It's been announced that the theme tune to Quantum of Solace will be by Alicia Keys and Jack White - and not Amy Winehouse or Dennis Waterman. Already there is much discussion about whether this can possibly be the right choice. By people who haven't heard it.
Even then, I was a little underwowed by Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name" on first hearing. Seeing it in the film itself, though, it's really rather good.
But in looking into this (and clearly NOT skiving) I discovered the work of one LuiECuomo. He's filled You Tube with Bond title sequences, matching the titles to tunes that were considered but not used. So there's the versions of Tomorrow Never Dies with singing by Pulp, St Etienne and k.d. lang.
The latter, clearly the theme used in David Arnold's score for the film itself, got relegated to being the end song. But the first two are just plain disappointing - especially from two of my favourite bands.
There's also different takes on the same song for You Only Live Twice, tunes that could have been Bond themes or that suggest what an artist might have been like. There's Scott Walker doing Die Another Day and also some fan film and gun barrell stuff too.
And then there's this marvellous conjuration:
I am, of course, listening to Shaken and Stirred as I write this.
k d lang's "Surrender" is not only better than Sheryl Crow's effort, it's the best Bond song since "Nobody Does It Better". Plus, as you say, it's what Arnold actually scored the movie with.
ReplyDeleteBerks.
It is fab. I wonder if Sheryl Crow's one is more radio-friendly or something.
ReplyDeleteAnd anyway, All-Time High is brilliant.
I always thought that radio friendliness was the reason Crow's got picked over lang's. Also a matter of pure marketability since for some reason the industry rather shove Crow done our throats than lang.
ReplyDeleteI liked the one by kd lang because for me at least it felt like a real Bond tune. It was one I could easily have seen being done by Shirley Bassey.
Rather like the Beatles (aptly from Revolver), strange how "modern" it still sounds.
ReplyDeleteWhere as a very early (and moody) Pulp song is used to advertise a bank here.
As for tunes this is a bit good http://somafm.com - the Secret Agent Chanel.