Following some not so subtle teasing, Paul McCartney has officially announced his new solo album McCartney III. The Beatles legend will release the record on December 11 via Capitol Records.
UPDATE (11/19, 4:45 p.m. ET): McCartney's III has been delayed due to "unforeseeable production delays." The album is now set to arrive on December 18.
The album — which was "made in rockdown" — comes in the wake of 1970's McCartney and then McCartney II in 1980. It will feature the artist playing all the instruments for each song on the upcoming album, with all of them also being written by McCartney.
McCartney III was recorded earlier this year in Sussex, England, and it was the result of live sessions McCartney did to capture vocals, guitar and piano. He subsequently added the bass and drums as overdubs in post.
"I was living lockdown life on my farm with my family and I would go to my studio every day," McCartney said in a statement. "I had to do a little bit of work on some film music and that turned into the opening track. And then when it was done, I thought, 'What will I do next?' I had some stuff I'd worked on over the years, but sometimes time would run out and it would be left half-finished. So I started thinking about what I had."
He went on to explain: "Each day I'd start recording with the instrument I wrote the song on and then gradually layer it all up; it was a lot of fun. It was about making music for yourself rather than making music that has to do a job. So, I just did stuff I fancied doing. I had no idea this would end up as an album."
McCartney III will arrive digitally, on CD and as multiple vinyl variants. This includes a special variant from Jack White's Third Man Records, which will release the album on 180-gram red vinyl version limited to 3,000 hand-numbered copies.
Plus Third Man will release a special "333" edition, which will be limited to 333 copies and pressed on yellow polka-dotted vinyl made from 33 recycled vinyl copies of McCartney and McCartney II. By the looks of things, though, this variant has already sold out.
If that's all too fancy for you, a retail edition of McCartney III will also arrive on white vinyl, which will be limited to 4,000 copies.
Watch an album trailer below and pre-order McCartney III now.
McCartney last released solo album Egypt Station in 2018. Earlier this year, he reissued 1997's Flaming Pie.
UPDATE (11/19, 4:45 p.m. ET): McCartney's III has been delayed due to "unforeseeable production delays." The album is now set to arrive on December 18.
The album — which was "made in rockdown" — comes in the wake of 1970's McCartney and then McCartney II in 1980. It will feature the artist playing all the instruments for each song on the upcoming album, with all of them also being written by McCartney.
McCartney III was recorded earlier this year in Sussex, England, and it was the result of live sessions McCartney did to capture vocals, guitar and piano. He subsequently added the bass and drums as overdubs in post.
"I was living lockdown life on my farm with my family and I would go to my studio every day," McCartney said in a statement. "I had to do a little bit of work on some film music and that turned into the opening track. And then when it was done, I thought, 'What will I do next?' I had some stuff I'd worked on over the years, but sometimes time would run out and it would be left half-finished. So I started thinking about what I had."
He went on to explain: "Each day I'd start recording with the instrument I wrote the song on and then gradually layer it all up; it was a lot of fun. It was about making music for yourself rather than making music that has to do a job. So, I just did stuff I fancied doing. I had no idea this would end up as an album."
McCartney III will arrive digitally, on CD and as multiple vinyl variants. This includes a special variant from Jack White's Third Man Records, which will release the album on 180-gram red vinyl version limited to 3,000 hand-numbered copies.
Plus Third Man will release a special "333" edition, which will be limited to 333 copies and pressed on yellow polka-dotted vinyl made from 33 recycled vinyl copies of McCartney and McCartney II. By the looks of things, though, this variant has already sold out.
If that's all too fancy for you, a retail edition of McCartney III will also arrive on white vinyl, which will be limited to 4,000 copies.
Watch an album trailer below and pre-order McCartney III now.
McCartney last released solo album Egypt Station in 2018. Earlier this year, he reissued 1997's Flaming Pie.