Yes, there’s a piece in the news only today that the UK chart will now include plays on YouTube etc. as counting towards a song’s chart position, which is interesting.
I was joking, of course, about the reliability of these, um, “sources”.
But to ponder why Adele would be up for it now…
Hmm… two Bond songs in a row get the Academy Award. A new album to promote. The chance to make Oscar history by winning for her second Bond song.
Also, more money.
Yes, yes, yes - she does not need more money. The album will sell through the roof regardless. It is all just a coincidence. Absolutely possible.
I still bet on her doing this. Not because I’m a huge fan (I am not). Only because it would be a logical choice.
Think about the headlines… Adele singing the swan song for Craig…
They’ve already one that! 
I think the Bassey question is very relevant here: they kept asking her back because her songs were iconic and she will forever be tied to the most iconic of Bond films. I think Adele fits both these criteria for modern Bond. We’ve been lucky enough to have some great artists sing for Bond, but very often when at the top of their popularity and post Bond their careers went into decline (I actually used to believe it was a bit of a curse!). See the trend below:
Sheena Easton: next single scraped top 40 and she never got near top 10 again
Rita Coolidge: never troubled the charts anyway!
Duran Duran: next single Notorious only made no. 7 compared to AVTAK at 2 and after that kind of disappeared until Ordinary world in 1993.
Aha: next single matched TLD at no. 5 but then they never made top 10 again
Gladys Knight: hadn’t been near the charts in years anyway: more of a Bassey throwback
Tina Turner: never made top 10 after Goldeneye
Sheryl Crow: next single Favourite Mistake made no. 9 but then never made top 10 again
Garbage: didn’t make top 10 for another 6 years and that was only a 1 off
Madonna: American Life killed her career in US selling half worldwide of what Music managed before. Brief rally with Confessions on a Dancefloor but other albums sadly bombed by Her Royal Madgeness’ standards
Chris Cornell: a bit of a one off hit: a brave left field choice
Alicia Keys: further big hits for 3 more years but now struggling to get anywhere near the charts
Adele: massive in 2012 and still massive now.
In other words Adele is the only artist since Bassey in 79 who they could ask back. The others were just too of their time, whereas Skyfall is a timeless song timeless that is linked to a classic film.
And I’m not that fussed about Adele’s albums but I’m totally there for her taking on another Bond theme!
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Interesting analysis there, @MrHinx.
One other view on Bassey would be that her Goldfinger, much like the film, was spectacularly more successful than even the most optimistic minds at Eon House could have expected.
She was then asked back when the series was in serious trouble and the comeback of Connery and Hamilton aimed to evoke the vibe of GOLDFINGER. Having Bassey on board was the second best thing after luring back Connery for this film.
Meanwhile, at the time of MOONRAKER, the series was in a different situation altogether. THE SPY was a huge success, Moore had finally made the role his own and was accepted by the masses (if not by the hardcore Connery fans). But the one thing the Moore Bonds had lacked was that classic Bond tune; the three previous songs used to be somewhat controversial for audiences (though not Another-Way-To-Die controversial). Here Bassey was the go-to performer because she simply was an old friend and a powerhouse in her own right.
Nowadays. Plenty of changes since 1979; plenty of changes every week. I think you can easily argue either way, for or against Adele’s return. In the end it would be up to her. I understand how she didn’t come back for SPECTRE since she just didn’t feel like it. But then again I wager she will have had ample reason to regret that decision after hearing what earned her successor that Oscar…
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Yes I think you’re quite right about DAF… the fact they even considered Goldfinger’s twin brother shows the desperation to recapture that classic Bond vibe. I heard she only got Moonraker at the last moment because they couldn’t get Sinatra (who I could just imagine crooning his way through that one!) I guess I just like the idea of CraigBond having his Bassey and another Skyfall would suit me fine… it’d certainly beat the heck out of any more falsetto!!!
Yeah, but Adele didn‘t.
They originally wanted Frank Sinatra. He led them to believe he was interested, but bailed at the last moment. John Barry tapped Shirley Bassey as he’s a fan, and friend, and knew she could get the job done for them.
Rita Coolidge was a Barbara Broccolli suggestion, and before 1975 Saltzman and Cubby would alternate choices for the title song. The fact that they nixed her David Arnold “No Good About Goodbye” song in favor of Jack Black/Alicia Keyes shows corporate decision making rather than family.
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Arnold‘s song was not composed for QOS, it only used that melody later on.
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Was she not the emergency fall back choice because Johnny Mathis wouldn’t do it?
@cgebby already mentioned there was trouble with Sinatra; Mathis supposedly also didn’t agree with the song - frankly, it’s anybody’s guess what their differences really were.
Evidently Bassey was their best bet for a serious voice in the nick of time. And she performed perfectly, even though she said afterwards it wasn’t her song the way her previous efforts had been.
Nobody Does It Better was one of the most controversial songs in its day? Didnt it reach number 2 on the billboard hot 100 and become the franchise’s unofficial theme song?
Not one of the most controversial songs, that would have been Lulu’s or McCartney’s, I think. But Nobody Does It Better didn’t sit well with some fans, mostly perhaps from the Connery brigade. Maybe it was a touch too much on the love ballad side and left the danger element behind too far - what would nonetheless be the direction for several films to come. At the time it did stick out a bit more than it does today.
Ok I see your point
“That’s the official version.” “The truth is rather more disturbing, 007.”
At least that’s how I’ve always read the “No Good About Goodbye” situation. Yes, the official, face-saving line was “it wasn’t ready in time”, but personally I’ve always smelled a (corporate) rat.
No rat there to be smelled. Conspiracy theories abound these days, I know. But accepting facts would be much more sensible.
And quite frankly, I like the basic melody of “No good about goodbye” - but as a song it severely lacks the kind of strength and grandeur I want from a Bond song. Even if I rank AWTD as one of the worst songs, at least it tries to be different.
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Specific lyrics in NGAB imply that it was intended for QOS. Maybe it’s true that it wasn’t ready in time. But if it had been ready in time, would the marketing team have accepted a title theme from a 71-year-old, Bond legacy or no Bond legacy, quality song or not? With the focus on youth and being “current”, it pains me to say I doubt it.
The line “it wasn’t ready in time” reads to me as just that: a line, a way of saving face and not damaging a relationship with EON rather than saying it was rejected and coming across as bitter.
I actually miss the major key love ballads of the Moore era; IMO they provided a contrast from the thrills and violence that followed the opening credits. From Brosnan onward, every Bond song has been in a minor key, as though it’s a requirement and the first thing any songwriter thinks about when trying to envision a “typical” Bond song, and to an extent, it’s made the efforts of this time period “typical” to varying degrees.
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And he was otherwise ok with telling people when his pitches where being pushed to the end credits (Surrender), or indeed completely out of the film (Only myself to blame) just for lols? I think it’s more likely he’s telling the truth and commenters on YouTube videos prefer the conspiracy.
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Not familiar with “Only Myself to Blame”. Can you fill me in?