RITA COOLIDGE ALL TIME HIGH James Bond 007 OCTOPUSSY The val doonican show 1983 - YouTube RITA COOLIDGE ALL TIME HIGH James Bond 007 OCTOPUSSY The val doonican show 1983 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Sep 17, 2012 Clip from THE VAL DOONICAN MUSIC SHOW 1983 Featuring Rita Coolidge Performing The title track to the JAMES BOND film OCTOPUSSY. Category Octopussy (1983) - FAQ The content of this page was created directly by users and has not been screened or verified by IMDb staff. Visit our FAQ Help to learn more FAQ How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?

For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for Octopussy can be found here . What is 'Octopussy' about? When British agent 009 turns up dead holding a fake Faberge egg, MI6 director M ( Robert Brown ) sends 007 James Bond ( Roger Moore ) to follow the path of the real Faberge egg, which is currently being auctioned at Sotheby's Auction House in London. That path leads to an international smuggling operation, headed by a beautiful jewel smuggler known only as Octopussy ( Maud Adams ) along with exiled Afghani Prince Kamal Khan ( Louis Jourdan ), whom Bond observes meeting with renegade Russian General Orlov ( Steven Berkoff ) and planning to detonate a nuclear bomb at a U.S. Air Force Base in West Germany in hopes of forcing Europe into unilateral disarmament, leaving the borders open to Soviet invasion. Is "Octopussy" based on a book?

All of the James Bond movies are based, in some part, upon novels by British author Ian Fleming [1908-1964]. The title Octopussy comes from Fleming's posthumous collection of short stories in Octopussy and The Living Daylights (1966). However, very little of the short story "Octopussy" is featured in the film. The short story "Octopussy" deals with Bond and a character called Major Dexter-Smythe. This character turns out to be the father of Octopussy who, in one scene, recaps the events of the original short story to Bond. The scenes where Bond is bidding on the Fabergï¿½ egg at auction are taken from "Property of a Lady." This title is referenced in the catalog announcing the sale of the egg. The remainder of the film is an original story crafted by the screenwriters although some elements, such as Gobinda ( Kabir Bedi )'s crushing of the dice, are clearly inspired by events in earlier Bond films. Who sings the title song? Unlike most previous Bond movies, Octopussy does not have a true title song.

The song that plays during the opening and closing credits is All Time High, sung by American singer, Rita Coolidge. However, a phrase from the song, "...we're two of a kind..." is used in the movie when Octopussy tells Bond that she and he are "two of a kind" and Bond agrees. Is Robert Brown playing Bernard Lee's M or a different M? Following the death of Bernard Lee , who played the role of M in previous Bond movies, Brown took over the role for Octopussy. Some fans have speculated that Brown is playing a different character, promoted to the position of M...perhaps Admiral Hargreaves, the character Brown played in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). M is the head of British intelligence in Fleming's novels (a reference to the real-life chief of the Secret Intelligence Service who is known as C, short for Cumming, as in Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming, the first chief of SIS). M's full name is Admiral Sir Miles Messervey, K.C.M.G.

Author Gary Giblin (James Bond's London) interviewed Octopussy director John Glen who confirmed that Brown was playing Lee's character M, not someone promoted to the position of M, and that only he and Brown would have remembered the character of Admiral Hargreaves anyway! What exotic places does Bond visit in this movie? The movie opens in an undisclosed Latin American country (presumably Cuba) where Bond is finishing a mission that has no relation to the rest of the movie. Bond is next seen in London where he is being briefed in the death of 009 in East Berlin. Because M suspects Russian involvement in both the death of 009 and the sale of the Fabergï¿½ egg, Bond is ordered to follow Kamal to Delhi, India in order to find out why he wants the egg so badly. When Bond hears that Orlov and Kamal are planning to meet at Karl-Marx-Stadt in East Berlin, it's off to Germany. In the finale, Bond returns to India just in time to save Octopussy. Just what is a Fabergé egg?

As Bond describes it, a Fabergï¿½ egg is "one of the jeweled eggs made by Carl Fabergï¿½ as an Easter gift for the Russian royal family. They're priceless and very rare." Each year between 1885 and 1894, Russian jeweler Carl Fabergï¿½ [1846-1920] fashioned a jeweled egg for Czar Alexander III to give to his wife, the Empress Maria. The practice continued with the next Czar, Nicholas II, who ordered two eggs each year, one for his mother and one for his wife Alexandra, until his abdication in 1917. All totaled, Fabergï¿½ fashioned 105 eggs, of which only 69 are known to still exist. Why does Kamal want the Fabergé egg so badly? Kamal is a cog in a network that smuggles priceless treasures out of Russia. He employs jewelers that create well-crafted replications of the pieces. The thefts of the real items are accomplished by General Orlov, who steals the items from the Soviet Fine Art Repository and then replaces them with the fakes.

Orlov does not know that 009 managed to get the fake egg to the British ambassador and believes that it was lost when 009 fell into a river, so now there is no replacement egg for the real one about to be auctioned. With no time to fashion another replacement before a scheduled inventory of the Repository, Orlov orders Kamal to buy back the real egg at any price. I have trouble following the path of the two eggs. The path of the eggs goes like this: 009 steals the fake egg and is killed for it, but, before he dies, he gets the fake egg to the British ambassador in East Berlin who sends it on to MI6. The real egg goes on auction at Sotheby's, where Bond switches the fake egg for the real one, causing Kamal to unknowingly buy the fake egg. Bond follows Kamal to Delhi, taking the real egg with him and using it for security in a game of Backgammon with Kamal. Kamal's accomplice, Magda ( Kristina Wayborn ), steals back the real egg from Bond.

