Rockin’ Thursday XXV

Today, I’m doing something a little bit different. I’m posting two versions of the same song: one released about a month before I was born and the second one released in 1991, which I heard many times while I was in Army Basic Training. I really love both versions.

First Version (Original): Sir James Paul McCartney is an English singer, songwriter, and musician who gained worldwide fame with The Beatles. Paul McCartney’s accomplishments as a solo artist and as part of The Beatles are too many to cover, but his song “Live and Let Die,” the theme song of the 1973 James Bond film of the same name, performed by the British-American rock band Wings, is the one I’m presenting today. Written by Paul McCartney and his wife Linda McCartney, it reunited McCartney with former Beatles producer George Martin, who produced the song and arranged the orchestra. The song was released in 1973 (the best year ever 😉) and reached the #2 spot on the US Hot 100 that same year.1

Second Version: The second version is performed by Guns N’ Roses, an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in March 1985. It was released as the second single from their 1991 album, Use Your Illusion I, and the fourth single overall from the Use Your Illusion series. This cover was commercially successful and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in 1993.2

I hope you enjoy the videos. Please let me know which version you like best, and have a great Rockin’ Thursday!

Paul McCartney & Wings – Live and Let Die
Guns N’ Roses – Live and Let Die
  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_and_Let_Die_(song) ↩︎
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_and_Let_Die_(song)#Guns_N’_Roses_version ↩︎

30 thoughts on “Rockin’ Thursday XXV”

  1. Wow what a contrast and compare, Edward! How could I not go with the original with Paul. The innocence, the joy so open so tenderhearted and with Linda no less was incredible. Love the energy and the music and it was Wings no less! Gotta go with the original!❣️.

    Don’t get me wrong GNR did a great job on instrumentals etc.

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  4. Great Pick for today’s Rocking Thursday Song. Axle Rose and Guns n Roses did an amazing job with this song, but being a Big Time Beatles and Paul McCartney fan, I have to stick with Sir Paul. But it’s definitely a close call.

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  5. The contrast between Paul McCartney’s original 1973 version with its orchestral arrangement and Guns N’ Roses’ hard rock interpretation from 1991 provides a fascinating perspective on how the song has evolved over time. It’s great to see your personal connection to both versions, especially considering the significance of the Guns N’ Roses cover during your Army Basic Training. I’m excited to check out both versions and see how they compare. Thanks for sharing these musical gems and sparking a conversation about classic rock!🤝👏🌷

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    1. You know, this is one of those songs where the original is as good as the other versions. Mötley Crüe’s version of “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” is better than the original, in my opinion.

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    1. Liz, I’m pretty sure that Paul gave his permission, and out of the versions after the original, the one from Guns N’ Roses is the best. Of course, the one from Paul ranked better in the U.S. Top 100.

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