I love Adele's song, but...

jamesbondagent007

Why not have Shirley Bassey do it? At 75, she can belt out a tune like nobody's business.

I mean, sure, Adele will sell millions more albums...but for those of you who haven't heard it, here's an (alleged) rejected theme for Quantum of Solace by Bassey and David Arnold:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZHKw9ZJrFM

It's quite beautiful. Even better than Skyfall, IMO. You can even hear the orchestral motifs that made it into the film's score.

Why oh why did they reject this song in favor of that Jack White/Alicia Keys garbage?

I hope they get her back for the next film.

Edit: maybe this should have gone into the Music forum.

Jarvio

Just gave it a listen. Pretty good, and impressive vocals for someone who is that old.

Insane how they chose Another Way To Die over this and many others...

Blackleiter

I don't dislike Another Way To Die as much as I did when I first heard it, but I much prefer this Shirley Bassey tune (I guess that makes me a bit of an oldtimer). I'm somewhat surprised that she still sounds as good as she does, but it would be great if they could grab her for one more Bond theme.

jamesbondagent007

I feel like this song captures the post-Casino Royale tragedy better much better than Another Way to Die.

Lexi

jamesbondagent007 wrote:

Why not have Shirley Bassey do it? At 75, she can belt out a tune like nobody's business.

I mean, sure, Adele will sell millions more albums...but for those of you who haven't heard it, here's an (alleged) rejected theme for Quantum of Solace by Bassey and David Arnold:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZHKw9ZJrFM

It's quite beautiful. Even better than Skyfall, IMO. You can even hear the orchestral motifs that made it into the film's score.

Why oh why did they reject this song in favor of that Jack White/Alicia Keys garbage?

I hope they get her back for the next film.

Edit: maybe this should have gone into the Music forum.

Because she's already done it... 3 times! )

It's time for new blood, and there is enough talent out there without having older artists do it again

I hope they find another new artist for the next film too...(IMO )

ppw3o6r

jamesbondagent007 wrote:

Why not have Shirley Bassey do it? At 75, she can belt out a tune like nobody's business.

I mean, sure, Adele will sell millions more albums...but for those of you who haven't heard it, here's an (alleged) rejected theme for Quantum of Solace by Bassey and David Arnold:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZHKw9ZJrFM

It's quite beautiful. Even better than Skyfall, IMO. You can even hear the orchestral motifs that made it into the film's score.

Why oh why did they reject this song in favor of that Jack White/Alicia Keys garbage?

I hope they get her back for the next film.

Edit: maybe this should have gone into the Music forum.

Whatever that was? IT WAS BLOODY BRILLIANT
I'd love to hear a complete studio orchestrated version. Very 1960's sounding so I'm not sure it would have worked for Quantum's titles but I'm sure Daniel Kleinman could have come up with something appropriate to match the vocals which is why You Know my Name is so bloody good, the titles grab you with the exception of sticking Eva Green's face on the Queen of Hearts....That was just pure Monty Python......Ni...Ecky....Ecky.....Ecky!

Wilde

Great song by Bassey. On the other hand, the instrumental of Another Way to Die is pretty good listening and makes a good Bond song, the lyrics are what ruined it. (Nb: I also happen to think that Jack White and Alisha Keys are good in their own right, but not Bondian)

Number24

This song is clearly better than Another way to die. Why wasn't this one chosen? I think they wanted to sell QoS as modern and fresh. If they had gone for this one Bond would have been seen as living on the glories of the past. Sadly the modern approach in QoS was in many was a failure, with the frantic cutting and the questionable Another way to die. Looks like Skyfall will be a better mix of old and new, and using Adele is probably wise. She is a young artist who sells millions, but also a worthy successor to Shirley Bassey.

ppw3o6r

jamesbondagent007 wrote:

Why not have Shirley Bassey do it? At 75, she can belt out a tune like nobody's business.

I mean, sure, Adele will sell millions more albums...but for those of you who haven't heard it, here's an (alleged) rejected theme for Quantum of Solace by Bassey and David Arnold:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZHKw9ZJrFM

It's quite beautiful. Even better than Skyfall, IMO. You can even hear the orchestral motifs that made it into the film's score.

Why oh why did they reject this song in favor of that Jack White/Alicia Keys garbage?

I hope they get her back for the next film.

Edit: maybe this should have gone into the Music forum.

I'm sure this is nothing new? but blimey it works well....a glimpse of what might have/should have been:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZHKw9ZJrFM

jamesbondagent007

That's exactly the same link I posted.

Here's another rejected David Arnold song, which I'm sure you all know about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUsGzwuFMK0&feature=related

Again, its motifs made it into the film's score. But not the song.

James Suzuki

What I like about this Bassey song is that parts of it are in the soundtrack like this piece i like
-

Mr Beech

jamesbondagent007 wrote:

Why not have Shirley Bassey do it? At 75, she can belt out a tune like nobody's business.

