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For tonight’s Bond on Vinyl post, we’re listening to music from You Only Live Twice!
While I have discussed the You Only Live Twice soundtrack way back on Bond on Vinyl post #6, and touched on a cover of the title track (see Bond on Vinyl #77), I haven’t gone too deep into Nancy Sinatra’s performance on the main theme to YOLT.
Born in 1940, the daughter of singer Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra started her showbiz career with a singing appearance on her father’s television series The Frank Sinatra Show. While variety TV did not boost her music career, she initially found some success selling albums in Europe and Japan. In 1966, she changed up her singing style and finally achieved a number-one hit with ‘These Boots Are Made for Walkin’, but now she was a hit in the US.
By the end of 1967, Sinatra had thirteen songs on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and all of these were arranged and conducted by Billy Strange (see Bond on Vinyl #40). Other hits for Sinatra around this time include ‘Sugar Town’ (her second record to sell a million copies after “Boots”, ‘Somethin’ Stupid’ (a duet with Frank Sinatra, and her third million selling record), duets with country singer Lee Hazlewood, and her cover of Cher’s ‘Bang Bang’, featured at the beginning of Kill Bill 36 years later among others.
With all this imminent success, it’s interesting to me that ‘You Only Live Twice’ producer, Cubby Broccoli, still wanted Frank Sinatra to sing the title song for the film. After Sinatra turned down his friend’s offer, the film’s composer, John Barry, wanted someone like Julie Rogers or Aretha Franklin to take on the vocals. However, when Sinatra recommended his daughter for the job, Broccoli followed his suggestion, and Barry adjusted the existing orchestration to better fit her vocal range.
This 1967 German 7″ single version runs eleven seconds longer than the version heard on the film’s soundtrack, as the track was built from an alternate set of takes with sharper instruments and vocals. Sinatra’s duet with Lee Hazlewood ‘Jackson’ is featured on the B-side and reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
140. Nancy Sinatra – You Only Live Twice / Jackson
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