Of course, Bond knows that she has stolen the real egg, but he says nothing because he Q installed a homing device in it. Magda returns it to Kamal, who is now in possession of both the fake and the real egg. Kamal then gives the real egg to Orlov who smashes it, believing it to be a fake. How does Octopussy fit into the story? Although she makes a brief appearance (her back only) in the first half of the movie, Octopussy's face isn't seen until the second half. Octopussy is one of Kamal's accomplices. She owns a traveling international circus, and she uses it to help Kamal smuggle various jewels and treasures across the Soviet border into the Western world. She lives on a floating palace in Delhi. No one knows her real name. She got the name Octopussy from her father, Major Dexter-Smythe, who studied octopi. She uses a picture of a blue-ringed octopus as the icon for her Order of the Octopus and as tattoos on the women she employs as bandits, smugglers, and guards. How does Octopussy know James Bond?

Bond was responsible for the capture of her father, Smythe, 20 years ago, after he was suspected of stealing a cache of Chinese gold and killing his partner. However, Bond gave Smythe 24 hours to settle his affairs. Smythe used those 24 hours to commit suicide and avoid the disgrace of a court martial. Instead of revenge when she finally meets Bond, Octopussy thanks him for giving her father an honorable way out of his predicament. How does the movie end? Among much fanfare, the circus train arrives at U.S. Air Force base in Feldstadt, West Germany at 2:20 and sets up for a show. The nuclear bomb in the Human Cannonball's cannon is set to go off at 3:45. Bond hitches a ride to the nearest town, then steals a car, and, with the politzei in hot pursuit, makes it to the base at 3:15, passing Kamal and Gobinda going in the opposite direction. With 5 minutes to spare, Bond dons a clown suit and walks into the main tent where the Human Cannonball's act is being announced.

With 90 seconds to spare, he tries to convince the U.S. General that there is a bomb in the cannon, but the General just laughs, thinking that it's part of the act. Bond grabs an axe and tries to break the lock on the bomb, but the polizei overpower him. With 14 seconds to go, Octopussy suddenly steps forward and shoots off the lock. Bond is able to disarm the bomb just as it reaches 0. Shortly thereafter, back in India, Octopussy and Magda plot to avenge Kamal's betrayal, his having left them to die in the explosion. Octopussy's Octopus girls raid the Monsoon Palace, while Octopussy confronts Kamal. He tries to tell her that he was betrayed by Orlov and didn't know anything about the bomb. He then knocks out her down. She tries to escape but is knocked unconscious by Gobinda. When she regains consciousness, she is in Kamal's private plane. Having joined the raid in Q's hot air balloon, Bond follows the airplane and manages, while on horseback, to leap onto the tail just as the plane takes off.

With the plane airborne, Bond inches forward on top the plane, Kamal all the while trying to knock him off by flying in rolls and loops. When Bond knocks out one of the plane's two engines, Kamal sends Gobinda out to kill Bond, but Bond knocks Gobinda to his death. He then gets into the cabin. Kamal begins to lose control of the plane and tries to land. As the plane skids along the ground, Bond and Octopussy jump off, just as the plane goes over a cliff and crashes. In the final scenes, Soviet General Gogol ( Walter Gotell ) asks M for the return of the Romanov star, while Bond recuperates in bed with Octopussy on her barge. Who are the two unfortunate men Bond finds in the freezer at Kamal's place? They are the forgers Kamal used to create the fake Romanov jewels. Bond overhears Orlov say "Can you trust them?" and Khan says he can assure Orlov of their silence (it's very quiet). They are followed off screen by Gobinda, who killed them or had them killed and hung them in the freezer.

In the morning, they are thrown into a ditch for the tigers to dispose of them (though Bond takes the place of one). Rita Coolidge - All Time High (The Theme Song From Octopussy) 1983 - YouTube Rita Coolidge - All Time High (The Theme Song From Octopussy) 1983 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on May 10, 2012 Rita Coolidge - All Time High (The Theme Song From Octopussy) Label: A&M Records 1983 Arranged , Conductor, Producer: John Barry Lyrics: Tim Rice Ranking every James Bond theme song: 1-23 | For The Win Ranking every James Bond theme song: 1-23 Ranking every James Bond theme song: 1-23 By Mike Foss November 2, 2015 4:02 pm Follow @themikefoss 852 shares By: Mike Foss | November 2, 2015 4:02 pm Follow @themikefoss James Bond’s 24th film is set to hit theaters in the United States on Friday. While the performances of the many actors who have portrayed the British super spy have always been hotly contested, the opening themes have also garnered a healthy amount of attention. Though 1962’s Dr. No failed to have an opening theme, but every film to follow did, with varying degrees of success. 23. All Time High (Octopussy) – Rita Coolidge Let’s just forget any of this happened.

The movie. The song. Let’s burn it all. 22. Die Another Day – Madonna This was weird. Really weird. Too weird. No more of this. 21. Tomorrow Never Dies – Sheryl Crow If you told me Sheryl Crow was going to pick up her acoustic guitar and give us a splashy, sun-soaked tribute to 007 … well, no, that would have been terrible, too. 20. Living Daylights – A-Ha Remember every terrible musical gimmick that happen in the ’80s? A-Ha made a song with all of them so you’d never forget. 19. The Man With the Golden Gun – Lulu This is a hilarious song. Make no mistake, it’s also horrendous. But at least it’s absurdity is memorable. 18. License to Kill – Gladys Knight Gladys Knight is talented enough to make you forget that License to Kill is a less-sexy version of Goldfinger. But then you remember when you rank all of the James Bond themes for worst to best and realize how lame that is. 17.

