Live and Let Die (song)

{{Listen

| filename = Paul McCartney and Wings - Live and Let Die.ogg

| title = "Live and Let Die"

| description = A 19-second sample of "Live and Let Die". The beginning of the song has been stylistically compared to "Let It Be", while the chorus has been called a "man-in-the-street's impression of John Barry".

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Even before Tom Mankiewicz had finished writing the screenplay to Live and Let Die, producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli invited Paul McCartney to write the theme song. McCartney asked to be sent a copy of Ian Fleming's novel. "I read it and thought it was pretty good. That afternoon I wrote the song and went in the next week and did it ... It was a job of work for me in a way because writing a song around a title like that's not the easiest thing going."{{Cite book |last1=Barnes |first1=Alan |last2=Hearn |first2=Marcu |year=1997 |title=Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: the Unofficial James Bond Film Companion|publisher=Batsford Books|isbn=978-0-7134-8182-2|pages=110–11}}

Originally, Saltzman was interested in having Shirley Bassey or Thelma Houston perform it instead of Wings. Producer George Martin said McCartney would allow the song to be used in the movie only if Wings was able to perform the song in the opening credits. The recording contract specified that McCartney would "perform the title song under the opening titles".{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/dec/18/live-and-let-die-james-bond-theme-paul-mccartney|title=Live and let fly: the tall tale of Paul McCartney's 007 theme song is revealed |last=Alberge |first=Dalya |date=2022-12-18 |work=The Guardian |access-date=2022-12-19}}

The song featured an instrumental section that led to the Bridge Section with a few sung lines, before the main instrumental theme repeats. The sung Bridge section was necessary in order for the song to be nominated for Best Song, which required the song to have at least a minimum of eight sung lines. Otherwise, the song would have been disqualified from Oscar consideration.

A second version of the song, performed by B. J. Arnau, also appears in the film. Arnau's performance originally was meant for the group Fifth Dimension.{{Cite book|last=Lindner|first=Christoph |title=The James Bond Phenomenon: a Critical Reader|publisher=Manchester University Press|year=2003|isbn=978-0-7190-6541-5 |pages=130, 134}} The Arnau version of the song appears on the soundtrack album as a component in a medley that also contains two George Martin-composed instrumental pieces, "Fillet of Soul – New Orleans" and "Fillet of Soul – Harlem". It was also released by RCA Records as a single in late June 1973.{{harvnb|Burlingame|2012|page=111}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=yv_yExgGOccC&pg=PA111]

Wings recorded "Live and Let Die" during the sessions for the Red Rose Speedway album, in October 1972.{{cite web |title=The McCartney Recording Sessions - 1972 |url=http://webpages.charter.net/ram71/1972.htm |publisher=Webpages.charter.net |access-date=18 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927155013/http://webpages.charter.net/ram71/1972.htm |archive-date=27 September 2012 |url-status=dead}} The song was recorded at AIR Studios, with Ray Cooper providing percussion instruments.Luca Perasi, Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013), L.I.L.Y. Publishing, 2013, {{ISBN|978-88-909122-1-4}}, p.89.

"Live and Let Die" was previewed in the 1973 television special James Paul McCartney, which aired on 16 April in the United States and 10 May in the United Kingdom. In the segment, McCartney and Wings were shown performing the song in his studio, while clips of the film were shown, before the film's US theatrical release on 27 June.{{harvnb|Burlingame|2012|page=112}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=yv_yExgGOccC&q=%22live+and+let+die%22&pg=PA112] In his contemporary review of the single for the NME, Ian MacDonald wrote: "McCartney's fairly reasonable solution to the given problem 'Write, in less than 25 bars, a theme-tune for the new James Bond movie' is to 'Let It Be' for the first half, wailing absently and with a curious notion of grammar, about this 'ever changing world in which we live in', before sitting back to let a 3,000-piece orchestra do a man-in-the-street's impression of John Barry. It's not intrinsically very interesting, but the film will help to sell it and vice versa."{{cite magazine|first=Ian|last=MacDonald|title=Singles|magazine=NME|date=9 June 1973|page=13}}{{cite book|editor=Hunt, Chris|title=NME Originals: Beatles – The Solo Years 1970–1980|year=2005|publisher=IPC Ignite!|location=London|page=69}}

