Paul McCartney and Wings: Band on the Run 50th Anniversary Edition (2LP)

What's in the Box: Formats and Contents

The Band on the Run 50th Anniversary Edition was released on February 2, 2024, and its headline feature is a previously unreleased version of the album called the 'Underdubbed' mixes: the nine songs as they sounded on October 14, 1973, before the orchestral overdubs were added. Alongside them is a new half-speed master of the original album, cut by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios.

The 2LP edition puts the original US album, including 'Helen Wheels', on disc one and the Underdubbed mixes on disc two, in a premium slipcase with two Linda McCartney Polaroid posters. A single LP of the half-speed original is also available. The 2CD edition pairs the US album with the Underdubbed mixes and adds a double-sided fold-out Polaroid poster. The Underdubbed version is on streaming services too, along with a Dolby Atmos mix of the album by Giles Martin and Steve Orchard.

There is no large box this time, no book and no DVD, unlike the 2010 Archive Collection deluxe edition. This is a focused release built around one piece of archive audio and a high-quality vinyl cut.

This album has been reissued many times. There was a 25th anniversary edition in 1999, and in November 2010 Band on the Run launched the Paul McCartney Archive Collection with remastered standard, special and deluxe editions. For vinyl listeners, this edition earns its place because the half-speed cut is the best-sounding way to play the original album. For CD and streaming listeners, it comes down to the Underdubbed disc.

The Underdubbed Mixes: What You Actually Hear

The Underdubbed mixes were prepared by engineer Geoff Emerick, with Pete Swettenham assisting, at AIR Studios in London on October 14, 1973. They were rough mixes made so the arranger Tony Visconti could write his orchestral score, and they are presented in the running order of the original analogue tapes in the MPL archive. Paul summed it up neatly at launch: an overdub adds parts, and this version is the opposite, underdubbed.

What you hear is the trio of Paul, Linda and Denny Laine, plus the parts they added back in London, without the orchestral arrangements. Wings flew to Lagos in August 1973 as a three-piece after Henry McCullough and Denny Seiwell quit on the eve of the trip. They cut most of the basic tracks at EMI's studio in the Apapa district, with 'Picasso's Last Words' started at Ginger Baker's ARC studio, and Paul and Linda were robbed at knifepoint of a bag holding demo tapes and lyrics. The Underdubbed mixes bring you closer to that stripped-down band than any earlier release.

The songs that change most are the ones Visconti's arrangements shape on the finished record: the title track, 'Jet', 'Picasso's Last Words' and 'Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five', whose drama leans heavily on strings and brass. Lighter-arranged tracks such as 'Let Me Roll It' change far less. The finished album remains the better record, but the Underdubbed disc is a clear look at the rock band underneath one of Paul's best albums.

Sound and Mastering: The Half-Speed Cut

Miles Showell's half-speed masters at Abbey Road have become a trusted name among collectors, and this one follows the pattern. Half-speed mastering runs the source and the cutting lathe at half their normal speed, which gives the cutter more control over high frequencies and transients. The source here was a high-resolution transfer of the original 1973 master tapes.

The goal is an open, dynamic sound, and Showell's half-speed cuts have generally been well received by collectors who compare pressings closely. This one will not surprise anyone who knows the album intimately, which is the point: it is the original mix, cut with care, rather than a new mix. If you want only the original album on vinyl, the single LP is the one to buy.

For broader context on how this pressing compares with original 1973 copies and later reissues, see our guide to the best McCartney vinyl pressings. The Dolby Atmos mix, by contrast, is digital only, so fans with an Atmos system need to stream it.

Packaging and Extras

The packaging is attractive but modest. The 2LP comes in a slipcase with two Polaroid posters from Linda's archive, and the 2CD includes one double-sided fold-out poster. The famous Clive Arrowsmith cover photograph, with its line-up of celebrities including Michael Parkinson, Christopher Lee, James Coburn, Clement Freud, Kenny Lynch and John Conteh caught in a prison-break spotlight, remains as striking as ever at 12 inches.

Compared with the 2010 Archive Collection deluxe box, which included a DVD, a hardback book and bonus audio, the 50th Anniversary Edition has fewer extras. That is why our Extras score is lower. The Polaroids are a nice touch, and they fit Linda's role on the record, but serious archive hunters may feel shortchanged.

The lower price makes it easier to recommend than a big box. You are paying mainly for the Underdubbed disc and the half-speed cut, and both are well executed.

Which Format Should You Buy?

If you listen on vinyl and lack a good copy of the album, the 2LP is the obvious choice: the half-speed original plus the Underdubbed disc, typically around $50 at US retail. If you already own a good pressing and only want the new material, the Underdubbed mixes are on streaming services, so you could skip the physical set entirely.

The single LP is the choice if you simply want an excellent-sounding copy of the original record, for yourself or as a gift. The 2CD is the cheapest way to own both the album and the Underdubbed version in physical form.

For the other Wings records worth owning on vinyl, see our roundup of the best Wings albums on vinyl. And if you want Band on the Run's hits in the context of the whole decade, the 2025 compilation covered in our Wings box set review is a good companion.

Who It's For

This edition is for Wings fans who want to hear Band on the Run in a new way, and for vinyl listeners who want a top-quality pressing of the original album. It is also a sensible entry point for newer fans, since the album remains the best-known Wings record.

It is less compelling for collectors who own the 2010 Archive Collection edition and already stream. For them, the sensible order is to stream the Underdubbed mixes first, then decide if they are worth owning on vinyl.

If you are new to the record, play the finished album first and the Underdubbed disc a day or two later. Heard in that order, the Underdubbed mixes become a lesson in arrangement, showing how much Paul, Denny and Linda achieved as a trio in Lagos and how the orchestral work at AIR turned a strong rock record into a landmark.