Paul McCartney Announces Four Landmark Live Album Reissues

After last night’s (Thursday) first date on this year’s North American leg of his Freshen Up Tour, in New Orleans, Paul McCartney has announced updated releases of four historic live albums on 12 July.

The albums in the collection are the first full length commercial release of Amoeba Gig, from 2007; the 1993 concert album Paul Is Live; the live-in-the-studio set of 1988, Choba B CCCP; and the chart-topping triple LP of 1976, Wings Over America. The releases thus capture landmark shows in McCartney’s unrivalled history over a period of more than 30 years, and will be issued by MPL/Capitol/UM as digital editions, on CD and on both black and limited edition colour vinyl.

Amoeba Gig is the recording of the surprise free concert that Paul gave at Amoeba Music in Hollywood on 27 June 2007. Until now, only four songs from the performance have seen wide release as the Amoeba’s Secret EP, of which two were Grammy-nominated, ‘That Was Me’ and ‘I Saw Her Standing There.’ Late in 2012, a 12-song portion of the show was made available free to premium members of PaulMcCartney.com as Live in Los Angeles – The Extended Set.

The new edition of Amoeba Gig is a full 21-song recording of this extremely intimate event, which was attended by Ringo Starr and Woody Harrelson among other notables. It features versions of ‘Calico Skies’ from Flaming Pie, The Beatles’ Carl Perkins favourite ‘Matchbox,’ Paul’s timeless ballad ‘The Long And Winding Road’ and an emotional reading of his song for John Lennon, ‘Here Today.’ An exclusive soundcheck performance of ‘Coming Up’ is also part of the new release.

Amoeba Gig has been remixed by McCartney’s engineer Steve Orchard and will be available on CD, on 2 x 180 gram black vinyl and on limited edition colour vinyl (LP1 – clear, LP2 – hazy amber transparent).

Paul Is Live was the artist’s fifth live album, recorded during the US and Australian segments of his 1993 tour in support of Off The Ground. Beatles and Wings songs are accompanied by performances of Roy Brown’s ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight,’ Leiber and Stoller’s ‘Kansas City’ and more, and three songs improvised during rehearsals are included.

Newly remastered at Abbey Road Studios, the album will be available on CD, on 2 x 180 gram black vinyl and on limited edition colour vinyl (LP1 – opaque baby blue, LP2 – plush peach white opaque).

Choba B CCCP, which took its title from the Russian for ‘Back In The USSR’), was first released in the Soviet Union in 1988. It was the first LP by a Western artist to be issued exclusively for that market. The deeply personal, back-to-the-roots album was recorded live in the studio over the course of two days, which produced 22 songs, and outtakes including ‘I Saw Her Standing There.’ The album was released in the rest of the world after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Also newly remastered at Abbey Road, it will be reissued as the original 11-track Russian release, on CD, 180 gram black vinyl and limited edition opaque yellow vinyl.

The triple LP Wings Over America documented one of the most ambitious and expansive world tours ever mounted to that point, and was recorded on the North American leg of the Wings Over The World excursion. That saw McCartney and the band perform for over 600,000 people at 31 shows in the US and Canada, culminating in three concerts at The Forum in Los Angeles.

The album was last reissued in 2013 as part of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection series, and won a Grammy for Boxed or Special Limited-Edition Package. Wings Over America will be available on double CD, 3 x 180 gram triple vinyl and limited edition colour vinyl (LP1 – transparent red, LP2 – transparent green, LP3 – transparent blue). The vinyl editions will come with an original souvenir poster.

Amoeba Gig, Paul Is Live, Choba B CCCP and Wings Over America are reissued on 12 July. Scroll down for the full tracklistings, and pre-order them here.

Amoeba Gig (CD)
1. Drive My Car
2. Only Mama Knows
3. Dance Tonight
4. C Moon
5. The Long And Winding Road
6. I’ll Follow The Sun
7. Calico Skies
8. That Was Me
9. Blackbird
10. Here Today
11. Back In The USSR
12. Nod Your Head
13. House Of Wax
14. I’ve Got A Feeling
15. Matchbox
16. Get Back
17. Baby Face
18. Hey Jude
19. Let It Be
20. Lady Madonna
21. I Saw Her Standing There

Amoeba Gig (LP)
Side A:
1. Drive My Car
2. Only Mama Knows
3. Dance Tonight
4. C Moon
5. The Long And Winding Road
6. I’ll Follow The Sun

