Paul & Linda McCartney’s Legendary Album RAM set for Deluxe Reissue May 22

The 1971 album will be released across a variety of formats with new and exclusive content, including a beautifully packaged Deluxe Edition Box Set - the ultimate collectible

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Paul says, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is an album from a long, long time ago, when the world was different. This is an album that is part of my history - it goes back to the wee hills of Scotland where it was formed. It's an album called RAM. It reminds me of my hippie days and the free attitude with which was created. I hope you're going to like it, because I do!"

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Following the successful recent reissues of McCartney, McCartney II, and this year's Grammy winner for Best Historical Album Band on the Run, RAM is the latest album from Paul's iconic back catalogue to get the deluxe Paul McCartney Archive Collection treatment. As with the previous releases in the series, Paul has personally overseen every aspect of the project and the result is spectacular. In keeping with the reissue campaign to date, the Deluxe Edition Box Set is the ultimate collectable for any fan of this album. Its stunningly presented 112-page book, photo prints, handwritten lyrics and notes, four CDs and a bonus film DVD, tells the full story of a classic album that has gone down in music history as one of the most revered in McCartney's catalogue.

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RAM, originally released in May of 1971, is the only album to be credited to both Paul and Linda McCartney and was Paul's second post-Beatles LP. It was overshadowed at the time by the drama of the dissolution of The Beatles, as played out in the world's media. The album topped the charts hitting #1 in the UK and #2 in the US. While RAM polarized critics upon its release, music fans and critics alike since have overwhelmingly embraced it, with Rolling Stone, for example, revising their original review up to 4 stars.  Recently RAM has enjoyed even further re-appraisal and acknowledgement including a number of tribute albums.

RAM was written by Paul and Linda, mostly at their Scottish farm on the Mull of Kintyre. In the autumn of 1970 they flew to New York to start the recording process. Without a band in place they auditioned and drafted musicians, who included future Wings drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarists David Spinozza and Hugh McCracken.

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The band completed the album in early 1971 along with non-album tracks 'Another Day' and 'Oh Woman, Oh Why' which were released together as Paul's first post-Beatles single ahead of the release of RAM and became a Top 5 global hit. The multi-disc editions of the RAM reissue include both songs as bonus tracks. The album also gave Paul his first solo US number 1 single with 'Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey' and a Grammy win for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists.

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RAM was also issued in mono with alternate mixes, which were only made available to radio stations at the time. This version has gone on to become one of the most sought after McCartney collectables. It will now be commercially available for the first time ever on CD as part of the Deluxe Edition as well as a limited run on vinyl.

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1977 saw the release of Thrillington, an instrumental interpretation of RAM, which was originally recorded in 1971 at London's Abbey Road Studios and was arranged by Richard Hewson. It was released under the pseudonym Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington, an unknown eccentric socialite who often cropped up in mysterious newspaper classifieds. In reality Percy was a character devised by Paul and Linda. The idea behind it was simply to have some fun and the concept of doing a full orchestral album was an ambition long held by Paul.

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The additional film content features previously unreleased and exclusive content including the brand-new documentary, "Ramming", narrated by Paul, as well as the original music videos for 'Heart Of The Country' and '3 Legs'. The remastering work was done at Abbey Road using the same team who recently remastered the complete Beatles' catalogue.

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RAM will be available across a variety of different formats:

·         Standard Edition: 1 CD digipak Single disc, digitally remastered 12- track standard edition

·         Special Edition: 2 CD digipak Remastered album and 8-track bonus audio CD including rarities, b-sides and the hit single, 'Another Day'.

·         Deluxe Edition Box Set: 4 CD/1 DVD box set & download Remastered album, bonus audio CD, remastered Mono album, Thrillington CD, bonus film DVD, 112 page book, 5 prints in vintage style photographic wallet, 8 full size facsimiles of Paul's original handwritten lyric sheets and mini photographic book of outtakes from the original album cover photo shoot.

