Traditionally, any talk of Bond Theme history is intended to begin as a celebration of the latest 007 release. However, I’m not in a celebratory mood. “Quantum of Solace” is a crushing disappointment and tosses a wet blanket on the merriment that customarily emerges from a globally dominating James Bond theatrical release. The fire’s been doused as far as the film itself is concerned. Still, the music lives on.
It’s hard to believe there are 22 Bond Themes out there in the pop culture landscape today, even more when processing all the b-sides, outtakes, and knockoffs. It’s a groovy genre of music, extracting a generous portion of playfulness from any artist attempting to capture the elusive romanticized feel of a secret agent on the prowl. It’s this tricky brew of gunshots, gadgets, swagger, and sexual penetration that has come to define the James Bond viewing experience, acting as a smoldering audio brand as iconic as any of the handsome actors, exotic locations, and sardonic one-liners from the series. James Bond wouldn’t be James Bond without ostentatious musical accompaniment, assisted, of course, by elegant, gunplay-delirious, slightly pervy title designs pioneered by the late Maurice Binder.
Dr. No (1962)
“Dr. No” has the distinction of being the first James Bond theatrical adventure, casting the footprint of the franchise in a major way. The opening titles lack a theme song ambush as we know today, instead introducing the eminent “James Bond Theme” by Monty Norman, which quickly segues into the startling “Kingston Calypso” number, certainly setting the mood of the Jamaica-bound movie, but pulling the effortless cool out of the sequence. All these years later, it remains impossible to top the “James Bond Theme” for a direct injection of guitar-strumming 007 flavors, kicking off the franchise on a monumentally critical note of unflappable musical charisma the series still chases to this day. Extra points are awarded for the title sequence, which is a 1960’s graphic design factory explosion that Binder would later refine to perfection.
The “Dr. No” title sequence:
From Russia with Love (1963)
Building off the success of “Dr. No,” “From Russia with Love” wades deeper into the Bond waters, still unsure what sort of experience the audience desires from this superspy. Here, the smooth theme song, performed by ballad singer Matt Monro, is passed over for title usage, showing up in the film as source music. Instead, John Barry announces himself as a preeminent Bond composer with a rat-tat-tat orchestration titled “James Bond is Back,” soon bleeding into the comforting “James Bond Theme” to keep the viewer fully ensconced in Bondian tone. Monro’s song is a standard period offering of cocktail-hour fulfillment. Not remarkable, but smoky enough to lend “Russia” some luxury the film is lacking.
The “From Russia with Love” title sequence:
Matt Monro’s title song:
Goldfinger (1964)
Here’s a Bond Theme for the ages. Fully empowered by box office success and cultural dominance, Bond producers invited Shirley Bassey to the party, and the results would forever alter how the theme song game was played. As bold, brassy, and bountiful a Bond Theme as there ever was, “Goldfinger” is a miraculous number that redefines the franchise, using eardrum-shattering Bassey vocals to tentatively introduce the concept of a pop singer leading the auditory charge. Nearly as legendary as the “James Bond Theme,” Bassey’s throaty, blood-on-the-microphone performance is such an overpowering bell-ringer, it makes one feel bad for any performer who would dare follow it.
The “Goldfinger” title sequence:
Thunderball (1965)
Of course, the man to follow Bassey was Tom Jones, a poetic artistic choice that basically had the Bond producers fighting fire with fire. Jones’s titular theme is hilarious in the predatory way it rumbles, and I would not be surprised to learn the bare-chested performer was being orally serviced during the recording process – the song is a nuclear bomb of machismo. Befitting a beautifully blustery Bond film, the “Thunderball” theme is a roller coaster ride, and while it fails to match Bassey’s soaring heights of musical precision, Jones’s take on garish hero worship deserves a round of applause due to its sheer ambition.
The “Thunderball” title sequence:
And here’s Johnny Cash’s unsolicited demo for “Thunderball” that was wisely shot down:
You Only Live Twice (1967)
I’ve always had a soft spot for Nancy Sinatra’s melodious contribution for “You Only Live Twice.” A careful step down from the vocal-cord-bending performances of the last two Bond Themes, Sinatra lends the film a gentle, mysterious tone with her effort, backed wonderfully by John Barry’s guitar tinkering, Eastern flirtations, and angelic string accompaniment. Perhaps my review is colored here by faux-Britpop goofball Robbie Williams, who lifted the music for his own tune “Millennium” back in 1998 – the only palatable song to emerge from the singer. It seems whatever form the Barry music takes, it results in a winner. That should count for something.