Another Way to Die (Quantam of Solace) – Jack White & Alicia Keys This song should have worked a lot better than it did, but White and Keys’ theme was significantly better than the film, so there’s that. 16. From Russia With Love – John Barry Orchestra The first Bond film to have an opening theme, John Barry’s effort started the tradition we enjoy today. 15. A View to Kill – Duran Duran Yep, this is what Duran Duran would sound like if they made a James Bond theme. 14. The World is Not Enough – Garbage I have to admit I forgot about this movie and this song. After looking up the movie, I remember it. It wasn’t that great. The song is pretty good, though. 13. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – John Barry Orchestra John Barry’s second instrumental theme bests his first by laying the foundation of every opening Bond theme which followed. 12. For Your Eyes Only – Sheena Easton Remember earlier in the list when you listened to A-Ha’s gimmicky effort at a James Bond song in the ’80s? This is what a gimmicky James Bond song in the ’80s is supposed to sound like.

11. You Know My Name (Casino Royale) – Chris Cornell, 2007 Some would tell you this is a bad song and the lead singer of Soundgarden is a terrible choice for the James Bond theme. That’s wrong. Had Chris Cornell sung the exact same song in 1996 for Goldeneye, he would have been lauded. But this was 2007, so it was cool to dismiss his effort as washed up. When all is said and done, this is far from the worst Bond theme. Yes, I’m jaded by my love of ’90s alt-rock. Black hoooooole sunnnnnnn … 10. Moonraker – Shirley Bassey You could have your choice of vocalists sing a Bond theme and none of them will come close to Shirley Bassey, who appears on three Bond tracks. Moonraker was an utterly absurd film, but Bassey’s voice carries this song masterfully. 9. Writing’s on the Wall (Spectre) – Sam Smith You did it, Sam Smith. The newest Bond theme cracks the Top 10 on our list. Why?

It doesn’t rip anyone off, it doesn’t try to incorporate the trope du jour, and simply just tries to be a good song. For these efforts, Sam Smith bested 13 other songs who didn’t. 8. Nobody Does it Better (The Spy Who Loved Me) – Carly Simon Simon’s ode to the lovemaking ability of 007 will make you blush if you listen to the lyrics, and yet it somehow comes off as wholesome with the piano backing. 7. Thunderball – Tom Jones Me to you while listening to this song: You want to be a spy with me? Yep! You want to do karate in a tuxedo? Yep! You want to drive super fast sports cars and then blow them up? Hell yep! 6. Diamonds are Forever – Shirley Bassey When the title of the film is Diamonds are Forever, you would expect a lavish opening theme. Shirley Bassey happily delivers. 5. Goldeneye – Tina Turner Was the decision to place Goldeneye so high based purely on the Nintendo 64 video game of the same name? Yes, what of it? 4.

Skyfall – Adele I fully admit this probably jumps a full three places if radio stations didn’t assault people with this theme for the entire 2013 holiday season. That said, Adele’s performance still gives me chills. 3. You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra This theme hits perfectly mixes the spectacle every good Bond theme needs with Sinatra’s delicate and haunting vocals. 2. Goldfinger – Shirley Bassey Completely unforgettable and flawless in every way. You can’t be a fan of a Bond film without loving this song. 1. Live and Let Die – Paul McCartney Yeah, yeah, Goldfinger was robbed. Whatever. This is an amazing song, and the only good thing that Wings did for pop culture. There hasn’t been a Bond theme before or after that has come near Live and Let Die’s stratosphere. Octopussy soundtrack | The James Bond Dossier The James Bond Dossier October 19, 2010 by Nick Parkhouse After the success of James Bond’s twelfth adventure, For Your Eyes Only, Roger Moore and director John Glen were reunited in 1983 for Bond’s new adventure, Octopussy.

And, for the first time since 1979’s Moonraker, legendary composer John Barry was able to rejoin the team to provide the score for the thirteenth 007 adventure. Octopussy (1983) 3. 009 Gets The Knife And Gorbinda Attacks 4. That’s My Little Octopussy 5. Arrival At The Island Of Octopussy 6. Bond At The Monsoon Palace 7. Bond Meets Octopussy 8. Yo Yo Fight And Death Of Vijay 9. The Chase Bomb Theme 10. The Palace Fight 11. All Time High After legal wrangling over the rights to the Bond stories had failed to produce a satisfactory outcome, Warner Brothers commenced the production of their own James Bond adventure, Never Say Never Again, in 1982. The film, starring Sean Connery as 007, was an “unofficial” Bond movie and was released just four months after Octopussy.

Legendary Bond composer John Barry had been invited by Warner Brothers to provide the soundtrack for their alternative 007 film.Â Having moved overseas to escape the UK’s punitive income taxes, Barry had been unable to work on EON’s The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only, and was only able to return for Moonraker thanks to it being filmed partly in France. However, out of loyalty to the Bond franchise, Barry turned down the opportunity to score Never Say Never Again, choosing instead to return to the UK, buying a property in the same London square where he had written much of his early Bond music. Knowing that there was a rival Bond film in production also informed much of Barry’s score for the thirteenth 007 adventure. The composer used the James Bond Theme much more liberally than he had in previous soundtracks with the intention of underlining that Octopussy was the “official” Bond film, and to differentiate it from the competition. It was used particularly strikingly in the pre-credit sequence where the track Bond Look-Alike underscores Bond destroying a military aircraft hangar. The James Bond Theme was also used to comedic effect when Bond is greeted by Vijay in India.

Posing as a snake charmer, the local agent plays the Bond theme to identify himself, promoting 007 to comment, “That’s a charming tune…..” As ever, the title track was Barry’s main challenge. For the third time in the series, the title of the film did not lend itself lyrically to a song title, and so the filmmakers agreed to allow the composers to choose their own title. Whilst Barry had collaborated with the likes of Leslie Bricusse and Don Black on previous Bond soundtracks, producer Cubby Broccoli invited the well-known lyricist Tim Rice to work with Barry on Octopussy.ï¿½ Rice had made his name in stage musicals, collaborating with Andrew Lloyd-Webber on Evita, Joseph, and Jesus Christ Superstar and with the male members of Abba on Chess. At Barry’s suggestion, the pair wrote six possible themes for Octopussy, with the production crew eventually choosing the lush ballad All Time High a phrase that was later used as the film’s advertising slogan. Despite reports that British singer Mari Wilson and American superstar Laura Branigan were favourites to record the theme, American singer Rita Coolidge was eventually asked to record All Time High.

