Yep, Another List, Bond-Style

Let me start off by saying, I am a HUGE fan of the James Bond movies. I have been since I was a kid. I would watch all the Bond movies when ABC showed them on TV. "A View To A Kill" was my first 007 movie I saw on the big screen and have seen every one since with the exception of one. I have even been lucky enough to have seen "Dr. No" and "Goldfinger" in restoration theathers. Any chance I can get to see a James Bond movies on the silver screen, I'm taking it.

With "Skyfall" coming out today (I'm seeing it tomorrow morning), I got to hear Adele's song for the movie. It was very good. I love Adele's voice and she did a great job with the song. It got me thinking about all the Bond songs. So I decided to come up with a list of my ten favorite Bond songs. Just like any list, this is my personal favorites and you guys may or may not agree with it. As always, I would love to read your opinons in the comments section.

10-Tomorrow Never Dies-Sheryl Crow

This movie was not one of my favorite Bond movies. The plot, which Bond has to stop a media mougl from starting World War III based on events in his newpaper, isn't one of the strongest in the series. The title song, sang by Sheryl Crow, is actually one of my favorites.

9-Goldeneye-Tina Turner

The first Bond movie featuring Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. In this movie, Bond has to stop a British rouge agent and friend from stealing money from the Bank of England and cripple it's economy by using the GoldenEye satalite to conceal the theft. Bono and The Edge from U2 wrote the song, Tina Turner sang it.

8-Nobody Does It Better-Carley Simon

This was the first song in the series that did not share the title of the movie (The Spy Who Loved Me). It's in the lyrics though. Marvin Hamlisch composed, Carole Bayer Sager wrote it and Carley Simon sang it. This is a beautiful song which was nomiated for an Academy Award for Best Song.

7-The Living Daylights-A-Ha

The first movie that featured Timothy Dalton as 007. Intrestingly, he was asked to play 007 for "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" but he felt that at 25, he was too young for the role. Sam Neil and Pierce Brosnan also audition for the role, with Brosnan getting the role. NBC had cancelled "Remington Steele" and it would have allowed Bronsnan to play the role. Because of Brosnan getting the role, ratings surged for "Remington Steele" and NBC decided at the last minute excersise a 60 clause in Brosnan's contract, effectively knocking him out of the movie.

6-For Your Eyes Only-Sheena Easton

This was the first song where the singer (Easton) appears in the opening title sequence. Which I have no problem with. Sheena Easton was hot! The song was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, but lost to Christopher Cross's "Arthur's Theme". I do remember seeing a great performance from Easton at the Academy Awards that year, being joined in the sequence on stage Richard Kiel, who played Jaws in "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "MoonRaker".

5-You Know My Name-Chris Cornell

From Casino Royale, this was the first James Bond movie with Daniel Craig as Bond. Chris Cornell wrote and sang the title song for the movie. With this movie, Bond was rebooted and the movie told the store of his first mission as an agent with 00 status. Craig did an excellent job as Bond and this movie is the highest grossing Bond movie of all time, earning $594 million worldwide.

4-Goldfinger-Shirley Bassey

Title song from the Third James Bond movie, released in 1964. Shirley Bassey sang the title song and is the only singer to sing other James Bond title songs, singing "Diamonds Are Forever" and Moonraker". This movie was the template for all Bond films to follow and is widely considered to be the best Bond film ever made.

3-Licence To Kill-Gladys Knight

 

Timothy Dalton starred in only two James Bond movies and both theme songs are on this list. Remember when I said I missed out in seeing only 1 Bond film in the theathers since "A View To A Kill"? well, This was the movie and I have yet to see it. I hear I'm missing out on a very good movie. I will see it soon.

 

Gladys Knight almost didn't get to perfom the title track. Producers had Eric Clapton tabbed to perform a diffrent song for the movie, but the producers didn't like the song that he and Vic Flick came up with and tuned it down.

 

2-A View To A Kill-Duran Duran

 

 

This song will always have a place in my heart. Not just because I am a big Duran Duran fan, but this was the first James Bond movie I saw in the theathers. I remember my mom taking me and my sister to see the movie only because I pestered her into taking me. My sister fell asleep in the middle, as usual and I ate a bunch of popcorn and enjoyed what was Roger Moore's final turn as James Bond.

 

1-Live and Let Die-Paul McCartney & Wings

 

 

Ok, I'm sure I'm going to get a bit of "Beatles bias" accusations for this pick, but come on, it's a great song. Producer Harry Saltzman only wanted McCartney to wite the song for an African American female singer to perform, but Geroge Martin told Saltzman that only Wings would perfom it. Saltzman agreed to it as he had previously turned down the chance to produce "A Hard Day's Night" and didn't want to make the same mistake twice. Live And Let Die was the first Bond theme to be nominated for an Academy Award, losing out to "The Way We Were".

 

For the past 50 years, there has been some great Bond theme songs. Some showed up on this list, others missed it. I'm sure every one has their favorites and I'm also sure that in the next 50 years there will be some more great music that opens up each 007 movie. Starting tomorrow, I will get to see the first of many. I'm looking forward to it.