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Original proof sleeve produced in 1987 for Paul McCartney’s CHOBA B CCCP (translated Back in the U.S.S.R.), commonly known as The Russian Album, during development of the privately produced 50-copy edition commissioned by McCartney’s manager Richard Ogden. The sleeve is printed in red and black on matte-finish stock, with the front featuring a halftone portrait of McCartney against a large red star and the album title in Cyrillic. The reverse features the track listing, extensive Russian text and credits, and a Communist-inspired apple-like emblem. This proof differs from the sleeve ultimately used for the 50-copy edition in several details, notably the presence of a hand on the reverse and a darker star on the front. In fine condition, with partial separations to the back cover. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks.
The project originated with sessions at McCartney’s Hog Hill Mill studio on July 20 and 21, 1987, during which he and his band recorded mainly rock ’n’ roll standards, with mixing following on July 22. The recordings were subsequently assembled as an LP, and Ogden arranged a small private pressing and commissioned designer Mike Ross to create its packaging.
Ross later recalled that Ogden asked him for a sleeve with a deliberately ‘bootleg-looking’ and ‘Russian’ appearance. To achieve that effect while accommodating the small production run, Ross proposed hand-silkscreening the sleeves in two colors on the unfinished side of the board. At Ogden’s request, Ross also designed the emblem, combining a Communist-style sickle with Russian lettering to suggest an apple.
The concept was subsequently developed into a commercial Soviet release through the state label Melodiya. An 11-track edition appeared in October 1988, followed by the full 13-track sequence. EMI later issued the album internationally in 1991.
