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The original unused 'Never Say Never Again' theme by Phyllis Hyman
Samuel001
Moderator
Some may know of this, some may not, so here it is:
Prior to the release of <i>Never Say Never Again</i> in 1983, Stephen Forsyth and Jim Ryan wrote what was intended to be the film's theme song, but their tune was axed when Michel Legrand, who created the film's score, threatened to sue.
As Forsyth explains:
"During the filming of the James Bond movie Never Say Never Again, I co-wrote the title song for the movie with Jim Ryan. Warner Brothers informed our attorney that the song was to be used as the title song in the picture. However, shortly before its release, Warner Bros informed us that the song could not be used because Michel Legrand, who wrote the score, threatened to sue them, claiming that contractually he had the right to the title song. So my song was never released. The legendary Phyllis Hyman was my first choice to sing the song and working with her is one of the highlights of my musical career. I personally auditioned and sang the song to her while she was having breakfast in her manager’s office. After agreeing to sing the song, she arrived at the studio and, without any rehearsal and only having heard the song sung once at the breakfast audition, sang the song in one perfect take. Phyllis sadly took her own life in the early nineties. The year before she died, she called me late one night and told me she felt that "Never Say Never Again" was her best and favorite recording."
It's worthwhile noting the song also used some notes and motifs from The James Bond Theme, maybe another reason for it not being used in the final film. I also can't see this song, as good as it is, playing over the opening - though any song playing over <i>that</i> opening would've been bad.
The original idea was to have a ticking bomb sound which increases and gets louder as the "test mission" draws to a close, adding tension. This would have been great in my opinion, but no they had to use a song.
Anyway, this song was only first released in 2008. Here it is:
Prior to the release of <i>Never Say Never Again</i> in 1983, Stephen Forsyth and Jim Ryan wrote what was intended to be the film's theme song, but their tune was axed when Michel Legrand, who created the film's score, threatened to sue.
As Forsyth explains:
"During the filming of the James Bond movie Never Say Never Again, I co-wrote the title song for the movie with Jim Ryan. Warner Brothers informed our attorney that the song was to be used as the title song in the picture. However, shortly before its release, Warner Bros informed us that the song could not be used because Michel Legrand, who wrote the score, threatened to sue them, claiming that contractually he had the right to the title song. So my song was never released. The legendary Phyllis Hyman was my first choice to sing the song and working with her is one of the highlights of my musical career. I personally auditioned and sang the song to her while she was having breakfast in her manager’s office. After agreeing to sing the song, she arrived at the studio and, without any rehearsal and only having heard the song sung once at the breakfast audition, sang the song in one perfect take. Phyllis sadly took her own life in the early nineties. The year before she died, she called me late one night and told me she felt that "Never Say Never Again" was her best and favorite recording."
It's worthwhile noting the song also used some notes and motifs from The James Bond Theme, maybe another reason for it not being used in the final film. I also can't see this song, as good as it is, playing over the opening - though any song playing over <i>that</i> opening would've been bad.
The original idea was to have a ticking bomb sound which increases and gets louder as the "test mission" draws to a close, adding tension. This would have been great in my opinion, but no they had to use a song.
Anyway, this song was only first released in 2008. Here it is:
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Comments
Not a bad song.
Nice 80s production sound ;-) .
Came out the same year as Octopussy but don't recall I even went to see it
I listened to a bit of it and first off I favored the proper one that came out at the time
This takes me back to an argument I had with a fellow student when NSNA came out...he just couldn't understand why NSNA didn't have the gunbarrel, the James Bond Theme, or the same actors playing M, Q, Moneypenny, etc. After explaining that it wasn't an official Bond film he said that the makers of NSNA should have just used the music, gunbarrel, and same actors anyway. When I explained - over and over again - that EON wouldn't let them he kept saying but they should have just asked and then they could have. I was getting increasingly frustrated because he wouldn't understand; HE was getting angry with me because I wouldn't understand how simple it would have been for NSNA to get to use those things! And he would have been 14 years old - it's not like he was 5!
So fair play to these people I know how tough it is to get anything through.
By the way the song is rubbish.