my friend wants to know
I always thought the guy in the song was James Bond.
Yeah, it’s James Bond.
It’s James Bond.
Now go finish your homework.
Bond? Really?
I always thought it was supposed to be Largo. But then, it’s not a good idea to try to take Bond title songs literally, because your head might explode. “He knows the meaning of success”? Does that mean he owns a good dictionary? “His needs are more, so he gives less”? He’s a selfish SOB.Not a great way to describe your hero, if it is supposed to be Bond.
I’ve always thought it was interesting that the song could apply to EITHER Bond OR Largo (or even Blofeld, although that’s more of a stretch.) Says something about the theme of two sides of the same coin, all that sort of thing, often applied to Bond (and Batman and similar).
And Indiana Jones/René Belloq.
So which of the Ian Fleming titles proved most difficult to write a song around? “Doctor No” wasn’t even attempted, but I could accept that since it was the first movie and the format was still in flux. “Octopussy” and “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” weren’t attempted. “Live and Let Die” was an okay song, even if it wildly fluctuated stylistically.
I guess “Goldfinger” is the, heh, gold standard, for a song that incorporating the title and is also a pretty damn cool tune.
For post-Fleming titles, how would one write a song with “License Revoked” (the working title of “License to Kill”) in it? Would it describe all the women Bond has poked? The dead villains over which he has joked? He drinks martinis but he’s never toked?
I’m just amusing myself, here.
I imagine “Quantum of Solace” wouldn’t be too easy to write a song about. I can’t think of anything off the top of my head that rhymes with Solace.
Watching Kojak he finds a quantum of solace
'cuz he likes lollipops and loves Telly Savalas
well, when they made “Dr. No” they didn’t even think they should be writing title songs with words. But it wouldn’t be hard. My thought was “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”. You could rhyme it, but the title’s just too unwieldy, and doesn’t fit a rhythm. I’m not surprised it’s the first film without a title song (they used a closing song for “From Russia With Love”, using the same music as the opening).
The titles of the after0Fleminbg novels could be used for great songs. Especially Gardner’s – “Brokenclaw”, “Seafire”, “Scorpius”, “Death is Forever”, “Win, Lose or Die” – I could see Shirley Bassey singin’ those
I thought the original title song for Thunderball was Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, sung by Shirley Bassey, but at the last minute the producers decided it needed a less sexually suggestive song so a new title song was written.
My fav:
Scorpio!
He’ll sting you with his dreams of power and wealth.
Beware of Scorpio!
His twisted twin obsessions are his plot to rule the world
And his employees’ health.
He’ll welcome you into his lair,
Like the nobleman welcomes his guest.
With free dental care and a stock plan that helps you invest!
But beware of his generous pensions,
Plus three weeks paid vacation each year,
And on Fridays the lunchroom serves hot dogs and burgers and beer!
He loves German beer!
Yeah, it’s about Largo. He looks at the world and wants it all. That’s your stock Bond villain right there.
The preceding film, Goldfinger, was a big hit with a big hit theme song about the villain. The book, Thunderball, wasn’t named after the villain so they couldn’t follow the template exactly, but they could make the theme song about the villain. And did.
No love for “You Only Live Twice” from You Only Live Twice? Am I the only one who likes that song?
Also, “Nobody Does it Better” from The Spy Who Loved Me is a great song that incorporates the movie title, but not as the song title or refrain. That opens up a lot of possibilities for using movie titles in the song.
They’re both okay, I just think “Goldfinger” has more staying power and is way cooler.
Yeah, and it was Carly Simon, who would have looked great if they had filmed her like say, Sheena Easton was a few years later. Sigh.
On a side note: was Drax the lamest Bond movie villian or what?
On a side, side note – I always figured that Michel Lonsdale got the part of Hugo Drax because Fleming describes Drax as “a Lonsdale sort of character” (not referring to the actor, of course, who hadn’t made his first movie when the book came out).
Well, the un-named (but obviously Blofeld) aggressor at the beginning of For Your Eyes Only was in a wheelchair…