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James Bond and injustice are inextricably linked in my head.
My older brother was allowed to stay up and watch televised Bond movies (during the Sean Connery era) while I was forced to go to bed. I would quietly hide and catch the completely awesome intros before I was spotted and carted off to my room. I would then press my head against the wall, listening in to try to figure out what the heck was going on.
Finally, when I was around 7 or 8, my mother took us to see The Spy Who Loved Me. At the time, it was probably the greatest thing I had ever seen. Better than War & Peace, Remembrance of Things Past and Madame Bovary all mixed together. Only with cartoon violence, mod clothes, Bond girls and neat gadgets.
After this, my enthusiasm for all things secret agent changed my draconian curfew, and I was allowed to catch up on all the past Bond movies. Now, Rhapsody has allowed me to go back and discover a couple of other things I loved about the Bond films -- the music and the theme songs.
Since hard times have us often retreating back to happy memories, here is the first installment of my tour of every Bond theme and a few of the scores. John Barry wrote the template for the music and themes used in the Bond movies, and his style is widely emulated to this day.
Dr. No
John Barry, "The James Bond Theme"
Holy smokes! This thing is still awesome. I originallly knew the intro from the Beatles' "Help." John Barry actually ghost-wrote this and ended up getting the gig to compose the rest of the series. The majority of the soundtrack album features quality Jamaican calypso tunes; maybe that's one of the reasons Jamaican ska acts seemed to worship James Bond after this. The movie was a global smash but did only respectable business in the States.
From Russia with Love
Matt Monro, "From Russia with Love"
Top flick and a big improvement over Dr. No, this is where Bond mania really hit the States. That said, the movie tune sung by Matt Monro (billed as the English Sinatra, he's more the British Jack Jones) is kind of forgettable. They came up with the groovy Bond title sequence in this one but they played John Barry's instrumental version over it instead of the vocal. The score is superb, with numbers such as "Spectre Island" and "Bond Meets Tania" used as a sonic template for the rest of the series.
Goldfinger
Shirley Bassey, "Goldfinger"
This melodramatic number has become the template for all almost the Bond themes to follow. It was sung by the lovely Welsh belter Shirley Bassey (whom I knew from her appearance on The Muppet Show); she thought the song was ridiculous, incidentally. John Barry had taken over co-writing the theme songs, putting his same BIG string and brass sound from his scores into the title tunes. The movie itself perfected the comic bookie template of the James Bond series and brought in gadgets, magic sports cars and a leading lady (Honor Blackman) who was older than Connery. Goldfinger was a blockbuster, and Barry's score was a big hit -- it works almost as well outside of the picture.
Thunderball
Tom Jones, "Thunderball"
Shirley Bassey was a banshee-voiced Welsh lass, so the producers selected Tom Jones, a banshee-voiced Welsh lad, to sing the next theme. Jones likewise thought his song was ridiculous. It is, but that's part of the fun. Originally, Barry brought Bassey back to sing a better song called "Mr. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" (which was inspired by the brilliant Italian term that distills the entire Bond universe into a couple of words). All the underwater stuff is amazing -- this film was beyond huge. In today's money it made a billion dollars at the box office! Bond fanatic David Gedge named a Wedding Present album, Disco Volante, after a boat featured in this picture.
You Only Live Twice
Nancy Sinatra, "You Only Live Twice"
This is my favorite Bond picture. Why? I have no idea. Maybe because Roald Dahl wrote the screenplay or maybe because of all the Asian ladies hanging out in hot tubs (Bond may be a imperialist but he is a hygienic imperialist). The theme song isn't considered a classic, but it's a good one, and Barry (and other composers) recycled pieces of it often in other pictures, usually when Bond and a bikini-clad beauty come across a natural paradise.
You can listen to the entire history of Bond Themes here. Ironically, the greatest Bond song was created outside the official series in 1967 for a confusing super-spy spoof. Written and arranged by Burt Bacharach, "The Look Of Love" is widely considered to be a perfect song.
