I am with Zaphod here, using Shirley Bassey would be a sentimental mistake. With the amount of decent thrillers competing with Bond nowadays, and the shot in the arm the franchise received from Bourne, it needs to keep moving forward, fresh, modern and gritty… and as great as she was for her time Bassey is neither fresh nor modern.
A relatively unknown new artist is the key to the theme, someone on the pulse of 2012. It's all very well appealing to Bond fans of old, and preaching to the converted, but what JB really really needs is the new generation to get onboard.
:007) -{
Without question it should be Shirley Bassey! The timing could not be more perfect; what a great way to honor John Barry!
She is great, and could of course do a fantastic job in her sleep. I feel that Bond needs to avoid nostalgia and do something new and vibrant that is disconnected from its past though.
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.
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She is great, and could of course do a fantastic job in her sleep. I feel that Bond needs to avoid nostalgia and do something new and vibrant that is disconnected from its past though.
Thinking about the last decade in terms of nostalgia and also doing something new and vibrant that is disconnected from the past.
In terms of nostalgia, DAD and QoS contained numerous homages to previous films. In terms of doing something new and vibrant that is disconnected from the past, CR contained the re-boot with DC as Bond. For me, CR is easily the best film which may suggest that I would rather avoid nostalgia. However, the homages in DAD and QoS worked pretty well in general (not much else worked in either film), IMO.
Now we have Skyfall the 50th anniversary film. Rather difficult to avoid nostalgia I'd say. Which makes Dame Shirley the ideal candidate for the title song. Bond 24 should be the time to start looking more to the future and less to the past.
Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
I don't see how using her is going to be some big dated step back like some seem to be thinking. It is the anniversary. It is the perfect time for a new theme with a voice that is closely associated with the series. I won't be hurt if she doesn't come back as there are some brilliant artists out there, but it would be an awesome treat to hear her voice belt out as Craig's silhouette appears for the opening titles.
i think having dam shirley back for SF would be great, maybe as a duet with someone, but please, no duffy ideas ffs.
although another way to die is a grower for me, the reject bassey tune for QoS was, imho, a better tune. maybe she was rejected as BB was trying to save her for this year? )
I don't see how using her is going to be some big dated step back like some seem to be thinking. It is the anniversary. It is the perfect time for a new theme with a voice that is closely associated with the series. I won't be hurt if she doesn't come back as there are some brilliant artists out there, but it would be an awesome treat to hear her voice belt out as Craig's silhouette appears for the opening titles.
Have to agree.
She had a very successful critically acclaimed album in 2010 (and a few bars from the Arnold-composed No Good About Goodbye* make it into the QoS soundtrack) that drew contemporary artists in to write for her, she performed Glastonbury in 07 (including a Bond medley, of course, complete with Moonraker); she's a legend. Sentimental mistake? I don't think so. Contemporary nod to the history of the series without hackney-eyed references to past films (<ahemDieAnotherDayahem>)? Yes.
Will I be crushed if she doesn't do it? No. There are some brilliant artists out there, many British, but - for a UK public anyway - Bassey would be far from laughed at if chosen.
*And they went with that, that...shouty thing. That collection of screaming and nails-down-a-blackboard torture from White and Keys, all about Bond poppin' da gangstas 4 da Maj. Yeesh.
I don't see how using her is going to be some big dated step back like some seem to be thinking. It is the anniversary. It is the perfect time for a new theme with a voice that is closely associated with the series. I won't be hurt if she doesn't come back as there are some brilliant artists out there, but it would be an awesome treat to hear her voice belt out as Craig's silhouette appears for the opening titles.
Have to agree.
She had a very successful critically acclaimed album in 2010 (and a few bars from the Arnold-composed No Good About Goodbye* make it into the QoS soundtrack) that drew contemporary artists in to write for her, she performed Glastonbury in 07 (including a Bond medley, of course, complete with Moonraker); she's a legend. Sentimental mistake? I don't think so. Contemporary nod to the history of the series without hackney-eyed references to past films (<ahemDieAnotherDayahem>)? Yes.
Will I be crushed if she doesn't do it? No. There are some brilliant artists out there, many British, but - for a UK public anyway - Bassey would be far from laughed at if chosen.
*And they went with that, that...shouty thing. That collection of screaming and nails-down-a-blackboard torture from White and Keys, all about Bond poppin' da gangstas 4 da Maj. Yeesh.
I agree with a lot of what you say, Ms. Bassey is still making great records. My reticence is with the association with Bond, the sixties etc. I really hope that the homage element is kept to the absolute minimum. When Bond first hit our screens many commentators stress how fresh and modern the films were.
However if it were a choice between Ms.B and something like that desperate to be hip disaster that was the Alicia Keys thing I'd be with you in a flash. The QOS theme was like the worst embarrassing ' Dad-Dancing' imaginable.
