Designing the packaging for “Ram”

The artwork of “Ram” reflected Paul McCartney’s back-to-basics rural life in Scotland and his desire for a quirky, homemade aesthetic. The cover and packaging were largely conceived and executed by the McCartneys themselves, resulting in a package that was deeply personal in imagery, vibrant in color, and rich with symbolic details.

The front cover of RAM is immediately recognizable for its whimsical farmyard imagery and bold colors. It features a photograph of Paul McCartney on his Scottish farm, holding a ram by its horns. The photo (shot in black-and-white) is set against a brightly colored background – notably a vivid yellow field behind McCartney and the ram – and is surrounded by a hand-drawn border. McCartney himself doodled a multi-colored, childlike frame around the photo using felt-tipped pens. This border consists of rainbow-hued zig-zag patterns that give the cover a naively artistic, almost childlike feel. Within the border, the album’s title “RAM” appears in a stylized, hand-drawn block typography as part of the artwork (rather than a standard typeset font), consistent with the DIY look. The letters are bold and roughly rendered, complementing the playful tone of the design.

Notably, McCartney hid a secret message in the cover art’s border: in amongst the colorful doodles are the tiny letters “L.I.L.Y.”, which stand for “Linda I Love You,” a personal nod to his wife Linda McCartney. This romantic Easter egg went unnoticed by many at first but has since been recognized as a heartfelt detail from Paul to Linda. The overall layout – a central photo framed by Paul’s hand-drawn artwork – gives the cover a “homemade” appearance, which Paul later acknowledged was intentional and “added to the charm” of the album.

The back cover continues the rustic, whimsical theme. It includes the track listing along with more of McCartney’s playful visual touches. Most famously, the back cover features a small photograph of two beetles (insects) apparently copulating. This image, taken by Linda, sits as a subtle visual joke or reference. Some observers at the time interpreted this as a sly piece of symbolism – “two beetles screwing,” seen as an allusion to McCartney’s fraught relationship with his former band, the Beatles. (The album was released amid Paul’s public fallout with John, George, and Ringo.) However, McCartney himself has downplayed this interpretation. He explained years later that Linda included the beetles photo simply because they found it to be “an amazing wildlife picture” from their farm, and any hidden meaning was coincidental: “People said ‘Oh, the Beatles are screwing each other – what’s this mean?’… All sorts of hidden meanings got attached to things,” Paul noted, but he maintains it was not a deliberate message. This mix of found imagery (wildlife photos) and doodled art on RAM’s covers exemplifies the album’s visual ethos – down-to-earth, quirky, and open to interpretation.

The original RAM LP was issued in a gatefold sleeve, adding a spacious canvas for more artwork and photos. The exterior jacket (both front and back) was fully laminated on early pressings – glossy on both the outside and the inside of the gatefold – giving the bright colors extra pop and durability. Upon opening the gatefold, listeners were greeted with additional imagery that extended the album’s homespun, farm-life theme.

According to Paul, the McCartneys took a very craft-oriented approach to the interior design. “When we were doing the layout for the gatefold, we put a little piece of grass from the garden and stuck it on,” McCartney revealed. In other words, the couple literally incorporated natural elements from their Scottish farm into the artwork’s composition. The inside spread of the gatefold featured a collage of snapshots and objects that reflected Paul and Linda’s rural life at the time. This likely included family photos and farm images taken by Linda, small drawings or doodles by Paul, and even that actual blade of grass – all arranged in a scrapbook-like fashion. One of Linda’s photographs inside the gatefold showed Paul’s face framed by a red star shape (a striking image that would later be repurposed for the cover of his Choba B CCCP album). The overall feel of the inner sleeve design was informal and intimate, as if inviting fans into the McCartneys’ rustic lifestyle.

The album’s inner record sleeve for UK/US releases was a standard sleeve (often Apple-branded or plain white) without printed lyrics, as lyrics were not included in the original package. However, international editions provided some extras. Notably, the 1971 Japanese first pressing of RAM included a four-page insert with printed lyrics (in both English and Japanese), tucked inside the gatefold sleeve.

That edition also came with the customary Japanese “obi” strip on the cover, and the gatefold lyrics insert made RAM accessible to Japanese listeners by providing song texts and translations. Most Western releases did not have a dedicated lyric sheet or poster. RAM’s packaging, while creative, was not as grandiose as some late-Beatles releases (there was no large poster or set of bonus photos included for the standard editions). Instead, its special touches were in the details of the printed artwork itself – the gatefold spread, the textured lamination, and the visual Easter eggs planted by Paul and Linda.

