Paul McCartney / MORE Japanese mini-LP SHM CDs

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.