Billboard's contemporary review called it "the best 007 movie theme" to that time and one of McCartney's most satisfying singles, by combining sweet melody, symphonic bombast and some reggae into one song.{{cite news|title=Top Single Picks|newspaper=Billboard|access-date=2020-07-27|date=June 30, 1973|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1973/Billboard%201973-06-30.pdf|page=58}} Cash Box said that the song was "absolutely magnificent in every respect".{{cite news|title=CashBox Record Reviews|date=June 30, 1973|page=18|accessdate=2021-12-11|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1973/Cash-Box-1973-06-30.pdf|newspaper=Cash Box}} Record World predicted that it "should have a long chart life".{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=June 30, 1973|accessdate=2023-03-23|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/73/RW-1973-06-30.pdf}}

"Live and Let Die" reached No. 1 on two of the three major US charts, though only reached No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million copies.{{cite news |url=http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/chart-watch-extra-top-songs-2012-155237610.html |title=Chart Watch Extra: Top Songs of 2012 |author=Paul Grein|work=Chart Watch|publisher=Yahoo Music |date=3 January 2013 |access-date=5 January 2013 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=paul%20mc%20cartney&format=single&perPage=25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924154025/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=paul%20mc%20cartney&format=single&perPage=25 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-09-24 |title=Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - June 06, 2014 |publisher=RIAA |access-date=2014-06-06 }}

Sales of the single release and of the sheet music were "solid".{{cite book |first=Jeff |last=Smith |year=1998 |chapter=The Midas Touch |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0L7NEi8Hw1cC&q=%22live+and+let+die%22+%22sheet+music%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA115 |title=The Sounds of Commerce: Marketing Popular Film Music |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=0-231-10862-1 |lccn=98-17923 |page=115 |access-date=9 January 2018 }} The sheet music used the line "in this ever-changing world in which we live in" as part of the opening verse of the song. In the Washington Post interview more than 30 years later, McCartney told the interviewer, "I don't think about the lyric when I sing it. I think it's 'in which we're living', or it could be 'in which we live in', and that's kind of, sort of, wronger but cuter", before deciding that it was "in which we're living".

"Live and Let Die" was not featured on a McCartney album until the Wings Greatest compilation in 1978, and was included again on 1987's All the Best!, 2001's Wingspan: Hits and History, 2016's Pure McCartney, and in 2018 as a restored bonus track on a reissue of Red Rose Speedway. The entire soundtrack also was released in quadrophonic. It was also included on The 7" Singles Box in 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.paulmccartney.com/news/paul-announces-the-7-singles-box|title='The 7" Singles Box' – Out 2 December 2022|website=PaulMcCartney.com|date=10 November 2022|access-date=5 December 2022}}

United Artists promoted the song in trade advertisements for Academy Award consideration, though producer Broccoli opposed the marketing tactic as unnecessary.{{harvnb|Burlingame|2012|pages=113–114}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=yv_yExgGOccC&q=%22live+and+let+die%22&pg=PA113] The song became the first James Bond theme song to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song (garnering McCartney his second Academy Award nomination and Linda McCartney her first). In the Academy Award performance of the song at the 46th Academy Awards, entertainer Connie Stevens dressed in a "silver-lamé outfit" with a Native American-looking headdress "descended from the ceiling" and then was "variously lifted and tossed about" by dancers dressed in various colours until she left the scene. The song lost to the eponymous theme song from the film The Way We Were.{{harvnb|Burlingame|2012|page=114}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=yv_yExgGOccC&q=%22live+and+let+die%22&pg=PA114]

In Wings' live performances of the song, the instrumental break featured flashpots and a laser light show. McCartney has continued to play the song on his solo tours, often using pyrotechnics. "Live and Let Die" is the only song to appear on all of McCartney's live albums (except for the 1991 acoustic-based Unplugged).

Following the 9/11 attacks, the song was placed on Clear Channel{{'}}s list of inappropriate song titles.{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/chatterbox/2001/09/its_the_end_of_the_world_as_clear_channel_knows_it.html|title=It's the End of the World as Clear Channel Knows It|work=Slate Magazine|date=18 September 2001|access-date=17 February 2017}}