One remarkable aspect of RAM’s visual design is that it was largely a do-it-yourself family project. Linda McCartney was the principal photographer for the album art, and Paul McCartney served as the de facto illustrator/art director for the cover. The front cover photograph of Paul with the ram was shot by Linda McCartney in Scotland – in fact, RAM marked the first time Linda shared a full artist credit on one of Paul’s albums, and her photography is central to the album’s imagery. Linda, already an accomplished rock photographer, also supplied the other photos in the package (such as candid shots from their farm and the close-up of the two beetles). The RAM cover photo has become one of Linda’s most iconic portraits of Paul, capturing a lighthearted, pastoral scene that belied the turmoil of the era.

Paul McCartney is officially credited with the album’s artwork/illustrations. He drew the multicolor frame and lettered the title on the cover himself, using simple art materials (felt-tip markers) to create a deliberately naïve, folk-art style design. In essence, Paul was the graphic designer for RAM, assembling the layout and adding his personal artistic flourishes. There was no outside design firm or famous art director behind this cover – unlike some other McCartney albums that used professional designers (e.g. Hipgnosis for Band on the Run), RAM’s visuals were conceived “in-house” by the McCartneys. Paul has recalled sitting “in the sunshine” in Los Angeles, “just doing little drawings and things” for the cover while the album was being finished. This hands-on approach by the artist himself is reflected in the end result: the cover feels intimate and idiosyncratic, as if pulled from Paul and Linda’s personal scrapbook.

Aside from Paul and Linda, no additional illustrators or art directors are prominently credited for the original 1971 release. The couple likely worked with Apple Records’ art department for technical tasks (typesetting the back cover text, preparing print proofs, etc.), but those individuals were not specifically credited in the liner notes. In the credits listings, one simply finds “Cover photography: Linda McCartney; Artwork: Paul McCartney.” This minimalist credit line underscores that RAM’s look was a product of Paul and Linda’s own vision. Their partnership on the visual front mirrored their musical collaboration on the album, making RAM a true joint project in both sound and image.

The visual choices on RAM were imbued with meaning – some intentional, some read into after the fact. Starting with the album’s very title and cover concept: Paul has explained that he chose the word “Ram” as the title because “I just hit upon the word ‘ram’. I thought, well that’s pretty cool, because it’s strong, it’s a male animal, and then there’s the idea of ramming – pushing forwards strongly.”theguardian.com The ram represented resilience and forward momentum, which likely reflected McCartney’s mindset in 1971 – forging ahead with his solo career despite the adversities of the Beatles’ breakup. This thinking is directly mirrored in the cover imagery: Paul literally posing with a ram projects a sense of rural strength and stubbornness. It’s almost a tongue-in-cheek self-portrait of Paul as a rustic ram-handler, suggesting he was embracing a rugged, independent life apart from his former band. (It’s worth noting that Ram is the only album credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, emphasizing their unity as a team during this period.)

In contrast to that symbolism of strength, the playful, hand-drawn style of the cover art conveys a not-so-serious, whimsical intent. The bright colors and naïve drawings were perhaps an effort to visually communicate the album’s eclectic, often light-hearted music. McCartney was consciously moving away from the slick image of the Beatles; the RAM artwork’s almost childlike quality was an expression of creative freedom and domestic bliss. As Paul later said, “It was all very homemade and quirky, but I think that added to the charm of it.”paulmccartney.com This whimsical approach was an artistic choice to make the album feel personal and unpretentious.

Some of the imagery incorporated by the McCartneys carried deeper meanings (intended or not). The tiny “L.I.L.Y.” inscription on the front cover’s border is a deliberate romantic gesture – a hidden declaration of love from Paul to Linda on the very artwork they created togetherudiscovermusic.com. It humanizes the album art, showing that behind the big bold title and funny ram photo, the project is at heart a love letter to Linda. Such personal touches were relatively uncommon on major rock album covers, and it turns the cover into a kind of puzzle or treasure hunt for fans (many didn’t decipher “LILY” for years until it became public what the letters stood forfaroutmagazine.co.uk).

Another debated symbol is the mating beetles photograph on the back cover. Given the toxic breakdown in Paul’s relationship with the other Beatles, it’s easy to imagine this as a visual pun – the Beatles “buggering” each other, as some critics quipped. Indeed, author Peter Brown (a former Beatles associate) even described that picture as symbolic of how Paul felt the other Beatles were treating him at the timeen.wikipedia.org. It was interpreted as Paul’s cheeky commentary on the animosity among the ex-bandmates. However, McCartney has consistently denied that he included the insect photo as a veiled message. He and Linda simply found the image interesting (the insects were a colorful species of beetle on their farm) and added it for fun, not realizing others would read allegories into itpaulmccartney.com. This incident is a prime example of the RAM cover’s open-to-interpretation nature. Fans and observers have projected meanings onto its images – some of which Paul later shrugged off as coincidental. Nonetheless, intentional or not, the beetles on RAM have entered rock lore as a possible satire of “The Beatles.” It shows how even the visual elements of the album became part of the Paul vs. Beatles narrative in the early ’70s.

