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Your favourite Bond theme song from each actor's tenure?

Whirlybird_FanWhirlybird_Fan Sydney, Australia
in Music Posts: 50
What's your favourite Bond songs from each of the Bond actors' eras?

Mine would be

Connery - Thunderball
Lazenby - well gee, um, let me have a think about that...
Moore - Nobody Does it Better
Dalton - The Living Daylights
Brosnan - Tomorrow Never Dies
Craig - Another Way to Die
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Comments

  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,662
    Difficult for Connery. Either FRWL/YOLT/DAF. Might go for DAF as it has heaps of atmosphere.
    OHMSS: Great instrumental. Really sums up the grand sound of the era that was '68-69.
    AVTAK easily. Especially when I play it on my brightly coloured walkman just like Le Bon.
    LTK: Underrated. Really like it, but prefer the whole song to the edit (1st chorus is better).
    TND: Always loved this one. Sexy AF, and the title sequence matches it beat for beat.
    AWTD: Another underrated one. It's bombastic and that's really all that matters.
  • CharmianBondCharmianBond Pett Bottom, Kent
    Posts: 558
    Connery: Goldfinger, bosh. But honourable mention to Dr No, it's worth sitting through the jarring transition to the calypso music to hear the iconic James Bond theme up top.

    Lazenby: On Her Majesty's Secret Service. "The two sweetest words in the English language De Fault, De Fault". Even so it's probably in my top five regardless, one of Barry's finest.

    Moore: Nobody Does it Better. As much as I like Duran Duran this fits so well with Moore's portrayal of Bond, smooth and sophisticated.

    Dalton: The Living Daylights. I'd say this is a proto-You Know My Name, it's a punchy start to a grittier era but lack the finesse of Casino Royale's theme.

    Brosnan: Tomorrow Never Dies. Feels so of its time without overdoing it (looking at you, Madonna), and it's incredibly sleek and stylish.

    Craig: You Know My Name. I really could make the case for all of Craig era's themes, and I agree Another Way to Die is underrated but I do think it's standing on the shoulders of this giant. Like with Dr No those first notes hit you in the face and sweep you along, perfect to start a whole new era of Bond and it's one that still feels so fresh and unique all these years later.
  • Slazenger7Slazenger7 Gothenburg, Sweden
    edited July 2022 Posts: 1,345
    Connery - YOLT
    Lazenby - OHMSS
    Moore - LALD
    Dalton - LTK
    Brosnan - TND
    Craig - YKMN
  • ColonelAdamskiColonelAdamski UK
    Posts: 1,085
    FRWL
    LALD
    TLD
    GE
    SF
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    edited July 2022 Posts: 25,360
    Your favorite Bond theme song from each actor's tenure...

    SC - YOLT
    GL - OHMSS
    RM - LALD
    TD - LTK
    PB - GE
    DC - You Know my Name

    Songs that appear in there respective movies...

    SC - Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Alternate title track sung by Dione Warwick)
    GL - We Have all the time in the World
    RM - LALD
    TD - Where Has Everybody Gone
    PB - Surrender
    DC - We Have all the time in the World
  • 007HallY007HallY
    edited July 2022 Posts: 4,273
    Connery - You Only Live Twice

    - I'm actually not a fan of GF (too brassy), and I find TB a little too bombastic at times. This and From Russia With Love are more subtle and, to me at least, much more interesting lyrically. The arrangement and music for this one just work for me - the vaguely Eastern Asian influence mixed within the Bondian melody, Sinatra's voice, the mysterious lyrics. I dislike this film but the title song has always been a favourite.

    Moore - Nobody Does it Better

    - I like the fact that the Moore era went with ballads during this stretch of his tenure. It really gives his films a specific identity. This and All Time High are my favourites, but this one really stands out to me for its memorability.

    Dalton - License to Kill

    - I'm a fan of The Living Daylight by A Ha, but this one just screams 'Bond' more to me, lyrically and musically. Love Knight's voice.

