Paul McCartney Officially Announces ‘McCartney III’ Album
Following much speculation from fans and much teasing on social media from Sir Paul McCartney, McCartney III has officially been announced, and is due 11th December via Capitol Records.
The album follows on from 1970’s self-titled solo debut and 1980’s McCartney II and found the musician playing all the instruments and writing, recording, and producing every song in what he has called, ‘rockdown’.
McCartney III was recorded earlier in the year at McCartney’s home in Sussex. He recorded live takes on vocals, guitar and piano and overdubbed bass and drums. The sleeve, pictured below, features cover art and typography by Ed Ruscha, of a die cast on the number three. And, as the photos for McCartney and McCartney II were shot by McCartney’s late wife and Wings bandmember, Linda, it is beautifully fitting that McCartney III features photographs by his daughter Mary and nephew Sonny.
The new album will be McCartney’s 18th solo album, with his most recent release being 2017’s Egypt Station. He has also been busy with a big reissue campaign, which has included box sets of Flaming Pie as well as extravagant reissues of material by his band, Wings.
McCartney III is being given a similar treatment. As well as being available on CD and digitally, it is being issued in a variety of different vinyl pressings. This includes an incredibly limited 333 yellow and black spot copies pressed up by Jack White’s record label, Third Man. The tiny quantity of LPs feature 33 recycled copies of McCartney and McCartney II in the pressing. Unsurprisingly, these have already sold out.
Similarly, there have been a variety of limited coloured vinyl pressings made in white, red, blue, green and brown many of which have also already sold out.
Due for release in December, expectations are high to see what McCartney has conjured up with his latest solo record, McCartney III.