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Non-original music tracks in Bond film

00130013
edited February 2013 in Music Posts: 1,817
With the generous consent of @DarthDimi I'm creating two discussions about non-original music in movies, starting with this one specifically on Bond films.
Non-original music - even if it could be obvious for some but it's necessary to establish the ground rules - means tracks that were not written by the movie composer (Barry, Arnold, Hamlich, ecc.)
And I'm thinking not in asessing the songs individually but as a part of the film: it's connection with the images, the dialogue, the characters, and the story. So it's more a best/worst usage of non-original music.
For the rest, do what you want, if you feel better to pick your top 5, or to make a ranking, or to upload a song and make comments about it...

I'll just point out my favorites and the ones I dislike the most:

Best:
- "Boum!" by Charles Trenet (SF)
- "Boom Boom" by John Lee Hooker, covered by The Animals (SF)
- "Tre sbirri, una carrozza" by Puccini (QOS)

Worst
- "The Magnificen Seven" by Elmer Bernstain
- "Overture of Lawrence of Arabia" by Maurice Jarre

I have to add that "California Girls" doesn't bother me that much.

Comments

  • mikeninja008mikeninja008
    Posts: 90
    I will take a bullet here and Say London Calling By the Clash in DAD, its really a great moment.
  • jackdaggerjackdagger
    Posts: 498
    I'd add to the worst list: Romeo and Juliet Overture by Tchaikovsky (both in Moonraker and AVTAK)

    I did like the scene set to Air on the G String though in Moonraker.
  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    Posts: 4,341
    I am a big fan of "Do you know where Christmas trees are grown" in OHMSS. It fits the wintery atmosphere of the Swiss alps very well and is kind of 60's-cheesy.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,187
    My favourite is also London Calling by The Clash. I love how it segues into the grotesque Arnold score. Plus, I love the song, as simple as that. ;-)

    Worst, for me at least, is California Girls. I understand musical irony in film, Mister Sandman at the beginning of Halloween 2 being a great example of that, but they keep the action in AVTAK going and Moore's unfortunate physical absence in it makes it rather pathetic I dare say.
    zebrafish wrote:
    I am a big fan of "Do you know where Christmas trees are grown" in OHMSS. It fits the wintery atmosphere of the Swiss alps very well and is kind of 60's-cheesy.

    This song is not what the thread is about, I'm afraid, @zebrafish. Barry composed it for this score, and as such it is not an unoriginal track. ;-)
  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    Posts: 4,341
    Oops, I did not know that.
  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,817
    As @DarthDimi said that was composed by Barry so it doesn't belong to this discussion... Anyhow it's a great song!
  • GerardGerard
    Posts: 5,997
    Well, Casino Royale '67 gave us two examples: Born Free, and What's New Pussycat. So, John Barry and Tom Jones contributed to it as well as Herb Alpert and Burt Bacharach.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,187
    By the way, I was never a fan of how certain classic scores were used in the Bonds, most notably in MR. I'm not in on the joke and I can't see any reason to waste those precious seconds of potential Barry gold.
  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,817
    I completely agree @DarthDimi. In both TSWLM and MR some tracks are used just for the sake of a funny moment. For example, I love Jarre's theme of Lawrence of Arabia. But its use in TSWLM is absurd.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,187
    TheHotMess wrote:
    To add to what DarthDimi said, i bet Bond fans were not too pleased at the fact the beloved 007 theme from FRWL made its final appearance in one of the worst Bond moves ever made.

    I disagree with this comment though.

    1) MR is not one the worst Bond movies ever made to all Bond fans out there. I myself have a soft spot for it in fact.

    2) A film's score should not be judged by the film itself. That logic holds little ground. Whatever the quality of the film, Barry's MR score is arguably one of his best efforts ever. The use of the 007 Theme is always a welcome thing, no matter which film gets blessed with it. Even the terrible climax of DAF to some degree benefits from the 007 Theme IMO. Another example: I think Conan The Destroyer is vastly inferior to Conan The Barbarian but Polendouris' score for this film is one of my favourite film scores ever.

  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    TheHotMess wrote:
    To add to what DarthDimi said, i bet Bond fans were not too pleased at the fact the beloved 007 theme from FRWL made its final appearance in one of the worst Bond moves ever made.

    Moonraker is a heavily flawed Bond film no question, but it's not one of the worst Bond films ever made... for me, the 2 worst are The Man With The Golden Gun and Die Another Day..

    @DarthDimi.. i'll echo your statement about scores should not be judged by the films they are attached to.. DAD is easily the worst Bond movie to be filmed yet, but Arnold's score is actually pretty good.. "Hovercraft Chase" "Some Kind Of Hero" "Welcome To Cuba" "White Out" "Iced Inc." and "Antonov" are all among some of Arnold's best work IMO..

    now in terms of this thread's topic at hand..

    - "Underneath The Mango Tree"in Dr. No ...now, i am only adding this because I am not sure if it was a song previous to the film, or if it was written for the film itself.. i know it's on the soundtrack, so my guess is that it was for the film - but oh well lol.

    - "London Calling" in Die Another Day ...am a fan of The Clash, and i thought this was a nice little touch to the film - the film may be garbage, but i dare to find one person who doesn't still toe tap and bob their head when this song comes on..

    - "Boom Boom" in Skyfall ... i love this part in the movie, as both an overtop entrance befitting someone like Silva - but also a nice nod to the film 'Apocalypse Now', with the helicopter blasting music on approach..

  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,187
    @haserot, UTMT was written by Monty Norman for DN. :-)
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