Thrillington by Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington – US Album Release, 16 May 1977
Monday 16 May 1977 | Paul McCartney, Release
On 16 May 1977, Thrillington was released in the United States by Capitol Records. The album — an orchestral version of Paul and Linda McCartney's 1971 album Ram — was credited to Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington, a fictional character invented by McCartney. It had been recorded in 1971, the same year as Ram, but held back for six years before its UK release on 29 April 1977 on Regal Zonophone, followed by the US release on 16 May. McCartney did not publicly confirm his involvement until 1989.
Ram and Its Orchestral Double
Ram had been released on 17 May 1971 — Paul and Linda McCartney's second album together, and the first to be credited to both of them. Recorded in New York with a group of session musicians, it was a deliberately eclectic, playful record that divided critics at the time but has since been reassessed as one of McCartney's finest solo works. John Lennon's response to its perceived digs at him — particularly 'Too Many People' — was the song 'How Do You Sleep?', one of the most pointed attacks in rock history.
The orchestral version was recorded in London in 1971, shortly after Ram itself. Richard Hewson — credited in the press release as 'Richard Newson' — arranged and conducted the sessions, working with some of London's leading orchestral and big band musicians to transform McCartney's pop songs into lush, cinematic instrumental arrangements. McCartney produced the sessions but kept his involvement entirely hidden.
Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington
The fictional Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington was elaborately constructed. An official press release, written in the style of a genuine artist biography, gave him a complete backstory:
Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington was born in Coventry Cathedral in England in 1939. As a young man he wandered the globe. His travels took him to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the US where he studied music for five years. He later moved to LA where he gained expertise in conducting and arranging as well as the marketing end of the music business. Eventually his path led to London where his lifelong ambition to form an orchestra was finally realized… he takes all the songs from Paul and Linda McCartney's Ram album and, with the help of some of London's best orchestra and 'big band' musicians, forges the pop music themes into new orchestral versions. He is assisted by Richard Newson [sic] who arranged and conducted. When McCartney heard what 'Thrills' was doing he even gave the project his seal of approval.
The sleeve notes were written by McCartney under the name Clint Harrigan — a pseudonym that had also appeared on the first Wings album, Wild Life (1971). The elaborate fiction extended to a series of society-page announcements placed in British newspapers in the months before the album's release, reporting on the fictional Thrillington's social engagements and movements — a guerrilla marketing campaign years before the term existed.
Commercial Failure and Collector's Item
Thrillington was a commercial failure on release. Without McCartney's name attached, it had no obvious audience — and the orchestral easy-listening format was far removed from the rock mainstream of 1977. The album quickly went out of print and became a collector's item, sought after by Beatles and McCartney fans who suspected but could not confirm the connection.
The uncertainty was part of the album's mystique. McCartney never volunteered the truth, and for over a decade Thrillington existed in a curious limbo — widely suspected to be his work, but officially unconfirmed.
The 1989 Confession
The secret was finally revealed at a Los Angeles press conference on 27 November 1989, when journalist Peter Palmiere asked McCartney directly about Thrillington. McCartney's response was characteristically good-humoured:
"What a great question to end the conference. The world needs to know! But seriously it was me and Linda – and we kept it a secret for a long time but now the world knows! – you blew it!"
— Paul McCartney, Los Angeles, 27 November 1989
The confirmation transformed Thrillington's status. It was reissued and reassessed as a charming, inventive curiosity — a side project that revealed McCartney's love of orchestral arrangement and his willingness to experiment outside the rock format, even at the height of his commercial success.
Key Facts: 16 May 1977
- US release date: 16 May 1977 (Capitol Records)
- UK release date: 29 April 1977 (Regal Zonophone)
- Credited to: Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington
- Sleeve notes by: Clint Harrigan (Paul McCartney pseudonym)
- Arranger and conductor: Richard Hewson
- Based on: Ram by Paul and Linda McCartney (1971)
- Recorded: London, 1971
- McCartney confirmed involvement: 27 November 1989, Los Angeles press conference
- Journalist who asked: Peter Palmiere
- 'Clint Harrigan' also appeared on: Wild Life (Wings, 1971)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Thrillington?
Thrillington is an orchestral version of Paul and Linda McCartney's 1971 album Ram, recorded in London in 1971 and released in 1977 under the pseudonym Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington. McCartney produced the sessions but kept his involvement secret until 1989.
Who is Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington?
A fictional character invented by Paul McCartney, given an elaborate backstory in an official press release — born in Coventry Cathedral in 1939, educated in Baton Rouge, and based in London. The character was used to release the album without McCartney's name attached.
When did Paul McCartney admit he made Thrillington?
At a Los Angeles press conference on 27 November 1989, when journalist Peter Palmiere asked him directly. McCartney confirmed: "It was me and Linda – and we kept it a secret for a long time."
Who arranged Thrillington?
Richard Hewson arranged and conducted the orchestral sessions, working with London orchestral and big band musicians. He is referred to as 'Richard Newson' in the original press release — a misspelling.
Why was Thrillington released six years after it was recorded?
McCartney recorded Thrillington in 1971 alongside Ram but held it back, releasing it only in 1977. The reasons were never fully explained, though the elaborate fictional persona suggests it was always intended as a long-term project rather than an immediate release.
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