No Time to Die theme song

That’s not bad at all odd_jobbies. Certainly has the vibe and the orchestrations are evocative. A trimmed down version with some stylish titles and all the usual imagery and I could see it.

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As you say, half of them have already done a Bond theme. And to be honest I don’t really want a band that I couldn’t imagine the Craig Bond tolerating doing the theme: it was the same issue with Sam Smith- he just didn’t fit. Adele is a bit more… credible.

Someone like John Grant I can see doing it: a great act, great voice, and with just that bit of campery and theatre to do it well.

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John Grant is great - probably not famous enough though, I would put Richard Hawley in there too for people who could do it but never will because they can’t get a number one

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Either John Grant or Richard Hawley doing a Bond Theme would make me very happy indeed!

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Yeah, they’d both be great: it’s a relief to read there’s someone here with a bit of taste :wink:
I love Hawley’s new one- a bit rockier than usual.

I had a relisten to some of Grant’s stuff today with that thought in mind. Black Blizzard kind of stands out as being Bond-esque, and it even has quite a Bondy title! :grinning:

John Grant is great and very funny too.

Also I love Above and Beyond’s “On my way to heaven” which even contains some of the Bond theme, here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1QbNqlSpgo

U2 is a very nostalgic topic for me. They were the first band that I became obsessed about - during high school and university. I remember many a time looking out over the city at the library, listening to their music as the sun went down. Very atmospheric. I’m still a big fan. I’m not sure if their recent work is all that well known, but I think it’s fantastic, and I also think their entire catalogue is remarkably consistent. I’d love for them to do a Bond song, but think that ship has probably sailed.

My list of picks would be:
Richard Hawley, John Grant, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead (still, though it will obviously never happen anymore), Lana Del Rey (her lyrics are a bit inane but shes built a career on the sound), The National, Anna Calvi and maybe Beck - of those Arctic Monkeys and Lana Del Rey are probably the only two realistic options haha

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I thought Lana Del Rey would’ve been good for Spectre and I’ll probably always lament Sam Smith being chosen over Radiohead. Though, for Bond 25, if the artist were picked now, I’d go with Lady Gaga being chosen. That certainly doesn’t mean she’s be selected a year from now however.

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Anna Calvi is a good thought: and imagine Nick Cave doing one- that’d be fantastically dark (hopefully!). Beck is a fun thought too, although I’m not sure where he’d go with it.
Del Ray doesn’t excite me, but I guess she has the right sound.

How about Danger Mouse? He loves a bit of the Morricone sort of sound (I still love the ‘Rome’ album) and that stuff he did for High Castle was rather good. I’d love to hear his take on Bond- he has one foot in the retro big sound.

Actually, Broken Bells would be rather good: Mercer has a great voice. Let’s have a John Grant track produced by Danger Mouse please!

The thought of bland acts like U2 or Gaga doing it fills me with dread! :grinning:

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Dark Night Of The Soul he did with David Lynch and the late Sparklehorse is also great. I would happily take Nick Cave produced by Danger Mouse too, maybe Nick Cave could do the score too.

I’m sure Beck in Sea Change mode could do a great Bond song.

I’m sure Lady Gaga would do a thoroughly fine job, probably with Mark Ronson who worked with Amy Winehouse on the ill-fated Quantum theme. I’d say she’s probably top of the list right now unless Adele somehow is lured back

This thread’s suddenly gotten exciting! Far more interesting suggestions than the usual pop-tarts.

Even Beck!!! I doubt he’d ever get picked to do Bond, but as a fan of his I’d love to hear his take on it.

I’ll have to try that; cheers.

You’re probably right: she’s a perfectly decent singer, but is pretty much a peddler of bland pop and the same old reheated American classics: neither her nor Ronson excite me at all. He was a great choice in 2008 but doesn’t feel the most impressive choice now.

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It most likely has, that’s why I was trying to push them a bit since they’ve finally put out a record that shows that they still have something to say, which they really haven’t done since All That You Can’t Leave Behind.

But then, of course, they did get Madonna well after her time would have appeared to have come and gone, so why not?

I wouldn’t say that’s true: Madonna was riding pretty high just before then with the ‘Ray of Light’ and ‘Music’ albums, plus that Austin Powers song and American Pie… she was pretty on it. I’m not a fan of hers or anything, but I remember how big and actually influential she was then.
U2 are certainly still doing the big impressive stadium tours but I’m not aware of them doing anything impressive musically for years. I really wouldn’t want them near Bond- Bond should be stylish and up to date. I want him in the finest fashions, incredibly well-curated up to date luxury all around him… some old MOR dad rockers just spoil the vibe.

I agree! If it’s got to be a ‘pop-tart’, then Gaga’s top of the list, since she at least brings her unique image to the table. But she’s still an uninspired choice.

Grant, or might I suggest the likes of Fever Rey would be exciting choices.

In a bygone era of pop we had Wings, Carly Simon, Duran Duran, A-Ha all bringing exciting tunes. But despite the props and posturing Gaga’s opus is highly run of the mill chart fodder that, apart from the odd tune is difficult to tell apart from the crowd (imo).

Gaga’s a more interesting choice than Modonna, but only just!

So you want 80’s “pop tarts”? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Unfortunately, in my experience, it’s only actual Bond fans who champion variety in the series. Amongst The wider audience, the more creative choices do not sell as well, or get the critical attention. People have a very set idea of what a Bond theme should be (see; Adele) and the songs that don’t fit the mould get immediate criticism for how they don’t fit that (Jack White’s vocals in AWTD, falsetto on WOTW)

Genuine review by the BBC arts critic at the time;

The problem is Cornell’s voice. As distinctive as the sound it helped invent back in the 90s, when he stretches away from that grating grunge and rock, it shows an unexpectedly dull edge that lacks an ability to convey emotion. It’s a nuisance that weighs down the lumpen Bond theme, ''You Know My Name”

A genuine attitude of “know your place” that unfortunately will follow Bond, even beyond it’s theme, forever more.

There were far more commercial options back then, but they went for the more interesting bands and singers. Going for Duran Duran back then is perhaps equivalent to going for Muse or The Arctic Monkeys now, or Cornell mid naughties.

Going for Gaga now is imo more akin to Madonna. Sure she was perhaps over the hill by then, but picking her sooner at the height of her popularity would’ve probably produced an even more bland-pop track.

I appreciate the business aspect, but who wants to play predict the boring choice, when you can instead root for the interesting choices? I’d rather it fail with the Jack Whites of music, than with the Madonna’s of music.

Btw, i definitely do not see WOTW as a risky choice - it was the opposite; they went with a singer that was hugely popular at the time, with a falsetto style that was always a big part of his act. The WOTW falsetto proving abhorrent to many isn’t proof that risk doesn’t work, it was proof that riding the tide of popularity is no guarantee of success.

But it is, that song won awards and was no 1 hit in many European countries, the only bit criticised was “his falsetto style is not right for a Bond theme”