Welcome to the first installment of “The Original Vs. The Cover” for 2018. We are going to start it off this year with the battle between Paul McCartney & Wings and Guns ‘N Roses with the song “Live and Let Die”. The song was written by Paul & Linda McCartney for the James Bond movie “Live and Let Die”. The two versions aren’t really that different in my opinion. Some of the orchestration is replaced with guitars, but other than that they are very similar. But before we choose a version we like more, let’s talk about each version first.
Paul McCartney and Wings
Paul was given the Ian Fleming novel to read and then he sat down at his piano and wrote the song. I am not sure Paul had ever had to write a song around a title before as he said it was not an easy thing to do. Well, he wrote the song in an afternoon, so it must not have been that hard. The song is one of Wing’s most popular songs and it received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song in 1973. However, it did lose to Barbara Streisand’s song “The Way We Were”. The song was also nominated for a Grammy in the same year.
The orchestration in the Wing’s version was done by the very famous Beatles Producer, George Martin, who also produced this song for Paul. The James Bond movie producer, Harry Saltzman wanted Shirley Bassey or Thelma Houston to perform the song rather than Wings, but George & Paul said they would let them have the song only if Paul and Wings performed it. The rest is history.
The song is a play on the phrase “Live and Let Live” and how we use that phrase when we are younger, but when we become older and more cynical, we start saying “Live and Let Die”.
What makes the Wings version work is the orchestration through out the song. The added horns, strings and percussion give it that cinema punch needed for a movie. The song almost feels like a classical piece with the tempo and style changes throughout from softer to harder and back and forth. It is one of my favorite James Bond theme songs.
Guns ‘N Roses
The Guns ‘N Roses version is off their 1991 album Use Your Illusion I. In 1993, the song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance and so both versions were nominated for a Grammy. Both lost.
So what did Guns ‘N Roses do to change it up and make it their own version. Honestly, not much. They start off with the same piano and Axl’s vocals before they kick it up a notch and crank it out. They kept the horns like the original. The only real changes were turning it in to a very hard rock version rather than the orchestrated original. The strings are replaced by Slash’s guitar and the percussion is replaced by Matt’s banging drum set. Outside of that, they style and sound is still similar to the original.
I do like the juiced up version and Axl’s unique vocals definitely add a different dimension to the song, but not enough in my opinion to really make it their own even though more people might think of it as their song and not Wings.
Okay, my decision is rather easy on this one. I do like the Paul McCartney & Wings version much better. It has that movie orchestration and punch needed for the cinema and for its original intention. It is one of the best James Bond movie themes and gives me a little more bang for my buck. I don’t think Guns ‘N Roses brought anything significantly new to the table with their version and being a GNR fan, that hurts me to say that. Let me know which version should we let “LIVE” and which one should “DIE”.
“Live And Let Die”
When you were young and your heart was an open book
You used to say live and let live
(you know you did, you know you did you know you did)
But if this ever changing world in which we’re living
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
Live and let die
Live and let die
Live and let die
What does it matter to ya
When you got a job to do
You gotta do it well
You gotta give the other fellow hell
When you were young and your heart was an open book
You used to say live and let live
(you know you did, you know you did you know you did)
But if this ever changing world in which we’re living
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
Live and let die
Live and let die
Live and let die
Written by Paul and Linda McCartney
Paul McCartney’s version rules!
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Great idea for a series….
I remember Guns playing this live when I saw them on the tour opener in Alpine Valley and almost blinding me with that back of strobe lights(behind Sorum) that they used just for this song….
I do prefer Beatle Pauls spin on this ..the Axl screech kinda got to me after a while on this track
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Thanks. I would like the GNR version if I got to see them do it live. The only time I saw GNR live was prior to them doing this song.
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Good tune… for McCartney anyway hehe… always hated the Guns version though. Its horrible!
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I didn’t always like McCartney and Wings, but I did like this song. I don’t hate the GNR version, it just isn’t anything special.
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A horrible version of a horrible song. Only thing that could make it worse is a Axl and McCartney collaboration. Urgh.
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I am going to try and make that happen just to see if it could be worse for you!! 🙂
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Haha! You’re a cruel man!
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Get Homme and Grohl in on that too. If they’re all in the one place at the same time then…
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To be honest, that’s the kind of thing Grohl would get in on. Homme’s too much of a villain for that carry on.
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Really? What about that abysmal Iggy Pop carry on? Them Croaky Vulcans too! Was he in them?…
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Whit!!!!??? Abysmal Iggy Pop carry on!? Whit!?
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Did you miss that one? I thought you were a fan… You should pay more attention!
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Hahah!
Eh, you watch it or we’ll have to tussle!
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I remember seeing Guns do Live and Let Die at the 1991 MTV awards before the albums came out. “That was terrible!” was our reaction.
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That seems to be what everyone is saying so far. I was a little surprised as I figured there would be some die hard GNR fans that thought it was better, but nope.
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I appreciate Guns version but first impression was negative. It didn’t help that they had no horns on the MTV version.
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If it’s okay with you I’ll sit this one out. I just can’t handle this song… I have what some may consider an irrational disliking for it.
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Perfectly fine…to each their own.
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Next you’ll be telling us that Vinnie Vincent’s first album is the best of all time.
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Wait! It isn’t??? 😂
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I’ve heard it’s better than anything including ice cream and the Beatles.
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I guess it is true as the Mark Slaughter guy from the 2nd album never did anything else after that album because it was so bad.
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Yeah he certainly couldn’t have possibly made an awesome debut album with a new band or opened for Kiss.
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I heard GNR’s first and so it has a special place for me – but McCartney’s original is none too shabby either!
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GnR’s is a decent effort but Macca’s is the best for me.
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The majority are leaning that way.
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I have never enjoyed the GNR version. Not once.
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I was surprised by how many people have said the same thing. I thought there might be a little more love for it, but nope!!
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My faith in humanity is still low but it did go up a notch.
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That is good to hear.
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Perfer the Guns n Roses version. But the Original still good
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