’ five year anniversaries being marked with expensive reissues. This is even worse. Is he trying to trump his own Egypt Station for most versions released?
I bought McCartney III on white vinyl on release. I later got a very good deal on the McCartney I/II/III box set, so I sold the white vinyl. I only want/need one copy.
I think there are quite a few variants of Hackney Diamonds and now worse with the 2 CD edition [is there an expanded vinyl edition (in multiple colours)?]
If people keep buying vinyl variants, they’re going to keep making them. It’s so much easier to exploit a loyal fanbase than it is to release and promote new music.
My mood has gone from Pipes Of Peace to Tug Of War with this announcement. Absolute waste of time and effort. Everyone who wants a copy has one or can easily get one still available in the usual places.
What started as a great thrill to have McCartney III in the world at a time of huge stress in 2020 has become bizarre.
Let’s not forget that a bunch of III songs were also released in the Singles box, so the album has well and truly been rinsed dry.
Thanks Ben,
your first sentence made me lmfao.
He’s trawling people now, isn’t he?
These will no doubt turn out to be more expensive than the other versions in the resale market but its all a bit pointless. The mystery element to what you actually get is very alienating. How many people who bought one of the many original versions still play it?
deary deary me. talk about flogging a dead horse.
WHY ?
Unlike Hackney Diamond, it’s a great album. One of his best of the XXIth century.
Really!!!!! Has everyone gone completely off their rockers???
To each his own
…and here I thought this was a release of 3 x 3″ Mini-CDs that were all the rage in the late 80s. XTC did this with their Oranges and Lemons album and it was fab.
Missed opportunity.
Oh great. Now Macca or his people will see this and realize they have a whole new product to take our money. Mini-Cd’s.
I see it now,
Version 1 will be the same covers just with a number designation – 1-9
Version 2 will be the same 9 but with different covers
Version 3 will be the same 9 but with the jigsaw puzzle cover
Version 4 will be the same 9 but with black and white cover version
And on and on and on.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say releasing the long awaited London Town/Back To The Egg archive editions would have been a better way to honor Denny. Paul needs to move on from McCartney III, we have.
I’m sure both these projects have been in the pipeline for a while. Anything “honoring” Denny would only be worked on now, if it was specifically meant to honor him.
I’m sure paustin is well aware.
Logically if it’s coming out this week, it must have been signed off before Denny died, but I understand your point there.
oh, I know. Of course they’ve been in the pipeline. I’m sure you see my point. I mean absolutely noone is calling for this release. I get the cute 3rd anniversary of Macca III thing he’s trying to do here. But this release has been variant-ed to death.
Agreed – would have been cute if there were only one or two vinyl versions in 2020.
And obviously these things aren’t really an either or, he could have done both or neither (though obviously there is the Band On The Run reissue that was announced before this but released after it. Confused? You will be).
People should vote with their wallets and not buy the same thing again and let these end up in the bargain bins. Ripping off the fans and as you say get on with the archive reissues instead.