Fantasy James Bond themes

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Who should have created a James Bond theme tune? It always amazed me that at the height of their popularity the Pet Shop Boys weren’t asked to record something, as they had the perfect blend of drama, sophistication and menace.

― Billy Dods, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hmmm...first name coming to mind is Spring Heel Jack...the second track on "Treader" even kind of sounds like a James Bond-style theme...

Um...Mannie Fresh? (And I'm only half kidding.)

― Jess, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A slightly less morose Portishead and Goldfrapp (the same thing?) seem like good choices, probably because their music already owes some debt to Bond themes. Time we had a hip-hop Bond tune? "Shaken, not stirred" might refer to booty rather than matinis. Tim and Aaliyah could surely produce some seductive yet sufficiently edgy confection. I have a feeling that a Bond theme by the Fall would be strangely fantastic. And I'm not even a huge Fall fan.

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think Pulp and The Divine Comedy have been rehearsing their entire careers to make a bond theme. Agreed w/ Mitch about the fall. I nominate Stephin Merritt, though he couldn't record it in his bedroom.

― tha chzza, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Thievery Corporation, except that's all they do already.

― Cryosmurf, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have a feeling Hole could come up with something good, or could have back in the day. Mystikal could make a "Stutter" style paranoid guest appearance on a Tricky track as well.

― Sterling Clover, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Radiohead were supposed to contribute a James Bondish track to the soundtrack for The Avengers, and it was actually okay. But they decided that either the song or the movie sucked, I can't remember. It was never properly recorded.
I'm surprised Björk has never been asked to record something for a James Bond film.

― Melissa W, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm wondering why no one has mentioned Barry Adamson's 'Fantasy Bond Theme' from the Movieology EP - he keeps most of the original, but sinks it all under a shifty ska off-beat, and adds his own narrative flourishes - 'Have no fear cause Bond is.. Black'

― K-reg, Tuesday, 7 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Momus should do one. And if they dont like it he can turn it into another ping pong song.

― zacko, Wednesday, 8 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

four years pass...

Revive. Because I was being all jealous that they picked Rachel Stevens instead of my Bond theme.

I'd have liked to have seen Busted done one, kind of a wacky take on Duran Duran meets Thunderbirds Are Go. But I suppose that's not very Bond, is it?

― Paranoid Spice (kate), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:18 (twenty years ago)

I'd like to see Rovo do a bond theme.

― Jonothong Williamsmang (ex machina), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:20 (twenty years ago)

Have they really picked RS? I would've thought Marcello's fave's Goldfrapp would be a shoo-in for a Bond theme.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:48 (twenty years ago)

Well, it was Stevem who said it so I have no idea. If it was Pete who had said it, of course I wouldn't have believed a word of it.

― Paranoid Spice (kate), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

I think Pulp and The Divine Comedy have been rehearsing their entire careers to make a bond theme.

Pulp did make one! "Tomorrow Never Lies" was commissioned for the Bond film of the same title, before it was changed to Tomorrow Never Dies and replaced with a terrible Sheryl Crow tune.

― telephone thing, Friday, 14 October 2005 15:44 (twenty years ago)

Wasn't "I Spy" by Pulp used in "Mission: Impossible".

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 14 October 2005 15:56 (twenty years ago)

I always thought that the original 7" version of Spiritualized's "Good Times" would have made a good Bond theme

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 14 October 2005 16:02 (twenty years ago)

I've always wanted "Toxic" to be a James Bond theme. The surf-guitar! The strings! Even the vaguely Alias-like video!

― Roz (Roz), Friday, 14 October 2005 17:31 (twenty years ago)

Something from the Broadcast / Ladytron / Golfrapp area would, yes, be terrific. (Those are listed in descending order of interestingness and ascending order of likelihood.)

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 14 October 2005 17:38 (twenty years ago)

I'm surprised Björk has never been asked to record something for a James Bond film.

Bjork recorded a good version of "You Only Live Twice" to contribute to an album of Bond theme covers that I think was scrapped. It's out there on P2P.

