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Paul McCartney’s classic album “Band on the Run” has been reissued in four editions today. This is the first of a series of planned reissues of McCartney’s solo and Wings albums. “Band on the Run” was recorded in Lagos, Nigeria in September/October 1973, with overdubs and orchestral tracks added in London later in October. It was Wings’ third album and McCartney’s fifth since the break-up of the Beatles.

All songs on “Band on the Run” were written by Paul and Linda McCartney, except “Let Me Roll It” which was a solo effort by Paul and “No Words” which was written by Paul and Denny Laine.

McCartney in the Lagos studio recording “Band on the Run”

The album was a commercial and critical success, reaching number one in the US and UK in 1974. It also earned Paul McCartney and Wings a Grammy for “Best Pop Vocal Performance By a Duo, Group or Chorus.”

The 2010 reissue of “Band on the Run” is available as a:

• single CD standard edition
• 2CD+1DVD special edition
• 3CD+1DVD deluxe edition
• 2LP vinyl edition, with the same contents as the 2CDs in the special edition (see below).

Here’s what you will get on each release:

Band on the Run – standard edition (1CD)

1. Band on the Run
2. Jet
3. Bluebird
4. Mrs Vandebilt
5. Let Me Roll It
6. Mamunia
7. No Words
8. Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)
9. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five.

Band on the Run – special edition (2CD+1DVD)

CD 1 has the same content as the standard edition. The second CD contains:

1. Helen Wheels
2. Country Dreamer
3. Bluebird*
4. Jet*
5. Let Me Roll It*
6. Band on the Run*
7. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five*
8. Country Dreamer*
9. Zoo Gang.

* “One Hand Clapping” was a documentary showing Paul and Wings at work at Abbey Road studios on August 15th, 1974.

The DVD features:

1. Band on the Run
2. Mamunia
3. Album promo – Band on the Run, Mrs Vandebilt, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five, Bluebird
4. Helen Wheels
5. Wings In Lagos
6. Edit of mute black and white footage of a day out in Lagos during the recording sessions with a soundbed based on an alternative version of Band on the Run
7. Osterley Park
8. Behind the scenes footage at the album cover photoshoot
9. One Hand Clapping -51m 49s documentary.

Band on the Run – deluxe edition (3CD+1DVD)

This is the same as the special edition, but with a 120-page hardbound book and an extra CD featuring tracks from a documentary produced for the 25th anniversary of the album. This includes dialogue from the band members, and original/live/rehearsal versions of a number of songs.

Click here to view great deals for all four editions of “Band on the Run.”