Intrada Soundtrack Forum

Discounting the original from Dr. No, what is your favorite version of The James Bond Theme from any of the films in the series? For example, for me,"James Bond With Bongos" from FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is the perfect rendition of the theme as far as orchestration goes. Plus it helps that its tempo(?) is spot on, keeping time with Sean Connery's strut through Istanbul's airport.

I'm particularly fond of Bond 77 theme from The Spy Who Loved Me.
Just love that era for music.

A special mention must go to A License To Kill, only because I crave to have that score released.
More Kamen is a must.

There's a lot of "trains" running through this thread already! In fact, "Bond '77" must be my favorite cue from Marvin Hamlisch's entire career. But my preference is split between two cues by the master, John Barry:

1) GOLDFINGER's "Bond Back in Action" -- for me the definitive rendition of that theme. The sequence gives us everything: urgency, speed, the danger of Bond's solo demolition mission, and the agility of Sean Connery in his prime. But the propulsion of Barry's underscore lifts the action (and along with it, the series) into legend.

But there's also:

2) DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER's "Bond Meets Bambi and Thumper" -- to me, the single most sinister arrangement. Although I haven't actually watched this in many years and have largely forgotten the picture, 44 years of revisiting the soundtrack album have kept vivid in my memory the sight of the unarmed Bond (Connery back in the role and looking, appropriately, older and more vulnerable than ever) warily backing away from the two bikini-clad, highly dangerous young women who advance toward him, backed by the low-key tension of Barry's cue. (The prospect of our habitually womanizing gentleman hero facing his end at the hands of two females, who sport the names of two innocent, cheerful Disney cartoon characters, heightens the ironic dread which Barry achieves.)

Edit: I'm sorry, but a better-informed friend has told me that "Bond Meets Bambi and Thumper" plays in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER as Bond arrives at the house and ends before he is actually attacked. Therefore, my remarks above reflect my internal associations from decades of listening to the album, rather than what the cue truly does in the movie. In that case, another arrangement I'll cite is:

3) ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE's "This Never Happened to the Other Feller," which has an aggression born of Barry's apparent intention to "sell" the audience on a new actor cast as Bond (before his full face is revealed), as well as referencing the eventual high-speed jockeying of the two sports cars on the deserted beachside road. This one I know well from its film.

BOND BACK IN ACTION has always been a favorite. Versions in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS and ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE are also good. My all time favorite, however, is not from a film: Roland Shaw's full orchestral version. Just seems to have a fuller-bodied, sophisticated feel to it than the movies.

My favorite arrangement of the James Bond Theme is the version by Sy Zentner and his orchestra.

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"I used to worry about losing my mind. Now that I've lost it I don't worry about it anymore." -Wavy Gravy

I love it in 'A View To A Kill' when Bond is chasing MayDay on the Eifel Tower and the full orchestral version of the Bond theme kicks into gear with no electric guitar, just violins!

My favourite will always be Ice Chase from The Living Daylights. Classic orchestral style fused with (for the time) a great modern production.

It's a very brief arrangement, but I've always loved "Bond to Holland" from DaF, the way it begins with the cool, unflappable strings, and then starts to build with the jazzy cymbal and low brass punches, and culminates with Derek Watkins' screaming trumpet work.

My vote also goes to Kamen's slick arrangement for License to Kill. Special mention goes to the performance on the 1966 album "Great Movie Sounds of John Barry." That album contains some of the fiercest brass you'll ever hear.

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Grail: ONE OF OUR DINOSAURS IS MISSING (Ron Goodwin)