As Coolidge told Country Music People magazine, Cubby Broccoli’s daughter was a fan and she wanted me to sing the theme song for Octopussy. She started playing my records around the house, and Cubby said one day, “Who is that? That’s the voice I want for the movie.” Coolidge was seen as a surprise choice, considering her career had peaked in the late 1970’s.Â However, her easy-listening style and class were seen as perfect for this Bond ballad and the song spent a month on top of the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. However, the song was only a minor mainstream hit on both sides of the Atlantic. All Time High has since been covered by Pulp (on David Arnold’s Bond project Shaken and Stirred), Shirley Bassey and Kelly Llorena. The orchestral theme of All Time High underscores the two main love scenes in the film.Â It can be heard during Bond’s tryst with Magda (That’s My Little Octopussy) and again with the eponymous villain in Bond Meets Octopussy. For the action sequences, Barry composed a new piece of music which segued perfectly into the James Bond Theme.

Punctuated by Barry’s traditional brass, the pulsating score can be heard on 009 Gets The Knife, Yo-Yo Fight and The Palace Fight. Barry also composed a cue entitled The Chase Bomb Theme, played during the bomb’s journey into West Germany. Interestingly, later versions of the Octopussy soundtrack (including the 2003 remastered version) mistakenly title this piece The Chase Bond Theme. Octopussy is one of the shortest Bond soundtracks, but Barry’s genius is once again in evidence. Featuring just eleven tracks, two of which are versions of the title theme All Time High the album is just thirty-six minutes long. This is partly due to the fact that Barry deliberately left many of the fight sequences unscored in attempt to make the scenes more realistic and partly due to the lack of remastered or additional material. Whilst All Time High may not have been a huge worldwide hit, it is many people’s favourite Bond theme. And, coupled with the composer’s new 007 action sequence and the liberal and effective use of the James Bond Theme, Octopussy is one of Barry’s most accomplished Bond soundtracks. Like this article?

Join our free 007 newsletter and get the latest news on James Bond by email. Share this article below: One Response to “Octopussy soundtrack” Arthur November 2nd, 2010 at 17:55 Not the best soundtrack or title song but certainly not the worst either. I did find that the score to Octopussy’s rival, Never Say Never Again, (as well as the film itself, for that matter) were more interesting in that it was very unlike the Bond scores that had gone before, and in a good way, in my opinion. (BTW, I don’t base this on anything to do with Connery vs. Moore; if anything, my vote would go to Moore as “best Bond” as his was the first I became familiar with. But that’s a whole other argument.) I always found it odd that they could not augment this Soundtrack at all. Was there really THAT little music recorded for the film? I also had always considered it a bit of a cheat to have All Time High there twice just to pad out the album.

(I’m only just realizing that the two tracks are NOT the same; there are very subtle differences in the mixes, but too subtle to make the “reprise” a significant contribution to the album.) Sam Smith sings theme song for James Bond film 'Spectre' - CNN.com 1 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers English singer Matt Monro is best known for his hearty rendition of the theme tune for 1963's "From Russia with Love." (The first James Bond movie, "Dr.

No," had an instrumental title song.) Hide Caption 2 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers Shirley Bassey, perhaps the most iconic Bond theme-song singer, sang the title theme to 1964's Goldfinger." Bassey brought her strong, distinctive voice back to the series in title tunes for 1971's "Diamonds Are Forever" and 1979's "Moonraker." Hide Caption 3 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers Welsh singer Tom Jones, best known for hits like "What's New Pussycat" and "She's a Lady," sang the title tune for 1965's "Thunderball." Hide Caption 4 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers These boots were made for walking, but she was made for singing: Nancy Sinatra performed the theme to "You Only Live Twice" in 1967.

Hide Caption 5 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers Jazz great Louis Armstrong sang "We Have All the Time in the World," the secondary musical theme from the 1969 Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." The song became a hit in the UK 25 years later when it was featured in a Guinness beer commercial. Hide Caption 6 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers Paul and then-wife Linda McCartney and their pop group Wings performed the title number from 1973's "Live and Let Die," the first of the Bond movies to star Roger Moore as Agent 007. The song is still a staple of Paul McCartney's live concerts.

Hide Caption 7 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers Scottish pop singer Lulu sang the title song for 1974's "The Man with the Golden Gun." Hide Caption 8 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers Carly Simon scored a major radio hit with "Nobody Does it Better," the theme from the 1977 Bond film, "The Spy Who Loved Me." Hide Caption 9 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers After the band Blondie recorded another version that was rejected, Scottish pop star Sheena Easton was tapped to sing "For Your Eyes Only" for the 1981 Bond movie of the same name. The song reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Hide Caption Photos: James Bond theme song singers Rita Coolidge sang "All Time High," the theme from 1983's "Octopussy." Hide Caption 11 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers American singer Lani Hall, wife of bandleader Herb Alpert, sang the title song to 1983's "Never Say Never Again," which brought Sean Connery back for his final Bond role.

The film was made by a different production company from the other James Bond movies, so some fans don't consider it part of the official series. Hide Caption 12 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers Singer Simon Le Bon and British pop group Duran Duran did the title song for 1985's "A View to a Kill." Hide Caption 13 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers Norwegian pop band A-Ha recorded the title song for 1987's "The Living Daylights," the first of two films starring Timothy Dalton as Bond. It was the last theme written by longtime Bond composer John Barry. Hide Caption Photos: James Bond theme song singers Soul legend Gladys Knight sang the theme to "License to Kill" in 1989. Hide Caption 15 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers After a six-year hiatus, the Bond series rebooted with 1995's "GoldenEye" and Pierce Brosnan in the lead role. Tina Turner sang the theme song, which was written by U2's Bono and the Edge.