The song with an extended introduction was included in the movie Shrek the Third (2007) and on its soundtrack.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/shrek-the-third-mw0000580967|title=Shrek the Third - Original Soundtrack - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic|website=AllMusic}} It was also used to underscore the montage celebrating the 60th anniversary of the James Bond franchise, as presented at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/watch-the-2022-oscars-pay-tribute-to-60-years-of-james-bond/|title = Watch the Oscars Pay Tribute to 60 Years of James Bond}} Thai singer Lisa performed "Live and Let Die" at the 97th Academy Awards as part of a musical tribute to James Bond.{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2025/awards/news/james-bond-oscars-tribute-lisa-doja-cat-raye-margaret-qualley-1236320054/|title=Lisa, Doja Cat and Raye Sing Iconic James Bond Songs, Margaret Qualley Shows Off Dance Moves in Oscars' 007 Tribute|last=Minton|first=Matt|magazine=Variety|date=March 2, 2025|access-date=March 2, 2025|archive-date=March 3, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250303021958/https://variety.com/2025/awards/news/james-bond-oscars-tribute-lisa-doja-cat-raye-margaret-qualley-1236320054/|url-status=live}}

• Paul McCartney – lead vocals, piano
• Linda McCartney – backing vocals, keyboard
• Denny Laine – backing vocals, bass guitar
• Henry McCullough – lead guitar
• Denny Seiwell – drums
• Ray Cooper – percussion
• George Martin – orchestral arrangement

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{{certification Table Entry |title=Live And Let Die|type=single |artist=Paul Mccartney & Wings |relyear=2007|certyear=2022|region=United Kingdom|award=Silver|id=16669-3436-1|access-date=21 June 2022}}

{{certification Table Entry |title=Live|type=single |artist=Paul Mc Cartney & Wings |relyear=1973 |certyear=1973 |region=United States |award=Gold}}

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{{Main|Chicken Pot Pie}}

In 1984, McCartney asked "Weird Al" Yankovic when he was going to parody one of his songs.[http://music.yahoo.com/read/interview/12027570 Weird Al Yankovic Interviews on Yahoo! Music] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061207053528/http://music.yahoo.com/read/interview/12027570 |date=7 December 2006 }} In 1992, Yankovic asked for permission to put his parody "Chicken Pot Pie" on an album. McCartney denied the use because he is a vegetarian and did not want to promote the consumption of meat. Yankovic, a vegetarian himself, said he respected the decision;{{cite web|url=http://www.al-oholicsanonymous.com/interviews/alicon.html |title="Weird Al" Yankovic : The Icon Profile |author=Dan Epstein |publisher=Al-oholicsanonymous.com |access-date=2014-06-06}} however, he has performed the song live in the 1990s as part of a food-themed medley.{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/flashback-weird-als-rejected-wings-parody-chicken-pot-pie-20160526|title=Flashback: Weird Al's Rejected Wings Parody, 'Chicken Pot Pie'|author=Andy Greene|date=26 May 2016|publisher=Rolling Stone|access-date=2017-09-28|archive-date=21 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121124055/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/flashback-weird-als-rejected-wings-parody-chicken-pot-pie-20160526|url-status=dead}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Live and Let Die

| alt =

| cover = Live and Let Die by Guns N' Roses US cassette.png

| caption = US retail cassette edition; the US CD edition was a promo-only release

| type = single

| artist = Guns N' Roses

| album = Use Your Illusion I

| B-side = {{hlist|"Live and Let Die" (live)}}

| released = {{start date|1991|12|9|df=y}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Hard rock, symphonic rock

| length = 3:04

| label = {{hlist|Geffen|Uzi Suicide}}

| writer = {{hlist|Paul McCartney|Linda McCartney}}

| producer = {{hlist|Mike Clink|Guns N' Roses}}

| prev_title = Don't Cry

| prev_year = 1991

| next_title = November Rain

| next_year = 1992

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|6D9vAItORgE|"Live and Let Die"}}}}

}}

American rock band Guns N' Roses covered "Live and Let Die" in 1991. It was released as the second single from their 1991 album, Use Your Illusion I, and the fourth out of all the Use Your Illusion singles. This cover was commercially successful and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in 1993.{{cite web|title=35th Grammy Awards – 1993|url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1993/grammys.htm|work=rockonthenet.com|access-date=15 February 2013}} It was voted third best cover song in a 2008 poll by Total Guitar.{{cite web |title=TG's Best Covers EVER! |url=https://www.musicradar.com/totalguitar/tgs-best-covers-ever-247854 |website=Music Radar |access-date=29 April 2025}}

In the April 1992 issue of Guitar for the Practicing Musician, Slash explained to John Stix how the group came to record the song:

