"Another Way to Die"

[Kendal_Ozzel 36]

Link.

The new Bond song, "Another Way to Die", has been written by someone who is not David Arnold. Rather, it was written by Jack White of the White Stripes, and it is performed by he and Alicia Keys.

As you may recall, the last Bond song not written by Arnold was "Die Another Day".

Discuss.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

Then again, Eric Serra had nothing to do with the song "Goldeneye" and that remains one of my favourite Bond songs ever.

So it could be good, or it could be not good. Either way, I look forward to hearing it.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Probably another a-ha.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

I like Jack White pretty well, but he seems like a terribly odd choice for this job. I wish David Arnold had some sort of involvement in this.

Either way, can't wait for the movie.

[Kendal_Ozzel 36]

Alicia Keys has a good voice, and the White Stripes aren't bad, but... even if it turns out to be a good song, we don't know if Arnold's gonna incorporate it in the score, and that's what worries me. The guy weaves his melodies through the scores so brilliantly. Do Babs & Mickey G. have no respect for him at all? The only thing I can figure is that "You Know My Name" didn't do well enough on the charts for their liking.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

Alicia Keys has a good voice, and the White Stripes aren't bad, but... even if it turns out to be a good song, we don't know if Arnold's gonna incorporate it in the score, and that's what worries me. The guy weaves his melodies through the scores so brilliantly. Do Babs & Mickey G. have no respect for him at all? The only thing I can figure is that "You Know My Name" didn't do well enough on the charts for their liking.

I just hope that the damned song is on the CD this time. What the hell was the deal with "You Know My Name" not being on the soundtrack?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Yeah, maybe it was produced by a separate label or something. I bought the iTunes single.

[Wycket 36]

Yeah, maybe it was produced by a separate label or something. I bought the iTunes single.

Its b/c Cornell wanted to sell more records and made a deal so it wouldn't be on the Casino Royale dvd. As for this new song, I think its hard to judge based just on this. Yes its not working with Arnold, but White does fit his style so I wouldn't see why they can't collaborate. And if this is a duet, than perhaps this will simply be left for the more romantic moments like Barry did.

[Maglorfin 196]

I wish David Arnold had some sort of involvement in this.

Either way, can't wait for the movie.

Same here. Though I doubt that the song is going to get anywhere close to You Know My Name, which is the best rock song I've heard in years.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

Well, all power to Chris Cornell, and I dig the song . . . but it's just plain weird to have a James Bond soundtrack without the credits song. That's what I like to call a "bad idea."

As for "Another Way to Die," I'm excited to hear it, but I think I'll try to wait until I see the movie this time. I hated "You Know My Name" until I saw Casino Royale, at which point in time I wondered what had been wrong with me.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

I too, did not like You Know My Name the first few times I heard it. Hated it in fact.

[Vaderbait1 1]

I loved it. I just hope that with the new song, Arnold will incorporate it into the soundtrack like he usually does.

[Maglorfin 196]

I'm sure he will. In fact, has there been a Bond at all in which this wasn't done?

[Neimoidian 14]

I'm sure he will. In fact, has there been a Bond at all in which this wasn't done?

Of course. Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies (based on the "rejected" k.d. Lang song which eventually landed in End Credits) and Die Another Day (here Arnold used his own theme).

I'm not sure about Licence to kill, I must check it.

[Ollie 1,059]

Michael Kamen scored License to Kill and did not use the song, which is basically a slight rip-off of Goldfinger, in the score. He was not involved in writing the song.

Hopefully there will be communication between Arnold and the song writers and the song is good enough to be incorperated into the score.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Yeah, Arnold's use of the "You Know My Name" in the Casino Royale score is terrific - it has a great, and obviously appropriate, secret agent vibe to it. Not being overly familiar with the recent Bond scores, when else has he done this?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

John Barry, in all his Bond scores.

For instance......

[Neimoidian 14]

Yeah, Arnold's use of the "You Know My Name" in the Casino Royale score is terrific - it has a great, and obviously appropriate, secret agent vibe to it. Not being overly familiar with the recent Bond scores, when else has he done this?

In both Tomorrow never dies and The World is not Enough, although his song for TND was shifted to the end credits by the producers.

[Maglorfin 196]

I'm sure he will. In fact, has there been a Bond at all in which this wasn't done?

Of course. Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies (based on the "rejected" k.d. Lang song which eventually landed in End Credits) and Die Another Day (here Arnold used his own theme).

Thanks for that, I'll remember it. But still, only 3 movies out of 21.

[Neimoidian 14]

I'm sure he will. In fact, has there been a Bond at all in which this wasn't done?

Of course. Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies (based on the "rejected" k.d. Lang song which eventually landed in End Credits) and Die Another Day (here Arnold used his own theme).

Thanks for that, I'll remember it. But still, only 3 movies out of 21.

4! Like Mark just said, Licence to Kill also had no melody based on main song in it.

[fommes 153]

Well frankly, if the song stinks, I'd rather have him incorporate his own theme. I wouldn't mind if he gets another song in the end credits himself.

[Kendal_Ozzel 36]

He and Don Black started to write a song for DAD called "I Will Return". (Not sure which title is more awesome: that or "You Know My Name.") But then, of course, Madonna happened. The melody still pops up in the score a few times though, most notably in "Peaceful Fountains of Desire", and you can tell it would've made a killer song. I still hope he gets to finish it... someday.

[Kendal_Ozzel 36]

Just heard it. (Or most of it, anyway.)

Bleh.

I'll try to give it a fair shot when I can hear the whole thing in decent quality, but so far...

