Spies Like Us (song)

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"Spies Like Us"
Single by Paul McCartney
B-side
Released18 November 1985
RecordedSeptember 1985
GenreNew wave
Length4:48
Label
Songwriter(s)Paul McCartney
Producer(s)
Paul McCartney singles chronology
"We All Stand Together"
(1984) 		"Spies Like Us"
(1985) 		"Press"
(1986)

"Spies Like Us" is the title song to the 1985 Warner Bros. motion picture of the same name, starring Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, and Donna Dixon. It was written and performed by Paul McCartney, and reached #7 on the Billboard singles chart in early 1986, making it McCartney's last US top ten hit until 2015's "FourFiveSeconds".[1] It also reached #13 in the UK.[2]

Recording and release

Multiple releases were issued in the UK: a regular 7" single, a 7" shaped picture disc, a regular 12" single featuring extended mixes and the B-side "My Carnival" (a

Wings track from the Venus and Mars
sessions) and a 12" picture disc.

The minute-long

uptempo while the title is being sung repeatedly. When the movie Spies Like Us
hit the theaters, producers opted to play the outro first in the closing credits before playing the entire song.

"Spies Like Us" was released on CD in 1993, as part of the release of

The 7" Singles Box in 2022.[4]

Reception

Cash Box said that it is "playful and danceable" with "innate tunefulness," "an ambitious arrangement and a classic resonant and melodic verse line are highlights."[5]

Director of the film John Landis has stated that he thought it was "a terrible song", but couldn't say no to McCartney and Warner Bros.[6]

Music video

The video for the song, directed by John Landis (who also directed the film), was not aired by the BBC because Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase appeared in it playing instruments. British labour rules at the time prohibited non-musicians from performing in videos, and Aykroyd and Chase did not actually play on the record, though both have worked as professional musicians. The video ends with McCartney, Chase, and Aykroyd walking across Abbey Road, parodying the famous album cover. A second version of the video, which is very rare, also includes Donna Dixon and Vanessa Angel singing the outro alongside Paul McCartney and Dan Aykroyd.

The video was however played on the long running BBC show Top of the Pops on 2 January 1986 having already briefly featured in its Top 40 Breakers section during December 1985.

McCartney, the song, and its associated film were all referenced in the Self song "Out With a Bang".

Track listings

7" single (R 6118)
  1. "Spies Like Us" – 4:40
  2. "My Carnival" – 3:56
    • Performed by Paul McCartney & Wings
12" single (12R 6118)
  1. "Spies Like Us" (Party Mix) – 7:10
    • Remix by John Potoker
  2. "Spies Like Us" (Alternative Mix – Known To His Friends As "Tom") – 3:56
  3. "Spies Like Us" (DJ Version) – 3:46
  4. "My Carnival (Party Mix)" – 6:00
    • Remix by Gary Langan

Charts

Chart (1985-1986) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[7] 55
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[8] 26
Irish Singles Chart[9] 8
UK Singles (OCC)[10]
 13
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 7
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[12] 31
Year-end chart (1986) Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[13] 92

Personnel

Spies Like Us
My Carnival

References

  1. ^ Trust, Gary (4 February 2015). "Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars Top Hot 100; Rihanna, Kanye West & Paul McCartney Near Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  3. ^ "THE ART OF NOISE ONLINE www.theartofnoiseonline.com". theartofnoiseonline.com. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  4. ^ "'The 7" Singles Box' – Out 2 December 2022". PaulMcCartney.com. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. 16 November 1985. p. 9. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  6. ^ John Landis on Paul McCartney's "Spies Like Us" Theme Song. Vimeo. 27 August 2017.
  7. ^ "Paul McCartney – {{{song}}}". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  8. Ultratip
    .
  9. better source needed
    ]
  10. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  11. ^ "Paul McCartney Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  12. ^ "Paul McCartney Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  13. ^ "1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 52. Nielsen Business Media Inc. 27 December 1986. p. Y-21.
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