Linda McCartney - Wide Prairie Colour 1LP

Wide Prairie, a posthumous 1998 compilation of Linda McCartney recordings spanning the early 1970s through the late 1990s, was re-released Friday 2nd August via MPL / Capitol / UMe.

The only album to be released solely under Linda’s name, Wide Prairie features Linda on vocals and various instruments on songs she wrote or co-composed and recorded with Wings between 1972 and 1980, the single-only 'Seaside Woman’ / 'B-Side to Seaside' released under the pseudonym of Suzy and the Red Stripes, cover versions of classics by the McGuire Sisters, The Coasters and more, and solo work from the ‘80s and ‘90s including her final recording, 'The Light Comes from Within' (co-authored by and featuring Paul McCartney, as well as their son James on electric and acoustic guitar). 

The album was recorded in various locations including Jamaica, Paris, Nashville, and Sussex with contributors including husband Paul; son James; Wings members Denny Laine, Denny Seiwell, Henry McCullough, Jimmy McCulloch, Joe English and Laurence Juber; writer Carla Lane who also co-wrote ’The White Coated Man’ and ‘Cow'; Lee “Scratch” Perry and members of the Black Ark studio band Boris Gardiner, Winston Writer and Mikey Boo. 

Two tracks from the release highlight Linda’s interest in other art forms outside photography and music. ‘Seaside Woman’ featured in the Palme d’Or winning short film by Oscar Grillo at the Cannes Film Festival in 1980. 'Oriental Night Fish’ also appeared in a short film of the same title created by Linda and Ian Emes.

Wide Prairie will be released Friday 2nd August on limited edition white/blue coloured vinyl and classic black vinyl, CD, digitally and on streaming services. The reissue will mark the first time the album has been available on vinyl since its original 1998 release.

To celebrate the first UK showing of the Linda McCartney Retrospective, the limited edition colour vinyl LP pressing of Wide Prairie will be available exclusively for one month prior to the album's general release at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow from the exhibition’s Friday 5th July opening. The major retrospective of Linda’s photography has been curated by Paul, Mary, and Stella McCartney. (More information here)