Finally, the very setting and mood of the cover – Paul in rough farm clothes, holding an animal – was symbolic in that it reintroduced McCartney to the public as a simple family man in the countryside. This was a stark contrast to the Beatles’ last lavish projects (Let It Be’s rooftop concert, Abbey Road’s iconic city crosswalk). With RAM, the imagery said “Paul has left the rock star life in London for a down-home existence.” This back-to-the-land ethos was genuine (the McCartneys were living on their Scotland farm and making music there), but it also served to underscore the album’s themes of domestic contentment (“Heart of the Country” being a prime example on the record). In sum, the visual design of RAM was meant to evoke simplicity, whimsy, and Paul’s personal world – a deliberate break from Beatles pomp, doubling as a subtle assertion of independence and love for Linda.

International Versions and Reissue Packaging Differences

Though RAM maintained the same core artwork worldwide (Paul with the ram on the front, etc.), there were some notable variations in packaging across different releases and reissues:

• UK vs. US Original Pressings: The original UK release (Apple Records, 1971) came in a high-quality fully laminated gatefold sleeve (glossy finish), which extended to the inside panelsdiscogs.com. U.S. pressings (on Apple/Capitol) also used the gatefold format but typically were unlaminated or matte-finish on the outside. The artwork and design were otherwise identical between UK and US – the same front/back cover images and inner spread. Minor differences existed in text credits (for instance, UK labels credited songs to McCartney’s MPL or Northern Songs, whereas other territories had local publishing credits), but visually the album looked the same. The title RAM was usually printed in English even in non-English-speaking countries’ editions, given its simplicity.
• Japanese Edition (1971): The first Japanese pressing of RAM (Apple AP-80283) enhanced the package for fans. In addition to the standard gatefold jacket, it included a four-page insert featuring printed lyrics in English with Japanese translations45worlds.com. This insert often had artwork or photos from the album sessions as well, providing a richer booklet-style experience. The album also sported the dark green “obi” strip on the outside of the cover, as was customary in Japan – the obi listed the album’s title and price in Japanese. Thus, Japanese fans got a bit more printed material (the lyric booklet) than UK/US fans did. Other international releases (e.g., European pressings) generally did not include extra inserts; the gatefold itself was considered sufficient.
• Mono Promotional Edition: Although not a commercial “version” for the public, it’s worth noting that RAM was one of the last rock albums of its time to be mixed in mono as well as stereo. A mono version was pressed in very limited quantities in 1971, intended for AM radio stations. This mono mix was issued in the U.S. as a promo LP with the same cover art and packaging, distinguished only by a sticker or print noting it as “mono” (the jacket was otherwise the standard gatefold). This mono edition became a collectors’ item for decadesen.wikipedia.org. It wasn’t until later reissues that the mono mix became widely available (see below), but visually the mono LP looked like the stock RAM album.
• Later Vinyl Reissues: In the late 1970s and 1980s, as McCartney’s catalog was re-pressed by different labels (Columbia Records in the US in 1980, then back to Capitol/Parlophone), RAM generally retained its original artwork. Some budget reissues might have been single sleeve (non-gatefold) to save cost – for example, certain 1980s reprints in some countries reportedly dropped the gatefold interior. However, the primary imagery (front cover with Paul and the ram) always remained. Collectors have noted subtle printing differences: e.g., colors on some reissues may appear slightly duller or cropped differently, and the cardstock might be thinner. But no alternate cover art was ever used for RAM; its cover was too iconic to replace.
• Paul McCartney Archive Collection (2012): The most significant reissue in terms of packaging came with the 2012 deluxe re-release of RAM as part of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection. This edition drastically expanded on the original artwork in a lavish presentation. The Deluxe Edition Box Set (2012) was packaged in a cloth-bound clamshell box (styled like a hardcover casebound book)amazon.comicladev.squarespace.com. The design for this box was handled by an external team – YES Studio in London (designer James Musgrave) – in consultation with McCartney, aiming to create something more extravagant than previous reissue packagesicladev.squarespace.com. The box features reproduction artwork from the album (including the distinctive RAM color scheme and patterns) and includes several exclusive print components:
  • A 112-page hardcover book filled with the history of the album, including archival Linda McCartney photographs from the RAM sessions, Paul’s original artwork, essays, and memorabiliaamazon.com. Notably, many of Linda’s pictures from their farm and the 1970–71 recording period are reproduced in high quality, giving fans a deeper visual context.
  • Removable facsimiles of Paul’s handwritten lyrics and notes, housed in a special envelope. These facsimile sheets show Paul’s original lyric sheets with doodles and stains, exactly as they were, reproducing the RAM-era creative process on papericladev.squarespace.com.
  • A set of high-quality photo prints in a separate photograph envelope, basically frame-worthy prints of Linda’s RAM-related imagesicladev.squarespace.com.
  • A small paperback book titled “A Small Book of Sheep,” quarter-bound in black fabric, containing a series of Linda’s black-and-white photographs of sheep on the McCartney farmicladev.squarespace.com – an amusing and artful nod to the rural life that inspired the album (and of course to the ram/sheep theme).
  • The CDs and vinyl records themselves (the deluxe set had multiple discs including the mono mix, bonus tracks, and a DVD) presented in vintage-style sleeves. For example, the vinyl in the deluxe set was a 2-LP 180-gram gatefold pressing that replicated the original packaging but with enhanced materialstheseconddisc.com.
  All of these elements were housed in the sturdy cloth-bound box with special printing (including foil-stamped titling and an individually numbered edition on the caseicladev.squarespace.com). The entire design was of such high quality that it earned a Grammy Award nomination in 2013 for Best Boxed or Special Edition Packageicladev.squarespace.com. In essence, the Archive reissue took the spirit of the original RAM art – the mix of photographs and whimsical drawings – and blew it out into a comprehensive art package for collectors. It remained faithful to the original visuals (the cover image and Paul’s artwork were all over the reissue) but added layers of context and tactile extras (fabric, paper ephemera, etc.).
• Other Reissues: A standard remastered CD (2012) and earlier CD issues (e.g., 1993’s Paul McCartney Collection series) featured the original cover art on their booklets, sometimes with minor tweaks (such as putting “Paul and Linda McCartney” as a header). The 2012 remaster’s regular edition had a digipak with the front cover image and included a scaled-down poster of the artwork inside. None of these deviated from the core design established in 1971.

