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Tonight, we’re still listening to music related to Dr. No!
In the late 1970s, Belgian cartoonist and comedian Fred “Balls” Jannin started a novelty New Wave/synthpop band, The Bowling Balls, with rock journalist Bert Bertrand. What started as a joke led to a full-sized hoax and then morphed into a real-life ensemble with multiple singles released. In early 1983, Bertrand’s suicide brought an abrupt and tragic end to this fun collaboration.
By 1985, Jannin decided to revive his musical career with a new Eurodance/New Wave/synthpop duo. Along with his comedian partner and radio/TV producer, Hugh Jempy, they formed the group Zinno. The pair self-produced their debut single, “What’s Your Name?” The song was billed as a quirky synthpop cover of John Barry and Monty Norman’s “James Bond” theme from Dr. No. The Belgian track became a hit on radio charts across Europe and was soon re-released in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the UK. Hoping to avoid being a one-hit wonder, the duo released multiple albums until they broke up in 1989, never matching the success of their debut on any later releases.
There are many weird things to me about this 1985 German 12” version of the track. Besides the alternate spelling of the band name, the song contains a sample of the Bond Theme, but does not really match up with anything specifically from Dr. No. Perhaps the film name was mentioned so the franchise and character would not be. I also have questions about the song itself. The tune uses sound clips pulled directly from James Bond films. Not just Sean Connery’s iconic line, but also dialogue from Jill St. John as Tiffany Case in Diamonds Are Forever. I wonder if there was ever a cease and desist, or if this album and its subsequent remix albums, released in the following years, were allowed to be sold internationally due to parody laws.
Regardless, it’s a catchy track, and the video is really a time capsule of the silliness seen in some 1980s music videos. Even this appearance on French TV with singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg is an interesting alternative to the original video.
127. Zinnon – What’s Your Name (Theme From Dr. No)
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