From Blondie to Alice Cooper and Johnny Cash – hear the best James Bond themes that never made it
The Bond theme is a huge compliment to any recording artist; it’s an honor now generally reserved for the hottest acts in music. A great Bond song not only defines the identity of the film, it can also evoke everything a Bond film is about: excitement, a sense of exoticism and signature Bond action. Think about those big, exciting notes golden fingerlang-a-lang opening No One Does It Betteror great adrenaline Live and Let Die.
As the wait for Bond 26 builds to the longest wait of any 007 film, the closest song to a new official Bond song is Lana Del Ray’s song. First Light, The title song of the new Bond video game of the same name. A classic Bond ballad with plenty of atmosphere and dramatic horns, the song was written by David Arnold, who has earned five Bond points to date. It feels like a tribute to the Bond greats.
This isn’t Lana Del Ray’s first brush with the Bond-verse. The American singer had written the song before 24 A potential theme for Ghost (2015) but was rejected in favor of Sam Smith There’s writing on the wall. Del Ray joins a long list of artists whose Bond songs fail to make the grade.
Here are eight songs that were rejected on the grounds that they were supposed to be Bond classics.
Thunderball, Johnny Cash
Movie: Thunderball (1965)
Who got the gig: Tom Jones
Quest summary: Very similar to George Lazenby’s idea for a later sequel About Her Majesty’s Secret Serviceor starring Timothy Dalton Golden EyeIt’s an intriguing “what if?” From Bond history: The Man in Black sings over Bond titles. Following the success of Shirley Bassey golden finger – the first truly iconic Bond theme – Johnny Cash attempted to write a theme for his fourth Bond adventure. It is unknown whether he was asked to write the song (though this seems unlikely), but he was rejected anyway.
“Ball lightning, your fiery breath can burn even the coldest man and who can be harmed by the power you hold,” Cash sang. “Somewhere there is a man who can stop this thing in time, known to few but feared by all in crime.” The song remained unheard and charted for almost 50 years. Bootleg Volume II: From Memphis to Hollywood album. This is more Cash than Bond; unless Bond is tempted to ride into a dusty Old West town on horseback.
Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – Dionne Warwick/Shirley Bassey
Movie: Thunderball (1965)
Who got the gig: Neither of them
Mission Summary: Cash wasn’t the only artist rejected ball lightningIt represented the peak of “Bondmania.” Classic Bond composer John Barry hated the name ball lightning – some Bond-style gibberish – and wrote a poem with songwriter Leslie Bricusse: Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang BangTaken from 007’s Italian nickname. They brought in Dione Warwick to record it, but under pressure from United Artists, producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman scrapped the song; They needed a song that would make the film’s title loud on the radio (like Tom Jones’ vocal “Thunderbaaalll!!”).
Interestingly, Barry recruited Shirley Bassey to record again. Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang for potential use in end titles. However, as recalled in Jon Burlingame’s book on Bond music, Bassey’s vocal performance was not very good and the song was canceled again. Bassey’s company sued the producers and tried to block the film’s release.
You Only Live Twice Julie Rogers
Movie: You Only Live Twice (1967)
Who got the concert: Nancy Sinatra
Mission summary: Julie Rogers is hardly remembered as a major figure in ’60s pop, but the British singer created a huge hit. Wedding In 1964. And it was almost the voice of Sean Connery’s fifth Bond film, recording a demo version of a song rewritten by Barry and Bricusse. But the songwriters thought they could write something better and went back to the drawing board.
As detailed in the epic book on Bond film history, A Kind of Hero A dispute arose over who should sing the theme in the song written by Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury. Harry Saltzman hired a music supervisor who argued that Aretha Franklin should do this. Meanwhile, Cubby Broccoli went to see his close friend Frank Sinatra, which ultimately led to the newborn birth of Ol’ Blue Eyes’ daughter, Nancy. These Boots Are Made for Walking – singing a new version of the theme. Julie Rogers You Only Live Twice appeared somewhere The Best of Bond album.
