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Get By EmailMusic Notes: Best and Worst Bond Songs
I’m currently watching all the James Bond movies, which are partly famous for their varied theme songs. What follows are my five selections as the best - and sadly, the five worst.
The Best Bond Songs
1. James Bond Theme, John Barry Orchestra: Dr. No
I must give a nod to the original James Bond theme, as it’s so iconic. It merged a Ventures-style surf guitar with a symphony and made it synonymous with spies and suspense.
2. Goldfinger, Shirley Bassey: Goldfinger
Brassy, and I love the way the rising chromatic Bond theme is worked into the song via the horns. This is pretty much the quintessential Bond theme, and the template for many future Bond songs, with its awesome vocal delivery.
3. Live and Let Die, Paul McCartney and Wings: Live and Let Die
This song captures the shifting moods and contrasts of a Bond film: romance and high style with the potential of violence exploding onto the scene at any minute. There’s also a slight reggae nod to the exotic locations of the movie. A new style for a new actor as Bond (Roger Moore).
4. Nobody Does It Better, Carly Simon: The Spy Who Loved Me
This is a tribute to Bond’s romantic side, with a sensual vocal by Carly Simon, double-tracked in all the right places. It’s also nice to hear the movie title worked into the lyrics rather than being the title of the song. There are some cheesy drums and an odd country vibe, but overall this is a memorable ode to a memorable lover.
5. For Your Eyes Only, Sheena Easton: For Your Eyes Only
There are a few goofy synthesizers but overall, both the strong melody and vocals work for me.
Honorable Mention:
Thunderball, Tom Jones: Thunderball
A View to a Kill, Duran Duran: A View to a Kill
From Russia With Love, Matt Monro: From Russia With Love
Note: I wish I could include Dusty Springfield’s The Look Of Love but it was recorded for Casino Royale which was a James Bond satire.
The Worst Bond Songs
And here are my nominations for the five worst:
1. Die Another Day, Madonna: Die Another Day
This piece of tripe is Madonna crammed through a synthesizer on an answering machine. Makes me want to die, or put off listening to this song for another day. Antares Auto-Tune, Sigmund Freud, and abrupt stops makes me think of a monkey jumping on a computer playing Justify My Love. Probably the worst Bond theme of all time.
2. The World Is Not Enough, Garbage: The World Is Not Enough
Garbage tries to imitate Portishead and fails miserably. A good example of too much quantization and lack of vocal range.
3. Tomorrow Never Dies, Sheryl Crow: Tomorrow Never Dies
Sheryl Crow doesn’t strike me as tension-building or dangerous. The verses are in 3/4 which doesn’t sound quite right, plus she doesn’t seem up to the belting parts, sounding more like Nina Persson or Susanna Hoffs, which is fine for pop, but not Bond. Compare this song with any of the 60s Shirley Bassey Bond themes to hear what’s wrong.
Note: A much better theme song would have been Surrender by K.D. Lang, on the same soundtrack album.
4. The Living Daylights, A-Ha: The Living Daylights
A-Ha never struck me as tension-building and dangerous, either. I don’t know, this feels like an inferior copy of Duran Duran’s A View to a Kill.
5. The Man With The Golden Gun, Lulu: The Man With The Golden Gun
Great singer - just the wrong song and the wrong instrumentation. Unfortunately, I feel like this song’s lyrics take the movie too literally. I also don’t appreciate the cheesy seventies guitar, or the odd middle section.
Dishonorable Mention:
Never Say Never Again, Lani Hall: Never Say Never Again
All Time High, Rita Coolidge: Octopussy
License to Kill, Gladys Knight: License to Kill
Note: Thanks to Greg and his awesome music collection! He already had a playlist with all the James Bond songs waiting to be reviewed.
(For a listen to these songs along with the titles they came with, check out City Of Films and their YouTube compilaton.)
Categories: General, James Bond, Movies, Music :: Tags: ::
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"Thanks - i'll mention the one day twitter boycott too. But a big reason why I'm okay with leaving Twitter temporarily is because I have FriendFeed - my cojones are not that big." -
i definetly agree that madonna’s die another day is worst bond song ever!
and live and let die is also one of the best.
Yeah, I really don’t know how that song was chosen or what Madonna was thinking.
