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Who could've done a Bond theme?

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  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,082
    They should have let k.d. lang do another one in time. Maybe they still can. Her "Surrender" (originally titled "Tomorrow Never Dies") was the best Bond theme song at least since "You Only Live Twice" untile they had the idiotic idea to relegate her to the end titles and let Sheryl Crow do the main one instead.

    Another singer I've always been pondering is Melissa Etheridge.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I never got the love for Surrender. I find it bland, generic, uninteresting.
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,082
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    I never got the love for Surrender. I find it bland, generic, uninteresting.
    Which of the existing ones do you prefer, then?

  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    edited February 2017 Posts: 45,489
    Of all the Bond themes? I like most of them. Smith s song is the worst. Great instrumental intro, horrible vocals and lyrics. Only The Experience of Love is worse.
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,082
    "The Experience of Love" is not a bad song, but I agree it's not "Bond Theme" material. But then it's also been reduced to a final credits backdrop. Of the real themes, my least favourites are Madonna's, that QOS thingy, and possibly TMWTGG. That Sam Smith song isn't really bad, except that I don't like falsetto. But then again, my love for the Bee Gees also stopped with "Night Fever".
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited March 2017 Posts: 23,883
    Ed Sheeran comments on possibly doing a Bond track. I'd be open. I'll admit to having a soft spot for Sing.

    http://www.digitalspy.com/music/james-bond-007/news/a822426/ed-sheeran-would-love-to-do-james-bond-song-but-will-it-happen/
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited March 2017 Posts: 23,883
    I think Seal would do an excellent theme. He's still got it - saw him live a few years back. Norah Jones would be good too. 'Killer' has Bond written all over it.




  • BlandingsCastleBlandingsCastle
    Posts: 19
    Perilagu_Khan wrote: »

    Melissa Manchester instead of Lulu in Gun. A different song, too.
    No. Nothing against Melissa Manchester but I love Lulu's voice, there's a YouTube video of just the vocal track to The Man With The Golden Gun and it is sublime.

    Came here to suggest Henry Mancini (search YouTube for his Peter Gunn soundtrack) but I see @thenoisydrum beat me to it
  • bondsumbondsum
    Posts: 3,333
    To those that have suggested Kate Bush in the past, she was already asked and flatly refused to do it. Originally, Kate Bush was asked to write and record the Moonraker's theme, but when she declined, Barry and lyricist Hal David penned their own. The plan was initially for Johnny Mathis to record it, but he was unhappy with the song so the producers drafted in Bassey at short notice. The Welsh singer has since admitted she hated this tune and only did it as a favor to John Barry.

    As much as I enjoy the kitsch sound of Lulu's TMWTGG, I'd have much preferred Elvis do the title song with a different tune. Now that was a huge missed opportunity, especially as Elvis was a big Bond fan.

    Octopussy is the other poor effort that needed a replacement song. Some here have suggested Ultravox, good choice, but I'd have also considered The Human League, Donna Summer, Spandau Ballet or even Paul Young as better alternatives than Rita Coolidge.
  • shobairshobair London
    Posts: 85
    I think Chris Cornell is best choice , his theme song for casino royal was great
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,617
    Any excuse for some 80s talent - "If looks could kill" great title for a Bond movie. The vocal talent is not in question...
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited March 2017 Posts: 23,883
    @patb, for some reason that Heart track is soooo Staying Alive, Flashdance or Rocky 3, complete with exaggerated guitar riff.

    I think Phil Collins would have nailed a Bond theme in his prime. The Bangles could have done a good one too.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,252
    I would have liked to have heard Ann Wilson do the vocal on Tomorrow Never Dies. I actually like the song very much; I just don't think Crowe was up to the task.
  • patbpatb
    edited March 2017 Posts: 4,617
    Thats a great suggestion, certainly would not have been worse,

    so many options in the 80s, so few now.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited March 2017 Posts: 23,883
    talos7 wrote: »
    I would have liked to have heard Ann Wilson do the vocal on Tomorrow Never Dies. I actually like the song very much; I just don't think Crowe was up to the task.
    I actually like Crowe's track a lot. I much prefer it to Surrender, which I find a little too predictable and pastiche (like a poor man's GF). I realize this is not the prevalent opinion.

