The adventure continues...
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Continuing on a musical pathway of sensuality over brutality, Sheena Easton’s “For Your Eyes Only” stands above the rest of the Roger Moore-era themes with its glorious dosage of moist ‘80’s electronic sheen. A wet dream committed to wax, the song is a throbbing number abused well by Easton’s shrill vocal range and youthful good looks – a blessing that pushed the singer into the actual title sequence of the film, breaking new ground for the series. I can only image how many proms and bathroom stall coke deals were informed by this tune. The song is the mint on the pillow of Moore’s finest effort as 007, and if it wasn’t for “Sugar Walls,” it would remain the best thing to emerge from Easton’s discography.
The “For Your Eyes Only” title sequence:
And here’s Blondie with their discarded Bond Theme:
Octopussy (1983)
Can you imagine the heated board room meeting that ensued when it came time to pick a title for this Bond Theme? The compromise, “All Time High,” is considerably tamer creation than the title “Octopussy” would suggest, showcasing singer Rita Coolidge at her unflavored best. Another moderate Bond theme to accompany the softer side of Moore, “High” is certainly a memorable tune with an enormous chorus, it merely lacks any semblance of bite, inadvertently commenting on Moore’s growing age with its slow-pitch softball approach. Another member of the previously established “dental office” brigade, Coolidge’s spin on a Bond Theme doesn’t elevate any heart rates, but neither did “Octopussy” to be completely fair.
The “Octopussy” title sequence:
A View to a Kill (1985)
Now this is more like it! Shaking off the sluggish ballad mentality that informed the last decade of Bond Themes, ‘80s pop maestros Duran Duran crashed the party to shake up Roger Moore for his last screen appearance as 007. Routinely lambasted for their glazed, chart-whoring take on Bond music, I’ve always found Duran Duran’s titular song to be a minty blast of bigness, playing to the band’s highly-sharpened pop sensibilities, adding a dash of electricity to a film that would come to be universally dismissed, even by Moore himself. The film certainly has its faults (Christopher Walken and Grace Jones as the baddies?), but Duran Duran’s effort is not one of them, reintroducing some musical pluck back into the franchise.
The “View to a Kill” title sequence:
Duran Duran’s popular music video for the song:
The Living Daylights (1987)
With Roger Moore now out of the Bond game due to age and disinterest, Timothy Dalton arrived packing a rougher take on the character. Who better to emphasize this renewed knuckle-sandwich approach than…a-ha? Perhaps sensing gold is them thar hills after titans Duran Duran ruled the charts, the producers brought in the Norwegian pop group to lend the new Bond a cheery focal point. The band’s submission is a rather funky tune with wonderful orchestral ornamentation from John Barry, but it somehow feels detached from the overall 007 mood. Still, upbeat pop is always welcome, and a-ha prove their worth with this unusual Bond Theme.
The “Living Daylights” title sequence:
And a discarded theme from the Pet Shop Boys:
License to Kill (1989)
Dalton’s second (and abruptly last) appearance as 007 somehow spooked the producers into returning the Bond Theme back to its adult contemporary basics, forgoing the pop revolution to rope Gladys Knight into a spirited performance. “License to Kill” is an extraordinary Bond Theme, but the shrill, era-appropriate recording quality drives me crazy. The franchise deserves lush, bold directions, and this theme fails to grab the listener by the lapels. I’ve always desired to hear another qualified artist take the song and go to town with its generous spy vs. spy overtones, but nobody has accepted the challenge. I’ll make do with Knight and her gifts, but damn, this theme should’ve been a classic. Instead, it’s a satisfying whimper.
The “License to Kill” title sequence:
GoldenEye (1995)
Enter the Pierce Brosnan years, ending a long absence of Bond from the big screen. The one and only Tina Turner accepted theme duties for this critical rebirth, gliding on the songwriting efforts of Bono and The Edge to bring 007 into a new era of relevance. The song is a slinky blockbuster, channeling the great fire god Bassey into a silky theme that revives dusty old Bond feelings while conjuring brand new tingles. Of course Turner was a breathtaking selection, and her sly vocals are a perfect match for the genre, delivering a feisty romp through Bondian battle fields while retaining a healthy sense of sex appeal. Perhaps not the most adventurous theme of the Brosnan years, “GoldenEye” is certainly the best, returning Bond to his rightful place of cinematic royalty.