The “You Only Live Twice” title sequence:
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
A new Bond and a reorganization of musical priorities. To squeeze actor George Lazenby into 007’s substantial shoes, composer John Barry steered the franchise back to basics, electing an instrumental to take Bond Theme duties. Accompanying a title sequence that spent more time reminding the audience of Sean Connery than establishing Lazenby, the music accomplishes its goal to be direct, inventive (a contribution from the Moog synthesizer is a big help), and triumphant, working to reassure the audience even before they have a chance to settle in. The real slap of the soundtrack is Louis Armstrong’s “We Have All the Time in the World,” a spectacularly mournful track that embellishes the tragic tone of the film to a heartbreaking extent. “Secret Service” is one of the finest Bond films (my personal favorite), truly underrated in every facet of production. It feels perfect for the feature to proffer two diverse themes of immense value and curious industry motivation to throw off audience expectations as much as Lazenby did.
The “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” title sequence:
The Louis Armstrong song:
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Connery is back, and so is Bassey. Trying to realign the chi of the Bond series, “Diamonds Are Forever” hosed down and tarted up a visibly bored Sean Connery and sent him back into the fray, attempting to use good luck charm Shirley Bassey as a way to win back the audience lost to the preceding Bond entry. The title theme is unquestionably a “Goldfinger” knockoff, but it’s not a ghastly one, especially when Bassey loses herself in the pre-disco, hula-hoop turns of the tune. It’s a fabulous ripsaw vocal workout for Bassey, just in service of songwriting that didn’t necessitate her touch. Not unpredictably, the song turns out to be the highlight of the whole endeavor.
The “Diamonds Are Forever” title sequence:
Live and Let Die (1973)
Slipping Roger Moore into the role of James Bond took more than crafty filmmaking, it needed a Beatle. Enter Paul McCartney and his JV band Wings, who presented the franchise a rock tune to help send matters off on an arresting note. Matching a bizarre motion picture (Blaxploitation and Jane Seymour?) with an even weirder title track that volleys between throw-yer-Diet-Coke-at-the-screen fierceness and passive roller-rink-intermission instrumentation, “Live and Let Die” benefits from this kooky combustibility, while permitting the series a rare showing at the top of the music charts. At the very least, the McCartney submission proved Bond could head in slightly coarser directions musically without shaking off the fanbase. It’s a formula that would unearth the finest themes of the series.
The “Live and Let Die” title sequence:
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
A rather routine 007 adventure kicks off with Lulu’s spirited rendition of a Bond Theme. Granted, the title track is a fairly anemic composition, but the young Scottish singer props up John Barry’s unenthusiastic effort with a bubbly vocal performance, swingy wildly around the literal lyrics of a man…and his golden gun. This tune isn’t big on Bassey metaphors. When Bond Themes are discussed to any sizable extent, Lulu always gets knocked around pretty hard, and I feel the reputation is undeserved. After all, the annoyingly squealing heroin guitar on the track isn’t her fault. Lulu sings the balls off the song, besting the lethargy of a mid-1970’s Bond production the best she can.
The “Man with the Golden Gun” title sequence:
And Alice Cooper’s alleged discarded take on the theme song:
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
With singer Carly Simon, composer Marvin Hamlisch, and lyricist Carole Bayer Sager forming a perfect triangle of adult contemporary domination, the song “Nobody Does It Better” was an easy layup for the Bond films. A contented, romantic ode to masculinity, the song fits perfectly into the tender world of this marvelous 007 venture, dialing down the hysterics of the previous two entries to play directly to softer, matured sensibilities – Bond’s true target audience. Even more impressive about the track is how long it has floated around in the pop culture swimming pool, lending a distinct voice to dentist offices across the globe for three decades now. Well played, Simon. Well played.
The “Spy Who Loved Me” title sequence:
Moonraker (1979)
“Moonraker,” from any viewing angle, is a fairly brainless Bond picture, driven entirely by a thirst to cash in on the “Star Wars” phenomenon that held a choke hold on the nation’s attention span during the late 1970s. To keep the old guard Bond fans interested when Johnny Mathis bailed on his recording duties, Shirley Bassey was recruited at the last minute to give the film a familiar musical identifying mark. Bassey’s oral hysteria is less severe here, delicately matching a song that yearns to evoke the mysteries of space and bedroom travels. “Moonraker” is a garden-variety Bond tune, but it’s a pleasing slow jam from Bassey, who knocks her third franchise appearance out of the park. What a fantastically talented lady. Anyone who can make “Moonraker” appetizing is a miracle worker in my book.
The “Moonraker” title sequence
Brian will return in...The World of James Bond Theme Songs: Part 2
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