Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Paul McCartney to give away his Memory Almost Full album in the UK's Daily Mail newspaper

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney has announced that he is to give away his current studio album Memory Almost Full, with the Mail On Sunday on May 18.

The album, which originally came out last year through Starbucks' music imprint Hear Music, has already sold 100,000 copies in the UK to date (OCC) and reached number five in the UK album charts. However, with the free giveaway the album has a potential to reach upto 2 million homes.

Speaking to music industry business weekly Music Week, The Mail on Sunday's managing director Stephen Miron commented on the deal, saying: "If you look at how he came to do the Starbucks' album deal, it was a result of feeling unhappy with the music industry and looking at alternative ways of distribution. I can't think of anyone else who has come up with the right alternative distribution than us."

Previous album giveaways through the Mail on Sunday have included Prince's Planet Earth, Simply Red and UB40.

The Kinks Ray Davies also gave away his new studio album via The Sunday Times last year.