Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re still listening to the James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies!
The last track of the original soundtrack was a remix of the James Bond theme by Moby. The original version of the theme will always be an excellent and memorable track on its own, but it is interesting to hear a new take on the familiar tune.
I picked up three separate 12″ vinyl albums from the UK with different remixes, and I believe there may be even more versions out there.
22. Moby – James Bond Theme (Moby’s Re-Version) 12″
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re listening to the next James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies!
Though the film didn’t open at #1 (it arrived in theaters the same day as Titanic), Pierce Brosnan’s sophomore effort eventually passed GoldenEye at the box office. Jonathan Pryce plays a convincing evil media mogul (who knew that would still be a real-world thing 25 years later?), and Michelle Yeoh stars as likely the best ally of Bond in the Brosnan era.
On John Barry’s recommendation, Barbara Broccoli picked David Arnold to score the soundtrack based on his successful Bond cover album. His technique worked well with the soundtrack too, successfully mixing classic Bond themes with techno.
Sheryl Crow’s main theme is not my favorite. However, I found a 7″ 45 RPM made for UK Jukebox only distribution. It was available at a record shop in Tasmania, the island state of Australia.
The soundtrack was released two weeks before the film’s December 1997 debut on CD. La-La Land Records has already put out a remastered and expanded 2-CD re-issue, so I’m looking forward to that making it to vinyl as well.
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re listening to the next James Bond film, GoldenEye!
How exciting was GoldenEye in 1995!?! Pierce Brosnan burst into the role in the first Bond film that did not use any story elements from Ian Fleming’s novels. Desmond Llewellyn’s Q was the only returning actor as we were introduced to Judi Dench as M and a host of entertaining villains including Alan Cumming, Famke Janssen & Sean Bean.
The soundtrack composed by Eric Serra ended up sounding more like elevator music than anything put out by John Barry, but it generally sold well due to the title track. U2 wrote the over the top theme that was performed by Tina Turner and feels *almost* as big as Shirley Bassey.
I cheated a bit using the GoldenEye LaserDisc as a stand-in since the soundtrack was not released on vinyl anywhere. Thankfully, I WAS able to find this 12″ vinyl single from the UK!
The soundtrack was recorded in 1994 and 1995, and released a few days before the film’s November 1995 debut. The 30th anniversary of the film is just around the corner, so I’m ready for La-La Land Records to put this on vinyl with some additional cues that have yet to receive an official release.
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re listening to the next James Bond film, Licence To Kill!
John Glen’s last film as a Bond director marked Timothy Dalton’s final role as “the serious Bond.” The movie always felt so 80s to me, complete with ninjas, a bar fight, and cocaine smuggling. Robert Davi, a young Benicio del Toro, and even Wayne Newton fill the screen as the villains steal the show. The film quickly faded at the box office due to many franchise sequels dominating the summer of 1989.
As John Barry was out of the role as composer while he recovered from throat surgery, Glen brought in Michael Kamen, “the closest thing to John Barry,” to provide a suspense-filled soundtrack in line with other action movies he’d previously scored. Neither Gladys Knight’s main theme nor Patti Labelle’s “If You Asked Me To,” which played over the end credits, failed to soar on the Billboard charts.
Until the more recent resurgence of the vinyl format, this was the last Bond soundtrack released on vinyl. I’ve tracked down the US and UK versions on CD, but I had to get the European vinyl release from Spain, as I’ve yet to find the US vinyl cover.
The soundtrack was released around the same time as the film’s June theatrical debut. My 1987 European vinyl is fine, but I’m ready for an update on vinyl that matches the 35th anniversary La-La Land Records release with a remastered and expanded edition of the score.
19. Licence To Kill (The James Bond 007 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album)
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re listening to the next James Bond film, The Living Daylights!
Timothy Dalton enters the role as a very dry, but classy Bond. Though the humor of Roger Moore’s Bond films was gone, I enjoyed this film even as a child who was too young to understand its themes of drug smuggling and arms dealing. Also, the great stuntwork still ranks among the best in the series.
