Jump to content

James Bond is better than everything


Jay

Recommended Posts

29 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

 

Let's stick with songs, for now, but if you want to add top-5 individual tracks, then...

 

1/ Exercise At Gibraltar 

2/ Journey To Blofeld's Hideaway

2/ Flight Into Space 

4/ On Her Majesty's Secret Service 

5/ Helicopter Ride

 

 

 

Bond '77!!!!! ROTFLMAO

Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

 

Let's stick with songs, for now, but if you want to add top-5 individual tracks, then...

 

1/ Exercise At Gibraltar 

2/ Journey To Blofeld's Hideaway

2/ Flight Into Space 

4/ On Her Majesty's Secret Service 

5/ Helicopter Ride

 

 

 

No no. I just included those two because they're title songs. So is the instrumental of From Russia with Love, come to that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I was at a 'Bond Songs By Candlelight' gig last Friday evening ... I grinned and bore The Writing's On The Wall and No Time To Die (although admittedly both were improved in the mouths of different vocalists than the originals), but the rest was fine and dandy. Highlights were the opening 'one-two' of the Bond theme followed by You Know My Name, Goldeneye delivered with particular gusto (probably due to Tina Turner's recent passing) and the famous 'fainting note' in Thunderball hit and held with considerable aplomb. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Luke Skywalker said:

Surrender and No good about goodbye are such great bond songs. A shame they only ley arnold get title song once.

 

Twice, right? The World is Not Enough and You Know My Name?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 26/04/2023 at 1:22 AM, Tom Guernsey said:

Agreed on all counts really... although I have to concede that how long it takes you to write something doesn't necessarily correlate with its quality, if people think your song is dreck, saying you dashed it off in 10 minutes doesn't help your cause. Then again, we are probably in a minority and most people thought it was the best Bond song ever cos it's, like, you know, not old fashioned and that... ;-)

 

Indeed - Barry was notorious for writing his songs in a matter of hours or days - he famously wrote "Thunderball" at the last minute to replace (the superior, IMO) "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" Great composers can write great things incredibly quickly; it's an absolute necessity in this gig.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Docteur Qui said:

 

Indeed - Barry was notorious for writing his songs in a matter of hours or days - he famously wrote "Thunderball" at the last minute to replace (the superior, IMO) "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" Great composers can write great things incredibly quickly; it's an absolute necessity in this gig.

I remember an interview with Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy) about a time he was asked to write a song with Guy Chambers and being terrified by how quickly Chambers (and collaborators) could churn something out and that he had only just started to form some thoughts while the others had already finished.

 

Mr Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang is a great song... I had forgotten that it wasn't recorded as a song (at least not on the version I have), just an instrumental. Not sure if I like it more or less than Thunderball itself (I mean, it's like who's the least attractive Hemsworth), but shows Barry's greatness that he could write two classic Bond songs for the same film when some writers can't manage one...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Did they play anything from OHMSS?


We Have All The Time In The World. 

Only films that were 'left out' were The Living Daylights, Die Another Day and Quantum Of Solace. Shame about Daylights but the other two are a bit, um, divisive to say the least and probably weren't missed.  

14 hours ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Hopefully a dubsteb version of Do You Know How Christmas Trees are Grown?


Ugh, the very thought :pfft:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Tallguy said:

According to Wikipedia it was a collaboration. Arnold wrote the music and Cornell wrote the lyrics. Which was pretty much how Barry did it.

Was the collaboration late in the game? Because i can only remember it being used in the score at the bahamas arrival, and maybe another instance. Its not throughout the film like in other films

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, Gabriel Bezerra said:

It is used throughout frequently, it's basically his theme in the movie.

 

That's what I thought too, but it's not a score I know front to back, so I didn't say anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Tom Guernsey said:

I remember an interview with Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy) about a time he was asked to write a song with Guy Chambers and being terrified by how quickly Chambers (and collaborators) could churn something out and that he had only just started to form some thoughts while the others had already finished.

 

Mr Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang is a great song... I had forgotten that it wasn't recorded as a song (at least not on the version I have), just an instrumental. Not sure if I like it more or less than Thunderball itself (I mean, it's like who's the least attractive Hemsworth), but shows Barry's greatness that he could write two classic Bond songs for the same film when some writers can't manage one...

Wasn't it?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shirley also recorded it:

 

 

She recorded the demo version first, but was unavailable when they went to re-record the song to match the length of the opening titles, so Warwick was approached. Bassey wasn't happy and sued the producers, which is why neither version was used or heard until the 90's (and why "Thunderball" replaced it). Allegedly anyway - I've also heard that the producers got cold feet about the song because it didn't contain the film's title in it.