·         Hi-Res: 24bit 96kHz files of the remastered and bonus audio CD, accessed via a download code inserted on a card within the deluxe edition package

·         Vinyl: 2LP 180gm, gatefold vinyl with download Remastered album, bonus audio disc plus digital download of all 20 tracks

·         Limited Edition Mono Vinyl: 1LP, Remastered mono album

·         Digital: RAM will be available for download across a variation of digital configurations including Mastered for iTunes and High Resolution

Upcoming LA: Slake 4 Issue (Cover Sneak Peek Inside), Saturday Shelf-Life 2 at USC (Big Day for Small Press) & 3/31 99%

By Don Rose

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The folks at Slake sent me an email so chock full of goodness, I wanted to share 3 highlights from it.

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First, about their next issue, Slake says: "It's at the printer now and as soon as it's off the press and in our hands, and yours, we'll let you know where the party is."

Slake 4: Dirt

"This is the cover. You get to say you saw it first. The issue is finalized. It's cooking at the printer and almost ready for your hot, little hands. We're really excited about this issue, which features collage work throughout done by our own Alex Bacon and Anne McCaddon. Have you subscribed yet? You can subscribe right now here. You'll be glad you did, and so will we."

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Slake continues: "In the meantime, there are other great Slake events to tide you over. Read about them here."

This Saturday

"Join us 11-5 at USC Harris Hall and Watt Hall courtyards for Shelf Life 2, A Big Day For Small Presses, full of DIY publishers and artists. There's also a bazaar of hard-to-find books, magazines and other publications, plus you can come hang out with us at our booth. Anne McCaddon will talk about what it takes to make Slake and contributers Sam Slovick, Melissa Chadburn and others will read from Slake 4, "Dirt." Did we mention it's free? Come see us."

3.31.12 "Join us for all in for the 99%: A day of art music and discussion. Highlights include a screening of Sam Slovick’s Occupy LA: Scenes from the New Revolution, Val Kilmer reading Mark Twain, Slake contributers Natasha Vargas-Cooper, Erin Aubry Kaplan, Vanessa Carlisle plus a performance by Vicci Martinez. Slake and Stories: A Bookstore will curate a pop-up store of inspiring dissident literature." - - Wow! Who says LA has no culture? Certainly not I. There's always an attractive assortment of activities for Angelenos, if you know who to know... and where to look. We at Wire LA  plan to keep bringing the cool stuff to you as often as we can.  (To borrow the words of Stewart Brand and Steve Jobs, "Stay hungry... stay foolish".................. and stay tuned.) ----Don Rose

March 21, Spring Has Begun; $2 Margaritas? Acapulco Means Fun!

Spring has sprung at last,

The sun's bright above...

Margaritas less than gas,

What's not to love?

---Don Rose

March to Pinkberry March 20 for Free Frozen Yogurt (2 Locations)

Think Pink! Free Small Pinkberry with toppings

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When:

Tuesday, March 20, 2012 

11:00 am - 7:00 pm 

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Where:

Pinkberry Burbank

120 E Palm Ave.

Burbank, CA 91502

and

Pinkberry 3rd Street Promenade

1456 3rd Street

Santa Monica, CA 90401

(310) 394-4982

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What/Why:

A REFRESHING WAY TO CELEBRATE SPRING! 

THE LAUNCH OF PEACH PINKBERRY 

Stop by Pinkberry Burbank & Pinkberry 3rd Street Promenade 

to get a Free Small Pinkberry with Toppings*

Tuesday, March 20th 11am - 7pm

*Limit one small Pinkberry with toppings per customer.

Valid at participating stores only.

New iPad 3 Now in Pre-Order For March 16 Delivery; iPad 2 Drops to $399 and Up

It was totally expected, but still welcome news to those who don't mindliving in Generation X-1: the price on the lowest-end WiFi iPad 2 (no 3G)

has now dropped to $399.  This is a $100 price drop on iPad 2 

compared to before the iPad 3 announcement.

The "new iPad" -- feel free to call it iPad 3, even if Apple doesn't officially do so --

was announced on March 7, but won't be delivered til St. Patty's Day Eve.