John Barry’s final soundtrack is known for its synth-pop sound mixed with an orchestra, and for having pop group A-ha perform the theme song (the only Bond film theme with an artist from outside the US or UK). Finally, when the Pretenders’ “Where Has Everybody Gone?” appears as source music in the film, you know the bad guy (Necros) means business.
The soundtrack was released in May of 1987, more than a month ahead of the film’s late June theatrical debut. My 1987 US vinyl is fine, but I’m ready for an expanded version on vinyl that adds in at least nine tracks only found on CD releases including an alternate instrumental end credits score.
18. The Living Daylights (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re listening to the next James Bond film, A View To A Kill!
Roger Moore’s final outing as Bond probably should have happened a few years earlier than 1985, as the action and romance scenes fall a bit short. Fortunately, the humor and heart are still intact, and the film benefits from Grace Jones and Christopher Walken in leading roles.
Also, fortunately, this film features one of John Barry’s finest Bond soundtracks. The theme song written by Barry and performed by Duran Duran was the first Bond tune to hit #1 on the Billboard charts and highest ranking in the UK until 2015.
Barry works the main theme and three other recurring themes back into the score several times over, which help the viewer tie together plot points in the overly complicated story.
17. A View To A Kill (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re still listening to the James Bond film, Never Say Never Again!
10 years before Never Say Never Again was finally released on CD, the 1983 film soundtrack composed & conducted by Michel Legrand was actually pressed to vinyl … in Japan!
While this score is among my least favorites compared to the musical styling of John Barry and his successors, my collection didn’t feel “complete” until I imported this piece.
The soundtrack hasn’t even been pressed to CD since a 1995 UK release, so I doubt we’ll see it on vinyl or any physical media anytime soon.
16. ネバー・セイ・ネバー・アゲイン = Never Say Never Again (Original Soundtrack Recording)
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re listening to the next James Bond film, Never Say Never Again!
Sean Connery returned to the role of Bond, James Bond after a 12 year hiatus in this unofficial, semi-re-do of Thunderball. Not even Max von Sydow, Barbara Carrera, & Kim Basinger, or some early high-stakes Atari action, could make this a film you’d want to watch too often.
Unfortunately, due to legal restrictions and the film not being an EON production, the soundtrack was never released on vinyl in United States. This 7″ single is a US release, but unfortunately for Lani Hall, you may feel compelled to change the radio station when this tune comes on. Though EON now owns the film outright, they have yet to include it with the current films on physical media releases.
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re listening to the next James Bond film, Octopussy!
John Glen returned to direct this fun adventure that put Roger Moore in multiple circus outfits, featured some great stuntwork and let Maud Adams sizzle in the title role.
John Barry returned to compose the score and brought in Tim Rice (yes, that one) to write the main theme. As they were instructed to not use the film’s somewhat salacious title as the theme (or even lyrics for the title), Rice was able to read the script and see some finished scenes when coming up with “All Time High.” While Rita Coolidge does a fine job with the tune, the overall soundtrack is far from an all time high on my list of favorite Bond themes.
The soundtrack was released in June of 1983 in conjunction with the film’s June theatrical debut. My 1981 US vinyl is fine, but I’m ready for an expanded version on vinyl that adds in tracks from the La-La Land Records 40th anniversary CD.
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re listening to the next James Bond film, For Your Eyes Only!
After editing earlier Bond films, John Glen got his first shot at directing 007 in this return to the more traditional Ian Fleming spy story of everyone vs. the KGB. Besides a cake-in-the-face stunt/blooper that our family has dissected & watched a dozen times over, the film also boasts a cast of a villainous Julian Glover, a charming Chaim Topol, a fierce Bond Girl in Carole Bouquet, and a fun talking parrot. Beautiful scenery in Greece and Italy helps make for a memorable film.
The soundtrack is also memorable as Sheena Easton appears on screen for the opening title sequence (the only time this has happened). Her Academy Award-nominated track beat out another version performed by Blondie (which is actually pretty good too) as it was written by Bill Conti, who does an excellent job composing the entire soundtrack while filling in for John Barry, while Barry was a tax exile from the UK at the time.