 

8 hours ago, Luke Skywalker said:

Was the collaboration late in the game? Because i can only remember it being used in the score at the bahamas arrival, and maybe another instance. Its not throughout the film like in other films

 

You need to listen to that wonderful score again. It's basically the main theme of the score; Arnold uses it liberally, essentially replacing the James Bond theme which doesn't appear in full til the end credits. That was a masterstroke IMO - the score feels so fresh and inspired after the very tired Die Another Day, largely because it doesn't use Norman/Barry's theme as a crutch. The back half of the chorus melody ("the odds will betray you / and I will replace you") and the opening notes of the verse melody ("if you take a life") are all over the score, and the the opening "badum badum" rhythm from the intro is especially prominent in the action cues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, A Farewell to Kings said:

Wasn't it?

 

 

I should have clarified that the expanded release of the Thunderball score only contains instrumental versions but cool to hear it sung as intended.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, JNHFan2000 said:

Which concert hall is that?


Belfast's Ulster Hall. Little bit of trivia ... it was where Led Zeppelin first played Stairway To Heaven live. 

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the Dionne Warwick version of Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang first turned up on this - 


image.jpeg
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Sweeping Strings said:


Belfast's Ulster Hall. Little bit of trivia ... it was where Led Zeppelin first played Stairway To Heaven live. 

 

 Ah, ok. It looked very much like concert hall where I go to a lot. But it's another country

Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said:

And yeah I actually far prefer “Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” to “Thunderball” (nothing against Tom Jones… he’s an utter delight for The Emperor’s New Groove!)

 

That is an awesome collection. I don't think they've done an anniversary edition as well since. (I got it a few years late. Right before Goldeneye came out.) (I'm suddenly missing Tower Records.)

 

I'm honestly not sure I care which one they used since I like all of them. And the melodies both appear in the film and they're great.

 

Theme song guy!

 

"I'm sorry. You've thrown off the Emperor's groove." "Sorrrryyyyyyyyy!"

 

"Beware the groove!" "Groooooooove..."

 

"You owe me a new acorn."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Well, ya got me. By all accounts, it doesn't make sense."

 

"Oh, right. The poison. The poison for Kuzco, the poison chosen especially to kill Kuzco, Kuzco's poison."

 

I definitely prefer the KKBB melody, as the Thunderball is too close to the Bond theme.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Recently I watched the beginning of THUNDERBALL with the second audio commentary. Imo, "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" definitely works far better than "Thunderball".

 

6 hours ago, A Farewell to Kings said:

I definitely prefer the KKBB melody, as the Thunderball is too close to the Bond theme.

 

Of course. They were both written by John Barry.

Oops! Controversial :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

"Pull the lever...

 

 

 

... wrong lever!!!"

 

Can't believe I missed that one. When the movie was about to come out and Disney Channel was hocking it incessantly my nephew was quoting that line CONSTANTLY. And you know what? It STILL makes me laugh.

 

12 hours ago, A Farewell to Kings said:

I definitely prefer the KKBB melody, as the Thunderball is too close to the Bond theme.

 

Well, it quotes the theme, the up and down background bit. (I know, enough with the super technical musical jargon.) I miss when the themes did that. To this day when it gets to that bit in Goldeneye all the hairs on my neck stand up.

 

Arnold only KIND OF did it. Which makes me wonder if someone made a fuss since a) he had no qualms about playing the Bond theme and b) he's obviously as well versed in the history as any of us. I think on Shaken Not Stirred he might have added it to songs that didn't have it before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Tallguy said:

 

That is an awesome collection. I don't think they've done an anniversary edition as well since. (I got it a few years late. Right before Goldeneye came out.) (I'm suddenly missing Tower Records.)

 

I'm honestly not sure I care which one they used since I like all of them. And the melodies both appear in the film and they're great.

 

Theme song guy!

 

"I'm sorry. You've thrown off the Emperor's groove." "Sorrrryyyyyyyyy!"

 

"Beware the groove!" "Groooooooove..."

 

"You owe me a new acorn."


I bought the 40th anniversary one too ... main attraction there was the rockin' version of the Bond theme from the Goldeneye trailer, which I don't think had been previously available. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Sweeping Strings said:


I bought the 40th anniversary one too ... main attraction there was the rockin' version of the Bond theme from the Goldeneye trailer, which I don't think had been previously available. 

 

Yeah. I forgot, I had both. That's why when it got to the 50th I said "No further!"

 

And yes, I bought the 40th for the Goldeneye track. Before that I just had a recording of the trailer on CD. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
19 hours ago, Edmilson said:


It apparently coming down to him and Craig last time round made me hope that his chances were high this time round, but I guess his Warhammer commitments will put paid to that.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 4 months later...

So far we have complete scores for You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever, Live And Let Die, Octopussy, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day. 

 

Ones that have been said could not be expanded Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger. Because the tapes were missing I haven't heard that they have been found. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.