20 Things You Didn’t Know About Live And Let Die (1973)

10. Live And Let Die...Again

Harry Saltzman was keen to work with Paul McCartney after having declined the opportunity to produce The Beatles’ highly successful 1964 film, A Hard Day’s Night.

However, when Paul and Linda McCartney submitted the song, Live And Let Die after reading Ian Fleming’s 1954 novel, Saltzman wanted to hire an African American female vocalist to sing it. McCartney soon set Saltzman straight on the matter: the filmmakers could only use the song if Paul McCartney & Wings sang it. Since Harry had already lined up B.J. Arnau to sing the song, a compromise had to be reached.

It was agreed that Paul McCartney & Wings would perform the song for the opening and end credits, whilst B.J. Arnau would sing it during a scene in which James Bond is spirited away from Mr Big's Fillet of Soul restaurant in New Orleans.

McCartney’s version of the song is regarded as one of the best Bond themes, narrowly losing out on the Academy Award for Best Song to Barbra Streisand’s The Way We Were. However, some critics consider Arnau’s rendition of the song to be the superior version.

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.