Hide Caption Photos: James Bond theme song singers Sheryl Crow performed the title song to 1997's "Tomorrow Never Dies." Hide Caption 17 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers Garbage, led by Shirley Manson, did the title track to 1999's "The World is Not Enough." Hide Caption 18 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers Pop icon Madonna finally did her first and only Bond theme song in 2002 for "Die Another Day." Hide Caption 19 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers One of the few men to sing a Bond theme, rocker Chris Cornell performed "You Know My Name" from 2006's "Casino Royale." It was the first film to feature Daniel Craig as Bond. Hide Caption 20 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers Pop star Alicia Keys and blues rocker Jack White teamed up to sing "Another Way to Die," the theme from 2008's "Quantum of Solace." White also wrote the song.

Hide Caption 21 of 22 Photos: James Bond theme song singers British pop star Adele sang the title theme from "Skyfall" in 2012. Three years later, the world is still awaiting the singer's long-delayed new album. Hide Caption You Only Sing 23 Times: The James Bond Theme Song Dossier | Tor.com You Only Sing 23 Times: The James Bond Theme Song Dossier Ryan Britt Mon Nov 12, 2012 6:00pm 16 comments Bombastic, kitsch, or catchy, there’s something unique about a James Bond theme song. There are a few timeless classics, but most either represent a weird moment in the zeitgeist, or are downright embarassing. Uniquely, James Bond theme songs are often better than the films they kick off, though the reverse can occasionally be true, too. Now that Skyfall is out and we’ve all had a chance to enjoy Adele’s new theme song , it’s time to determine once and for all which 007 tunes are better than their respective films, which ones are worse, and which ones fit just right. Shake up a martini, and grab your headphones.

The James Bond Theme Song Dossier is declassified! “Dr. No” (The James Bond Theme) written by Monty Norman. Performed by The John Barry Orchestra (1962) Though the Eric Rogers song “Under the Mango Tree” features heavily in this film (Bond even sings a few bars) the actual theme song for Dr. No is simply the slick famous instrumental James Bond theme, complete with horns and guitar. Every single real James Bond movie (the Peter Sellers Casino Royale and Connery’s Never Say Never Again don’t count) uses some arrangement of this theme. Does it fit with the movie? Well, really, how could it not? Dr. No is a solid and entertaining James Bond film, but by no means the best. So, in this sense its theme song is better than the movie. It’s also possible that “The James Bond Theme” is better than all the James Bond movies combined. Verdict: Theme song is better. “From Russia With Love” written by Lionel Bart, performed by Matt Monro + “007” written by John Barry and performed by the The John Barry Orchestra (1963) I love this one.

Several months ago I was waiting for a train on a New York City subway platform and a man was playing an instrumental version of this on a trumpet, which is awesome because the opening sequence of the film is also an instrumental version. (People singing at the start of James Bond movies doesn’t happen until Goldfinger.) This is one of those great classic crooner songs that just gets stuck in your head and makes you feel all dizzy and romantic. Like many James Bond themes, it’s actually more tender than the characters in the movie. From Russia With Love is up there with my favorite Connery movies, and this theme song does generally fit with the film. However, I think it could have easily been a memorable movie even if it had a different theme song. But, the real cool one here is the introduction of the instrumental adventure theme “007.” This orchestral drum pounding romp is basically a chase scene in the form of strings, percussion, and brass. I love love love this. It’s more heroic than “The James Bond Theme,” and when it’s used in subsequent movies, I get chills. I’m really not sure why contemporary Bond composer David Arnold never brought it back for Dalton, Brosnan, or Craig-era films.

Easily a better piece of music than the film where it originated. Verdict: “From Russia With Love” is probably as just as good as From Russia With Love. Meanwhile “007” beats them all and is perfect. “Goldfinger” written by John Barry, Anthony Newley, and Leslie Bricusse. Performed by Shirley Bassey (1964) Arguably, this is the best of all James Bond theme songs, introducing what is also arguably the best James Bond movie. Like other early films, the song also incorporates part of “The James Bond Theme” into its arrangement, making the instrumental motifs of the song throughout the movie super-nuanced. There’s no getting around how great the movie is or how great this song still sounds. It’s sexy, flashy and memorable. This is also the first time of three times Shirley Bassey is singing for Bond! If I was backed against a wall by a man with a lethal hat and forced to pick between the song and the movie, I’d probably pick the song, by a very small margin. Verdict: Theme song is better, but only just barely. “Thunderball” written by John Barry and Don Black, performed by Tom Jones + “Mr.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” written by John Barry and Leslie Bricusse, performed by Dionne Warwick. (1965) This one is full of all sorts of weird history. The original theme for this movie was supposed to be “Mr. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” but was changed at the last minute to “Thunderball.” Johnny Cash also sent these guys a song called “Thunderball” which ended up not being used. Finally, Tom Jones apparently fainted after singing the last note of “Thunderball!” Weird. After “Goldfinger” we got another Bond theme song seemingly about the bad guy, rather than about Bond. Or is it about Bond? Tom Jones is fairly cool in this one, but there’s something about Thunderball the movie and the song that aren’t quite up to par for me. (Maybe it’s because they couldn’t make their minds up.) There’s a great underwater scuba-brawl which uses “007” again, but this is definitely one where the movie is slightly better than the song. Tom Jones is right for a James Bond song, but fails to be as memorable as some of the other big artists. “Mr.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” shows up on some Bond music compilation and is a little too tinny and silly for my tastes. James Bond movies sometimes have two legitimate theme songs, but I really don’t think “Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” should count. Verdict: The movie &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;i&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Thunderball&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/i&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; is slightly better than the song &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ldquo;Thunderball.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;rdquo; Verdict: Thunderball and “Thunderball” are both decent, with the movie being slightly better. “Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” is really hard to accept as being real. “You Only Live Twice” written by John Barry and Leslie Bricusse, performed by Nancy Sinatra (1967) Like many of the early Bond songs, the arrangements of the melodies are a natural fit for the film’s score. I think the opening strings in this one are totally over-the-top cheesy-wonderful.

