Under the Covers with James Bond - "Nobody Does it Better"
Truer words have never been spoken. The title song to The Spy Who Loved Me, "Nobody Does It Better," features the lyrics of the near-legendary Carole Bayer Sager and the music of the recently departed Marvin Hamlisch. Performed by Carly Simon, this is by far one of the best James Bond title songs of the canon, if not the best.
"Nobody Does It Better" replicated the chart success of Paul McCartney & Wings "Live and Let Die," peaking at #7 in the UK and #2 in the US. The song fit like one of James Bond's tailored suits in the Adult Contemporary radio landscape of 1977, but it has a timelessness that keeps the song from sounding dated in any way.
The temptation is there to simply say nobody does it better when it comes to this song and leave it at that. However, there are a handful of interesting takes on this theme which are definitely worth hearing. First up, an interesting spin from Los Angeles Trip Hop/Pop group 8mm, which fashioned this version for another soundtrack.
Featured on the soundtrack for the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the song retains its familiar vocal line, albeit with a Dream Pop delivery, and is augmented by 21st century percussion styling and a semi-droning guitar line. For another rocked out version, your ears look need look no further than Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.
Featured on their 1997 debut, Have a Ball, the song is exactly what one would expect from a 90's punk revival band: Fast, fun and perhaps just a bit silly in a good way. For a lovely, stripped down interpretation performed by a young lady with a ukulele, please give a listen to this performance by Sophie Madeleine.
There is something quite wonderful about a well played, not-entirely-Island-sounding ukulele cover, especially when the accompanying voice is so good. Much in the way paxukulele did it with "From Russia with Love," Brooklyn, NY's Sophie Madeleine put this lovely cover together as a reward from her PledgeMusic fund-raising project. Miss Madeleine has a number of covers on her YouTube channel which are a good jumping off point to check out her original material.
For further listening, Aimee Mann's rendition is available on the jam-packed Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project set.
The music of James Bond will return in Moonraker.
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