    Crowe's 'throaty' voice also is a little different to what we expect in a slower Bond track.
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,617
    "Throaty" is being kind...it's thin and naisal IMHO, Bond singers need a healthy set of lungs to belt it out.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    patb wrote: »
    "Throaty" is being kind...it's thin and naisal IMHO, Bond singers need a healthy set of lungs to belt it out.
    That's exactly what I found refreshing about her song. It was different and unexpected, unlike Surrender which just seemed to me like a poor carbon copy of something that would have been done much better in the 60's.
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,617
    So was Sam Smith refreshing, different and unusual? It was the last two thats for sure
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    patb wrote: »
    So was Sam Smith refreshing, different and unusual? It was the last two thats for sure
    I guess I walked into that one. It was, but not in a good way imho. Quite the contrary. What I'm saying here is I don't want cheap imitations of what has come before. That is the main reason I didn't like Surrender. It was too reminiscent of the past without bringing anything new to the table.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,252
    patb wrote: »
    "Throaty" is being kind...it's thin and naisal IMHO, Bond singers need a healthy set of lungs to belt it out.

    Yes!

  • shobairshobair London
    Posts: 85
    we all believe that Adele & Sam smith sing best song for James bond movie in 2012 and 2015 but the singer should has a virile voice , Sam smith is a good singer but his voice isn't virile , and we need a singer like Chris Cornell , but first of everything , a great composer can change everything . for example : skyfall theme song . composing & recording was awesome and its become the best song .
  • Jazz007Jazz007 Minnesota
    Posts: 257
    Esperanza Spalding could have a far better song for Spectre, "Writing's on the Wall" is an OK tune but far from great if you ask me. Of course, there's still plenty of time for Spalding to do a future Bond theme song or two - or three.... She'd be amazing.

    I think Tears For Fears could have made a great 80s or 90s (when it was just Orzabal) Bond theme song!
  • ToTheRightToTheRight
    Posts: 16,223
    bondsum wrote: »
    To those that have suggested Kate Bush in the past, she was already asked and flatly refused to do it. Originally, Kate Bush was asked to write and record the Moonraker's theme, but when she declined, Barry and lyricist Hal David penned their own. The plan was initially for Johnny Mathis to record it, but he was unhappy with the song so the producers drafted in Bassey at short notice. The Welsh singer has since admitted she hated this tune and only did it as a favor to John Barry.

    As much as I enjoy the kitsch sound of Lulu's TMWTGG, I'd have much preferred Elvis do the title song with a different tune. Now that was a huge missed opportunity, especially as Elvis was a big Bond fan.

    Octopussy is the other poor effort that needed a replacement song. Some here have suggested Ultravox, good choice, but I'd have also considered The Human League, Donna Summer, Spandau Ballet or even Paul Young as better alternatives than Rita Coolidge.

    I'm with you on Elvis having done a Bond theme. Especially during TMWTGG era. With Barry's orchestra behind him bringing the Bondian sound that might have really been something.
  • bondsumbondsum
    edited March 2017 Posts: 3,333
    Seconded, @Jazz007, Orzabal has a superb voice and would've also been a superior choice to Rita Coolidge. I think his song "Woman in Chains", amongst others, demonstrates his brilliant vocal range. The 80s was such a great decade for British acts I'm totally at a loss as to why we had Coolidge and Gladys Knight. For the record, I also dislike Sheryl Crowe's TND song, and Garbage's effort wasn't any better, either.

    @ToTheRight, Elvis would've been the perfect follow-up to Paul McCartney, sort of Elvis dovetailing The Beatles again.
  • Jazz007Jazz007 Minnesota
    Posts: 257
    Yeah - Crowe's song for TND was pretty bad and, although Barry's melody is great, Coolidge doesn't even sound like she's singing in tune on "All Time High." There was room for improvement in EON's song department in the 80s and 90s, that's for sure.
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