Spies Like Us / My Carnival
This image is a cover of an audio recording, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the work or the artist(s) which produced the recording or cover artwork in question. It is believed that the use of low-resolution images of such covers qualifies as fair use.
- UK release date:
- Nov 18, 1985
- Publisher:
- Parlophone
- Reference:
- R 6118
Hide track details
Track list
Side 1
1.
Written by Paul McCartney
4:47 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Producer, Tambourine, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- Phil Ramone :
- Producer
- Eddie Rayner :
- Synthesizers
- Kate Robbins :
- Backing vocals
- Ruby James :
- Backing vocals
- Hugh Padgham :
- Producer
- Session Recording:
- September 1985
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
- Session Mixing:
- September 1985
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Side 2
1.
Written by Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney
3:59 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Crowd vocals, Piano, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Crowd vocals, Piano
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Bass, Crowd vocals
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Crowd vocals, Electric guitar
- Joe English :
- Crowd vocals, Drums
- Tony Dorsey :
- Crowd vocals, Trombone
- Alan O'Duffy :
- Recording engineer
- Ken Lexton :
- Crowd vocals, Trumpet
- George Porter Jr. :
- Cow-bell, Crowd vocals
- Benny Spellman :
- Bass backing vocals, Crowd vocals
- Session Recording:
- Feb 12, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
About
From the press release:
PAUL McCARTNEY MARKS RETURN TO CAPITOL WITH “SPIES LIKE US”
Paul McCartney’s first and only single for 1985 — and his first for Capitol Records since his return this fall to the label which first signed the Beatles in 1962 — is the theme song for Spies Like Us, a feature film comedy (Warner Bros.) starring Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase and directed by John Landis. Produced by McCartney, Phil Ramone and Hugh Padgham, “Spies Like Us” continues McCartney’s venturing into film songwriting, following his blockbuster hit for the James Bond thriller Live And Let Die, as well as songs for 1983’s Beyond The Limit and his own full-length feature, last year’s Give My Regards to Broad Street.
One of the world’s most successful recording artists and songwriters, McCartney took time out from working on a new album to see a rough cut of the film at Landis’ request. Sufficiently impressed and inspired, McCartney wrote and recorded the song in one week.
Says McCartney, “John Landis rang me and said he wanted an uptempo rock ‘n’ rolly thing. I thought I might have done a Bondy type song — the 75-piece orchestra, more melodic, with maybe an Eastern touch, the known ingredients for a ‘spy’ type of song. (But) I think one of the fun things about what I’m doing now is varying those things a bit.”
The single features backing vocals from Linda McCartney, 10 cc’s Eric Stewart, Paul’s cousin Kate Robbins, and Ruby James. Keyboards were performed by Eddie Rayner of Split Enz. McCartney plays every other instrument on the record.
The single’s ‘B’ side is “My Carnival,” which was recorded during the 1975 New Orleans sessions for the Venus & Mars LP. The late Jimmy McCulloch, R&B legend Benny Speelman, and The Meters’ George Porter appear on the record.
Last updated on August 10, 2020