The Man with the Golden Gun, Alice Cooper
Movie: The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
Who got the gig: Lulu
Mission summary: Roger Moore was introduced with a musical explosion in 1973, accompanied by Paul McCartney. Live and Let Die – arguably the best Bond theme of all time. But the song of Rodge’s follow-up adventure The Man with the Golden Gun Lulu was a golden man; It was there at its worst. The situation might have been very different if the filmmakers had chosen an alternative song by Alice Cooper, the gothic granddaddy of shock rock.
The song was written to specification and would appear on the album. Love Muscles album. Cooper later revealed that the song submission came “a day late” and that the producers had already hired Lulu. As Cooper told AV Club: “We went to every single one of those John Barry albums to try and invent the perfect James Bond song, and even Christopher Lee, who plays Scaramanga in the movie, said: ‘Oh, man, why did we get the Lulu song? That’s that song!'” Live and Let Dieit’s all booming brass and thick guitars; an over-the-top Bond theme.
For Your Eyes Only, Blonde
Movie: For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Who got the gig: Sheena Easton
Mission summary: Roger’s fifth entry (*raises eyebrow*) is also his most serious effort. But the song, written by Bill Conti and Mick Leeson and sung by Sheena Easton, is on the sillier side. Blondie almost suggested something more dramatic; A song that combines familiar melodies. atomic With a Bondian adventure. Debbie Harry later recalled that the producers originally wanted her to sing her own songs, but the band agreed and wrote an original song.
Blondie’s version For Your Eyes Only was rejected but included on their next album, Hunter. Listening to it now, it seems a bit ahead of its time in terms of the classic Bond sound, and definitely pushes the Sheena Easton version over the cliff.
Juvenile, Basic Ace
Movie: Golden Eye (1995)
Who got the gig: Tina Turner, Bono and The Edge
Mission brief: The Swedish quartet and their reggae-infused European pop should never have been anything close to a Bond movie (not to take anything away from the certified musicians). All He Wants And Signsure, but let’s get serious). Still they were running golden Eye, Bond’s big comeback in the 1990s and the first film to feature Pierce Brosnan as 007. The (possibly apocryphal) story, according to Jon Burlingame, is that they weren’t actually rejected and their record company was worried the movie would bombshell and withdrew the tune from consideration. (The Ace of Base website says it was withdrawn due to “unforeseen events.”)
The song was remixed as a 2002 single. Child. You can hear Bond’s claims here; a big, moody ballad with a signature piano melody tailor-made for the opening acts. For better or worse, we ended up with Tina Turner honking her horns at a song by U2’s Bono and The Edge.
Tomorrow Never Lies, Pulp
Movie: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Who got the gig: Sheryl Crow
Mission brief: With Bond returning as the biggest name in action cinema, MGM invited a number of bands to submit potential theme songs for Brosnan’s second adventure, 007. Pulp and Jarvis Cocker’s infectious whimsy of the North may seem oddly suited to the Bond verse, but they were a popular band at the time and entered the competition to write the new theme.
Other players who wrote about potential themes were Duran Duran, Saint Etienne and Marc Almond. According to composer David Arnold, Pulp and the other artists did not necessarily know that it was a competition. “They were under the impression they were being asked to write songs for the Bond movie,” he said. Pulp released their own version as a B-side Help the Elderlyand changed the title to: Tomorrow Never Lies (a working title for the film) to avoid copyright conflict with Sheryl Crow’s official theme.
Spectre, Radiohead
Movie: Ghost (2015)
Who got the gig: Sam Smith
Mission summary: Lana Del Ray wasn’t the only one rejected for Daniel Craig’s penultimate adventure. Radiohead presented an unreleased track, man of war, after being approached by filmmakers. The song was already inspired by Bond; casino royale theme you know my name and Radiohead itself Creep And Karma Police.
The producers wanted an original song, so Radiohead stopped recording their album. Moon Shaped Poolto write Ghost title track. (“This bloody James Bond movie gave us a huge setback,” said producer Nigel Godrich. Rolling stone About the album recording. “It really was a waste of energy.”) The producers went with Sam Smith’s atmospheric but suspenseful ballad There’s Writing on the WallThat pretty much sums up the fuss and disappointment of the final film. Radiohead released these Ghost in 2015 as a Christmas treat for fans.
Telegraph, London
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