32 replies to this topic

[O.H.M.S.S.]

What song would you have chosen to play over the main titles:

Tom Jones: Thunderball ( )
Dionne Warwick: Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang ( )

Mine would be Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, I like it better, sometimes I find Thunderball sounding a little too campy for a movie like Thunderball, I still like it but I'd would have prefered MKKBB.

[Brian Flagg]

Is it too late to set up a poll?

MKKBB, at least to my tin ears, sounds better in its instrumental form. But then so does Thunderball... However, the swanky saxophone in the former has me giving MKKBB the edge. It's also easy for me to hear, say, Dionne Warwick or Shirley Bassey performing the tune over the credits. And unlike Thunderball, MKKBB is more easily identifiable as being about Bond! I read somewhere (CBn probably) that Thunderball was also about Bond, but for decades I thought it was describing Largo.

MKKBB has several fine arrangements, as well: I love how MKKBB is playing softly in the background when Bond is dancing with Domino ("the way you...hold me...). That scene helps set up the theme and shows just how smoothe 007 really is, as if we needed further proof.

And let's not forget its brilliant use in the "Death of Fiona" cue!!! My lord, the tension (and subsequent brilliant Connery one liner)

Edited by Brian Flagg, 30 January 2010 - 12:03 PM.

[bond 16.05.72]

What song would you have chosen to play over the main titles:

Tom Jones: Thunderball ( )
Dionne Warwick: Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang ( )

Mine would be Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, I like it better, sometimes I find Thunderball sounding a little too campy for a movie like Thunderball, I still like it but I'd would have prefered MKKBB.

I must agree, MKKBB is much better, I'm not a Tom Jones fan, the instrumental is fantastic, love TB's score.

[Major Tallon]

I enjoy MKKBB in its various incarnations, but I wouldn't have wanted it used as the main title theme. "Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" sends up the character a bit too much to be used in that way.

[darthbond]

Ugh... Don't make me choose between two great songs. If I had to make a choice, I'd keep it with Thunderball, although I am quite fond of MKKBB.

darthbond

[Double-Oh Agent]

Thunderball for me.

[stromberg]

Poll added. I included both version of MKKBB, the Warwick and the Bassey version.

Coincidentally (I noticed this after I set the poll up), the poll is in order of my preference

[Aris007]

For me Thunderball, no doubt.

[Brian Flagg]

Ah, you've added the poll! I voted MKKBB sung by Shirley Bassey, but Dionne Warwick's rendition is excellent, too.

[Qwerty]

For me, it's Thunderball by Tom Jones.

While I like Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Warwick's over Bassey's), the song itself strikes me as a bit of a pastiche at times.

[terminus]

Is it possible to have a pastiche when there'd only been two Bond songs before, which were so opposite in type? It was clearly a nod of the hat to Goldfinger - but that's so much more obvious in Thunderball.

[sharpshooter]

Thunderball - Tom Jones.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

Thunderball by Tom Jones. My favorite theme song to open the ultimate Bond film. I like how it's a strong anthem to 007. That stated, both version of MKKBB and the instrumental version are terrific as well and nicely underscore the romantic scenes Bond has with both Domino and Fiona.

[Mr Teddy Bear]

Neither song really does much for me, but I voted MKKBB because it meshes with the OST better.

[Double-Oh Agent]

As I said earlier, Thunderball is my overall pick. Of the two Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang versions, however, I would definitely take Dionne Warwick's.

[Conlazmoodalbrocra]

Thunderball - it's a great song. Shame that the rest of the movie is pretty lacklustre.

[Brian Flagg]

Shame that the rest of the movie is pretty lacklustre.

In your opinion, of course.

[JimmyBond]

It's very easy to listen to a theme that wasn't picked and think it would be much better than the one we got. This happened a lot in the Brosnan era, Ace of Base instead of Tina Turner, KD Lang instead of Sheryl Crowe, etc.

The thing is though, the only reason we feel (for the most part) that the alternate song would be better is because it's fresh to us. Imagine if the Ace of Base song was chosen for Goldeneye, I imagine nowadays a lot of us would be saying that the Tina Turner song should have been the main theme instead.

With that said, I've always had a soft spot for MKKBB, but I think Thunderball is the better overall theme, and in that time period they were going for themes that incorporated the title into the song.

[RJJB]

I'm definitely from the school that each movie should have a title song that includes the title of the movie in the lyrics, when there are lyrics (just my snarky way of giving OHMSS a way to be accepted). Even horrible songs such as TMWTGG and DAD maintain classification as Bond songs by virtue of containing the title. So I would always choose TB over MKKBB. Plus, I like the song.

That being said, MKKBB is still a great composition, especially as John Barry uses it in different ways in the movie: the romantic Cafe Martinique and the lively Death of Fiona.

