1989 Gladys Knight – Licence To Kill (UK:#6)
“Licence Yo Kill” is a song by American singer Gladys Knight, written and recorded for the James Bond film Licence to Kill. The song was written by Narada Michael Walden, Jeffrey Cohen and Walter Afanasieff. Released as a single on May 30, 1989, the song became a top-ten hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number six and becoming Knight’s last charting solo single there. The song charted well in Europe, peaking atop the Swedish Singles Chart for eight weeks (four chart periods at the time) and reaching the top five in seven other European countries. It also peaked at number 79 on Canada’s RPM Top Singles chart but did not appear on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Album

The soundtrack to Licence to Kill, the 16th Eon Productions James Bond film, was released by MCA Records in 1989. Because the usual James Bond composer John Barry (who had scored almost every film from From Russia with Love onwards) was not available at the time as he was undergoing throat surgery after suffering a rupture of the esophagus in 1988, the soundtrack’s more upbeat and suspenseful […]
Muscians
Bass (synthesizer) | Walter Afanasieff |
Drums (programming) | Walter Afanasieff |
Keyboards | Walter Afanasieff |
Piano | Walter Afanasieff |
Synthesizer | Ren Klyce |
Programming | Walter Afanasieff |
Programming | Ren Klyce |
Horns | Gary Grant |
Horns | Jerry Hey |
Cymbal | Gigi Gonaway |
Background Vocals | Claytoven Richardson |
Background Vocals | Jeanie Tracy |
Background Vocals | Kitty Beethoven |
Background Vocals | Melisa Kary |
Background Vocals | Sandy Griffith |
Background Vocals | Skyler Jett |
Vocals | Gladys Knight |
Produced By
Narada Michael Walden
Walter Afanasieff
Songwriters
Jeffrey Cohen
Narada Michael Walden
Walter Afanasieff
Charts
US:# –
UK:# 6