The Paul McCartney Archive Collection is a project to remaster and reissue Paul McCartney's solo catalogue, including various albums released with Wings. These editions feature deluxe packaging and bonus rare tracks.[1] Thus far, there have been 14 releases since the project began in 2010 (seven solo albums, six Wings albums, and one new Wings live album of previously unreleased material).[2] They are overseen by McCartney himself and remastered at Abbey Road Studios.[3] Albums reissued in this project are visually marked by a white stripe along the left side of the album cover that reads "Paul McCartney Archive Collection" and a copy of McCartney's signature.
The albums are typically released in a variety of formats: a "standard" edition that contains the original album digitally remastered on one CD; a "special" edition which contains additional discs of bonus tracks; and a "deluxe" edition which comes with extra features like bonus CDs or DVDs of unreleased material packaged in a hard-bound book. Some releases contain booklets, rare photos, interviews, artwork, promotional video clips, or documentaries. The "special" editions of the albums were also released as double LPs on 180 gram "audiophile vinyl", with the original album on one record and bonus material on the second. The records also come with a download card for MP3 versions of all tracks included. The special editions of the albums are available on streaming services worldwide.[1]
Below is a list of albums that have been reissued so far.
| Album | Original release date | Archive reissue date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Band on the Run | 5 December 1973 | 1 November 2010[4] |
| 2 | McCartney | 17 April 1970 | 13 June 2011[5] |
| 3 | McCartney II | 16 May 1980 | 13 June 2011[5] |
| 4 | Ram | 17 May 1971 | 21 May 2012[6] |
| 5 | Wings over America | 10 December 1976 | 27 May 2013[7] |
| 6 | Venus and Mars | 27 May 1975 | 23 September 2014[8] |
| 7 | Wings at the Speed of Sound | 25 March 1976 | 23 September 2014[8] |
| 8 | Tug of War | 26 April 1982 | 2 October 2015[9] |
| 9 | Pipes of Peace | 17 October 1983 | 2 October 2015[9] |
| 10 | Flowers in the Dirt | 5 June 1989 | 24 March 2017[10] |
| 11 | Wild Life | 7 December 1971 | 7 December 2018[2] |
| 12 | Red Rose Speedway | 4 May 1973 | 7 December 2018[2] |
| - | Wings 1971–73 | Previously unreleased | 7 December 2018[2] |
| 13 | Flaming Pie | 5 May 1997 | 31 July 2020[11] |
The Paul McCartney Archive Collection received two Grammy Awards.[12]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Band on the Run | Best Historical Album | Won |
| 2013 | Ram | Best Historical Album | Nominated |
| Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Wings over America | Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package | Won |
| 2017 | Tug of War | Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package | Nominated |
| 2021 | Flaming Pie | Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package | Nominated |