Apple is taking pre-orders now, however. You can get it in white or black;

new features include super-hi-res Retina Display, much better (5MP iSight) camera

that can record 1080p HD video, and faster speeds (up to 4G LTE). And you may be asking:

does iPad 3 have Siri (the much hyped intelligent voice-based assistant on the iPhone 4S)?

Kinda. To quote Engadget, "Siri sort-of comes to the new iPad, does voice dictation only".

 

Back to the iPad 2: while they may say supplies are limited, my guess is that there are

plenty of iPad 2s left, since the iPad 1s were still being sold long after iPad 2 debuted.

PC Mall is one place showing the new lower prices on the iPad 2; see below. 

You can also try the Apple store - in person, or at  http://www.apple.com/ipad. ---D.R.

EnnouncementCards.com: New Site Provides Easy, Green Way For Sharing Big News

Posted by Don Rose

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We always love to hear of new website concepts, and here is one that just launched: a creative, user-friendly and FREE announcement website for every occasion. Need to share some exciting news? Are you moving? Who’s getting married or having a baby? Who’s turning 5 or 50? Who has the time to drive to the store, browse invitations, gather all the addresses, and then go to the post office and mail them? Life is busy enough without adding all these tasks to your schedule. Why not use EnnouncementCards.com instead!
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What sets this new site apart from other e-card sites? As its name implies, EnnouncementCards.com is primarily an e-announcement site.  From announcements big (moving to a new house) to small (my daughter made the honor roll), EC has cards for countless occasions. Plus, they also offer invitations, thank you cards, save-the-date cards, holiday cards, greeting cards and much more.

Plus, EC allows you to customize and personalize ANY and EVERY card.  You can easily personalize both the title and message sections of your card, tailoring all of the text specifically for your event or occasion.  Plus, any card can be used for any occasion. For example, a card from the Expecting/Birth/Adoption Category could be used as a baby shower invitation, a birth announcement, a thank you card, etc. You decide and customize precisely to fit your needs! EC also has the unique option of allowing you to easily add a photo to any card. Another benefit is that it’s extremely user-friendly. In just a few minutes you can sign-up, send a card, attach a photo, check your account, and go on with your day. You do not need to be computer-savvy to use this site, which is straightforward and effortless. Unlike most e-card sites, which lack innovative selections for cool cards, EC has a lovely assortment of cards ranging from stylish and sophisticated to fun and whimsical to elegant and classic.  EC is constantly adding new cards to their selection, too. Each Ennouncement card blends the look of a traditional paper card with the convenience of an e-card. Once your card has been sent you can check your account to see who and when someone has viewed the card - as well as whether they have replied or not.
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In short, EnnouncementCards.com is a clever and speedy site for everyone from the busy soccer mom to the corporate workaholic and all those in between! Not only will you save hundreds of dollars, and a lot of time, it’s also a great paperless (and hence green) option. Please take a few moments to check out EnnouncementCards.com, sign up, and try it out. Also consider “liking” EC on Facebook or sending a tweet about EC. They will be happy to re-post your mention and include your blog or website.

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SUMMARY:

Website: EnnouncementCards.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EnnouncementCards
Twitter:  @EC_Cards

APR 3: Free Ben & Jerry's Cone Day, 12-8pm

Cone and Get It! Tuesday, April 3rd is Free Cone Day  at Ben & Jerry’s and you know what that means...  Free Ice Cream for You! website: http://www.benandjerrys.com/scoop-shops/feature/free-cone-day As a way to thank our customers for their support  and to celebrate 34 years of scooping the chunkiest,  funkiest ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet,  Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops are happily giving it away!  Maybe it’s time  for you to try a new flavor that you’ve been wondering about without commiting your hard earned dollars or it’s time  for you to enjoy an old favorite and savor in the deliciousness that is free ice cream? Hey, either way it’s time for you to come on in! Around the world, Scoop Shops are opening their doors from noon to 8:00 pm,  to serve up a free scoop of your favorite flavor.  Please check with your local Scoop Shop for more info! Grab a pal and come on down to have some good, ’scream fun on us!