[Brian Flagg]

It's very easy to listen to a theme that wasn't picked and think it would be much better than the one we got. This happened a lot in the Brosnan era, Ace of Base instead of Tina Turner, KD Lang instead of Sheryl Crowe, etc.

The thing is though, the only reason we feel (for the most part) that the alternate song would be better is because it's fresh to us. Imagine if the Ace of Base song was chosen for Goldeneye, I imagine nowadays a lot of us would be saying that the Tina Turner song should have been the main theme instead.

With that said, I've always had a soft spot for MKKBB, but I think Thunderball is the better overall theme, and in that time period they were going for themes that incorporated the title into the song.

Have to disagree. MKKBB is used to superior effect throughout the film and is actually heard more often within the movie than TB. I always felt that TB was shoehorned in because it was the title tune, but as mentioned already, the "Death of Fiona" cue and the swank version playing when Bond is dancing with Domino is enough proof (to me) that MKKBB is the better composition, working better in the film in terms of conveying the emotion or tension in a given scene.

TB works better as "Largo's Theme", even if the song was supposed to be about Bond(?)

Edited by Brian Flagg, 08 February 2010 - 03:10 PM.

[RJJB]

TB works better as "Largo's Theme", even if the song was supposed to be about Bond(?)

That brings up another point: I had always felt that the song was about Largo not Bond. The lyric "so he strikes like Thunderball" is tied into the the movie's plot.
The entire song has an "evil" tone to it, much the same way "Goldfinger" did. I can certainly see how the song could be about Bond, but I still think it has a stronger connection to Largo and the movie.

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

"And he strikes -ta da da dada- like Thun... daaaaah baaaaaallll"
All the way! MKKBB is beautuful, but Thunderball is striking good!

[JimmyBond]

Have to disagree. MKKBB is used to superior effect throughout the film and is actually heard more often within the movie than TB. I always felt that TB was shoehorned in because it was the title tune, but as mentioned already, the "Death of Fiona" cue and the swank version playing when Bond is dancing with Domino is enough proof (to me) that MKKBB is the better composition, working better in the film in terms of conveying the emotion or tension in a given scene.

What are you disagreeing with though? I never said anything about either song being used to better effect in the film??

[Brian Flagg]

What are you disagreeing with though? I never said anything about either song being used to better effect in the film??

I disagree with your argument that MKKBB is somehow "fresh", when in fact the melody is heard throughout the film, even moreso than Thunderball itself.

[ChrissBond007]

Thunderball by Tom Jones without a doubt. I'm a pretty big fan of this song, even though I must admit that both versons of MKKBB aren't bad either.

[elizabeth]

Tom Jones all the way. Thunderball is my least favorite Bond film, but the song is cool.

[Guy Haines]

"Thunderball" by Tom Jones for the main title. "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" by Dionne Warwick for the closing credits.

(The Shirley Bassey version always sounded like a demo to me.)

And I was pleased when, at long last, the full soundtrack of "Thunderball" was finally released. It contains my favourite version of Barry's "007" theme, played over the underwater battle scenes. I was disappointed when it didn't appear on the "original" OST!

[Publius]

This is one of the few cases where I'd take the theme we have over the rejected alternate.

It's very easy to listen to a theme that wasn't picked and think it would be much better than the one we got. This happened a lot in the Brosnan era, Ace of Base instead of Tina Turner, KD Lang instead of Sheryl Crowe, etc.

I definitely would have preferred those possibilities... although it really should have been Seal singing the title song for GE.

[JimmyBond]

What are you disagreeing with though? I never said anything about either song being used to better effect in the film??

I disagree with your argument that MKKBB is somehow "fresh", when in fact the melody is heard throughout the film, even moreso than Thunderball itself.

Fair enough. But you have to remember, if someone had never heard of the MKKBB song, they wouldn't have realized that's what they were hearing in the film. That's certainly true for me, as I wasn't aware of the song until I got my hands on a Bond compilation CD a while back.

[Brian Flagg]

Fair enough. But you have to remember, if someone had never heard of the MKKBB song, they wouldn't have realized that's what they were hearing in the film. That's certainly true for me, as I wasn't aware of the song until I got my hands on a Bond compilation CD a while back.

If we go by that reasoning, why even have this topic?

The OP asked which song we prefer. I've made my choice and given my reasoning for said choice. Whether or not anyone knew about MKKBB or not is not the point. However, the song's instrumental version is *is* heard throughout the film several times and in many creative ways. Even to someone unaware that the tune has words, there was precedent in 1965 where a Bond theme played over the credits has been instrumental (FRWL).

So once again I'll say that MKKBB is a persistently catchy melody and one that is IMO superior to Thunderball, which seems to be more about Largo than Bond.