182 replies to this topic

[Blofeld's Cat]

No Regrets - Robbie Williams(no, not the obvious one from the Robster!)

Cool song - Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys on backing vocals, of course. I think the PSB could have done a great Bond song back in the day: something with the mood of their B-side Violence, perhaps.

Well, the PSB did do a Bond song apparently, for The Living Daylights.

[Mr_Wint]

How about a soft Bossa?

I love her voice. Could work well in a Bondsong.

[ACE]

Playground Love - Air

[Loomis]

No Regrets - Robbie Williams(no, not the obvious one from the Robster!)

Cool song - Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys on backing vocals, of course. I think the PSB could have done a great Bond song back in the day: something with the mood of their B-side Violence, perhaps.

Well, the PSB did do a Bond song apparently, for The Living Daylights.

As a major Pet Shop Boys fan for 20 years, I've always been curious about their exact involvement with THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, but if memory serves I've never been able to find any information to the effect that they were actually commissioned to do the title song. I guess they wouldn't have been an improbable choice in early 1987, when, like a-ha, they'd scored an American number one ("West End Girls") and had established, at least, more or less the same amount of Stateside and "international" success as Morten Harket and co. But I suspect that Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe just submitted a demo for TLD that for whatever reason or reasons didn't really catch anyone's fancy, and that was about it.

Apparently, the song "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave", on their 1990 album "Behaviour", grew out of their so-called LIVING DAYLIGHTS track, and it does seem reasonably Bondian, albeit in a dark and doomy way, sounding a little like a slowed-down cousin of Moby's Bourne theme "Extreme Ways".

For me, the most Bondian Pet Shop Boys number is "Dreaming of the Queen", from 1993's "Very". Ignore the lyrics (obviously - it's about the death of Diana), and focus on the music (with its horns and orchestral flourishes) and soaring chorus. However, the chorus lyrics would suit a "dark" Bond film:

And there were no more lovers left alive
No one had survived
So there were no more lovers left alive
And that's why love had died
Yes, it's true
Look, it's happened to me and you

[ACE]

In the June/July 1989 issue, #1, of UK movie magazine, Empire, there is a long and fascinating article about the race to record the Bond theme song. PSB is mentioned there but just in passing, as a submission similar to your conjecture about, Loomis.

Apparently, the song "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave", on their 1990 album "Behaviour", grew out of their so-called LIVING DAYLIGHTS track,

Interesting catch, Loomis - thanks.

From Pet Shop Boys Commentary

This Must Be The Place I Wanted To Leave

"Musically, the backing track was originally recorded as part of the Pet Shop Boys' aborted bid to score the James Bond film The Living Daylights in 1988. That's Chris, his voice distorted via vocoder, intoning the repeated line, "Everybody jump to attention"

[Loomis]

As the story goes, the Boys allegedly backed out of the project when they learned that the film's producers didn't want them to provide a complete soundtrack but merely the opening theme song.

Hmmm....

See, it's stories like this (as well as remarks like "the Pet Shop Boys' aborted bid to score the James Bond film The Living Daylights in 1988") that make me wonder about Chinese whispers in Pet Shop Boys fandom that may have grown out of their brush with Bond. I have no doubt that they were sounded out in some way (probably rather informally), but I suspect that they were in the frame to write the song for TLD in pretty much the same sense as Quentin Tarantino was in the frame to direct CASINO ROYALE. Not that you're saying any different, of course, ACE, and cheers for the info, but having read many PSB interviews over the years I've always had the feeling that they've slightly talked up their involvement with Bond.

[marktmurphy]

For me, the most Bondian Pet Shop Boys number is "Dreaming of the Queen", from 1993's "Very". Ignore the lyrics (obviously - it's about the death of Diana)

Goodness- how precient of them: four years before she died!

[trumanlodge89]

Tomorrow Never Dies by Sheryl Crow ..... oh, wait.....



I've always thought "You Won't Be Mine" is about as Bondian as you can get if you are Matchbox 20. Here's a short clip; it's enough to give you the idea.

