1942 replies to this topic

[Navy007Fan]

For those wondering what this sounds like sung by a woman:

Ugh. That's even worse.

Never claimed it was good, I just posted it for comparison. In that spirt, here's another example of WOTW sung by a female:

[The Shark]

Marginally better but still painful. The song needs an orchestra.

[Hockey Mask]

I think that second one sounds great.

[univex]

Painful. Once again, Shark, very precise choice of words. But it is better when sung by a woman. Even if it´s still a ridiculous effort of a song.

[The Dove]

Can't wait for the Weird Al parody of Sam Smith.. "Whining's On The Wall", describing the song and reaction to it lol..

[ConneryFTW87]

After being a longtime lurker here (and Bond music fanatic) I have to say I'm more than a little disappointed with the direction they chose to go with the new Bond song.  Where's the intrigue and the drama? Or the epic horns and strings for that matter?  I think the best Bond songs manage to pack all the drama (and action) of the film into a tight 3 minute package -- that has a beginning, middle and end --  but I'm not getting that build here at all.  Take a listen to this alternate 'Skyfall' title song my buddy arranged last year.  While it's an established pop ballad from the '60s, I think the arrangement and vocals really capture that classic (yet contemporary) Bond sound that's missing here:

 

Edited by ConneryFTW87, 26 September 2015 - 07:50 PM.

[Odd Jobbies]

After being a longtime lurker here (and Bond music fanatic) I have to say I'm more than a little disappointed with the direction they chose to go with the new Bond song.  Where's the intrigue and the drama? Or the epic horns and strings for that matter?  I think the best Bond songs manage to pack all the drama (and action) of the film into a tight 3 minute package -- that has a beginning, middle and end --  but I'm not getting that build here at all.  Take a listen to this alternate 'Skyfall' title song my buddy arranged last year.  While it's an established pop ballad from the '60s, I think the arrangement and vocals really capture that classic (yet contemporary) Bond sound that's missing here:

 

The lyrics are good - on par with many Bond themes, but could use a tweak - words like 'forever' are over used, and have long since jumped the shark in terms of Bond themes (but bear in mind that WOTW needs a chainsaw rather than a tweak, so it's no great criticism to tweak).

 

The composition is way better than WOTW, with more than a nod to FRWL, but not to the extent that it copies - just a very welcome nod. Orchestrated on larger scale it would work very well.

 

But damn, that guy's voice is perfect for Bond - very Matt Munro. How much better is this than WOTW? Well the figure involves a lot of zeros.

 

Massive kudos to your buddy - well done!

[Hockey Mask]

Sounds like Tony Bennett

[stromberg]

Can't wait for the Weird Al parody of Sam Smith.. "Whining's On The Wall", describing the song and reaction to it lol..

Too obvious, that one. "Writhings on the Floor"? 

[Odd Jobbies]

 

Can't wait for the Weird Al parody of Sam Smith.. "Whining's On The Wall", describing the song and reaction to it lol..

Too obvious, that one. "Writhings on the Floor"? 

 

'Writings of a Fool'

[Mendalla007]

The song itself is actually rather good as is the orchestration. However, the singing, especially the falsetto bits, doesn't work for me. Someone who could actually sing the high notes as high notes without going into falsetto (like Josh Groban) could make something great out of this but I doubt it would fly as a Bond theme. How well it works in that roll will depend on it fits in to the pre-title and title sequences.

[Gobi-1]

I've been listening to some of the covers posted here as well as some instrumental cover I found on YouTube and it got me thinking, when has an instrumental only version of the main Bond theme been officially released? It's almost like they knew there would be a backlash and wanted to provide a Sam Smith-less version.

 

Now having said that. The song has grown on me. I like the melody and the orchestration very much, it's only some of the lyrics and Smith's vocalization I find a bit lacking. Surely he could have worked the word "Spectre" in there somewhere. As for the falsetto perhaps it's an attempt to give the song an eerie, otherworldly feel appropriate for a film called "Spectre."

[Odd Jobbies]

As for the falsetto perhaps it's an attempt to give the song an eerie, otherworldly feel appropriate for a film called "Spectre."

