It’s time for the latest installment in my ranking of the James Bond theme songs. It’s hard to believe we’re over halfway through!
If you need to catch up, here are parts 001, 002, 003, and 004.
We’ve talked about the two movies that don’t have theme songs — yet have great tunes of their own during the films — then we looked at some of the worst songs in the Bond canon. After that, we started digging into the middle of the pack.
But before we start, have you seen the series ranking the Bond movies — and the Bond actors — from my friend and colleague Stephen “VodkaPundit” Green? Check out his series: 001, 002, 003, 004, and 005.
In this installment, we’re looking at the songs that fall in between the best and the middling songs. So here we go!
11. “Diamonds Are Forever,” by Shirley Bassey, from Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
In Part 003, I wrote about Shirley Bassey’s third go at a Bond theme, “Moonraker,” and how bored she sounds. It’s a different story with her second time on the 007 beat. Sean Connery came back for one last film with Diamonds Are Forever after sitting out On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
For Connery’s return, composer John Barry and lyricist Don Black gave Bassey a big mid-tempo song that sounds exactly like 1971. It’s a perfect slice of early ’70s cabaret pop, and the lyrics are clever in some spots. It’s a good song, but it rates just outside our top ten.
For an extra bit of fun, check out this cover version by ’90s Bond composer David Arnold, featuring vocals by David McAlmont.
10. “You Only Live Twice,” by Nancy Sinatra, from You Only Live Twice (1967)
Confession time: You Only Live Twice is my favorite Bond film. It’s not the highest quality, but I love the space race subplot and the Japanese setting (I’ve always been a sucker for Japanese culture). And I’ll fight you if you don’t think Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi) isn’t a better Bond girl than Kissy Suzuki (Mie Hama).
Nancy Sinatra became the first American artist to sing a 007 theme, and choosing her makes sense: she was hot at the moment and she had a heck of a pedigree. She sings this one serviceably, although I would imagine that other current female artists could have sung it a little better.
“You Only Live Twice” is a bit low-key, but it’s nice. It’s also notable for the Japanese instrumentation in the song (and the film’s score), as well as its famous string intro, which British boy-band singer Robbie Williams sampled in his single “Millennium” and Cee Lo Green paid tribute to in his terrific song “Bright Lights, Bigger City.”
Related: Ranking the Bond Movies: Part 005 (Shaken and Stirring)
9. “Licence to Kill,” by Gladys Knight, from Licence to Kill (1989)
I’ll go on record to say this about “Licence to Kill”: it’s the most underrated James Bond theme song. Gladys Knight may not be the first person you think of when it comes to Bond themes, but she brings a soulful presence to the track that none of the previous theme songs ever had.
“Licence to Kill” is a ballad, but it’s not a staid, boring number like the late ’70s and early ’80s output. It’s a strong late-’80s power ballad, one that you can almost imagine one of the top female vocalists of the day like Whitney Houston taking on, but Knight has a smokiness in her voice that’s perfect. This is one of those songs that I’ll never understand why radio didn’t embrace it. It has hit potential written all over it.
Trivia time: the closing credits of Licence to Kill feature Patti LaBelle singing “If You Asked Me To,” which became a hit for Celine Dion just a couple of years later.
8. “Tomorrow Never Dies,” by Sheryl Crow, from Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
It always seems like the James Bond themes fall into one of two categories: lush retro or of-the-moment. For Tomorrow Never Dies, producers turned to one of the hottest artists of the day: Sheryl Crow. She and producer Mitchell Froom created a song that didn’t fit into her typical wheelhouse and that was also gloriously retro.
Producers chose Crow’s track over one by the film’s composer, David Arnold, which was recorded by k. d. lang. They chose the far superior song, despite the overdramatic lyrics and notes that reveal the shortcomings of Crow’s voice. But the end result is something that works well enough to serve as a tribute to the theme songs that came before it as well as a terrific addition to the canon.
Tune in soon for part 006, because the songs get even better!
