James Bond movie theme songs are the cinematic equivalents of paperback book-series covers — they suggest familiarity and course with the promise of a compelling new adventure for Western culture’s most unkillable pop icon. Bond's first big screen adventure, 1962's, Dr. No had no precedent to follow, and therefore no need for the bombastic title treatments that would come to define the franchise (it opted for a gentle calypso medley). By the time the franchise's third film was released two years later, we already had Shirley Bassey roaring 'Goldfinger'over the credits, and audiences knew just what kind of fun 007 had in store for them.
Nov 17, 2015 Various Artists – James Bond 007: Soundtrack Collection (1962 – 2012) Other instrumental pieces, such as the “007 Theme” or “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, and various songs, such as Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger”, Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die” or Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better”, Sheena Easton’s “For Your Eyes Only” and Duran Duran’s “A View to a Kill” have also.
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Each Bond gets the themes he deserves, from the smooth and impenetrable tunes of the Connery era to the radio-ready offerings from the Daniel Craig years, as muscular and wounded as his iteration of the legendary spy. You don't need to have seen Spectre to know that the song Sam Smith wrote for it taps into the unique pathos of the rebranded contemporary version of the character; when it comes to Bond themes, the writing has always been on the wall.
With Spectre looming ominously on the horizon, we look back at more than 50 years of Bond themes, counting down from worst to best.
Burt Bacharach appropriately comes up with a rambunctious soundtrack for the 1967 James Bond spoof, Casino Royale. Things get underway with Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass' performance of the fast-paced main title, which features the usual Bacharach mix of pop phrasing and complex arrangements; this theme is subsequently augmented with a lush string arrangement and marching band rhythms on 'Sir James' Trip to Find Mata' and turns into a mod rock jam during 'Flying Saucer First Stop Berlin.' Bacharach excelled at these kinds of musical cut-ups, but thankfully he used liberal doses of humor and melody to keep the proceedings from turning too rarefied or messy. At times, the humor even turns to camp, as it does with the manic hodgepodge of circus themes, gypsy music, and lounge grind on 'Home James, Don't Spare the Horses.' The more recognizable and certainly more straightforward side of Bacharach is here, too, on the Dusty Springfield smash 'The Look of Love.' This is one of Bacharach's best soundtracks and a good buy for seasoned fans. Those new to his music, though, should first check out collections on Rhino or Hip-O, which feature original hit versions of his popular songs.
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 02:34 | ||
2 | 04:00 | ||
3 | 02:30 | ||
4 | 02:08 | ||
5 | 01:28 | ||
6 | 03:46 | ||
7 | 02:40 | ||
8 | 01:12 | ||
9 | 02:22 | ||
10 | 02:52 | ||
11 | 02:50 | ||
12 | 01:15 | ||
13 | 04:50 |
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