I mean, sure, Adele will sell millions more albums...but for those of you who haven't heard it, here's an (alleged) rejected theme for Quantum of Solace by Bassey and David Arnold:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZHKw9ZJrFM

It's quite beautiful. Even better than Skyfall, IMO. You can even hear the orchestral motifs that made it into the film's score.

Why oh why did they reject this song in favor of that Jack White/Alicia Keys garbage?

I hope they get her back for the next film.

Edit: maybe this should have gone into the Music forum.

That song is fantastic. It makes me want to lace it into my QoS blu ray. Sad that most people won't get to hear it and associate it with the film. Another Way to Die is just about my least favorite Bond theme. It doesn't sound that good as a song, nor does it sound like a Bond song.

I didn't think Madonna's Die Another Day was fitting to the franchise either, but I personally did think it was a well-produced and energetic song that at least showed some popularity and a somewhat warm reception outside the film. It was no surprise to me that Another Way To Die didn't have major success outside the film and was panned by critics for the very rough collision of sounds it attempted.

Lexi wrote:

Because she's already done it... 3 times! )

It's time for new blood, and there is enough talent out there without having older artists do it again

I hope they find another new artist for the next film too...(IMO )

I think the fact that she's done it three times is exactly why it would not only be okay to do it again, but also a great honoring of the franchise to bring her back in again after the series has hit such a milestone anniversary.

ppw3o6r

jamesbondagent007 wrote:

That's exactly the same link I posted.

Here's another rejected David Arnold song, which I'm sure you all know about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUsGzwuFMK0&feature=related

Again, its motifs made it into the film's score. But not the song.

Sorry hadn't seen your post on this one. Mods please delete my posts. Thank you.

BIG TAM

I don't know what the Bond people are thinking of at times. I'd not heard the Bassey/Arnold rejected theme before. It's excellent. One must assume studio interference has a lot to answer for with a lot of these themes.

jamesbondagent007

I've thought about it some more.

The only reason I can think of is that Bassey's song, like 'Surrender' before it, was felt to be too anachronistic for a modern film. Sure, these two tunes were well written, well sung, and quintessentially Bond, but they weren't relevant for 1997 or 2008.

Bond films, and title songs, are like chameleons. They shapeshift. That's one of the reasons the series has existed for so long. Live and Let Die was basically a blaxploitation film, and the performances and pacing in Goldeneye had a refreshing and distinct immediacy and reality to it that totally modernized the series after the very theatrical and somewhat detached Living Daylights. Tina Turner's song reflected that, while also being a throwback, kind of like Adele's Skyfall.

Bond movies are always representative of the times in which they're made. Sheryl Crow was a more timely choice for a '90s film, and Jack White and Alicia Keys were more relevant in 2008. Just like Adele is relevant this year. Sort of makes sense why they eschewed the classic for the new.

As for studio interference, I wonder how much influence Sony/MGM have on creative decisions like this... I always knew they pushed for product placement and things like that, but Wilson and Broccoli still had the final say on pretty much everything else. Maybe I'm just naive.

Martin Aston

They wouldn't ask Bassey back because they have always tended to go for the singers who are popular at the time of making the film. Plus it would be lost on a lot of the general cinema going public who are not Bond nuts and might not even like or have heard of her. Plus having Adele's theme at the top of the iTunes charts is great publicity for the movie, would Bassey have been able to do that? Probably not.

DEFIANT 74205

Martin Aston wrote:

Plus it would be lost on a lot of the general cinema going public who are not Bond nuts and might not even like or have heard of her. Plus having Adele's theme at the top of the iTunes charts is great publicity for the movie, would Bassey have been able to do that? Probably not.

How could someone not like Bassey after hearing that tune? I don't see how you can speculate that if Bassey had done the song (which would be as good, if not better than Adele's) it wouldn't top the charts. Sure, some people that don't know the music industry back to front may not be familiar with Bassey, but it's not hard to find out about her.

No Good About Goodbye is absolutely brilliant. Now, I'm not new to Bassey, I've been a fan of hers for many, many years, so I may be somewhat biased in that regard, but I think having Bassey do the Bond theme will introduce the new audience to the world of classic Bond. Dame Shirley Bassey is the definitive voice of James Bond movie themes, and it is a testament to her talents that she can still sing so bloody well at her age. I think she'd put many of the modern day singers to shame.

I hope they bring Bassey back for at least one more song. I think not getting her to do the Quantum of Solace or Skyfall title songs is a missed opportunity. While Adele's Skyfall is a bloody good song, I'd much rather have Bassey sing it.

Mr Beech

I understand that Adele is a good choice stylistically, but so is Shirley Bassey. The issue is, Adele is a promotional winner with her recent successes.

