The forthcoming May 2012 deluxe reissue of Paul McCartney’s Ram will feature a new documentary on the making of the album, and we’ve got a new segment to share. Hear McCartney talk about the genesis of his second solo album, and how he decided to invite his first wife Linda to be in his new band.
Originally released in May of ’71, Ram shot to No. 1 in the UK and No. 2 in America on the the strength of the former Beatle’s first solo U.S. charttopper in “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey.” The Grammy-winning album is the only one credited to “Paul and Linda McCartney,” who appear with guitarists David Spinozza and Hugh McCracken, as well as future Wings drummer Denny Seiwell.
[SOMETHING ELSE! INTERVIEW: Henry McCullough talks about his time with Paul McCartney and Wings, Joe Cocker and the Grease Band — and how addiction almost cost him everything.]
This new deluxe edition will also feature a special mono mix of the album, originally only available to radio stations, as well as Thrillington — an instrumental interpretation of Ram released under the pseudonym Percy ‘Thrills’ Thrillington — and the original music videos for “Heart Of The Country” and “3 Legs.”
McCartney narrates the documentary, titled “Ramming,” offering intimate details about the creation of the album. For instance, he and Linda spent the summer before the release of Ram in Scotland — an idyllic environ that provided respite from the intense attention surrounding the breakup of the Beatles and would, of course, later inspire Wings’ hit “Mull of Kintyre.”
“Just to keep myself amused, I would sit around making stuff up on the guitar,” McCartney says. “So we thought: ‘Well, that’s maybe the way to go’ — to just see what forms out of the bare elements instead of thinking ‘oh, after the Beatles, it’s got to be important. It’s got to be super-musicians.’ This more like: ‘Let’s just find ourselves.'”
[ONE TRACK MIND: Laurence Juber discusses key songs from his tenure with Paul McCartney and Wings, along with favorite sides from his solo career and Al Stewart projects.]
As for how his wife — a photographer who had little experience in music — came to receive co-headline billing on the album, and then to become a stalwart member of Wings, the process was similarly organic: “I remember once night sort of saying to Linda, ‘I’m gonna form a band. Would you like to be in it?’ And with some trepidation she kind of said, ‘Uh, yeah.'”
The new Ram project follows the recent Paul McCartney Archive Collection reissues of McCartney, McCartney II, and Band on the Run, which earned a Grammy this year for best historical album. A complete tracklisting for the deluxe edition and a preorder link is below.
Track list for the deluxe edition of Paul McCartney’s Ram reissue:
CD Disc 1 (Ram – Stereo)
Too Many People
3 Legs
Ram On
Dear Boy
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
Smile Away
Heart of the Country
Monkberry Moon Delight
Eat at Home
Long Haired Lady
Ram On
The Back Seat of My Car
CD Disc 2 (Rarities)
Another Day
Oh Woman, Oh Why
Little Woman Love
A Love For You (Jon Kelly remix)
Hey Diddle (Dixon Van Winkle mix)
Great Cock And Seagull Race (Dixon Van Winkle mix)
Rode All Night
Sunshine Sometime (earliest mix)
CD Disc 3 (Ram – Mono)
Same track list as Disc 1
CD Disc 4 (Thrillington)
Too Many People
3 Legs
Ram On
Dear Boy
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
Smile Away
Heart of the Country
Monkberry Moon Delight
Eat at Home
Long Haired Lady
The Back Seat of My Car
DVD
Ramming
Heart Of The Country
3 Legs
Hey Diddle
Eat At Home On Tour
a selection of Now Hear This jingles
- Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop, “When I Fall” (2024): Video premiere - March 15, 2024
- Disaster Pony,“Dead Neon & The Noon Sun” from ‘Disaster Pony’ (2024): Video premiere - February 27, 2024
- Christopher Hoffman, “Farewell Forever” from ‘Vision Is The Identity’ (2024): Streaming premiere - February 19, 2024
