Fifty years to the week of its original release, MPL and UMe have announced the expanded 50th anniversary edition of Paul McCartney & Wings’ iconic album Band on the Run, due February 2, 2024. Ahead of this, "Band on the Run (Underdubbed)" is being released this Thursday, December 7.
Paul McCartney and Wings 'Band on the Run' spotlights its iconic front cover photo
The two-time Grammy-award winning and No. 1-charting album is McCartney' most successful release in his catalog of post-Beatles work. This special edition is not only one LP, but part of several variants that will be offered by MPL and UMe.
Beginning with the essential LP, this special vinyl edition was cut at half speed from the original master tapes from 1973 by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, London. The single vinyl album configuration mirrors the US tracklist, which features the song "Helen Wheels" and includes a Linda McCartney Polaroid poster.
'Band on the Run' 1LP Edition
The 2LP vinyl edition features the original US album, remastered at half speed, and a second LP titled Underdubbed Mixes Edition. The set also includes two Linda McCartney Polaroid posters.
'Band on the Run' 50th Anniversary 2LP Edition
A 2CD format will feature the original US album, "underdubbed" mixes, and a double-sided fold-out Polaroid poster taken by Linda McCartney. Band on the Run (Underdubbed) will also be released digitally.
'Band on the Run' 50th Anniversary 2CD Edition
If you're curious about the definition of "underdubbed," McCartney explained, "This is Band on the Run in a way you've never heard before. When you are making a song and putting on additional parts, like an extra guitar, that's an overdub. Well, this version of the album is the opposite, underdubbed."
Band on the Run will also be available in Dolby ATMOS for the first time, newly mixed by Giles Martin and Steve Orchard.
The sessions for this legendary album have been detailed in many interviews given by McCartney over the years. After the departure of drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarist Henry McCullough, the remaining members of Wings — McCartney, his wife Linda and Denny Laine — took off to Lagos, Nigeria, as McCartney thought recording at the EMI Studios there would be fun. "So I asked EMI where they had studios 'round the world. There were some amazing countries where they had studios and I thought 'Lagos… Africa… rhythms… yeah', 'cause I’ve always liked African music."
Those sessions, interspersed with Paul and Linda being mugged at knifepoint and a life-threatening case of bronchial pneumonia with Paul, nonetheless elicited a now-revered masterpiece and came in at Number 75 in Q Magazine's 100 greatest British albums of all time in 2000.