    Brosnan - Tomorrow Never Dies

    - I think this one is underrated personally. Actually, Brosnan's tenure had generally solid title songs (DAD aside). This is actually one of my favourites. The lyrics are great (I always love when the title songs seem like they're being told from the perspective of a Bond girl, but this one really plays that up), and the 'dun dun dun's of the bass give off this subtly ominous feel, like we're slowly sinking into something dark.

    Craig - Skyfall

    - Craig's era had this and You Know My Name which I loved. Another Way to Die was ok for me, but his last two had my least favourite Bond songs, so forgettable. I can't even remember to this day how No Time To Die by Billie Eilish actually goes. Anyway, this one is my pick. It sounds classical without being generic, the lyrics are mysterious without being too vague (I love that it could be Bond's own thoughts just as he falls into the river after the PTS). Adele has this powerful, memorable voice that sticks out compared to Smith's high pitched whine, or Eilish's more whispery, low key voice. It's a melancholic song, no doubt, but there's something about the arrangement that weirdly gets you hyped for the film.
  • DwayneDwayne New York City
    Posts: 2,861
    You Only Live Twice – this has really grown on me over the years. The yearning lyrics may seem out of place in a film centered on SPECTRE stealing US and Soviet spacecraft but it still works. In the same way Bassey’s Goldfinger is associated with Connery in mid-flight, the melancholy nature of the song really fits my mood knowing Sean’s tenure as Bond is growing to a close.

    On Her Majesty’s Secret Service / We Have All the Time in the World – peak John Barry for me. So good that I can’t choose between them.

    Live and Let Die – a tough one since the Roger Moore era gave us several excellent contenders (Duran Duran’s AVTAK, Carly Simon’s Nobody Does It Better, for example). But as a major Paul and Linda McCartney fan LALD gets my vote.

    The Living Daylights – chosen by default really, even though I love Gladys Knight. Her theme from LTK apes GF so closely that it loses points. In fact, whenever I play the theme songs in chronological order, I normally skip over either LTK or Tina Turner/Bono-The Edge’s GoldenEye. While separated by almost six (6) years they are too similar IMO. Plus, ah-ha did a good – if not great - job here.

    The World Is Not Enough – Shirley Manson and Garbage did a great job with this Don Black/David Arnold penned song. I normally love Sheryl Crow, Tina Turner and even Madonna, but this is the best of the bunch in the Brosnan era. Good music video as well BTW.

    You Know My Name – Adele’s Skyfall might be the popular choice here, but YKMN (combined with the accompanying titles) always gets my heart pumping. Chris Cornell and David Arnold give us a great start to the Craig era.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,298
    You only live twice, today winning out just ahead of thunderball. I love all the connery songs, they're of very solid quality. But these two steal the show, and lyrically I find yolt as powerful as it is poetically simple.
    Live and let die, for the Moore era. An increadably powerful and mysterious song, that has the vengeance part so neetly stuck in there.
    Well, lazer's songs are increadable, but I'll go for the title track.
    The living Daylights. Solid song, and I never really cared for ltk.
    Brosnans era is musically interesting, I'll go for twine. I love those lyrics the most.
    A difficult choice again, but I'll go for skyfall. I solidly hate awtd, nttd is beautiful and hounting but slightly forgettable, and Sam Smith even more so. Ykmn was bold and I loved it, but Adele is an amazing artist that put out quite the memorable and timeless song, although I regret it isn't as good as some of her other work.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 4,077
    Connery: YOLT
    Laz: John Barry's Main title theme
    Moore: Nobody does it better
    Dalton: If there was a man
    Brosnan: Surrender
    Craig: You know My Name
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    edited July 2022 Posts: 9,073
    Favourite Bond song doesn't necessarily mean theme, right?

    Connery: You Only Live Twice (and that's a hard decision, since Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever are also great!)

    Lazenby: There is no real competition between WHATTITW and Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown, is there?. WHATTITW is definitely one of the top three Bond songs ever.

    Moore: Also a tough choice, since I love Nobody Does It Better and Moonraker. But Live And Let Die beats all of the others.