My suggestions:
- the reformed Roxy Music
- Scott Walker
- MF Doom

― it was a different shark (wetmink2), Friday, 14 October 2005 21:40 (twenty years ago)

Second on the Portishead as I think they're all crazed John Barry fans.
Fat Boy Slim with Tony Bennett. Is Tony dead?
Sylvian and Sakamoto.
Morricone and Scott Walker would be most excellent.
Please, no Bjork theme. I'm Bjorked out.

― Brakhage (brakhage), Friday, 14 October 2005 22:47 (twenty years ago)

The Tindersticks could do a good one, at least back in the day (cf. "Her")

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 14 October 2005 22:51 (twenty years ago)

Stereolab or Saint Etienne

― David N (David N.), Friday, 14 October 2005 23:13 (twenty years ago)

I thought that like half of This is Hardcore would make for great themes, only with trimming the songs a little bit. Seductive Barry & all that.

― kingfish neopolitan sundae (kingfish 2.0), Friday, 14 October 2005 23:19 (twenty years ago)

Scott Walker

Surprise again- Scott Walker did a song for (the completely asstastic) The World Is Not Enough. Not the main theme, true, but it was written expressly for the movie.

― telephone thing, Saturday, 15 October 2005 01:19 (twenty years ago)

Duh, I have the Scott Walker tune and I forgot about it.
Here 'tis: http://s61.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2QUI67WTCG9433HUGV38RJBJSZ

― Brakhage (brakhage), Saturday, 15 October 2005 17:28 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

Revive as it's official Casino Royale week on ilx.

Apparently PSB had submitted an early version of 'This must be the place' as the theme tune for 'The Living Daylights', a missed opportunity methinks. Rather more unlikely was that Johnny Cash had submitted a song as the title theme to 'Thunderball'. No disrespect to the Man in Black but I think EON got it right first time.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Monday, 20 November 2006 17:32 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

jack white & alicia keys

― nicky lo-fi, Monday, 13 October 2008 05:32 (seventeen years ago)

that didn't work. here's a link to the new video:

― nicky lo-fi, Monday, 13 October 2008 05:33 (seventeen years ago)

It's kind of a mess.

― Spencer Chow, Monday, 13 October 2008 06:48 (seventeen years ago)

it's not bad instrumentally, but the vocals are godawful. neither of them are exactly the most capable of singers anyway, and together they're less than the sum of their parts.

― m the g, Monday, 13 October 2008 08:17 (seventeen years ago)

I'm probably completely alone in this, but I've always felt very moved by Sheryl Crow's theme. Def. one of my favorites.

― baaderonixx, Monday, 13 October 2008 09:43 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

A very natural choice for next Bond theme would be either Amy Winehouse or Duffy performing some strongly Shirley Bassey influenced track. You can't get much closer to the original spirit of the archetypical Bond themes than that.

― Tied Up In Geir (Geir Hongro), Monday, 7 December 2009 00:00 (sixteen years ago)

You know it'll be, like, Fergie or something.

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 7 December 2009 00:09 (sixteen years ago)

I have a feeling that a Bond theme by the Fall would be strangely fantastic.

Gold-fing-ah!

Lie Dream of a Casino Royale...

*sorry*

― sonofstan, Monday, 7 December 2009 00:16 (sixteen years ago)

Winehouse was supposed to do the last one with Jack White but it was shelved because she was too fucked up to finish it.

― Brio, Monday, 7 December 2009 01:11 (sixteen years ago)

Wished that Hooverphonic had a chance to do one.

― Elvis Telecom, Monday, 7 December 2009 06:50 (sixteen years ago)

I would say they need to get away the "rock" numbers of the past two movies anyway. They just don't sound like proper Bond themes.

― Tied Up In Geir (Geir Hongro), Monday, 7 December 2009 22:10 (sixteen years ago)

Broadcast
Portishead
Depeche Mode (even now)

― Daniel, Esq., Monday, 7 December 2009 22:13 (sixteen years ago)

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