interview with
Berenice Marlohe
article about 'Adele's skyfall hailed best James Bond theme song
in years' Oct 16, 2012
When it comes to "James Bond" theme songs, nobody does
it better than the Brits. (Apologies to Carly Simon, whose ballad for "The
Spy Who Loved Me" is an honorable exception.) Case in point: Adele's
"Skyfall," the first "Bond" song by a British artist in more
than 25 years, has been widely hailed as one of the best in the series.
"[Sony
Pictures] was interested in an artist who not only would be right for the
specific film, but who could harken back to the classic 'Bond' themes of the
'60s," says Jon Burlingame, author of "The Music of James Bond."
"Because Adele is one of the hottest artists in the world – and a Brit –
it was almost a no-brainer."
The
series' risqué silhouetted title sequences, which are just barely PG-13, have
featured memorable hits by British artists such as Tom Jones, Paul McCartney
& Wings, Sheena Easton, and Shirley Bassey.
The
template for the "Bond" song, established by composers John Barry and
Monty Norman, combines the twang of machismo guitar, plunges of orchestral
strings, blasts of brass, and a vocal somewhere between melancholic torch song
and tongue-in-cheek belter. Exhibit A: Ms. Bassey's "Goldfinger" –
the first of her three "007" songs – which was a Gold Record. The
brand-savvy "Bond" franchise has looked to "sounds that could
potentially get on the radio" ever since "Dr. No" in 1962, says
Mr. Burlingame.
In 1985,
that sound was Duran Duran, whose hit "A View to a Kill" came at the
height of the "Second British Invasion" of US radio. But when British
artists began to struggle in the United States, the film producers roped in
American acts such as Sheryl Crow, Garbage, and Madonna. The character of the
theme songs changed somewhat.
"The
contributions of the other recent performers – Tina Turner, Gladys Knight,
Chris Cornell, Jack White, and Alicia Keys – are done more in the style of
those individual performers than in the style of '007,' " says Bruce
Scivally, coauthor of "James Bond: The Legacy."
By
contrast, Adele's "Skyfall" earns its license to thrill by emulating
the classic "Bond" sound. In keeping with the tenor of Daniel Craig's
Bond, it's soulful and somber, sophisticated and seductive. One can imagine a
tuxedoed 007 listening to "Skyfall" while driving his Aston Martin –
or sky-diving with Her Majesty.
"It's
one of the most listenable and accessible 'Bond' tunes in a long time,"
concludes Burlingame.
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