    Dalton: Licence To Kill. If There Was A Man as runner-up. I don't like that a-ha and "Dern Dern" stuff that much. (Edit: Yes, I know that Duran Duran was not in a Dalton movie, but I found them to be part of the same problem: Getting mediocre pop bands popular at the time to perform a Bond title, just because they were popular.)

    Brosnan: Surrender, hands-down and with no regrets. For me, possibly the best Bond song ever, not just for the Brosnan "era". No. 2 is Tina Turner's GoldenEye, probably the only occasion where Tina Turner is just No. 2 for me.

    Craig: I'll vote for You Know My Name. While even that one came up as alien to myself, I found the following attempts even worse. Including the latest Academy-Award winning dirge.
  • R1s1ngs0nR1s1ngs0n France
    Posts: 2,160
    That's an easy one:

    You Only Live Twice
    We Have All The Time In The World
    Live And Let Die
    The Living Daylights
    The World Is Not Enough
    You Know My Name
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,823
    Diamonds Are Forever
    The OHMSS theme
    Live & Let Die
    The Living Daylights
    The World Is Not Enough
    Skyfall
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,599
    Thunderball
    OHMSS theme. (Hands down, Barry's best score)
    Nobody Does It Better
    Licence to Kill
    Tomorrow Never Dies
    You Know My Name
  • CountJohnCountJohn
    Posts: 230
    Connery- Goldfinger
    Laz- I'll get back to you
    Moore- Live and Let Die
    Dalton- Living Daylights if limiting to title themes, might put If There Was a Man ahead of it
    Brosnan- Similarly, The World is Not Enough if just title themes, the KD Lang Tomorrow Never Dies if including end title themes
    Craig- You Know My Name
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Diamonds Are Forever
    Moonraker
    Licence To Kill
    Goldeneye
    You Know My Name
  • Mathis1Mathis1
    Posts: 7,531
    Diamonds Are Forever
    The OHMSS theme (though I do love the Louis Armstrong song!)
    Live and Let Die
    Licence to Kill ( very underrated theme)
    Stand by your Ma.....just kidding, TWINE as I was a fan of Shirley Mansons band, though its low par for them!
    You know my Name
  • mattjoesmattjoes Pay more attention to your chef
    Posts: 7,054
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    Diamonds Are Forever
    Moonraker

    Good choices.
  • battleshipgreygtbattleshipgreygt
    edited July 2022 Posts: 1,220
    Diamonds are Forever
    On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
    Live and Let Die
    The Living Daylights
    The World Is Not Enough
    You Know My Name
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    edited July 2022 Posts: 4,534
    You Only Live Twice
    On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
    All Time High (Octopussy)
    The Living Daylights
    The World Is Not Enough
    No Good About Goodbye (if not count: Skyfall)
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,336
    Connery: Diamonds are Forever
    Lazenby: On Her Majesty's Secret Service Theme
    Moore: All Time High
    Dalton: Licence to Kill
    Brosnan: Tomorrow Never Dies
    Craig: You Know My Name
  • DwayneDwayne New York City
    Posts: 2,861
    M_Balje wrote: »
    You Only Live Twice
    On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
    All Time High (Octopussy)
    The Living Daylights
    The World Is Not Enough
    No Good About Goodbye (if not count: Skyfall)

    No Good About Goodbye - the perfect "Non-Bond Song-Bond Song" for the Craig era IMO.
  • FoxRoxFoxRox
    edited July 2022 Posts: 12,514
    Connery: James Bond Theme (DN) (if instrumentals don’t count, then Goldfinger)
    Lazenby: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service Theme (OHMSS)
    Moore: Live and Let Die (LALD)
    Dalton: Licence to Kill (LTK)
    Brosnan: GoldenEye (GE)
    Craig: You Know My Name (CR)

    With the exception of TMWTGG, I find Connery through Moore’s songs to be very consistent and strong. TLD was alright, I like TWINE, SF, and NTTD, and the others not so much.
  • GerardGerard
    Posts: 6,014
    Here's my ranking. Note that I've also selected some exit songs, and songs that appear in the movies. And I've decided also to do a list of worse theme songs by actor. So, here goes :

    Sean Connery : Best : Goldfinger, of course. Worst : Never Say Never Again : Michel Legrand shouldn't have been chosen as composer for this movie.