The world seems to agree with me, since covers and samples of this song are everywhere! From Bjork to Coldplay to Robbie Williams to Cee-Lo, those opening strings are part of the human musical brain. This one is a personal favorite and despite the various incarnations, I think Nancy Sinatra hits it out of the park. There’s also a stellar foot-chase sequence in where an aerial camera angle is accompanied by the orchestral version of the theme. Great movie moment. For me “You Only Live Twice” is a kooky and fun Bond movie, with a fitting saccharine theme song. But because of its deserved ubiquity, I think the song is winning. Verdict: Theme song is better! (Related viewing: the video for Robbie Williams “Millenium”which is is a full-on Connery and Moore era James Bond homage. Aston Martin! Voodoo guy! Gambling! Jet pack!) “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” Written by John Barry, performed by theJohn Barry Orchestra + “We Have All the Time in the World” Written by John Barry, performed by Louis Armstrong (1969) Oh no! The Connery era is pratically over!

When Bond was rebooted with new actor George Lazenby, the opening titles were, again only instrumental. “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” is an awesome piece of music and so iconic that it was even sampled in the trailer for The Incredibles. The film itself is a little on the not very good side, though aspects are interesting. The song is certainly winning over the movie with this one. However, the other theme song for “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” is the Louie Armstrong “We Have All the Time in the World,” a love song about James Bond and Tracy, I guess. The title is also the last thing Bond says to the audience while he’s holding Tracy’s dead body in his arms. Seriously, this movie is such a downer; it almost makes me love it for being so weird. Almost. “We Have All the Time in the World” is sweet enough, but not something I ever listen to when I’m in the mood for Bond OR Louie Armstrong. Verdict: Theme song—“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” is way better than the movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Although “We Have All the Time in the World” is worse than On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

“Diamonds Are Forever” Written Don Black, performed by Shirley Bassey, (1971) With Connery returning to the role of Bond, it makes sense to play it safe and go with Shirley Bassey for the song, since she previously did the best Bond song ever with “Goldfinger.” Notably, this is the only time a performer was used again (Bassey recorded three in all) to do a Bond opening theme. However, it’s less than stellar. “Diamonds Are Forever” is slow, uninteresting and has creepy themes. Sort of like the movie! This is one everyone should skip. Hearing this song always reminds me of how bored Connery looked in this movie. The song and the movie certainly need each other, but they’re both just the worst. Then-Bond producer Harry Saltzman also hated the song. Verdict: Both are terrible. “Live And Let Die” written and performed by Paul McCartney and Wings (1973) The first Bond film to feature Roger Moore was also the first to not have John Barry composing the music. This time, Beatles producer George Martin was in charge, making ex-Beatles Paul McCartney a natural choice for the theme song.

I’ve always loved how Bond is talking smack about The Beatles in Goldfinger but less than 10 years later; a Beatle produces the best James Bond song since the song “Goldfinger.” As a big Beatles fan, this is never a Paul McCartney solo song I ever listen to, mostly just because it’s been a bit over-played. But I loved it as a kid. It’s great, it seems like a Bond movie, it’s really different from 60’s era stuff and the orchestral arrangements of it in the film are thrilling. Is it better than the movie it occupies? You bet. Live and Let Die is a disaster of movie. Sometimes racist, other times inappropriately slapsticky. This one is really hard to watch, even if Roger Moore’s 70’s suits look great and the alligator sequence rocks. The song will live on way beyond anyone’s knowledge of the film. Just don’t listen to that Gun N’ Roses version. Verdict: ”Live and Let Die“ is way better than Live and Let Die. “The Man With the Golden Gun” Written by John Barry and Don Black, performed by Lulu (1974) Oh the 70s.

I’m so confused by you. Why were there groups singers like Lulu in the 70s? Why did she do this song? Just how much does it suck? Almost as much as the oddly creepy movie? There’s a school of thought which claims James Bond was ruined over the years by too much self-parody in the writing of the scripts. The same might very well be true of the theme songs; with “The Man With the Golden Gun” being a big culprit. Full of sex/killing innuendos, this earworm is definitely one to skip. The movie is slightly better than its theme song, but only because Christopher Lee is in it and he has three nipples. Verdict: Movie is barely better. “Nobody Does It Better” Written by Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager, performed by Carly Simon (from The Spy Who Loved Me, 1977) I know this is going to be hard for everyone to believe but this is easily one of my favorite songs of all time, and my secret favorite among the good James Bond theme songs.

Carly Simon’s famous love letter to Bond has been covered by pretty much everyone, but the Aimee Mann version is easily the best and possibly better than the original. Of the various Bond songs which are corny love songs, this is the best. The movie isn’t bad either! Bond meets his match with agent XXX (not Vin Diesel), drives an underwater car, and shoots a dude while skiing. What more do want? It’s too bad the song is so memorable, because it would almost be a tie. But, really, this song could have gone with any Moore-era Bond movie. Verdict: Song is better. “Moonraker” written by John Barry and Hal David. Performed Shirley Bassey (1979) Not sure what they were thinking here. I suppose after a love song worked as the opening theme for The Spy Who Loved Me, the producers figured bringing back the singer of “Goldfinger” (again) was money in the bank. It’s so weird that both of these Shirley Bassey songs after “Goldfinger” are big old clunkers. She’s got a gorgeous voice and in theory this should work, but it’s just weird.

