1985 single by Paul McCartney
"
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
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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
outro
is
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 Paul McCartney Collection
, as a bonus track on the album
Press to Play
. The B-side, "My Carnival", was released as a bonus track on
Venus and Mars
, and the 12" single was an exclusive to iTunes. The "Alternative Mix" was included on the deluxe edition of the Art of Noise album
In No Sense? Nonsense!
released in 2018.
[3]
It was also included on
The 7" Singles Box
in 2022.
[4]
Reception
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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
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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
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- 7" single
(R 6118)
- "Spies Like Us" ? 4:40
- "My Carnival" ? 3:56
- Performed by Paul McCartney & Wings
- 12" single
(12R 6118)
- "Spies Like Us" (Party Mix) ? 7:10
- "Spies Like Us" (Alternative Mix ? Known To His Friends As "Tom") ? 3:56
- "Spies Like Us" (DJ Version) ? 3:46
- "My Carnival (Party Mix)" ? 6:00
Charts
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Personnel
[
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- Spies Like Us
- My Carnival
References
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