Part two of the James Bond title track series! In the first installment I miscounted and put in the bottom six. So on this list there’s only four tracks to even out the list. We are entering the realm of gems, but not quite the classics yet. And of course, as always, please feel free to disagree or challenge any of the songs on this list. Everyone has their favorite Bond songs. Here’s the next four for my list.
You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra
Definitely not one of my favorite Bond songs. Although I do enjoy the film. And it is the first Bond film to follow a certain cadence that was used until ’89’s ‘The Living Daylights’ (with the exception of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service). It’s the first Bond film to contain a little bit of camp. Something that was rampant during the Moore era. It also contains lots of horrific racial and gender stereotypes that are most likely script writer Roald Dahl’s WWII preoccupations (he was a fighter pilot in the Pacific rim). The reason the title song is so low is mostly because it exacerbates all the stereotypes in the script.
Writing’s On the Wall – Sam Smith
As amazing as Spectre is, the song is really a sleeper. I’ll give Smith creds because he really tried to do something classic that was more reminiscent of the Connery era title tracks. But he comes up a bit short. The song is slow, long and drawn out. If I wasn’t drinking coffee right now I’d be dozing off. But again, good attempt. And the film is just amazing. One of the best Bond’s in the entire discography hands down.
Moonraker – Shirley Bassey
Honestly, I couldn’t really figure out where to put this one. It’s a Shirley Bassey after all. She’s done a total of three tracks for the Bond series. An honor that no other artist can claim. And the song isn’t too bad. It’s just a little too cheesy, along with the film. It’s not Bond’s finest hour, although I think it can be a bit misunderstood at times. It was 1979 and space was in and Bond just had to go. Even though he has no business going into space. The music accompanying the title track is actually quite epic. It’s just that the vocal melody doesn’t modulate too well. Fun fact: Moonraker is the third bond novel that Ian Fleming wrote.
Goldeneye – Written by: Bono, The Edge Performed by: Tina Turner
It’s hard to put a pin point on the music and score in general for Bond’s big comeback film Goldeneye. I think the title track gets slammed a little unfairly by some Bond critics. But I don’t think it’s particularly great either. It’s definitely not Bono and The Edge’s finest song. It’s a little too predictable. And you can hear just how “1995” it really is. The score for the film isn’t like any other either. Using techno settings and sounds around a very nontraditional musical format. I understand why Bond critics slam the music on this one. But it’s not only one of the greatest Bond films, it’s one of the greatest action films of all time. And it’s reponsible for bring James Bond back to the forefront again. Also Tina Turner sounds great.
So there are the next four in the series. Have any strong feelings about these? Let me know!