[Gri007]

OMG- Cant belive how good Shirly Bassey's The Living Tree sounds. It is very Bondish and there is a bit of Bond in there. Would have been a good song, but the title isn't really Fleming though . Shame

[Loomis]

For me, the most Bondian Pet Shop Boys number is "Dreaming of the Queen", from 1993's "Very". Ignore the lyrics (obviously - it's about the death of Diana)

Goodness- how precient of them: four years before she died!

LOL! Evidently, I got it "slightly wrong".

Still, those lyrics - a little spooky considering what went on to happen. Looking around on YouTube, it seems that Pet Shop Boys have taken to performing this one in concert against a video backdrop of scenes from Diana's funeral procession, so I guess it's been "retconned" as a Diana song.

[spynovelfan]

The Pet Shop Boys have been prescient before, though: see King's Cross. I reckon they may be prescient again.

Some great choices so far. Who's winning?

[ACE]

The Pet Shop Boys have been prescient before, though: see King's Cross. I reckon they may be prescient again.

I knew you were going to say that....

Some great choices so far. Who's winning?

Burly Chassis - she always does!

[ACE]

Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down) - Tears For Fears

[ACE]

To Kill A Dead Man - Portishead

This 1991 short film from Portishead feels like a Bond score audition. The Bristol-based trip-hoppers are big John Barry fans and the IPCRESS file influence runs through this short. I agree with spynovelfan that they would be an artistically good choice.

[spynovelfan]

To Kill A Dead Man - Portishead

This 1991 short film from Portishead feels like a Bond score audition. The Bristol-based trip-hoppers are big John Barry fans and the IPCRESS file influence runs through this short. I agree with spynovelfan that they would be an artistically good choice.

I didn't say anything! Are you winding me up? Love Portishead, and love To Kill A Dead Man, but it's too obvious, surely. I think we should get Portishead, Goldfrapp and Shirley Bassey all together, working with John Barry again...

[marktmurphy]

This new song is well worth a listen:

Candie Payne - I Wish I could Have Loved You More

[draxingtonstanley]

In my head,The Hounds Of Winter by Sting was the theme tune to the 3rd Timothy Dalton film. Not the one that was nearly Goldeneye,
but a script that was never written,with a PTS in an Ice Station Zebra-type setting. Nurse! My medication please...

[ACE]

I Learned From The Best - Witney Houston

[spynovelfan]

La Vie En Rose - Grace Jones

[Sigma7]

Six Underground by the sneaker pimps ( with sampling done by Hohn Barry )

[Fro]

The big problem with a lot of these suggestions, while they have the right mood is they're essentially just a riff/repeating loop. You need a good melody and the song needs to go somewhere to propel you into the film.

[ACE]

Which ones exactly, Fro?

[killkenny kid]

Love is a Losing Game by Amy Winhouse was just made for the end titles of Cr.

[draxingtonstanley]

And while I'm at it,a little dated now (in an 80s way) and a little rough round the edges,but Love Like Blood by Killing Joke has a Bond-like atmosphere for me.

[ACE]

Deadlier Than The Male - The Walker Brothers

[spynovelfan]

Sorry?

[ACE]

BS

means "Brilliant Songs", snf.

I'm sure nobody would be dumb, unconstructive and plain rude enough to post something that meant anything else, yet post no positive suggestions of their own...

Well, pretty sure...

[Jim]

What it says on the tin. Inspired by ACE's great selections here. Anyone got any favourites? Songs you think could have been fantastic title songs - or could still be! Here are a few I could find on YouTube - please add your own. We could vote for the best in the thread, and someone could then set the winning song to scenes from CASINO ROYALE... or something.

The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game by Massive Attack

Human - Goldfrapp

Play Dead by Bjork and David Arnold

Angel by a-Ha

Don't Tear Me Up by Mick Jagger

Gentlemen by The Afghan Whigs

Run To The Water by Live

Smooth Operator by Sade

Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears

Troy (Remix) by Sinead O'Connor

BS

That's not very nice, if it stands for what I think it stands for.

Unless it stands for Burly Shassey, but there's a thread about her somewhere else.

[Blofeld's Cat]

I'm a BIG fan of Jean Michel Jarre (soundtrack composer Maurice Jarre's son) and finally bought his latest studio album called T

[deth]

That's almost the only good track on the album, sadly (imo). I used to really like Jarre's early work, but he's kind of disolved into a sub-pop mess recently...