B50301 – Paul McCartney 1987 Pre Production Proof For The Limited Edition of 50 Copies Choba B CCCP Album (UK)

A proof sleeve for Paul McCartney’s 1987 super limited edition album ‘Choba B CCCP’ (Back in the USSR in Russian). The album is widely considered to be the rarest of all Paul McCartney’s vinyl releases. It was pressed in a run of just 50 copies, at the request of Paul McCartney’s then manager Richard Ogden The proof sleeve which is being offered for sale here differs from the one which was used for the limited run of 50 copies (a copy of which is illustrated above dedicated to Mike and Lindy). The main differences are the hand on the back of the sleeve is missing on the released issue of 50 copies and the star on the front cover is also lighter on the issued sleeves.To follow is a short history of what came to be known as the ‘Russian Album’. Whilst Paul McCartney was rehearsing musicians in 1987 for his upcoming world tour, they recorded 13 covers of rock ‘n roll songs on the 20th and 21st July 1987 at Paul’s Hog Hill Mill studios, mixing took place on the 22nd. Richard Ogden notes that Paul was ‘…so happy with the results he decided he wanted to release an LP, compiled from the two different sessions.’ For various reasons at this point, EMI were reluctant to release the album so Richard had 50 copies made on a 12’’ hand press at EMI’s factory.Ogden then turned to designer Mike Ross to come up with an idea for the album’s sleeve. Mike recalls, ‘At Richard’s request I designed a “bootleg-looking” cover with a “Russian look”. Partly due to the very limited print quantity (50) and partly to reinforce the “bootleg” look and feel, I suggested that we hand-silkscreen them (that is why we only printed in two colours) and that we print “on the wrong side of the board” – the matte unfinished surface. The surface that is normally printed can be seen/felt on the interior of the sleeve. I was asked to design a logo made up from the sickle of the Communist “hammer and sickle” symbol, combined with some words in Russian, resulting in something, which looks like an apple. The first word means red, but the second word is a made-up word – something related to the word “bite”. Without a doubt it is a play on words, possibly a dig at Apple Records and possibly suggested by Paul himself. That and the sleeve notes on the back cover are literally “lost in translation”.’ Mike also had 50 numbered stickers printed which were used to seal each album, creating further exclusivity. With the cover package now complete – vinyl pressed, cover design finished, and the numbered label sealing the sleeve, Richard Ogden gave these 50 copies of the Russian album to Paul McCartney as a Christmas present. Paul subsequently signed copies of the album sleeve and gave one to each person who had been involved in the process of creating the record.Ogden then pressed on further with the Russian theme and MPL eventually licensed the release of the album through the Russian state’s official record label Melodiya. Two different versions of the album manufactured in Russia appeared. The first was unauthorized by MPL/EMI and included sleeve notes by a Russian journalist, it contained 11 tracks and had a mustard background on the reverse sleeve. Then EMI and MPL made Melodiya re-manufacture the album, reverting to the original 13 track format and including sleeve notes by NME’s Roy Carr translated into Russian. EMI released the Russian Album internationally a couple of years later, selling a million copies and according to Richard Ogden, “All parties were happy in the end”.Incidentally, the detail of the sleeve’s design of all the widely released version differs from that of the original limited edition of 50 copies. Amongst other things, the colour of the front and back sleeves was different, the spelling of the letters on the front sleeve, the position of the star on the front cover, the notation on the spine etc. The condition is excellent.