Producers Saltzman and Albert Broccoli approached Paul McCartney to write the theme song and McCartney in turn asked George Martin to record it for him. Impressed with the orchestration for the finished track by Paul McCartney and Wings,"Live and Let Die",Saltzman and Broccoli considered Martin for the film's score.[2]
Martin worked closely with director Guy Hamilton who described what the music should convey in each scene as it unfolds. Only very minor changes to the finished score were asked for by Hamilton. Martin felt that this was as much for Hamilton's accurate briefing.[2]
The orchestra was conducted by Martin and recorded at AIR Studios. The soundtrack was also released in quadrophonic.
Having recorded McCartney's performance, Martin was taken aback when Saltzman asked him who he thought should sing the film's title song, suggesting to him Thelma Houston. Saltzman had envisaged a female soul singer. Martin said that it should be McCartney.[2] The recording contract had specified that McCartney would "perform the title song under the opening titles".[3] Martin nonetheless scored a soul arrangement to accompany singer B. J. Arnau for a nightclub sequence in the film.
Live and Let Die was the first time that a rock music arrangement was used to open a Bond film. It was also the first time that McCartney and Martin had worked together since Abbey Road in 1969. McCartney had been considered as title song composer for the previous Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever.[4] The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 46th Academy Awards but lost to "The Way We Were" from the film of the same name.
The original soundtrack LP ended with track 14, "James Bond Theme", and this version was released on CD in 1988. The digitally remastered CD re-release, 2003, as well as adding eight additional tracks, extended several of the original ones, such as "Bond Meets Solitaire". Except as noted, all tracks composed by George Martin.[7] In 2023, La La Land Records released a 2 disc expanded edition for the 50th anniversary of the movie.
↑ Track listing for "Back in the US" (2002) or "Good Evening New York" (2009)
1 2 3 Live And Let Die (Vinyl back cover). Various Artists. United Artists Records, Inc. 1973. UA-LA-100G.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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