{{quote|It's one of those songs, like "Heaven's Door," that Axl and I have always loved. It's always been a really heavy song, but we'd never discussed it, and didn't know that we each liked it. We were talking one night about a cover song and that came up, and we were like, "Yeah! Let's do it!" So I went to rehearsal with Izzy and Matt and Duff, just to see whether we could sound good playing it, and it sounded really heavy.}}

In his 2007 self-titled memoir, Slash credits Axl Rose for his synthesizer work on the track, writing, "When we did 'Live and Let Die', it was all synths – those horns are not horns. What Axl did there was really complex; he spent hours dialing all that shit in, getting the nuances just right, and I have to give him that."{{Cite book|last1=Slash|last2=Bozza|first2=Anthony|author-link1=Slash (musician)|author-link2=Anthony Bozza|title=Slash|publisher=HarperEntertainment|year=2007|isbn=978-0-06-135142-6|title-link=Slash (book) |page=318}}

Guns N' Roses' cover charted at No. 20 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. Worldwide, the single reached the top five on the Irish Singles Chart, in Norway, and the UK Singles Chart. In Finland, it became the third consecutive number-one single from the Use Your Illusion albums, and it also reached No. 1 in New Zealand for two weeks. A music video was made in November 1991 featuring the band playing live on stage and showing old pictures. The video also was made shortly before Izzy Stradlin's departure, and it is the last video in which he appears.

Guns N' Roses' version of this song appears on the soundtrack of the 1997 movie Grosse Pointe Blank.

In May 2020, Guns N' Roses' version of this song played while President Donald Trump visited a Phoenix, Arizona medical mask factory that was producing masks to prevent deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, which had killed over 250,000 people worldwide at the time. Although White House directives had encouraged all Americans to wear masks in public during this period, Trump did not don a mask while this song played.{{cite news|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/donald-trump-tours-mask-factory-as-live-and-let-die-plays-in-background-2660349|title=Donald Trump tours mask factory as 'Live and Let Die' plays in background|last=Reilly|first=Nick|date=6 May 2020|work=NME|accessdate=14 May 2020}} Later that month, the band unveiled a new t-shirt on their website branded “Live N’ Let Die With COVID 45” in reference to Trump's factory visit. All proceeds from sales of the t-shirt were donated to the Recording Academy's MusiCares, which provides services and resources to those in need in the music community.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/guns-n-roses-slam-trump-live-n-let-die-with-covid-45-shirt-999428/|title=Guns N' Roses Slam Trump With 'Live N' Let Die With COVID 45′ Shirt|last=Legaspi|first=Althea|date=13 May 2020|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=14 May 2020}}

1. "Live and Let Die" – 2:59
2. "Live and Let Die" {{small|(Live from Wembley Stadium, August 31, 1991.)}} – 3:37
3. "Shadow of Your Love" {{small|(Live)}} – 2:50

Guns N' Roses

• W. Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboard, programming, backing vocals
• Slash – lead guitar, 6-string bass
• Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar
• Duff McKagan – bass
• Matt Sorum – drums
• Dizzy Reed – keyboards

Additional musicians

• Shannon Hoon – backing vocals
• Johann Langlie – programming
• Jon Trautwein – horn
• Matthew McKagan – horn
• Rachel West – horn
• Robert Clark – horn

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1991|certyear=2021|access-date=7 July 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Guns N' Roses|title=Live and Let Die|award=Silver|relyear=1991|certyear=2020|id=16669-145-1|access-date=4 September 2020}}

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• Outline of James Bond

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

General

• {{cite book |first=Jon |last=Burlingame |year=2012 |title=The Music of James Bond |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yv_yExgGOccC |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-986330-3 |lccn=2012006979 |access-date=9 January 2018 }}

{{Paul McCartney}}

{{Wings}}

{{Guns N' Roses}}

{{James Bond music}}

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Category:1970s ballads

Category:1973 singles

Category:1973 songs

Category:1991 singles

Category:Apple Records singles

Category:Cashbox number-one singles

Category:Geffen Records singles

Category:Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals

Category:Guns N' Roses songs

Category:Live and Let Die (film)

Category:Music published by MPL Music Publishing

Category:Number-one singles in Finland

Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand

Category:Paul McCartney and Wings songs

Category:Paul McCartney songs

Category:Hard rock ballads

Category:Song recordings produced by George Martin

Category:Songs from James Bond films

Category:Songs written by Linda McCartney

Category:Songs written by Paul McCartney

Category:Symphonic rock songs

Category:British hard rock songs

Category:American hard rock songs