FEATURE:
Nobody Does It Better
IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Eilish recorded the theme for the new James Bond film, No Time to Die/PHOTO CREDIT: ICON
My Five Favourite James Bond Themes
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ON 30th September…
IN THIS PHOTO: Carly Simon recorded the classic Bond theme, Nobody Does It Better (from 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me)
the twenty-fifth James Bond film, No Time to Die, will be released in cinemas. It has been delayed so much due to the pandemic. It is the last film of the franchise to feature Daniel Craig in the lead role. It will be a huge box office success. One of the defining aspects of any Bond film in the opening theme. Billie Eilish recorded the eponymous track for No Time to Die. It is a slower and more haunting take. Through the years, we have heard so many explosive and sultry songs. Eilish has added her own stamp. Many critics have listed No Time to Die among the best Bond themes ever. I have been thinking about the Bond themes that I like the most. Everyone has had their say regarding the classic themes and those that missed the mark. To honour the long-awaited final Bond outing for Daniel Craig, here are my five favourite themes. There might be one of two that people disagree with (various polls - including Curzon’s - and lists have placed some of my choices quite low), but that is the beauty of Bond: there are so many different sounds and angles regarding the themes. I think the below are…
IN THIS PHOTO: Daniel Craig in No Time to Die/PHOTO CREDIT: Nicola Dove/MGM
THE absolute best.
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1. Paul McCartney & Wings – Live and Let Die
From the Film: Live and Let Die
Year of Release: 1973
Songwriters: Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney
Producer: George Martin
What the Critics Say:
“I read it and thought it was pretty good. That afternoon I wrote the song and went in the next week and did it… It was a job of work for me in a way because writing a song around a title like that’s not the easiest thing going” said Paul McCartney after reading Ian Flemming’s novel.
Never one to shy away from putting in the work, McCartney picked up the book when the production team pursued him to work on the theme song. Never afraid of a challenge, even one as possibly treacherous as writing for Bond.
Co-written by his wife Linda, the British-American rock band Wings performed the song with McCartney on the lead vocals. The song bursts into a power-packed chorus after a slow start. Using a bit of reggae successfully creates a certain thrill that plays out perfectly in the film. Naturally, it’s expertly delivered by the former Beatle” – Far Out Magazine
2. Carly Simon – Nobody Does It Better
From the Film: The Spy Who Loved Me
Year of Release: 1977
Songwriters: Marvin Hamlisch/Carole Bayer Sager
Producer: Richard Perry
What the Critics Say:
“Carly Simon's lust-drunk anthem to a mythic lover — which has since appeared in everything from Lost in Translation and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason to bridal showers across the world — might be a hotel lobby staple if not for the smuttiness of its lyrics. "There's some kind of magic inside you/That keeps me from runnin'/But just keep it comin.'" Hair metal bands who could learn a few things from this. Of all the odes to Bond's sexual prowess (and there were a lot of them), Simon's is the most satisfying” – Rolling Stone
3. Sheryl Crow – Tomorrow Never Dies
From the Film: Tomorrow Never Dies
Year of Release: 1997
Songwriters: Sheryl Crow/Mitchell Froom
Producer: Mitchell Froom
What the Critics Say:
“Sheryl Crow is certainly an odd choice for a Bond song, especially since it doesn't really capture her general vibe as a solo artist (the dripping strings do, however, bring to mind Bobbie Genty's "Ode to Billie Joe," a song Crow later covered). But she nails the sultry vocals with a particularly '90s ennui. You get the sense that Crow doesn't really care either way what happens tomorrow” – Esquire
4. Billie Eilish — No Time to Die
From the Film: No Time to Die
Year of Release: 2021
Songwriters: Billie Eilish/Finneas O'Connell
Producers: Finneas O'Connell/Stephen Lipson
What the Critics Say:
“Billie Eilish recorded the theme for the 25th Bond film, No Time to Die, at just 18 years old, making her the youngest artist ever to perform an original 007 theme tune. But while Eilish may still be a kid, she’s no amateur—as her 2020 Grammys sweep well proved. “No Time to Die” caps the Daniel Craig Bond era with a haunting slow burn of a ballad that melds Eilish’s signature vocals with classic Bond orchestration” – Esquire
5. Duran Duran – A View to a Kill
From the Film: A View to a Kill
Year of Release: 1985
Songwriters: Duran Duran/John Barry
Producers: Bernard Edwards/Jason Corsaro/Duran Duran
What the Critics Say:
“‘A View To A Kill’ marks a change not only in the fortunes of Bond theme songs but also the manner in which they were executed. Although John Barry remained deeply involved in the song, it is very much a Duran Duran composition through and through: Barry’s contributions, the signature stabs of brass, are used like ornaments rather than essential functions of the song (the band were in charge of the major songwriting elements, chord progressions etc), which is brazenly effective.
The result redefined what it meant to record a Bond theme: pop artists would now flock to the franchise, seeking to leave their own distinctive mark, rather than the franchise drafting yet another vocalist to interpret the material” – Classic FM