A new super deluxe, seven-disc box set of The Alan Parson's Project's 1978 album Pyramid, featuring more than 50 previously unreleased tracks, will be released through Cooking Vinyl Records on August 23.
The set, also to be released as an expanded CD and a vinyl release, features an audio Blu-ray and a seven-inch single, and boasts the first-ever Dolby Atmos mix of an Alan Parsons Project album, a 5.1 Surround Sound mix from the original multi-track master tapes by Parsons himself, a new stereo HD and CD remaster of the original album by Miles Showell, plus a fully illustrated, 12” x 12” 60-page casebound book and a replica press folder.
The expanded CD release includes a 2024 remaster of the original album and four additional bonus tracks plus a 12-page booklet including full lyrics, while the vinyl LP formats include a 180gm clear vinyl plus a limited edition D2C exclusive 180gm gold nugget vinyl – both featuring Showell’s half speed remasters of the original album, cut at Abbey Road Studios, with sleevenotes featuring quotes from Parsons, the Woolfson family and musicians.
As its title implies, the two-million-plus selling, Grammy-nominated Pyramid was a concept album focussing on the pyramids of Giza (interest in pyramid power and Tutankhamun was widespread in the US and the UK at the time of release). A pyramid featured on the back of a dollar bill, and there were stories in the national media about the supposed magical properties of pyramids and there was, of course, the cover of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon, which Parsons had engineered.
Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, Pyramid featured a variety of different lead vocalists including John Miles, Colin Blunstone, Lenny Zakatek, Jack Harris and Dean Ford, alongside a selection of session musicians including Ian Bairnson, David Paton and drummer Stuart Elliott, all of whom had featured in Pilot, who Parsons also produced.
You can view the full tracklisting for the different releases below.
Alan Parsons Project: Pyramid
Super Deluxe Box Set Tracklisting
2 x 45RPM LPs:
Side 1
1. ‘Voyager’
2. ‘What Goes Up…’
3. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’
Side 2
1. ‘One More River’
2. ‘Can’t Take It With You’
Side 3
1. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’
2. ‘Pyramania’
Side 4
1. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’
2. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’
CD1 – Original Album 2024 Remaster Plus Expanded Bonus Tracks
1. ‘Voyager’
2. ‘What Goes Up…’
3. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’
4. ‘One More River’
5. ‘Can’t Take It With You’
6. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’
7. ‘Pyramania’
8. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’
9. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’
Bonus Tracks
10. ‘Voyager/ What Goes Up…/ The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Instrumental Version)
11. ‘What Goes Up…/ Little Voice’ (Early Version Demo)
12. ‘Can't Take It With You’ (Early Version Demo)
13. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’ (Demo)
14. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Alternative Version Backing Track)
15. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods Part 1’ (Demo)
16. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods Part 2’ (Backing Track Rough Mix)
CD2 – Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diaries
1. ‘Pyramid Structure Talking’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
2. ‘Little Voice/ What Goes Up…’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
3. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
4. ‘One More River’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
5. ‘In The Lap of the Gods’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
6. ‘Pyramania’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
7. ‘Broken/Pyramania’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
8. ‘Shadow of a Lonely Man’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
9. ‘Start of writing Gemini for Eye in the Sky’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
10. ‘Start of writing Nothing Left to Lose for TOFC’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
11. ‘Start of writing Snake Eyes for TOFC’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
Previously Unreleased Songs
12. ‘Pyramid Instrumental’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
13. ‘Pyramid Clavichord’ (Eric Woolfson's Songwriting Diary)
14. ‘Little Voice’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
15. ‘Broken’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
16. ‘On It Goes’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
17. ‘Open Your Eyes’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
18. ‘If I Could Do It All Again’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
19. ‘We Can Do It’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
20. ‘Taking It All Away’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
21. ‘Elsie’s Theme’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
22. ‘Hazel’s Theme’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
23. ‘My Name Is Lorna’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
CD3 – Bonus Studio Recordings Vol.1
1. ‘Voyager’ (Backing Track Out Take)
2. ‘Voyager’ (Early Stage)
3. ‘Voyager’ (Vocal Experiment)
4. ‘Voyager’ (Light Relief Jam)
5. ‘Voyager’ (Early Mix)
6. ‘Voyager’ (John Leach Kantele Take)
7. ‘What Goes Up…/ Little Voice’ (Demo)
8. ‘What Goes Up…’ (Dean Ford Vocal Take)
9. ‘What Goes Up…’ (Isolated Choir Take)
10. ‘What Goes Up…’ (Early Rough Mix)
11. ‘What Goes Up…’ (Choir)
12. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Colin Blunstone Vocal Take Excerpts)
13. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Rough Mix Featuring Backing Vocals)
14. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Orchestral Strings)
15. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Rough Mix Backing Track)
CD4 – Bonus Studio Recordings Vol. 2
1. ‘One More River’ (Intro Takes)
2. ‘One More River’ (Lenny Zakatek Lead Vocal Takes)
3. ‘One More River’ (Lenny Zakatek Vocal Gymnastic Takes)
4. ‘One More River’ (Experimental Break)
5. ‘Can’t Take It With You’ (Rough Mix)
6. ‘In The Lap of the Gods’ (John Leach Cimbalom Takes)
7. ‘In The Lap of the Gods’ (Choir Takes)
8. ‘In the Lap of the Gods’ (Backing Track Takes)
9. ‘In The Lap of the Gods’ (Orchestral Strings)
10. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’ (Hail To The King Choir)
11. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’ (Projectron)
12. ‘Shadow of a Lonely Man’ (Eric Woolfson’s Piano Take)
13. ‘Shadow of a Lonely Man’ (Alan Parsons’ Experimental Demo Vocal)
14. ‘Shadow of a Lonely Man’ (Eric Woolfson’s Demo Vocal)
15. ‘Shadow of a Lonely Man’ (Orchestral Woodwind)
16. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’ (Olive Simpson Backing Vocals)
Miscellaneous
17. ‘Pyramid’ US Radio Advert 1
18. ‘Pyramid’ US Radio Advert 2
19. ‘Pyramid’ Bob Harris Cinema Playback Introduction
20. ‘Pyramid Audio Guide’ Alan Parsons Commentary
21. ‘Pyramid Audio Guide’ Eric Woolfson Commentary 1
22. ‘Pyramid Audio Guide’ Eric Woolfson Commentary 2
Blu-ray Dolby Atmos/5.1 Surround Sound remixed by Alan Parsons 2024 – Original album remastered in Stereo 2024
1. ‘Voyager’
2. ‘What Goes Up…’
3. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’
4. ‘One More River’
5. ‘Can’t Take It With You’
6. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’
7. ‘Pyramania’
8. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’
9. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’
Expanded CD Tracklisting
1. ‘Voyager’
2. ‘What Goes Up…’
3. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’
4. ‘One More River’
5. ‘Can’t Take It With You’
6. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’
7. ‘Pyramania’
8. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’
9. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’
Bonus Tracks
10. ‘Voyager’ (Early Mix)
11. ‘What Goes Up…’ (Early Rough Mix)
12. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Rough Mix Featuring Backing Vocals)
13. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’ (Eric Woolfson Demo Vocal)
Vinyl LP Tracklisting
Side 1
1. ‘Voyager’
2. ‘What Goes Up…’
3. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’
4. ‘One More River’
5. ‘Can’t Take It With You’
Side 2
1. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’
2. ‘Pyramania’
3. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’
4. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’
