Spies Like Us (song)

"Spies Like Us"
Single by Paul McCartney
B-side	"My Carnival" (Paul McCartney & Wings)
Released	18 November 1985
Format	single
Recorded	1985
Genre	Pop/Rock
Length	4:48
Label	Parlophone/EMI
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 was a top-ten hit in the United States in early 1986, reaching #7 on the singles chart, making it McCartney's final top-10 hit in the U.S. to date. It also reached #13 in the UK.

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 song by Wings from the Venus and Mars session) and a 12" picture disc.

The minute-long outro is uptempo and features Linda singing "spies like us" 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.

The video for the song, directed by John Landis (who also directed the movie), was not aired by the BBC because Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase appeared in it playing instruments. British labour rules prohibit non-musicians from performing in videos, and Aykroyd and Chase did not actually play on the record. (Ironically, both actors were accomplished musicians: Aykroyd on harmonica and Chase on piano.) The video ends with McCartney, Chase and Aykroyd walking across Abbey Road, parodying the famous album cover.

"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. Perhaps because McCartney has many other hits (solo and with the Beatles), "Spies" has been largely forgotten by the public despite its top-ten position, and is rarely heard even on oldies radio stations.

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

Track listings

7" single

1. "Spies Like Us"
2. "My Carnival"

12" single

1. "Spies Like Us" (party remix by John Potoker)
2. "Spies Like Us" (remix by Art of Noise)
3. "Spies Like Us" (DJ version)
4. "My Carnival (party mix)"

Personnel

Spies Like Us

• Paul McCartney – vocals, bass, guitar, drums
• Eddie Rayner – keyboards
• Eric Stewart – backing vocals
• Kate Robbins – backing vocals
• Ruby James – backing vocals
• Linda McCartney – backing vocals

My Carnival

• Paul McCartney – vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, piano
• Linda McCartney – keyboards, percussion, vocals
• Denny Laine – guitars, keyboards, vocals
• Jimmy McCulloch – guitars, vocals
• Joe English – drums, percussion
• Benny Spellman – vocals
• The Meters – vocals