I posted months ago that Sir Tom should get one more chance at singing a theme tune. Hearing him tonight singing one of my favourite Bond themes has just reaffirmed it. Shirley Bassey has had three goes now. I think she singing the theme for Skyfall would be cliched and would set the 'reboot' back. Vote Sir Tom! THUN-DER-BALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!! Brilliant!
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Well, so much for Adele. Accordingly, she's decided to take a four- to five-year break to focus on having a life:
Four or five years does seem rather too long. Perhaps Adele just wants to lead as normal a life as possible. The recent passing of Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston cannot have gone unnoticed. If Adele is wise she will choose a different path to them.
Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
I want her to do another album in 2013 at the latest Four or five years is forever. This reminds me of Duffy, who decided on taking hiatus, though she is supposedly working on something again since last fall.
Perhaps she will do the theme still. It is just one track that she seemed to have hinted at already working on months ago, so it wouldn't be tons more time to finalize and do a video.
Oh well. As long as she doesn't decide she likes her home life for good and retires! )
Comments
A relatively unknown new artist is the key to the theme, someone on the pulse of 2012. It's all very well appealing to Bond fans of old, and preaching to the converted, but what JB really really needs is the new generation to get onboard.
:007) -{
Oscar Wilde
Thinking about the last decade in terms of nostalgia and also doing something new and vibrant that is disconnected from the past.
In terms of nostalgia, DAD and QoS contained numerous homages to previous films. In terms of doing something new and vibrant that is disconnected from the past, CR contained the re-boot with DC as Bond. For me, CR is easily the best film which may suggest that I would rather avoid nostalgia. However, the homages in DAD and QoS worked pretty well in general (not much else worked in either film), IMO.
Now we have Skyfall the 50th anniversary film. Rather difficult to avoid nostalgia I'd say. Which makes Dame Shirley the ideal candidate for the title song. Bond 24 should be the time to start looking more to the future and less to the past.
although another way to die is a grower for me, the reject bassey tune for QoS was, imho, a better tune. maybe she was rejected as BB was trying to save her for this year?
Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
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www.cancerresearchuk.org
She had a very successful critically acclaimed album in 2010 (and a few bars from the Arnold-composed No Good About Goodbye* make it into the QoS soundtrack) that drew contemporary artists in to write for her, she performed Glastonbury in 07 (including a Bond medley, of course, complete with Moonraker); she's a legend. Sentimental mistake? I don't think so. Contemporary nod to the history of the series without hackney-eyed references to past films (<ahemDieAnotherDayahem>)? Yes.
Will I be crushed if she doesn't do it? No. There are some brilliant artists out there, many British, but - for a UK public anyway - Bassey would be far from laughed at if chosen.
*And they went with that, that...shouty thing. That collection of screaming and nails-down-a-blackboard torture from White and Keys, all about Bond poppin' da gangstas 4 da Maj. Yeesh.
... still preferred it to Madonna.
I agree with a lot of what you say, Ms. Bassey is still making great records. My reticence is with the association with Bond, the sixties etc. I really hope that the homage element is kept to the absolute minimum. When Bond first hit our screens many commentators stress how fresh and modern the films were.
However if it were a choice between Ms.B and something like that desperate to be hip disaster that was the Alicia Keys thing I'd be with you in a flash. The QOS theme was like the worst embarrassing ' Dad-Dancing' imaginable.
You must give me the name of your otologist.
Hope not - she might destroy her voise again!
He said Lana Del Rey looks like a modern singer, despite the fact that the biggest part of her styling appeal is looking like a 60s icon.
This has been reinforced having just seen Sir Tom Jones sing 'Thunderball' brilliantly, live, at the opening of the BAFTA Awards ....
Either of these two would do for me ... It is an Anniversary and should be marked as such
Dame Judi looked beaming during the montage and it was lovely to see. She is obviously very fond of her Bond work.
Sir Tom was terrific. Voice still as strong as ever. They make those Welsh singers with a lifetime guarentee ...
Tom tells Adele to do Bond theme.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/4125316/Tom-Jones-tells-Adele-to-do-James-Bond-theme.html
Great performance.
Very, very cool. Thank you, sir! :007)
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
http://www.spinner.com/2012/02/14/adele-break/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D135541
Four or five years does seem rather too long. Perhaps Adele just wants to lead as normal a life as possible. The recent passing of Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston cannot have gone unnoticed. If Adele is wise she will choose a different path to them.
Perhaps she will do the theme still. It is just one track that she seemed to have hinted at already working on months ago, so it wouldn't be tons more time to finalize and do a video.
Oh well. As long as she doesn't decide she likes her home life for good and retires!
Adele plays down 'five-year hiatus' remark
Good. Now is not the time to stop!