    David Niven : Best : The Look of Love. Worst : Casino Royale (End song) : Sorry, that theme didn't need lyrics.

    George Lazenby : Best : We Have All The Time in the World : So good they used it twice. Worst : Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Born. One of my acquaintances thought it was Chantal Goya that sang it when he heard it the first time. Believe me, that was not a compliment.

    Roger Moore : Best : Live and Let Die. Worst : The Man With the Golden Gun.

    Timothy Dalton : Best : License to Kill. Worst : The Living Daylights.

    Pierce Brosnan : Best : The World is not enough. Worst : The Experience of Love.

    Daniel Craig : Best : Skyfall. Worst : Another Way to Die.

    YMMV, of course.
  • EmilioLargoEmilioLargo Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 15
    Connery - Thunderball
    Lazenby - We Have All The Time In The World
    Moore - View To A Kill
    Dalton - The Living Daylights
    Brosnan - Surrender
    Craig - You Know My Name

    Worst songs - Die Another Day, Another Way To Die.
  • ToTheRightToTheRight
    Posts: 16,204
    Connery- DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (YOLT a close 2nd)
    Lazenby- OHMSS
    Moore- LIVE AND LET DIE (close tie with NOBODY DOES IT BETTER)
    Dalton- THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
    Brosnan- TWINE (SURRENDER close 2nd)
    Craig- NO TIME TO DIE
  • BondAficionadoBondAficionado Former IMDBer
    Posts: 1,890
    Connery - YOLT
    Lazenby - OHMSS
    Moore - AVTAK (my absolute fave theme song)
    Dalton - TLD
    Brosnan - TWINE
    Craig - CR
  • morcarvicmorcarvic france
    Posts: 69
    connery -its between frwl opening creds or goldfinger
    lazenby-title theme pips whattitw
    moore -lald my personal fav bond song
    dalton-tld
    brosnan-surrender from tnd [if thats in dispute then twine]
    craig-ykmn
  • Bond_ScoresBond_Scores UK
    Posts: 97
    This is a fun topic for discussion. I'm selecting the songs I personally go back to, over and over again...

    Connery - This is tricky as I love a lot of themes from the 60s, but 'Goldfinger' really set the gold standard. Honourable mention to 'You Only Live Twice', which I think is a beautiful song.

    Lazenby - 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' lol

    Moore - This is tricky as there are so many good ones to pick from, but I'd probably say 'Live And Let Die'. It broke the Bond formula and paved the way for future rock oriented themes. Also it bangs. Honourable mentions to 'Nobody Does It Better', 'Moonraker' and 'A View To A Kill' (I know, I know).

    Dalton - Barry's swansong 'The Living Daylights' for sure

    Brosnan - 'Goldeneye' - the first was the best and, like Brosnan's films, the theme songs got worse and worse

    Craig - I was really underwhelmed by 'You Know My Name' at the time, but the more I've lived with it over the years, the more I love it. It's probably my fave, with 'Skyfall' a close second (although it's Adele's fault that we've had two soppy ballads follow her ~X( )
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,243
    Connery - Thunderball

    Lazenby - The main title

    Moore - A View to a Kill

    Dalton - License to Kill ( It's not a great song but I consider the excellent opening
    moments the to be the end of the classic era)

    Brosnan - Tomorrow Never Dies ( With a stronger vocal, this very good song could have
    great; Crow was not up to the task)

    Craig - You Know My Name
  • slide_99slide_99 USA
    edited July 2022 Posts: 698
    FRWL- underrated; sounds like Bond himself singing a song
    AVTAK- one of my favorite songs in general
    TLD- straddles the line between traditional and pop very well
    TWINE- a return to bombast after many years of experimental tracks
    YKMN- one of Cornell's best songs
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