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Existing songs as part of Bond soundtracks
If a mod or anyone can think of a better title then please change it, I had no idea how to phrase it.
I was thinking today about the scene where London Calling plays in DAD and realised that and TLD are the only films of the franchise I can think of that used an existing song as part of the soundtrack (and not over the credits or anything).
How would we feel about them doing this more often? I don't mean for the title song or anything but just for a scene in the film.
Personally I'd be all for it. I think music can be used to great effect on film and on TV (Life On Mars was full of it, Breaking Bad's ending is also a good example). If overused it could feel cheap and tacky, and obviously a big part of Bond is the music so I wouldn't want to sacrifice much of the original scores, but the odd song could be used to great effect imo. I'm sure we've all listened to songs in the past and thought of Bondanian scenarios they'd fit wih
I was thinking today about the scene where London Calling plays in DAD and realised that and TLD are the only films of the franchise I can think of that used an existing song as part of the soundtrack (and not over the credits or anything).
How would we feel about them doing this more often? I don't mean for the title song or anything but just for a scene in the film.
Personally I'd be all for it. I think music can be used to great effect on film and on TV (Life On Mars was full of it, Breaking Bad's ending is also a good example). If overused it could feel cheap and tacky, and obviously a big part of Bond is the music so I wouldn't want to sacrifice much of the original scores, but the odd song could be used to great effect imo. I'm sure we've all listened to songs in the past and thought of Bondanian scenarios they'd fit wih
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Comments
Genuinely can't recall songs being used in TSWLM and MR though. I think the TLD one stuck out because of how it was brilliantly intergrated into Barry's score, and the DAD one did because it was a song I'm familiar with.
I'm not too keen on the idea, lest it overcomes or overwhelms a scene. I'm thinking of some of the 80's films & tv shows that used this (Stallone used it a lot in Rocky as did Miami Vice). Tarantino does it a lot too.
In moderation, it's ok, but there has to be a specific reason for it. The DAD example worked very well.
I'm kidding, naturally. To answer the question though, I'm not opposed to it if used scarcely and fittingly, like the DAD example. Unfortunately, with today's over reliance on nostalgia, I could see it quickly getting out of hand.
The Pretenders with 'Where has Everybody Gone?' plays throughout the film. They also did the end song 'If There Was a Man'.
My impression was that it was written for the movie. It also features on the soundtrack album.
Barry took alot of inspiration from many great composers for MR a great soundtrack.
I think DN vocal tracks were specifically written for the film, I may be wrong
Yes, they were. You're not wrong. :)
There is also a cue from CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: in MR the code to nget into the lab in Venice. But then, is this really a song? Of course CALIFORNIAN GIRLS from AVTAK comes to all minds. And there wer quite some incidental music in QOS (one can check on IMDB)... And in TSWL there are other muci pieces apart frm LAWRENCE OF ARABIA: JS Bachs AIR, Chopin's NOCTURNE, Mozart's PIANO CONCERTO No. 21.
And we hear a snippet of the song "What's new, Pussycat" during the Berlin scene.
- "Rastafari Way" - Teacha Dee
- "Boom Shot Dis" - Kully B and Gussy G [not sure if it's in the film, but this song used in the promotional video is too good not to include]
Expected for the dance club, the Spectre ballroom meeting."10" - Antonio Pinto
Here's the method I arrived at: check the screen credits; Wikipedia wasn't so useful but I tried a couple films; best source I found was IMDb (through Trivia, there is a soundtrack link). Also open to suggestions of course. And I used @mtm's Beethoven mention, not recorded elsewhere now verified. This site is also helpful: https://www.naxos.com/musicinmovies.asp
Dalton and Brosnan.
https://www.dewolfemusic.com/search.php?id=18362780&code=eym2ev
"Sacred Heart" - Christopher Blackwell. Added above. The Ghetto Blaster.
Open for corrections/additions.
Here's some Moore.
Does anyone know whereabouts in TND those 2 Beethoven pieces are used?
Maybe identifying the DVD run time is the next level, @vzok. I'll be taking a closer look and adding Connery films this weekend.