Bedtime Music: Paul McCartney and Wings - Live and Let Die

One of my favorite Bond theme songs has been Paul McCartney and Wings' Live and Let Die, from the Bond film of the same name. It helped that one of my cousins who loved music (and later became a DJ) gave my family a 45 rpm record of the song, which I remember playing quite a bit. ;) McCartney was actually considered to sing the theme song for the previous Bond movie, Diamonds are Forever, but he was passed over in favor of Shirley Bassey, who ultimately sang three Bond theme songs. What's interesting is that producer Harry Saltzman actually wanted a black soul singer to do the theme song (since the movie mirrors the blaxploitation film theme that was popular in that era). Saltzman later compromised when actress Brenda Arnau sang the theme song in the "Fillet of Soul" nightclub scene.

Trivia note:

• Live and Let Die was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1973, but lost to The Way We Were.