John Barry, "The James Bond Theme"
Holy smokes! This thing is still awesome. I originallly knew the intro from the Beatles' "Help." John Barry actually ghost-wrote this and ended up getting the gig to compose the rest of the series. The majority of the soundtrack album features quality Jamaican calypso tunes; maybe that's one of the reasons Jamaican ska acts seemed to worship James Bond after this. The movie was a global smash but did only respectable business in the States.
From Russia with Love
Matt Monro, "From Russia with Love"
Top flick and a big improvement over Dr. No, this is where Bond mania really hit the States. That said, the movie tune sung by Matt Monro (billed as the English Sinatra, he's more the British Jack Jones) is kind of forgettable. They came up with the groovy Bond title sequence in this one but they played John Barry's instrumental version over it instead of the vocal. The score is superb, with numbers such as "Spectre Island" and "Bond Meets Tania" used as a sonic template for the rest of the series.
Goldfinger
Shirley Bassey, "Goldfinger"
This melodramatic number has become the template for all almost the Bond themes to follow. It was sung by the lovely Welsh belter Shirley Bassey (whom I knew from her appearance on The Muppet Show); she thought the song was ridiculous, incidentally. John Barry had taken over co-writing the theme songs, putting his same BIG string and brass sound from his scores into the title tunes. The movie itself perfected the comic bookie template of the James Bond series and brought in gadgets, magic sports cars and a leading lady (Honor Blackman) who was older than Connery. Goldfinger was a blockbuster, and Barry's score was a big hit -- it works almost as well outside of the picture. Thunderball
Tom Jones, "Thunderball"
Shirley Bassey was a banshee-voiced Welsh lass, so the producers selected Tom Jones, a banshee-voiced Welsh lad, to sing the next theme. Jones likewise thought his song was ridiculous. It is, but that's part of the fun. Originally, Barry brought Bassey back to sing a better song called "Mr. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" (which was inspired by the brilliant Italian term that distills the entire Bond universe into a couple of words). All the underwater stuff is amazing -- this film was beyond huge. In today's money it made a billion dollars at the box office! Bond fanatic David Gedge named a Wedding Present album, Disco Volante, after a boat featured in this picture.You Only Live Twice
Nancy Sinatra, "You Only Live Twice"
This is my favorite Bond picture. Why? I have no idea. Maybe because Roald Dahl wrote the screenplay or maybe because of all the Asian ladies hanging out in hot tubs (Bond may be a imperialist but he is a hygienic imperialist). The theme song isn't considered a classic, but it's a good one, and Barry (and other composers) recycled pieces of it often in other pictures, usually when Bond and a bikini-clad beauty come across a natural paradise.
You can listen to the entire history of Bond Themes here. Ironically, the greatest Bond song was created outside the official series in 1967 for a confusing super-spy spoof. Written and arranged by Burt Bacharach, "The Look Of Love" is widely considered to be a perfect song.
Tune in for Part II, where Coup De Stereo examines the theme songs of the Roger Moore Years.
Portions of album content provided by All Music Guide © 2011 All Media Guide, LLC ® 1999-2011 Rhapsody International Inc.
Dear Friends
Greetings
Life is short even if it is only twice.
Hi, found your first tour of the Bond movies music very interesting, but I hope Monty Norman doesn't see the part about John Barry "ghost writing" the James Bond theme.He'll sue you know !!
I HAVE almost all the bond movies till the last decade..
in my opinion Goger Moore is one of the best of them all . FOR YOUR EYES ONLY is one the masterpiece and OST ot rthat movie is ultimate.
The Spy who loved me was the first James Bond Movie I saw in my life too, and I was 8 when my dad took me to Presidente Theater (El Salvador) to see it in premiere.
This movie changed forever in my mind the way I figure the character of the good guy from comic’s super hero to the elegant man.
I agree with you Nick. Although the main character does various somersaults and tricks, the elegance on the suit of James Bond and the music gives another air to the hero of the movie.
Everybody knows Diamonds are Forever is the best Mr Kidd, of course Mr Wint. Or how about Grace Jones sprouting wings and flying off the Eiffel Tower. I love theme all, when is the next Bond convention.