Side B:
1. Calico Skies
2. That Was Me
3. Blackbird
4. Here Today
5. Back In The USSR
6. Nod Your Head

Side C:
1. House Of Wax
2. I’ve Got A Feeling
3. Matchbox
4. Get Back

Side D:
1. Baby Face
2. Hey Jude
3. Let It Be
4. Lady Madonna
5. I Saw Her Standing There
6. Coming Up [Soundcheck]

Paul Is Live (CD)
1. Drive My Car
2. Let Me Roll It
3. Looking For Changes
4. Peace In The Neighbourhood
5. All My Loving
6. Robbie’s Bit (Thanks Chet)
7. Good Rockin’ Tonight
8. We Can Work It Out
9. Hope Of Deliverance
10. Michelle
11. Biker Like An Icon
12. Here, There And Everywhere
13. My Love
14. Magical Mystery Tour
15. C’mon People
16. Lady Madonna
17. Paperback Writer
18. Penny Lane
19. Live And Let Die
20. Kansas City
21. Welcome To Soundcheck (link)
22. Hotel In Benidorm (soundcheck)
23. I Wanna Be Your Man (soundcheck)
24. A Fine Day (soundcheck)

Paul Is Live (LP)
Side 1:
1. Drive My Car
2. Let Me Roll It
3. Looking For Changes
4. Peace In The Neighbourhood
5. All My Loving
6. Robbie’s Bit (Thanks Chet)

Side 2:
7. Good Rockin’ Tonight
8. We Can Work It Out
9. Hope Of Deliverance
10. Michelle
11. Biker Like An Icon
12. Here, There And Everywhere
13. My Love

Side 3:
1. Magical Mystery Tour
2. C’mon People
3. Lady Madonna
4. Paperback Writer
5. Penny Lane
6. Live And Let Die

Side 4:
7. Kansas City
8. Welcome To Soundcheck (link)
9. Hotel In Benidorm (soundcheck)
10. I Wanna Be Your Man (soundcheck)
11. A Fine Day (soundcheck)

CHOBA B CCCP (CD):
1. Kansas City
2. Twenty Flight Rock
3. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
4. Bring It On Home To Me
5. Lucille
6. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
7. That’s All Right (Mama)
8. Ain’t That A Shame
9. Crackin’ Up
10. Just Because
11. Midnight Special

CHOBA B CCCP (LP)
Side 1:
1. Kansas City
2. Twenty Flight Rock
3. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
4. Bring It On Home To Me
5. Lucille
6. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore

Side 2:
7. That’s All Right (Mama)
8. Ain’t That A Shame
9. Crackin’ Up
10. Just Because
11. Midnight Special

Wings Over America (CD)
CD1:
1. Venus And Mars / Rock Show / Jet
2. Let Me Roll It
3. Spirits Of Ancient Egypt
4. Medicine Jar
5. Maybe I’m Amazed
6. Call Me Back Again
7. Lady Madonna
8. The Long And Winding Road
9. Live And Let Die
10. Picasso’s Last Words
11. Richard Cory
12. Bluebird
13. I’ve Just Seen A Face
14. Blackbird
15. Yesterday

CD2:
1. You Gave Me The Answer
2. Magneto And Titanium Man
3. Go Now
4. My Love
5. Listen To What The Man Said
6. Let ‘Em In
7. Time To Hide
8. Silly Love Songs
9. Beware My Love
10. Letting Go
11. Band On The Run
12. Hi, Hi, Hi
13. Soily

Wings Over America (LP)
Side 1:
1. Venus And Mars / Rock Show / Jet
2. Let Me Roll It
3. Spirits Of Ancient Egypt
4. Medicine Jar

Side 2:
1. Maybe I’m Amazed
2. Call Me Back Again
3. Lady Madonna
4. The Long And Winding Road
5. Live And Let Die

Side 3:
1. Picasso’s Last Words
2. Richard Cory
3. Bluebird
4. I’ve Just Seen A Face
5. Blackbird
6. Yesterday

Side 4:
1. You Gave Me The Answer
2. Magneto And Titanium Man
3. Go Now
4. My Love
5. Listen To What The Man Said

Side 5:
1. Let ‘Em In
2. Time To Hide
3. Silly Love Songs
4. Beware My Love

Side 6:
1. Letting Go
2. Band On The Run
3. Hi, Hi, Hi
4. Soily

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Format: UK English