I just found out that Tom Jones’ Thunderball was recorded in a few weeks as a replacement theme for Thunderball, to replace Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I think the producers of Die Another Day should have done the same with Madonna’s… quickly recorded a replacement.
My tops:
Nobody Does It Better - Instant classic
Thunderball - Tom Jones, ’nuff said
You Only Live Twice - Such luscious strings!
We Have All the Time in the World- Can’t go wrong with Louis Armstrong
Man with the Golden Gun - What can I say, I like all the sass in this song.
Surprisingly, in my case, Live and Let Die has actually declined in its appeal. I still think it’s good, but not *great*.
Hey tunequest… good picks. Definitely unique. I’ll have to politely disagree with you about the man with the golden gun.
As for live and let die, I’m a long time beatles fan so despite my attempts to be objective, I’ll probably never be able to ignore a good beatley tune.
[...] Webomatica posts about his best and worst James Bond songs. It’s a nice list; I threw my picks into the comments, though I left out the iconic James Bond Theme. god bless John Barry for that. We disagree about Man With The Golden Gun, but to each his own. [...]
[...] Music Notes: Best and Worst Bond Songs [...]
What the hell happened to A View To a Kill? that’s like the classic spy song, people!
It’s listed as honorable mention under best Bond songs.
Why isn’t Chris Cornell’s song in the best Bond songs list. His is one of the best perhaps the best.
Hi Ben, that is just a matter of personal taste (well, isn’t everything when it comes to reviews) - I think I prefer the old female crooning style of Goldfinger. Maybe the Chris Cornell song is a bit too new and I just have to listen to it more?
Thanks for visiting and commenting!
Well live and let die is my number one but I will make my case for A-ha’s The Living Daylights,On there own they play it live fantastic,lots of Guitars and not too much Synths….So there you go!!Sometimes He who follows the crowd gets no further! A-ha are still together!!
My favorites are Goldfinger, Lous Armstrong’s All the time in the world, Moonraker themse, and the Octopussy theme. Worst is Maddonas song, and Garbage. The latest themse from Casino isnt bad. Kinda reminds me of the old bond songs.
Cheers!
I love Moonraker, A view2 a kill, tomorrow never dies, u only live twice. The wordt is 4 youreyes only.
You Only Live Twice - One of my favorites. Nancy Sinatra,….Wow!
Alice Cooper wrote a theme for ‘The Man With The Golden Gun’, (it’s on their 1974 ‘Muscle Of Love’ album) which was seriously considered but declined in favour of the Lulu song. It wasn’t that great, more a pastiche than an inspired effort (same goes for Chris Cornell’s new one for Casino Royale). The Lulu song really isn’t that bad, it’s just set to a remarkably clumsy arrangement (suits a remarkably clumsy film, though). The best? Unquestionably ‘You Only Live Twice’. Worst is probably Madonna’s thing and then Garbage’s anaemic travesty.
That Chris Cornell song for Casino Royale was HORRIBLE!
What about “Diamonds Are Forever”? (Shirley Bassey)
well i think Madonna’s song is the Best Bond Song!..
Chris Cornell’s You know my name is the BEST James Bond song ever. And Casino Royale WAS good, maybe not the best (From Russia with Love was) but seriously…
The Chris Cornell theme seems to be love it or hate it. Personally I reckon it’s one of the best because:
- it’s angry (so is the new Bond)
- The lyrics actually have some meaning (for a change)
- David Arnold has been true to John Barry with the horns and melody
- It just plain rocks (in my opinion)
I’ve even been playing it to a ‘hater’ ; after a couple of beers I admit; and he’s starting to love the track.
My other fave themes : You Only Live Twice, Goldfinger, OHMSS (2 tracks), The Spy Who Loved Me and License to Kill (despite the film being a bit pants).
It’s not poetry I know, but the lyrics reflect the ‘new’ Bond (and Casinos):
If you take a life do you know what you’ll give?
Odds are, you won’t like what it is
When the storm arrives, would you be seen with me?
By the merciless eyes of deceit?
I’ve seen angels fall from blinding heights
But you yourself are nothing so divine
Just next in line
Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you
The odds will betray you
And I will replace you
You can’t deny the prize it may never fulfill you
It longs to kill you
Are you willing to die?
The coldest blood runs through my veins
You know my name