James Suzuki

Adele this year, Bassey in 2014, face it its too late we already have a Bond song, but we can cross our fingers can't we? let's face it, Bassey has an awesome voice, made for a Bond song. Then perhaps Lana Del Ray

Wilde

I might have a go next time around. )

Higgins

yeah, why not a MR-GF-DAF medley for the 50th anniversary sung by Dame Shirley Bassey?

ppw3o6r

jamesbondagent007 wrote:

Why not have Shirley Bassey do it? At 75, she can belt out a tune like nobody's business.

I mean, sure, Adele will sell millions more albums...but for those of you who haven't heard it, here's an (alleged) rejected theme for Quantum of Solace by Bassey and David Arnold:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZHKw9ZJrFM

It's quite beautiful. Even better than Skyfall, IMO. You can even hear the orchestral motifs that made it into the film's score.

Why oh why did they reject this song in favor of that Jack White/Alicia Keys garbage?

I hope they get her back for the next film.

Edit: maybe this should have gone into the Music forum.

Confession time: I've had this on Ms Bassey's Performance album since 2009 and didn't even realise....Dohhhhhhhhhh!

Gassy Man

jamesbondagent007 wrote:

I've thought about it some more.

The only reason I can think of is that Bassey's song, like 'Surrender' before it, was felt to be too anachronistic for a modern film. Sure, these two tunes were well written, well sung, and quintessentially Bond, but they weren't relevant for 1997 or 2008.

Bond films, and title songs, are like chameleons. They shapeshift. That's one of the reasons the series has existed for so long. Live and Let Die was basically a blaxploitation film, and the performances and pacing in Goldeneye had a refreshing and distinct immediacy and reality to it that totally modernized the series after the very theatrical and somewhat detached Living Daylights. Tina Turner's song reflected that, while also being a throwback, kind of like Adele's Skyfall.

Bond movies are always representative of the times in which they're made. Sheryl Crow was a more timely choice for a '90s film, and Jack White and Alicia Keys were more relevant in 2008. Just like Adele is relevant this year. Sort of makes sense why they eschewed the classic for the new.

As for studio interference, I wonder how much influence Sony/MGM have on creative decisions like this... I always knew they pushed for product placement and things like that, but Wilson and Broccoli still had the final say on pretty much everything else. Maybe I'm just naive.

I suspect that it has more to do with the perceived marketability of the song. Pop singers are viewed as more likely to sell music than, perhaps, more talented but less mass appeal singers like k.d. lang or Shirley Bassey, even if their music is far more memorable and appropriate for the tone of the series. I've found the music by Garbage, Sheryl Crowe, Madonna, Jack White, Alicia Keys, etc., to be utterly forgettable and a poor substitute. With Adele, we have something of a blend. She doesn't have the pipes or diction of Shirley Bassey, but she has a lot of the "mood" and more of the marketability.

Red Indian

As long as Shirley is around she should be signed to EVERY Bond theme; or at the very least the end title. I don't see the problem in having ONE constant like her throughout the series. Times may change, and the producers may change as much as they like, but I think it's a nice bit of nostalgia to have her around.

Let's be honest, the Bond music and the Barry "sound" are one of the most, if not THE most important parts of the franchise.

In any case, thanks for posting the song I really enjoy it!

More importantly, Happy Anniversary to everyone! {[]

Can you imagine a world without 007?

ppw3o6r

Dame Shirley Bassey: The Performance album "NO GOOD ABOUT GOODBYE"

Confession time: I've had this on Ms Bassey's The Performance album since 2009 and didn't even realise....Dohhhhhhhhhh!
There is a dirty great sticker on the front of the case listing contributors as John Barry & Don Black. The album was produced by David Arnold. The track is no:07 (seriously) and is bloody superb. With that kind of royalty contributing it probably should have been embossed with the 007 logo.

Erik

Look Adele, this is how a real bond song should have been. )

Matt S

The score would make a lot more sense if this song found its way into the film. This should have at least been used as the end titles instead of the Bond theme. At least Surrender made it to the end titles. I can see why Only Myself To Blame wasn't used at the end of TWINE because it's a bit slow, though that's another great Arnold song.

Mr Beech

Still haven't heard "SkyFall" yet.

I do like this instrumental re-edit of the Quantum of Solace title sequence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emTkDc2EuUQ

Napoleon Plural

Just had a horrible but brilliant thought.

For me, the song is drear and goes on and on. However, what it 'needs' is to be funked up then have a black rapper come in with his hectoring diatribe. "you know you want it, you're taking a fall, you were having it all but now you're learning to crawl" type thing then back into Adele's chorus. That's how you can beef up a song these days, and for me that would have worked really well, tradition be damned.

Barry Nelson

Napoleon Plural wrote:

Just had a horrible but brilliant thought.

For me, the song is drear and goes on and on. However, what it 'needs' is to be funked up then have a black rapper come in with his hectoring diatribe. "you know you want it, you're taking a fall, you were having it all but now you're learning to crawl" type thing then back into Adele's chorus. That's how you can beef up a song these days, and for me that would have worked really well, tradition be damned.

You must be joking!

Napoleon Plural

Not at all, I never joke about my etc etc