Opinions on Titles Songs

jeffchjeffch Posts: 163MI6 Agent
I really think the title songs went down hill in the mid seventies. The ones from late 70's - 80's movies are much too mellow and forgettable. And I often get them confused as to which goes with what movie. I always skip over the title scenes when I watch them, lol. But also not a fan of the Duran Duran AVTAK song its far too "pop music of the day" sounding, totally dated now.

To me a James Bond title song should have a catchy melody, be belted out by a powerful singer and have a timeless sound. The PB and DC era songs have been better. CR had a good song, but TWINE is one of my all time favorite title songs. To me its a perfect bond song and fits well with the classics like the GF, TB and YOLT themes. It had that orchestral somewhat vantage feel yet had a contemporary flavor. Too bad it was wasted on a so-so movie.

(sorry this may have been discussed to death here, but Im new, Ha)

Comments

  • James SuzukiJames Suzuki New ZealandPosts: 2,406MI6 Agent
    well, welcome to ajb forums! I have to agree with you that s view to a kill wasn't a good song to be played for a bond movie. But i would say that the craig tite songs are the most forgetful and i cant remeber the song for TWINE. THe best bond fitted title song is goldfinger but my favourite is for your eyes only sung by the scottish singer sheena easton. Octopussy, license to kill and living daylights have forgetful title songs.
    “The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning. "
    -Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
  • Gassy ManGassy Man USAPosts: 2,972MI6 Agent
    Well, taste is relative -- I still enjoy A View to a Kill and though it would have worked better for a Timothy Dalton Bond film but think The World is Not Enough was one of the worst and most forgettable Bond songs in the entire franchise and beyond, including the original Herb Alpert Casino Royale theme.

    The best Bond songs are big, bold, and unique, like the Bond films once were, and like them, that makes the 1960s the best era. At the same time, Craig's Casino Royale theme is one of the best in 20 years.
  • DEFIANT 74205DEFIANT 74205 Perth, AustraliaPosts: 1,881MI6 Agent
    I agree, especially that the song needs belted out by an artist with a powerful voice. That's shy Shirley Bassey's songs are my favourite, and I hope she'd return to do another Bond theme. Same with Tom Jones - his rendition of Thunderball was remarkable. Another one I liked was Goldeneye.

    I also agree that the Bond title songs have gone downhill. Hardly any of the title songs take my fancy, but Die Another Day and Licence to Kill were probably the worst of the lot.

    Off topic - is it just me, or does The World Is Not Enough have some bits copied from Charade?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO62upvOkiQ&feature=related
    "Watch the birdie, you bastard!"
  • icsics Posts: 1,413MI6 Agent
    He he I did like TWINE title song…. And think the worst was DAD… well anyway, I hope they return to the CR kind of song or all the way back to the crooners like Monroe, Bassye and the likes.
  • WadsyWadsy Auckland, New ZealandPosts: 412MI6 Agent
    The Bond title songs I find to be the best are:

    1. A View To A Kill
    2. For Your Eyes Only
    3. The Living Daylights
    4. Licence To Kill
    5. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

    The WORST ones to me are:

    1. Die Another Day
    2. Quantum Of Solace
    3. Tomorrow Never Dies
    4. Diamonds Are Forever
    5. The Man With The Golden Gun
    1. FYEO 2. OHMSS 3. LTK 4. FRWL 5. TLD 6. TSWLM 7. AVTAK 8. GF 9. MR 10. TB 11. OP 12. SF 13. DN 14. SP 15. LALD 16. GE 17. CR 18. YOLT 19. TWINE 20. TMWTGG 21. NTTD 22. TND 23. QOS 24. NSNA 25. DAD 26. DAF 27. CR '67

    1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
  • zig zagzig zag EnglandPosts: 244MI6 Agent
    QOS title song stunk, plain and simple. Lets hope they come up with something alot better in the near future.
    "Yes,dammit,I said "was".The bitch is dead now."

    "It's not difficult to get a double 0 number if your prepared to kill people"
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    I tend to enjoy the Shirley Bassey era the most, and her three songs were among the best (Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker). However, my favorite Bond theme of all time is the instrumental classic, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and my favorite vocal tune is You Only Live Twice. I am not a fan of either of the Daniel Craig era Bond themes, but strangely enough I do like Madonna's Die Another Day. So sue me!
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • Q and MQ and M IrelandPosts: 171MI6 Agent
    in response to your first post jeffch compared to duran durans other music, avtk was not that pop, i thought it did suit the movie, however the best title song has to be the living daylights by a-ha, absolutly brilliant. like cr song and live and let die
  • jeffchjeffch Posts: 163MI6 Agent
    Wadsy wrote:
    The Bond title songs I find to be the best are:
    The WORST ones to me are:

    1. Die Another Day
    2. Quantum Of Solace
    3. Tomorrow Never Dies
    4. Diamonds Are Forever
    5. The Man With The Golden Gun

    TMWTGG song is really annoying, but also so catchy. I cant get it outa my head sometimes, no matter how much I try
  • Mr BeechMr Beech Florida, USAPosts: 1,749MI6 Agent
    Curious about how people rank these themes now?

    I think Die Another Day and Another Way To Die in QoS were very not-Bond, but Die Another Day wasn't near as cacophonous as Another Way To Die.

    You Know My Name in Casino Royale, Goldeneye, Goldfinger, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and Diamonds Are Forever were some of my favorites.
  • Moore ThanMoore Than EnglandPosts: 3,173MI6 Agent
    Gassy Man wrote:
    Well, taste is relative.

    Indeed it is. In my mind (or should I say ear) there has been a decline in the quality of the title songs since the 1960's, which has accelerated since Goldeneye.

    In the 1960's there were four high quality title songs (GF, TB, YOLT, OHMSS). There were also four in the 1970's (DAF, LALD, TSWLM, MR) but of not such high quality overall. The 1980's contained three (FYEO, AVTAK, TLD) but also two weak one's (OP, LTK). Since then GE is the only title song of any real quality though I also like You Know My Name.

    My top five (current).
    1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    2. You Only Live Twice
    3. Live And Let Die
    4. The Living Daylights
    5. Thunderball
    Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
  • James SuzukiJames Suzuki New ZealandPosts: 2,406MI6 Agent
    revving old posts a little eh, anyway, hopefully Adele sings it, I can imgaine her sing in a big loud voice, SKYFALLLLLL! I like it when the name of the song is the same as the movie, unlike the last two
    “The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning. "
    -Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
  • Sir_Hugo_DraxSir_Hugo_Drax Beneath the Flat Stone Posts: 40MI6 Agent
    I agree, or at least use the films title in the lyrics at one point. If find from Goldfinger to Diamonds are Forever the songs are all classic, quintessential Bond songs; the best of that grouping being Thunderball IMO. After that I LOVE Live and Let Die and Nobody Does it Better but then not much else until Goldeneye and Surrender (the only true Bond song in Tomorrow Never Dies) and then finally You Know My Name. So I'm not really too picky with Bond songs but there are some I like and others that have never worked for me.

    I have a varying and unusually taste in music so my overall favourite Bond song always changes depending on what sort of song I'm in the mood for at the time. At the moment it would be Live and Let Die. -{
    Then he looked again at Bond and spoke very quietly, the red moustache lifting slowly from the splayed upper teeth.
    "I should spend the money quickly, Commander Bond," he said.
    Then he turn away from the table and walked swiftly out of the room.
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