In summary, RAM’s international and reissue variations mostly preserved its beloved artwork, while enhancing or recontextualizing it in new formats. The Japanese got lyric inserts; later audiophiles got heavyweight gatefold vinyl; and the Archive box set turned RAM into a multi-media art object. Crucially, Paul and Linda McCartney’s original vision – that quirky photo and neon-colored doodle frame – has remained the defining visual of RAM across all editions. Whether in a thrift shop vinyl bin or a deluxe box on a collector’s shelf, the album is instantly identifiable by its cover, a testament to the enduring impact of the design.

We actually did the cover in LA, me just sitting around in the sunshine doing little drawings and things.

The cover photo was Linda’s and the surrounding border was something I did. It was all very homemade and quirky, but I think that added to the charm of it. I remember when we were doing the layout for the gatefold, we put a little piece of grass from the garden and stuck it on. There were all sorts of little things that just came from our lifestyle at that moment. Linda took a photograph of two beetles copulating, or ‘havin’ it off!’ Of course, this got totally misconstrued, because for us it was just an amazing wildlife picture. How often do you see beetles, and very colourful little iridescent beetles too? Linda just took it as a photo and we liked it, so we put it in. Of course, then people said ‘oh, The Beatles are screwing each other – what’s this mean?’, and all sorts of hidden meanings got attached to things.

Paul McCartney – From Paul McCartney | News | You Gave Me The Answer – RAM Special!

Do the copulating beetles on the sleeve of Ram (1970) stand for F**k The Beatles?

It happened to be a picture Linda had taken. We couldn’t resist it just because of the way it looked. She’d caught these two beetles f**king, and then the significance hit us. We saw that pun, yeah, thought why not?

Paul McCartney – Interview with Q Magazine, January 1998

Going further

The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969 – 73

In this first of a groundbreaking multivolume set, THE MCCARTNEY LEGACY, VOL 1: 1969-73 captures the life of Paul McCartney in the years immediately following the dissolution of the Beatles, a period in which McCartney recreated himself as both a man and a musician. Informed by hundreds of interviews, extensive ground up research, and thousands of never-before-seen documents THE MCCARTNEY LEGACY, VOL 1 is an in depth, revealing exploration of McCartney’s creative and personal lives beyond the Beatles.

Buy on Amazon

The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After The Break-Up 1970-2001

An updated edition of the best-seller. The story of what happened to the band members, their families and friends after the 1970 break-up is brought right up to date. A fascinating and meticulous piece of Beatles scholarship.

Buy on Amazon

Maccazine - Volume 40, Issue 3 - RAM Part 1 - Timeline

This very special RAM special is the first in a series. This is a Timeline for 1970 – 1971 when McCartney started writing and planning RAM in the summer of 1970 and ending with the release of the first Wings album WILD LIFE in December 1971. [...] One thing I noted when exploring the material inside the deluxe RAM remaster is that the book contains many mistakes. A couple of dates are completely inaccurate and the story is far from complete. For this reason, I started to compile a Timeline for the 1970/1971 period filling the gaps and correcting the mistakes. The result is this Maccazine special. As the Timeline was way too long for one special, we decided to do a double issue (issue 3, 2012 and issue 1, 2013).