The “GoldenEye” title sequence:
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
My difficulty with “Tomorrow Never Dies” stems from the picture’s lack of imagination, both in production effort and in Bond Theme artist selection. When I pour through the pages of talent ready for the 007 spotlight during this era, Sheryl Crow is pretty much on the bottom of that list. Sounding not unlike a group of strangled cats facing an incinerator, Crow tries her damndest to assume the curves of a Bond Theme, but her voice just doesn’t have the stamina. Sounding thin and fragile, Crow’s vocals are awful, ruining an otherwise satisfying pass at teasing allure from composer David Arnold. “Dies” is my least favorite Bond film, but to hear Crow mangle the opening makes the picture seems that much worse in hindsight. Perhaps the producers should’ve scrapped the moronic media mogul villain nonsense and just had Bond combat Crow’s frightening voice.
The “Tomorrow Never Dies” title sequence:
Here’s k.d. lang’s outstanding “Surrender,” a Bond Theme submission bumped to the end credits at the last minute. The contrast to Crow’s effort will blow your mind:
The World is Not Enough (1999)
With Bond facing the millennium and renewed box office supremacy, the decision to offer the title slot to the band Garbage was an intriguing one. While successful and blessed with a loyal following, Garbage wasn’t exactly chart-topping fodder, leaving their sonic interpretation of a Bond Theme with much more character and grit than most. Honestly, I’m a monster fan of the song, as it lends the movie a nice charge of digital energy and scope many efforts ignore. Shirley Manson acquits herself memorably to the vocals, staying within her range, letting the song itself do most of the heavy lifting. A comfortably edgy artist choice, Garbage not only failed to embarrass themselves, they actually turned Bond kinda cool for once.
The “World is Not Enough” title sequence:
Die Another Day (2002)
Perhaps the most controversial of the Bond Themes, Madonna comes slithering by to put a Euro-dance-floor spin on the title track. I’ll be the first to admit, the song is a head-scratcher, but I applaud the kooky turns of the tune, which work surprisingly well with the concept of the title sequence: Bond’s endless North Korean torture routine. Of course, many found Madonna’s stuttery contribution to be a torture routine, so perhaps I’m partial to pain, albeit the kind that blends Bond Theme perversity with trendy French beats. File the song under “interesting experimentation.”
The “Die Another Day” title sequence:
Casino Royale (2006)
Not only did a new Bond (Daniel Craig) step forward for “Casino Royale,” but the franchise was stripped free of the ridiculous ornamentation slavishly collected over 20 movies. “Royale” was all about a bloody-knuckled, inaccessible 007, leading the production to Chris Cornell to provide a Bond Theme that matched the furrowed tone of the new film. “You Know My Name” features a decidedly more rockin’ arrogance, taking the series in a new direction of aggressive songwriting and oddball selection of artists. Cornell gives the tune his toasted-vocal best, twisting a wonderful Bond Theme away from its traditional feminine perspective to lend the movie some testosterone and a heapin’ helping of guitars. I feel time will be kind to Cornell’s effort, growing in stature along with the rest of the exceptional “Royale.”
The “Casino Royale” title sequence:
Quantum of Solace (2008)
As I grow older with the Bond franchise, I’m beginning to hear the same sentiment accompanying every release: “The song stinks!” Each new 007 effort seems to invite a fresh wave of despair, and frankly I don’t understand the alarm. An unusual amount of negativity welcomed “Another Way to Die” this past autumn, which I found to be a rather skilled, pleasurably strange entry in the Bond Theme sweepstakes. Jack White and Alicia Keys make for a sinister team, growling up a storm while fighting White’s characteristically screechy musicianship. Sure, it sounds like a glorified White Stripes offering, but I’ll take that over 99% of musical acts today. Additionally, the music fits the thematic reach of “Solace” quite snugly. Hopefully with the release of the picture, more naysayers will be silenced. Besides, the original artist selected to open the picture was eardrum assassin Amy Winehouse. Blech. Yeah, White and Keys don’t sound so bad anymore, do they!
The “Quantum of Solace” title sequence (courtesy of YouTube pirates):
The Jack White/Alicia Keys music video:
Bonus!
Everything or Nothing (2004)
Including a James Bond video game in this mix might seem odd, but “Everything or Nothing” elevated the experience of a 007 game by actually tossing some production value into the experience. Molded as a lost Brosnan adventure, “Everything” played exactly like a feature film, topped off with a title sequence performed hungrily by Mya. Sure, the song is tinny and lacks a specialized franchise makeover, but it’s contains more professional scope than anticipated for a video game, especially one with Bond Girls that include Shannon Elizabeth and Heidi Klum. The game is a blast to play, but the inclusion of a catchy theme and a title sequence sold the experience as a James Bond event.
The entire first act of the “Everything or Nothing” game:
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