[Neimoidian 14]

I heard it too, full this time and I am disappointed. There are good moments, especially these which were in that short fragment from couple of days ago, but there are indeed DAD-like moments in the full version... Damn, will they never learn?

[Vaderbait1 1]

The song doesn't really have a melody that Arnold can use in the score. Which sucks, because You Know My Name was excellent and worked in the score as well.

[Quintus 5,399]

I heard it's BBC Radio 1 world premier. The text message feedback the station received was mainly negative, but in contrast, I liked it. It has a modern funky sound with a wicked baseline - pure Bond and almost reminiscent of the bassy energetics employed by John Barry, back in the day.

I suspect most here will HATE it, but I reckon it'll be a grower, especially if the opening credits graphics match up to it as well as I expect them to. This is a very modern Bond song.

[Ollie 1,059]

I'll wait until I hear / see it in the opening credits.

[Quintus 5,399]

You better stay away from the tv and radio in the meantime then

[Ollie 1,059]

I only listen to sports talk radio and channel surf during commercials.

But I meant I'm not going to critique it until I see the film.

[Quintus 5,399]

Ah.

[Henry B 50]

I like it. It sounds suitably outraged. Not sure I'm sold on the crazy "solo" section, but the music and lyrics are strong. And it sounds like Jack White took a few thematic cues from "You Know My Name," so between that and the orchestral embellishments Arnold is still very much a part of this song.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

it is a terrible song, absolutely horrid.

[Henry B 50]

Saw that coming.

[Quintus 5,399]

Yep.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

It sounds too closed in to be a Bond song. It doesn't have that....big...feel to it.

But it sounds OK. I'll have to see it in the context of the intro.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

When will they get Bowie to write a Bond song? It's about bloody time IMO.

[Ollie 1,059]

And it sounds like Jack White took a few thematic cues from "You Know My Name," so between that and the orchestral embellishments Arnold is still very much a part of this song.

Yeah I noticed that as well.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Yep.

so do you think its quality?

its a piece of S..H..!..T...

apparently these days its very difficult to write a decent pop song to a Bond film. And the singer is anything but first rate.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I agree with Joe that the song sucks, but I rather like Alicia Key's voice.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I'm not saying she's bad, but she's not very talented either. I'll say this I like the title, and it would be a better movie title for the film. James Bond in Another Way to Die.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

Yep.

so do you think its quality?

its a piece of S..H..!..T...

apparently these days its very difficult to write a decent pop song to a Bond film. And the singer is anything but first rate.

I'm steadfastly refusing to listen to this song until I see Quantum of Solace, but I'm reading the reactions, and the mostly negative quality of them got me thinking about something.

What was the last time a Bond song was universally well-regarded? Obviously, there are always going to be a few dissenters for anything that's good, the same way there will always be a few people who like something no matter how crappy it is. But just speaking in general, what was the last Bond song That People Liked?

My guess: "A View to a Kill." And that's been 23 years ago. That is an astonishingly long time ago, when I look at that number typed there on the screen. I myself have enjoyed almost all of the Bond songs that have come since, to one extent or another (I even have a mild liking for "Die Another Day," or at least parts of it, and yes, I know that makes me crazy). But I am aware that I'm in the minority on that topic, and that for the vast majority of people, the "Bond song" sub-sub-genre has become devastatingly stale.

I'm only mildly concerned by this, since the movies themselves seem to be on an extreme turn-around trend. But I can't help wishing that the songs could go back to being cool again.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

the fact that I don't like the song doesn't make me anticipate a decent movie any less.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

the fact that I don't like the song doesn't make me anticipate a decent movie any less.

It wouldn't for me, either. But I can vividly remember that for all the Bond movies I ever saw in the theatre up until GoldenEye, one of the things I was most excited about was seeing/hearing the new theme song. Granted, in terms of my actually being conscious of it, that only amounts to three movies (A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights, and Licence to Kill), but I enjoyed it those three times, even when I wasn't enjoying the song in question. In all the movies since, there's been some slight disappointment when the song came up, because I already knew it and therefore wasn't experiencing it as fresh as I might.

It's an irrelevant thing to do, I guess, but I want to hold off on it this one time, and see if it gives me anything like the same thrill it gave me in '85, '87, and '89. Based on most of what I've read, my expectations are lowered.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I like every single Bond song except for Die Another Day and that lame Eric Serra song at the end of GoldenEye.

Haven't heard this new one yet, and won't until I see the movie.

[Hitch 57]

Best Bond song is GOLDENEYE sung by Tina Turner. I would say that anyhow.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

no its Carly Simon's Nobody Does it Better, cause they don't

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Best Bond song is GOLDENEYE sung by Tina Turner. I would say that anyhow.

I think I will agree. If not the best, it's definitely Top 3.

[publicist 4,643]

Best Bond song is GOLDENEYE sung by Tina Turner. I would say that anyhow.

I think I will agree. If not the best, it's definitely Top 3.

The http://www.thirdmanrecords.com/ link features a version of this new song which somehow reminds me of updating of the somewhat limp 'Man with the Golden Gun' song. It isn't an eyebrow-raiser like the Madonna song but it could've been a TAD more distinctive.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Nobody seems to have mentioned how the opening chords are very similar to those of You Know My Name. They seem to be transposed to a different key (is my technobabble correct here, musiclovers?).

Coincidence? I think not!

Not the greatest song I've ever heard, but it has potential to be good within context.

[Henry B 50]

Hey, I noticed the similarities to "You Know My Name." That chord progression is one of them; the other is the opening instrumental melody.