‘Memory Almost Full’ Celebrates its Fifth Birthday Today

Paul McCartney’s critically acclaimed ‘Memory Almost Full’ album was released five years ago today.

Produced by David Kahne, and recorded between 2003 and 2007 in Abbey Road, Hog Hill Mill, Henson Studios, Air Studios and RAK, the album features the singles ‘Dance Tonight’ and ‘Ever Present Past’. Also included are fan favourites ‘Nod Your Head’ and ‘Only Mama Knows’.

The album was Paul’s first release on the newly-formed Starbucks label Hear Music and received rave reviews with The Guardian awarding it five stars and calling it, "…jaunty, tuneful, laced with high-end harmonies and spangled by a guitar sound straight off 'Band On The Run'".

The album campaign kicked off with Michel Gondry’s playful video for ‘Dance Tonight’ starring Mackenzie Crook and Natalie Portman, who recently also appeared in the video for ‘My Valentine’. The video employed an old stage trick called Pepper’s Ghost to make apparitions appear in Paul’s house. Watch the video below:

The second video from the album featured Paul sharing the screen with himself in an art gallery dance routine.

Paul said of the album, "I actually started 'Memory Almost Full' before the album ‘Chaos And Creation In The Backyard’. The first recording session was back in the autumn of 2003 at Abbey Road with my touring band and producer David Kahne. I was right in the middle of it when I began talking with Nigel Godrich about a brand new project [which became ‘Chaos And Creation In The Backyard’]. When I was just finishing up everything concerned with 'Chaos...' and had just got the Grammy nominations (in 2006) I realised I had this album to go back to and finish off. So I got it out to listen to it again, wondering if I would enjoy it, but actually I really loved it."

The album has so far sold over two million copies worldwide.

To find out where the name for ‘Memory Almost Full’ came from, check out Paul's interview in the EPK below.