That's very charitable of you, but i think it's a stretch. If the relentless falsetto was indeed meant to convey an otherworldliness appropriate to the film's title, then surely they would have worked the word into the lyrics. However, if enough people tag onto that theory i'm sure Eon will post-rationalise that this was intentional from the start.

[Major Tallon]

Aack!  I've got the tune stuck in my head!

 

I recall a Chicago newspaper columnist who often had the same problem.  His solution was to hum repeatedly "76 Trombones."  Yes, that works, but the cure is almost as bad as the disease.

[Emrayfo]

Sam Smith certainly won't be making any new fans by boasting that he wrote the song in 20 minutes and recorded it just as fast, with only one vocal take and that being the demo, used in the final. Only Dylan can get away with that kind of thing, and that's because he's a genius. Which Sam Smith isn't.

[The Shark]

As for the falsetto perhaps it's an attempt to give the song an eerie, otherworldly feel appropriate for a film called "Spectre."

 

If the said film were a Bary Gibb biopic.

[sharpshooter]

Lower key ballads like FYEO and MR at least had a sense of romance and were uplifting. 

[AMC Hornet]

At least by hiring Smith early we've been spared the endless also-ran recordings that cropped up after YOLT, FYEO, TND and DMC.

 

I'll listen to these covers after the film's release.

[Arbogast777]

You know those cheap CD's you see of like the Orlando Chamber Orchestra recording covers of Bond themes?

Hopefully one of them can improve WOTW

[Blofeld's Cat]

You know those cheap CD's you see of like the Orlando Chamber Orchestra recording covers of Bond themes?

Hopefully one of them can improve WOTW

Ouch!

 

[Krilencu]

What if someone lowered down the pitch of Sam's voice in some audio software? To make it sound more... manly. 

Edited by Krilencu, 27 September 2015 - 03:46 AM.

[The Shark]

You know those cheap CD's you see of like the Orlando Chamber Orchestra recording covers of Bond themes?

Hopefully one of them can improve WOTW

 

The London Starlight Orchestra or nothing.

 

[bebel01]

Agreed.

Edited by bebel01, 30 September 2015 - 11:08 AM.

[Hockey Mask]

I think from CR onwards the series has become more and more calculating.

The Bond franchise has always been calculating.

 
 
Yes of course, you have to if you want to sell. But just how much is enough? Due to my age I picked up on the series with the Moore era, and apart from LALD (a blaxploitation flick where the white hero defeats all blacks? wtf?) I don't see that they really wanted to tap into anything current. Except the usual cold war stuff. I remember the films as being always very distinct from anything else at the movies.

Bond has been as influenced by other movies as it has on them...Miami Vice, Bourne, Dark Knight...

[Emrayfo]

I don't have anything against gay people (except that I don't want to hear about them) but choosing an openly gay singer is a statement however you look at it. I don't think he's such a big star all over the world that it eclipses this fact, especially after writing a song as bad as this one.

Actually I don't think it is a statement, not at all. Exactly what statement do you think EON is making there?

[The Shark]

I don't have anything against gay people (except that I don't want to hear about them)

WTF does that mean?

[Jim]

I don't have anything against gay people (except that I don't want to hear about them)

 

That's quite a big "anything" though, isn't it?

 

but choosing an openly gay singer is a statement however you look at it

 

 

Presumably statements were also made by choosing the openly black Gladys Knight, or the openly Welsh Tom Jones, or the openly female Carly Simon?

[bebel01]

Agreed.

Edited by bebel01, 30 September 2015 - 11:10 AM.

[The Shark]

Err... This is getting bad. I mean, gays can do whatever they want to do it's just I don't want to hear about it, that's all. No parades, no media coming outs, no whatever. Just live your life like I do.

So as a bisexual guy, I should just use gender neutral pronouns, and assuming if I'm ever famous, not come out to reassure LGBT youths they're not alone, and help alleviate the stigma, and relative invisibility of male bisexuality?

We live in a heteronormative world, because we're a minority and will always will be. And no, we won't shut up and keep it to ourselves, and that's because of people like you.

[Jim]

Just live your life like I do.

 

Things have not improved.

 

Preferences put aside though

 

 

...preferences?