My two CDs, MR and TMWTGG, arrived in the post this morning and I'm beyond thrilled... this excitement for 'new old Bond' makes me feel quite nostalgic. In anticipation of these arriving, I've revisited my personalised Bond music playlist over the last couple of days - a mix I started to put together during the lockdowns - and have made some discriminating additions/ substitutions from the other Limited Edition CDs, all of which I have to hand. The playlist is already over 18 hours of music and yet arises only from careful selections of tracks from my album archives. It's about to get a further significant refresh from these two new arrivals!
Critics and material I don't need. I haven't changed my act in 53 years.
I thought a Moonraker was a smuggler's term for hiding in plain sight. Hence the cryptic title of Drax's rocket in the novel. Surely Fleming nicked the word from the 1952 play The Moonraker?
On another note, is there anyone else who hears an echo of Barry's 'Hit And Miss', the 'Juke Box Jury' theme, in the boppy element of his alternate instrumentations of the 'Moonraker' Main and End titles, on disc 2 of the limited edition CD?
Critics and material I don't need. I haven't changed my act in 53 years.
Yes, for the 'Slow Boat From China/ Nick Nack' segue I think it's still necessary to go back to the 'James Bond Back In Action: Vol 2' album of covers. In the new Limited Edition, 'Slow Boat From China' is isolated, ending on the shrill, high note which only makes musical/ narrative sense if followed by 'Nick Nack'. The Limited Edition is glorious overall, though, and 'In The Boot' is part of a fun sequence which it's great to hear on an album at last.
Stepping out of it a bit, I do have some mixed feelings about 'Nick Nick'/ 'In The Boot'. While it fits the score aesthetically and thematically, it seems to have dubious circus connotations, with an implied link to the freakshow tradition.
Critics and material I don't need. I haven't changed my act in 53 years.
Fascinating though it is to gain insight to the development of a classic Bond song, I find the Paul Williams vocal grating and yes, the lyrics are awry. These somewhat put me in mind of Johnny Cash's pitch for 'Thunderball', though that's in the wrong genre altogether and is better produced as it's more than a demo.
The 'Smith and Jones' skit is in the right territory!
Critics and material I don't need. I haven't changed my act in 53 years.
Comments
My two CDs, MR and TMWTGG, arrived in the post this morning and I'm beyond thrilled... this excitement for 'new old Bond' makes me feel quite nostalgic. In anticipation of these arriving, I've revisited my personalised Bond music playlist over the last couple of days - a mix I started to put together during the lockdowns - and have made some discriminating additions/ substitutions from the other Limited Edition CDs, all of which I have to hand. The playlist is already over 18 hours of music and yet arises only from careful selections of tracks from my album archives. It's about to get a further significant refresh from these two new arrivals!
I thought a Moonraker was a smuggler's term for hiding in plain sight. Hence the cryptic title of Drax's rocket in the novel. Surely Fleming nicked the word from the 1952 play The Moonraker?
I'm sure that's right.
On another note, is there anyone else who hears an echo of Barry's 'Hit And Miss', the 'Juke Box Jury' theme, in the boppy element of his alternate instrumentations of the 'Moonraker' Main and End titles, on disc 2 of the limited edition CD?
Yes, for the 'Slow Boat From China/ Nick Nack' segue I think it's still necessary to go back to the 'James Bond Back In Action: Vol 2' album of covers. In the new Limited Edition, 'Slow Boat From China' is isolated, ending on the shrill, high note which only makes musical/ narrative sense if followed by 'Nick Nack'. The Limited Edition is glorious overall, though, and 'In The Boot' is part of a fun sequence which it's great to hear on an album at last.
Stepping out of it a bit, I do have some mixed feelings about 'Nick Nick'/ 'In The Boot'. While it fits the score aesthetically and thematically, it seems to have dubious circus connotations, with an implied link to the freakshow tradition.
I hadn't thought of that but now you mention it you're right, it's there.
Fascinating though it is to gain insight to the development of a classic Bond song, I find the Paul Williams vocal grating and yes, the lyrics are awry. These somewhat put me in mind of Johnny Cash's pitch for 'Thunderball', though that's in the wrong genre altogether and is better produced as it's more than a demo.
The 'Smith and Jones' skit is in the right territory!