Written by Adele and Paul Epworth. Performed by Adele
James Bond "Skyfall" theme song by Adele. (c) 2012 Lyrics on screen
Published on Oct 20, 2012 by adelelondon
The last time a Bond theme song was actually written and performed by someone from the U.K. was Duran Duran’s A View to a Kill. And though there’s been some quality ones since then, Adele’s “Skyfall” is absolutely beautiful. This one is a kind of crossroads between an old-school “Goldfinger” style theme (insofar as it incorporates the James Bond Theme) and a contemporary song written by a cool contemporary artist. The song is lush and gorgeous and is made all the better by the excellent title sequence. I’d heard “Skyfall” before I saw the film, but the music gave me shivers in the theatre. Adele is also the first woman to feature by herself as a vocalist since Madonna’s Die Another Day. Unlike that one, Adele’s cool song opens up an awesome James Bond movie.
Verdict: The movie is really great, and the song is too. Likely they’ll be remembered together. Though, unlike “Live and Let Die” or a “A View to a Kill, “I can’t see myself putting “Skyfall” on the jukebox. Then again, Skyfall the movie isn’t exactly casual viewing.
There you have it readers/listeners. The history of James Bond theme songs is long and strange. If there’s one overall pattern I’ve noticed it’s this: when the film’s composer is not writing the theme song, and instead total creative control is left to that artist, the songs tend to be better and more memorable. But, without John Barry, and now David Arnold (who also now scores Sherlock), we certainly wouldn’t know what Bond sounds like in general, meaning their influence can’t be stressed enough.
Now, dear readers, tell me which theme songs you loved, which movies you thought were better than their songs and vice versa. Let’s shake things up 007 style!
James Bond "Skyfall" theme song by Adele. (c) 2012 Lyrics on screen
Published on Oct 20, 2012 by adelelondon
The last time a Bond theme song was actually written and performed by someone from the U.K. was Duran Duran’s A View to a Kill. And though there’s been some quality ones since then, Adele’s “Skyfall” is absolutely beautiful. This one is a kind of crossroads between an old-school “Goldfinger” style theme (insofar as it incorporates the James Bond Theme) and a contemporary song written by a cool contemporary artist. The song is lush and gorgeous and is made all the better by the excellent title sequence. I’d heard “Skyfall” before I saw the film, but the music gave me shivers in the theatre. Adele is also the first woman to feature by herself as a vocalist since Madonna’s Die Another Day. Unlike that one, Adele’s cool song opens up an awesome James Bond movie.
Verdict: The movie is really great, and the song is too. Likely they’ll be remembered together. Though, unlike “Live and Let Die” or a “A View to a Kill, “I can’t see myself putting “Skyfall” on the jukebox. Then again, Skyfall the movie isn’t exactly casual viewing.
There you have it readers/listeners. The history of James Bond theme songs is long and strange. If there’s one overall pattern I’ve noticed it’s this: when the film’s composer is not writing the theme song, and instead total creative control is left to that artist, the songs tend to be better and more memorable. But, without John Barry, and now David Arnold (who also now scores Sherlock), we certainly wouldn’t know what Bond sounds like in general, meaning their influence can’t be stressed enough.
Now, dear readers, tell me which theme songs you loved, which movies you thought were better than their songs and vice versa. Let’s shake things up 007 style!
Comments
Post a Comment