Ram - Front Cover | Ram - Rear Cover |
Ram - Gatefold Inner | |
Ram - Cassette Cover | |
Ram - The Cassette |
Label | Apple | ||||||
Catalogue No. | PAS 10003 | ||||||
Release date | 21st May 1971 | ||||||
Total time | 43:14 | ||||||
U.K. Album Chart Detail : |
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Detail : | Paul second album release, and credited to Paul and Linda McCartney. Sleeve notes include Drums - Denny Seiwell, Guitars - Dave Spinoza and Hugh McCracken, with mixing engineer "Eirik the Norwegian". It is Denny Seiwell's professionalism at these sessions which prompt Paul to invite him to join his band on a more permanent basis, to what will become ... "Wings". Paul also utilised the New York Philharmonic Orchestra to augment three tracks, "Uncle Albert", "Long Haired Lady" and "Back Seat Of My Car". The last guest appearance was made by Linda's daughter Heather on "Monkberry Moon Delight".
Recording sessions for the album took place in New York, at the "A and R" studios between January and March 1971. As well as
the 11 1/2 tracks for this album listed below, other tracks are recorded which will appear on future albums, singles, and
some will remain unissued. The extra tracks recorded at these sessions are : With advance orders of over 100,000 "Ram" entered the U.K. charts straight in at number 1, where it knocked The Rolling Stones album "Sticky Fingers" off of the top slot. Unfortunately, after two weeks in pole position, Sticky Fingers regained it's place. Still, with the sales it did achieve, "Ram" is announced that it is the "Best Selling Album of the Month". Paul and Linda filmed some home movies in January of the year, which later were edited together to become a "promo" video for the album. At the time in 1971, the top U.K. music T.V. programme was "Top Of The Pops" and it had an album slot, and it is here on 24th June that "3 Legs" and "Heart Of The Country" are shown in a very rare screening. The highly glossy sleeve has artwork by Paul and photographs by Linda. The images include two beetles mating, and a very pointed picture of two clowns in Bags. Hidden on the front cover in the right-hand wavy design are the letters "L.I.L.Y." - "Linda I Love You". There is also a rare limited edition "Ram" publicity single (1,000 copies) called Brung To Ewe By. It includes 15 short adverts by Paul and Linda which are intended as radio teasers, with a repetitive refrain of "Now hear this song of mine", plus sounds of the McCartney sheep bleating !
The album includes six tracks with joint husband and wife writing credits, which annoyed Lew Grade, who owned the
publishing company. Linda has to undergo stringent interviews to state her part in the creation of the tracks. Finally, Paul was so pleased with the tunes on "Ram", that he made a full orchestral re-make the same year under the pseudonym Percy "Thrills" Thrillington, although it wasn't released by E.M.I. until 1977.
On a personal note, I remember coming home from my local record shop on the day of release, and myself and my best friend
(John Wane) played the album ... and ... didn't like it ! ... we were so disappointed. |
Track | Composer | Time |
Too Many People | McCartney | 4:09 |
3 Legs | McCartney | 2:43 |
Ram On | McCartney | 2:27 |
Dear Boy | P.McCartney & L.McCartney | 2:11 |
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey | P.McCartney & L.McCartney | 4:48 |
Smile Away | McCartney | 3:56 |
Track | Composer | Time |
Heart Of The Country | P.McCartney & L.McCartney | 2:23 |
Monkberry Moon Delight | P.McCartney & L.McCartney | 5:23 |
Eat At Home | P.McCartney & L.McCartney | 3:20 |
Long Haired Lady | P.McCartney & L.McCartney | 6:04 |
Ram On | McCartney | 0:53 |
The Back Seat Of My Car | McCartney | 4:27 |
First C.D. release occurs 27th April 1987, catalogue number CZ 29 ... this has the same tracks as the album (it's international no. is CDP 7 46612 2)
A "Re-master" re-issue C.D. in April 1993 has catalogue number CDPMCOL 2,
(international number CDP 7 89139 2).
This has a running time of 51:27 as it adds tracks :
Track | Composer | Time |
Another Day | Mr. and Mrs. McCartney | 3:40 |
Oh Woman Oh Why | McCartney | 4:33 |
There is also a further Parlophone album catalogue number listed of ATAK 12 (+ TC-ATAK 12).
21st May 2012 - Ram - The Paul McCartney Archive Collection is released (4 CD/1 DVD + book)
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