The soundtrack was recorded in the spring of 1981, ahead of the film’s June release. My 1981 US vinyl is all right, but I’m ready for an expanded version on vinyl that includes at least the six additional tracks that have already been on CD for the past 25 years. 😄
13. For Your Eyes Only (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re listening to the next James Bond film, Moonraker!
With the success of Star Wars and science fiction at the box office, it was decided that Bond in Space was a thing that needed to happen next. This campy Moore adventure (I’m looking at you double-talking pigeon) wasn’t critically well received, but audiences loved it enough that it was the highest-grossing Bond film into the 1990s.
While other artists ultimately passed on performing the main theme, Shirley Bassey returned to record her final Bond song just weeks before the film’s release. Following its debut, Bassey never promoted the track and seldom performs it live. The score itself was a departure from the typical John Barry fare as the jazzy brass of earlier Bond films gave way to slow strings.
The soundtrack was recorded in April 1979, ahead of the film’s June release. My 1979 US pressing is all right, but I’m ready for an expanded version on vinyl to match up with the 45th anniversary version that contains previously unreleased music.
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re listening to the next James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me!
My favorite Roger Moore film was released in July of 1977. This was just six weeks after the debut of another of my favorite films, Star Wars. This film boasts excellent locations in Egypt, Italy, and the Bahamas. It features amazing characters like Jaws and Barbara Bach’s Major Amasova. Moreover, a car that can go underwater helps make this an overall wonderful film!
The theme song “Nobody Does It Better,” performed by Carly Simon, was nominated for Best Original Song and is woven into the score (which was also nominated for Best Original Score). Another track that cements this soundtrack as one of my faves is “Bond 77,” which puts a disco beat on the familiar Bond theme.
The soundtrack was recorded in April 1977, a few months ahead of the film’s July release. My 1977 US pressing is all right, but I’m ready for an expanded version on vinyl to cover unreleased tracks like the film version of the main theme, “Anya”, and other unreleased music.
11. The Spy Who Loved Me (Original Motion Picture Score)
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re listening to the next James Bond film, The Man With The Golden Gun!
This film has held up for me despite being pretty much panned by critics as the worst in the series up to that point. I do enjoy the foreign locations, the stunts, Christopher Lee’s Scaramanga, Maud Adams, Hervé Villechaize as Nick Nack, and more! The biggest drawbacks for me include Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight, and a poorly placed slide whistle sound effect. 😄
The title theme by Lulu is catchy (with some pretty questionable lyrics), but it is the only Bond main theme to never appear on the charts. The rest of the score is pretty boring outside of the tracks at Scaramanga’s island.
The soundtrack was recorded in late 1974, just ahead of the film’s December release. My 1974 US pressing is all right, but I’m ready for an upgrade on vinyl following La-La Land Records expanded score CD released for the 50th anniversary of the film.
10. The Man With The Golden Gun (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re listening to the next James Bond film, Live And Let Die!
Roger Moore’s debut was probably my favorite Bond movie when I was 10 years old. The plot is way more convoluted than it needed to be, but it’s still a fun flick today.
The title track by Paul McCartney & Wings certainly has more radio play than any other Bond song over the years, and deservedly so. I’ve included a picture of the album gatefold, which features some screenshots and also some fun promo shots that really don’t fit in with the final plot.
The soundtrack was recorded between 1972 and 1973, and released July 2nd of 1972. This was just after the film’s US release, and just ahead of the film’s UK release. My 1973 US pressing sounds fine, but I’m ready for an upgrade.
9. Live And Let Die (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re listening to the next James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever!
Sean Connery came back (for a then-record salary) to officially phone it in last time as Bond. While Connery may not have been the best, I always enjoyed the film for other reasons, like seeing 1970s Las Vegas, Charles Gray as Blofeld, and Lana Wood as Plenty O’Toole (and wish she had a bigger role than Jill St. John’s Tiffany Case).
Shirley Bassey is also back and shines for the main title. However, the soundtrack is largely stuck in the late 1960s / early 1970s after that.
The soundtrack was recorded in October of 1971, just ahead of the film and soundtrack’s December releases. My 1971 US copy is showing some wear and features some great John Barry music.
8. Diamonds Are Forever (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Dale's Toys 