Music Notes: Best and Worst Bond Songs

November 16th, 2006

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.)