Who Will Record the Next James Bond Theme?
Performing the opening title song for a James Bond film is a mission to a musician not unlike those taken on by the world's most famous gentleman secret agent. Highly important, filled with uncertainty and beautiful, seductive counter-agents at every turn. OK, maybe not that last part. Many James Bond main title themes have gone on to become radio standards, with one of them ("A View To A Kill") hitting #1 on the pop music charts. The level of talent involved in composing and performing the first 22 Bond themes is staggering, and includes names like John Barry, Paul McCartney, Tim Rice, Hal David, Shirley Bassey, Duran Duran, U2's Bono and The Edge and Soundgarden's Chris Cornell. No pressure for whomever gets the mission to theme Skyfall.
Betting parlors in the UK are even offering odds on a curious list of potential performers with names like Muse, Kings of Leon, Take That and Katy Perry among the long shots. Frankly, Muse or KOL could be interesting choices, especially considering their respective styles, but only four bands have ever performed a Bond theme, with the most recent one being Garbage with 1999's "The World Is Not Enough". There are four rumor-milled names which truly stand out as the most likely to be heard when the film opens in November. Adele, Noel Gallagher and a duet between Queen and Lady Gaga.
Queen and Lady Gaga would be a double-0 win for the film. The combination of these two unique talents would grab the attention of very different segments and generations of music fandom. Queen has a soundtrack legacy under their belts with Flash Gordon and Highlander, plus guitarist Brian May composed the music for the Alexandre Aja film, Furia. And frankly, Gaga is Gaga. Hearing her in front of the late Freddie Mercury's bandmates would be fascinating on several levels. There are three drawbacks to this: Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball Tour and the Queen Extravaganza Tour both run into July, ostensibly when the film maker's would need them to be recording or even delivering a song for a November release. The third is actually from the source of the suggestion of using Queen. Bond composer David Arnold, who scored the previous five James Bond movies, said in an interview he "would love Queen to have a go at writing a theme tune". The problem is, Arnold is not scoring Skyfall, as director Sam Mendes has gone with his frequent music collaborator, Thomas Newman for the film's score, so the likelihood of a Queen/Gaga duet seems less likely.
Take the next rumored Bondian balladeer with a huge grain of salt, but one coupled with a video of some veracity. Considering the source (The Sun) it would be easy to dismiss the notion of Noel Gallagher (ex-Oasis) performing a Bond theme, if it were not for the fact that he has already performed a song live (but hasn't released a recording of) called "Freaky Teeth" which has James Bond theme DNA woven throughout. No, not a very proper title for a Bond song to be sure, but have a listen.
Fan created video of Noel Gallagher's "Freaky Teeth" intersperced with James Bond film clips.
With lyrics like "They made you cry the rain, But they'd love you just the same, Before your God, and the devil, touch your soul.." paired with a seriously Bond-like riff, it is easy to hear how this song, with a slight Skyfall rewrite and title change, could make a solid theme song, in a similar vein to Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name" from Casino Royale. If it happens, it would be the first time a British performer supplied 007's theme since Duran Duran in 1985. But alas, the irascible Gallagher denied the rumors completely on his blog. Still, it's hard not imagine this song playing during the opening title sequence of a Bond film. Which brings us to Adele.
The chart-topping English songstress is the current favorite name to sing Daniel's Craig's third on-screen arrival as James Bond. Rumors about her involvement surfaced in the Fall (about the same time as the others), with the source being herself. During a televised interview with Jonathan Ross, when asked what her next project would be, Adele replied: "I’m going back in the studio in November. Fingers crossed" followed by "Well, this is actually a theme, what I’ve got to do. Wow, that’s really giving something away." At this point, Ross hums the James Bond theme and a demure Adele blushes and backtracks. And then the British tabloids jump all over the story. There are however several reasons why it makes perfect sense for Adele to perform the Skyfall theme.
13 of the James Bond themes have been sung by women, 14 if you count the duet of Alicia Keys and Jack White from Quantum of Solace. In my opinion, some of the absolute best Bond songs come from this group (granted a couple of the dubious ones do as well) but Adele could just as easily sing something in her own style or reminiscent of themes sung by Shirley Bassey, Lulu or Rita Coolidge. Considering the lineage of the Bond girls who only cross paths with 007 by way of song, she fits the part, perfectly.
She is also hands down one of the most recognizable performers on both sides of the Atlantic right now, with six recent Grammy Awards for her sophomore album, 21, which spent 23 non-consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart and was the best selling album of 2011 and of 2012 so far. In the current economic state of the world and the ever-increasing focus on smart money and safe bets in film decision making, it is easy to say that her current popularity makes Adele the most likely candidate to give voice to Skyfall. Fortunately, she has the vocal ability and style to be more than just a a sure thing, and to make herself a memorable part of the James Bond canon.
No matter whom the film makers go with though, it will be interesting to hear the 23rd James Bond theme, hopefully sometime before it opens in November.
***INCOMING TRANSMISSION FROM MI6***
(Hey, that was better than just typing UPDATED, right?)
The NME published a quote from Adele this week that lends a little more substance to the notion that she could be recording the theme to Skyfall. When asked by a French radio station about her plans to record new music, the singer replied it won't be the follow up to 21, but: "There will be a new song, probably coming out at the end of the year". Granted, the new Bond movie drops not at, but not far from, the end of the year. Not a confirmation, but another tantalizing leak of potential information around the theme to Skyfall.
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