Recommended music:
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re moving on and listening to music from The Spy Who Loved Me!
Carly Simon’s ‘Nobody Does It Better’ serves as a memorable main theme to the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. It was the first Bond theme with a different title to that of the film, although the title is mentioned in the lyrics. The song was nominated for Best Song at the Academy Awards but ended up losing to Debby Boone’s ‘You Light Up My Life’, which I knew was a song, but had no idea was also a film. Apparently, it came out the same summer as Star Wars whose soundtrack features at least a dozen songs I’d rather listen to than the Oscar winner… anyways…
I’ve also previously remarked about a fondness for ‘Bond 77’ which helps kick off The Spy Who Loved Me in a funky way. However, the music I’m highlighting today is from Maurice Jarre’s 1965 score to Doctor Zhivago.
At around four minutes into The Spy Who Loved Me, a music box signals Russian Agent Triple X (AKA Major Amasova played by Barbara Bach) by playing ‘Lara’s Theme’ from Doctor Zhivago, appearing as a short bit of music before playing before a message, almost like the Russia had personalized ringtones decades before you could put them on your cell phone.
That actual film was banned in the Soviet Russia at the time and was not even exhibited in the country until 1994, three years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
While the Overture from Doctor Zhivago appears on many film soundtrack compilations, I had to get the full score to find this particular track.
81. Maurice Jarre – Doctor Zhivago (Original Sound Track Album)
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