Why is this corny love song at the beginning of a movie about Bond flying space ships and shooting lasers? Is this a dream? Obviously because of the aforementioned lasers and the return of Jaws, the movie Moonraker is way better than the song “Moonraker.” Verdict: Movie is better. “For Your Eyes Only” by written by Bill Conti and Michael Leeson, performed by Sheena Easton (1981) I am a huge James Bond fan, but I’m not sure I can tell you what happens in this movie. Part of me is convinced it’s not actually anything more than a series of Bond clichés strung together. Here’s the snow scene! Look, here’s Bond in the casino! Now he’s underwater! I also recall Roger Moore wearing a windbreaker and looking like someone’s lame dad throughout. The theme song however is kind of sweet and is the only Bond opening sequence to actually feature the singer singing to you! The first time a character sings the theme song in a Bond movie is “Live And Let Die” but of course the person singing isn’t Paul McCartney. The only time a singer of the theme song is also a character in a Bond movie is when Madonna appears in Die Another Day.

“For Your Eyes Only” was also nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. Though I’m not crazy about the corny love-song marathon during the Roger Moore era, this one doesn’t really bug me. Though Blondie was originally going to do a song (bummer!) Sheena Easton is fantastic. There’s no question that this forgettable Bond movie is much worse than its sweet little theme song. Verdict: Song is way better, and actually kind of romantic. “All Time High” (From Octopussy) Written by John Barry and Tim Rice, performed by Rita Coolidge. (1983) Wow. This song is terrible. I remember being mortified by its crappiness even as a teenager. The Roger Moore-era is sort of at its worse in Octopussy. The saxophone outro of this song describes the crappiness of the movie and the song perfectly. Shockingly, Tim Rice wrote the lyrics to this cliché nonsense. I’d like to say Maud Adams saves this movie, but she doesn’t, no more than Tim Rice saves the song.

In terms of the song/movie competition, it’s slightly close because they’re both so bad, but I’ll have to give it to the movie, if only for the audacious title. Verdict: Movie is better, I guess? “A View To A Kill” written by John Barry and Duran Duran and peformed by Duran Duran. (1985) Boom! Bond is back! In terms of charts and sales, this is still the most popular James Bond theme song, ever. That’s right, Duran Duran beat Paul McCartney! Apparently it was also Duran Duran’s idea to do a James Bond theme song, after the bassist John Taylor asserted that nobody decent ever does the theme songs. Is the movie any good? Well, it’s got Christopher Walken, Patrick Macnee, AND Grace Jones, so it’s watchable as hell. But, Roger Moore looks terrible in it and the film has a general suckiness to it. Overall, it’s super fun. However, the contest between song and movie is pretty obvious in this one. Verdict: Song is WAY better.

“The Living Daylights” written by John Barry and Ah-ha, performed by A-ha (Also “If There Was a Man” by the Pretenders, 1987) After over a decade of Roger Moore as Bond, Timothy Dalton stepped into the role for what was a slightly more serious version of the famous agent. This was the last Bond film scored by John Barry, and featured an upbeat opening track by A-ha. It’s funny how the successful Bond theme songs sometimes would create a trend of other very similar types of songs. After “Nobody Does It Better” became a success, all Bond movies had saccharine love songs. After “A View To A Kill” killed it, the producers seemed to have ordered a pop-replacement in the form of “The Living Daylights.” For being a poor man’s “A View To A Kill,” “The Living Daylights” isn’t all that bad. For novelty reasons only, I sometimes prefer it to “A View To A Kill.” The movie isn’t half bad either. Though, on balance, everything here is just okay.

And because the song really is a poor man’s “A View To A Kill,” and the movie has a scene in which Bond rides a cello case like a sled, the movie wins by a small margin. Oddly, this is an instance in a Bond movie where there’s randomly another song sung over the closing credits. It’s called “If There Was a Man” and it’s by The Pretenders. I guess they were trying to make a big deal out of Dalton’s debut by giving him two songs? This one doesn’t have any impact on me at all, and there was a man, but so what? Verdict: The movie is a little better. Though I really irrationally love this song. “License To Kill” written by Narada Michael Walden, Jeffrey Cohen and Walter Afanasieff. Performed by Gladys Knight and “If You Asked Me To” written and performed by Patti LaBelle. (1989) I feel like with this song the Bond franchise is splitting the difference.

On the one hand this is a sort of old school love song from the Roger Moore era, but on the other hand it’s kind of got some throwbacks to “Goldfinger.” (It even uses some of the horn line from that one.) I actually quite like this song and I think there’s something slightly more romantic about it than it lets on. Like the previous Bond film, this one also has a second song sung over the end credits; the Patti LaBelle song “If You Asked Me To” which was covered by Celine Dion years later. It’s pretty obvious why Celine took it; it’s a belter of a big epic love song. Totally great. Weird that it’s in this James Bond movie. The movie is sort of just okay. Though I’m always bonkers for the “Bond goes rogue” premise, this one has a lot of third act problems which really bury the movie in a confusing mess filled with semi-trucks and missile launchers. If you have to choose between the two, I think the Gladys Knight music video is sort of genius. Verdict: The song is better and Gladys Knight looks great in a tux.

“GoldenEye” written by Bono and the The Edge, performed by Tina Turner (1995) Despite some corny hacker stuff, GoldenEye holds up as being a really great Bond movie and easily remains the best of the four Pierce Brosnan outings. And the theme song is awesome! Written by Bono and The Edge of U2, this one feel like a classic era Bond song, but is somehow new and catchy every time you hear it. The opening title sequence was really hot and the music video with Tina is great. I’m sort of bummed out she’s not in the movie playing some awesome MI6 inventor or something. Not since Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome has a movie needed Tina Turner more. Further, considering how long Bond had been away, they needed some big guns like Tina. Verdict: The song is better. Come on. It’s Tina Turner. Why did it take them so long to get her to do one of these anyway? “Tomorrow Never Dies” written and performed by Sheryl Crow and “Surrender” written by k.d. lang and David Arnold and perfromed by k.d. lang.

