McCartney and McCartney II reissue details announced

Details have been announced of the forthcoming reissues of Sir Paul McCartney’s solo albums McCartney and McCartney II.

The two albums will be re-released in a variety of formats on 13 June 2011 (14 June in the US), as part of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection. This follows on from the November 2010 reissue of the 1973 Wings album Band On The Run.

McCartney and McCartney II were originally released in 1970 and 1980 respectively, and effectively bookended his work with Wings. The McCartney album signalled his break from The Beatles, and the sequel did the same for Wings. Often experimental in nature, the recordings were intended to be mostly low-key, uncomplicated and spontaneous.

The formats of the reissues are similar to Band On The Run, with various formats, bonus discs and extras. A Special Edition of McCartney will contain two CDs, including the original album plus seven bonus tracks. The Deluxe Edition will feature an additional DVD with rare footage, and a hardback book containing photographs by Paul and Linda McCartney, liner notes and historical information on the recording.

The Special Edition of McCartney II will feature the remastered album plus eight bonus tracks including alternative versions, b-sides, the 1979 hit ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ and a live version of ‘Coming Up’.

McCartney II’s Deluxe Edition will contain a bonus DVD with the videos for Coming Up and the unreleased Blue Sway, the bonus audio CD, a hardback book with Linda McCartney photographs and background information on the album’s creation.

Both albums will also be available as two-disc 180gm audiophile vinyl sets as well as digital downloads.