- Снова в СССР
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Снова в СССР 
Studio album by Paul McCartney Released October 31, 1988 Recorded 20 & 21 July 1987 Genre Rock and Roll Length 47:54 Label Melodiya (Μелодия) Producer Paul McCartney Paul McCartney chronology All the Best!
(1987)Снова в СССР
(1988)Flowers in the Dirt
(1989)Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic 
linkСнова в СССР (Russian transliteration Snova v SSSR; English: Back in the USSR or The Russian Album) is the 7th studio album by Paul McCartney originally released in 1988 exclusively in the Soviet Union. The album consists entirely of covers, mainly of rock 'n roll oldies (similar to John Lennon's 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll). With the addition of an extra track, the album was released internationally in 1991.
Rhapsody praised the album, calling it one of their favorite cover albums.[1]
Contents
History and structure
Following the tepid reaction to his 1986 studio album Press to Play, McCartney spent much of the first half of 1987 plotting his next album. In July, he got the urge to get back to his roots by singing some of his favourite hits from the 1950s and over the course of two days, with three other (session) musicians, McCartney recorded sixteen songs, thirteen of which would be chosen for the eventual album release in the USSR the following year.
The title Снова в СССР is Russian for "Back in the U.S.S.R."—a famous Lennon/McCartney song from The Beatles' 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as the White Album). The title is often taken as if written in Latin letters (i.e. choba b cccp), but it is Russian, written in the Cyrillic alphabet, transliterated Snova v SSSR, and pronounced in Russian roughly snova v ess-ess-ess-er.
During the recording sessions 22 songs were recorded, but originally only 11 were put on the album. A second Soviet pressing, released in December 1988, increased the song total to 13 by adding "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday" and "Summertime." The 1991 worldwide CD release contained 14 tracks by including "I'm in Love Again" (first released in 1989 as one of the B-sides to McCartney's "This One" single) as a bonus track. Two more tracks from the sessions saw official release: the blues jam "I Wanna Cry" as another of the "This One" B-sides and "It's Now or Never" on the New Musical Express double-LP/CD "The Last Temptation Of Elvis" in England in February 1990.
Six songs from the sessions remain unreleased: "I Saw Her Standing There" (the Beatles song), "Take This Hammer" (Lonnie Donegan) "Cut Across Shorty" (Eddie Cochran), "Poor Boy" (Elvis Presley), "Lend Me Your Comb" (Carl Perkins), and "No Other Baby" (The Vipers). The last of these would be re-recorded by McCartney on 1999's Run Devil Run.
The Russian album includes liner notes all in Russian, from original text by Roy Carr of the New Musical Express.
The cover of the album was designed by Michael Ross. Paul's photograph in a red star, the USSR's symbol was taken by Linda McCartney and was first featured inside of the gate fold album cover of Ram.
McCartney intended Снова в СССР as present for Soviet fans who were generally unable to obtain his legitimate recordings, often having to make do with copies; they would, for a change, have an album that people in other countries would be unable to obtain. Accordingly, McCartney never intended the album to be sold outside the USSR, and mirroring the situation as it had been within the Soviet Union, it was a popular import or bootleg album in other countries. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Снова в СССР was given a worldwide release in 1991, reaching #63 in the UK and #109 in the US. Curiously, the title is misprinted on this release as СНОВА Б СССР (Б is the Cyrillic equivalent of the letter B in the Latin alphabet, rather than the B, equivalent to V, of the original).
Track listing
No. Title Writer(s) Length 1. "Kansas City" Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller 4:02 2. "Twenty Flight Rock" Eddie Cochran/Ned Fairchild 3:03 3. "Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" Lloyd Price 3:17 4. "I'm in Love Again" (Bonus track on 1991 international release) Fats Domino/Dave Bartholomew 2:58 5. "Bring It On Home to Me" Sam Cooke 3:14 6. "Lucille" Richard Penniman/Albert Collins 3:13 7. "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" Duke Ellington/Bob Russell 2:51 8. "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday" Fats Domino/Dave Bartholomew/Roy Hayes 4:12 9. "That's All Right Mama" Arthur Crudup 3:47 10. "Summertime" George Gershwin 4:57 11. "Ain't That a Shame" Fats Domino/Dave Bartholomew 3:43 12. "Crackin' Up" Ellas McDaniel 3:55 13. "Just Because" Bob Shelton/Joe Shelton/Sydney Robin 3:34 14. "Midnight Special" Trad. Arr. Paul McCartney 3:59 Personnel
- Paul McCartney: Bass guitar, guitars, vocals.
- Mick Gallagher: Keyboards, piano
- Nick Garvey: Bass guitar, backing vocals
- Mick Green: Guitar
- Henry Spinetti: Drums and percussion
- Chris Whitten: Drums
Chart positions
Year Country Chart Position Weeks 1991 Japan Oricon Weekly Albums Chart (Top 100) 48 3[2] United Kingdom UK Albums Chart (Top 75) 63 1[3] United States The Billboard 200 109 3 See also
- Концерт, by Billy Joel
References
- ^ "Rhapsody’s Favorite Covers Albums". http://blog.rhapsody.com/2010/02/great-covers-albums.html. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ^ "Paul McCartney Japanese Album Chart listings". Original Confidence. http://homepage1.nifty.com/tuty/after_beatles_paul_albumchartaction_japan.htm/. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ^ "Paul McCartney UK Album Chart listings". UK Albums Chart. http://homepage1.nifty.com/tuty/after_beatles_paul_albumchartaction_uk.htm/. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
External links
- JPGR's Beatles site: Paul McCartney's CHOBA B CCCP
- Official Beatles discography (USSR, Russia and other former Soviet republics) site: Paul McCartney's CHOBA B CCCP (1st edition – 11 tracks)
- Official Beatles discography (USSR, Russia and other former Soviet republics) site: Paul McCartney's CHOBA B CCCP (2nd edition – 13 tracks)
Categories:- Paul McCartney albums
- 1988 albums
- Parlophone albums
- Rockabilly albums
- Albums produced by Paul McCartney
- Covers albums
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