(1997) The 1990s are a weird time for James Bond movies, and the choice of Sheryl Crow for this one seems super arbitrary. I actually don’t mind Sheryl Crow at all, but this is not one of her better offerings. I mean that “Steve McQueen” song of hers is better than this. Tomorrow Never Dies the film is also a huge step backwards after GoldenEye and the feeble attempt the song is making to be catchy parallels the feeling you get from the movie: it’s just trying a little too hard. Oddly, there’s again another theme song in this movie which is much better called “Surrender”written with new Bond composer David Arnold and performed by k.d lang. This song is totally awesome, sounds like a Bond theme, and was relagated to end-credtis status by the producers. Bummer! (But here’s a fan-edit with the good k.d.

lang song for the opening credits.) Verdict: The movie Tomorrow Never Dies is slightly better than the song “Tomorrow Never Dies” BUT, the k.d lang song “Surrender” is way better than Tomorrow Never Dies and “Tomorrow Never Dies.” “The World is Not Enough” written by David Arnold and Don Black, performed by Garbage. (1999) I really like this one. It’s got something really old-fashioned about it, but it also rocks. I think Garbage is great. (I mean really, who hasn’t jammed out to “I’m Only Happy When it Rains?”) The movie is sort of a mixed bag. It’s pretty hard not to be offended by the presence of Denise Richards, but the rest of the story is actually not bad. I like the way Bond gets screwed over in this one and the way M is in on the action. But, really, you could hear the song and never care about the movie one bit. Apparently David Arnold really wanted this one to sound like a John Barry-era song. It worked and Shirley Manson sounds like she’s time-traveled straight from 1963. Verdict: The song is way, way better than the movie.

“Die Another Day” written and perfromed by Madonna (2002) It’s shocking no one thought to get Madonna to do a Bond theme before this one. With Die Another Day the franchise was pulling out all the stops because, at the time, it was the 40th anniversary of the Bond film franchise. In terms of a movie, I think Die Another Day is probably the worst James Bond movie of all time, if only because it’s such a cynical mess. (Though it does have a great pre-title sequence) It’s hard to believe this is the same James Bond from GoldenEye. However, I think Madonna’s theme song is a great techno-dance track and totally belongs in a James Bond movie. It’s rad. This music video in which she fights herself contains probably more James Bond references than the actual movie. It’s also sort of the best anyone could hope for in terms of being entertained by the weird medium of music videos based on songs written for movies. It should feel cynical, but it doesn’t. Verdict: The song is way better. “You Know My Name” (From Casino Royale, 2006) written by David Arnold and Chris Cornell. Performed by Chris Cornell.

Initially, I wasn’t crazy about this one mostly because I couldn’t get behind Chris Cornell’s voice. But as I’ve watched Casino Royale several times since, the song has really grown on me. I think it really hits me in an early scene when Bond is driving a fork lift and the awesome orchestra version of the theme sort of blasts through. It’s a great touch. Now, obviously Casino Royale is awesome and a nearly perfect Bond movie. I can’t say enough good things about it. It’s also the most faithful to the novels, which gives it huge points in my book. Verdict: The movie is way better by virtue of being maybe the best James Bond movie ever. “Another Way to Die” (From Quantum of Solace, 2008) written by Jack White. Perfomed by Jack White and Alicia Keyes. Still loving Daniel Craig as Bond even though Quantum of Solace is totally terrible feels weird. What is even happening in this movie? I know D. Craig is supposed to be the dark, brooding Bond, but the complete lack of humor in this movie is shocking. There’s something almost depressing about the movie’s lack of thematic focus. However, the song by Jack White and Alicia Keyes is excellent.

Not since Tina Turner, Bono and The Edge have the Bond songs had such talented musicans around. What a waste to use them on this odd duck of a James Bond movie. They’re the only duo in Bond song history thus far! The song is catchy and hot and this music video with them is even cooler than the Madonna ”Die Another Day“ entry. Verdict: The song is way better, if only because Jack White had the good sense to avoid using the word “quantum” in the lyrics. “Skyfall” for Skyfall (2012) Written by Adele and Paul Epworth. Performed by Adele The last time a Bond theme song was actually written and performed by someone from the U.K. was Duran Duran’s A View to a Kill. And though there’s been some quality ones since then, Adele’s “Skyfall” is absolutely beautiful. This one is a kind of crossroads between an old-school “Goldfinger” style theme (insofar as it incorporates the James Bond Theme) and a contemporary song written by a cool contemporary artist. The song is lush and gorgeous and is made all the better by the excellent title sequence.

I’d heard “Skyfall” before I saw the film, but the music gave me shivers in the theatre. Adele is also the first woman to feature by herself as a vocalist since Madonna’s Die Another Day. Unlike that one, Adele’s cool song opens up an awesome James Bond movie. Verdict: The movie is really great, and the song is too. Likely they’ll be remembered together. Though, unlike “Live and Let Die” or a “A View to a Kill, “I can’t see myself putting “Skyfall” on the jukebox. Then again, Skyfall the movie isn’t exactly casual viewing. There you have it readers/listeners. The history of James Bond theme songs is long and strange. If there’s one overall pattern I’ve noticed it’s this: when the film’s composer is not writing the theme song, and instead total creative control is left to that artist, the songs tend to be better and more memorable. But, without John Barry, and now David Arnold (who also now scores Sherlock), we certainly wouldn’t know what Bond sounds like in general, meaning their influence can’t be stressed enough.

Now, dear readers, tell me which theme songs you loved, which movies you thought were better than their songs and vice versa. Let’s shake things up 007 style! Ryan Britt is a staff writer for Tor.com. If you see him walking around lip-synching to his iPod, the chances of the song being “For Your Eyes Only” are really high.

Question: Who sang the theme for the Jams Bond film ‘Octopussy’?
Answer: Rita Coolidge