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I agree... that is controvercial!
I love Sheryl Crow's music, but her contribution is ponderous, clunky and utterly forgettable (IMO). The only good thing I can say about it, is that it's better than Madonna's putrid attempt in DAD.
On the other hand AWTD is more catchy than NGAG to my ears and full of tawdry drama, so I can understand why it could be chosen over the more restrained Bassey number (restrained by Bassey standards anyway)
As with "Octopussy" no-one was brave enough to face up to the challenge of working the phrase "Quantum of Solace" into the lyrics...
I can definitely understand why both main songs were picked over these ones. I think ultimately both feel 'bigger' and more appropriate for the opening of a movie. I really don't think either Surrender or Nothing Good About Goodbye are ultimately very good songs though.
I'll also say this - Crow's Tomorrow Never Dies isn't that far off of Adele's Skyfall in my opinion. It's a very atmospheric and lyrically interesting song (and honestly, musically, more creative than Surrender). And for all its flaws AWTD gives QOS that Bondian rock song they wanted. NGAG would have been all wrong.
Has anyone ever seen George Lazenby's contribution to the Hitchcock Half Hour reboot in the 80s? Where he played a sort of version of James Bond and even got a knock off Shirley Bassey esque theme song?
Honestly, that theme song at 0:35 is basically half a step away from both Surrender and Nothing Good About Goodbye for me. I genuinely can't unhear it - the strange cliched wordiness and underwhelming chorus (and generic Bondian chords that seem like they've been copy pasted from other themes).
I agree, Surrender especially is just too much of a pastiche. I enjoy it, but I think the film might actually have been taken less seriously if it had been the main theme, it would have seemed like the Bond series eating itself to some extent. It's like putting the Life of Brian song on the opening of a Bond film! :)
Crow's song is a more original number.
I do like the verse melody to Surrender being used in the score of the film though, it works very well there. I think the verse is more successful than the chorus.
If I had to pick one to be the main theme, I'd probably go for No Good About Goodbye. It's a more interesting song and has grown on me a lot recently. I still prefer AWTD though.
The one I would absolutely take over the chosen one in a heartbeat is Radiohead's Spectre. I keep meaning to find a fanedit which adds it in actually.
It wasn't chosen over NGAG, NGAG wasn't written until after the movie.
AWTD is awful, perhaps only Madonna's effort was worse. The London Music Works/Prague Philharmonic editions of both make them sound quite a bit better, but that doesn't change the fact that the vocals of AWTD make it a weird.
No Good about Goodbye is far better than AWTD, and probably better than at least two of Bassey's Bond efforts. And also, I feel would help Quantum of Solace distinguish itself a bit more from being a "Casino Royale II" with general audiences. Of course, this being in the main titles may impact the decision for Skyfall, which is a much better song in turn...
Both are used excellently in the films, but I think I'll go for No Good About Goodbye. If "I Will Return" fully existed, I'd probably choose that however.
I said "could" not "was"
In another timeline / continuity / multiverse... (perhaps the same one where Craig-Bond didn't die in NTTD?)
In the case of TND, just hearing what's already there in the film score, and thinking in terms of musical cohesion, since Surrender is extensively quoted and TND the song isn't quoted at all, it would've been better for Surrender to take its place as the title song (though it must still be said that, as it is, the film benefits from having a quieter title song after the balls-to-the-wall pre-title sequence). From a point of view of the feel of each song, both seem to capture different aspects of the film and its story. Surrender is about the villain's plan and its bombastic style reflects the movie's classic vibe (TND coming after GE is to some degree similar to Sp coming after Sf) and sense of larger-than-life spectacle. TND the song is more introspective and appears to deal with the heartbreak and loss of Bond and Paris' relationship. I can see either song working just as well as the title song in its own way. From a point of view of musical preference, I love both songs and only give a slight edge to Surrender.
In the case of QoS, once again, just hearing what's already there in the film score, and thinking in terms of musical cohesion, both songs could plausibly have been the title song, since both are quoted in the score, though as it is, NGAB is heard more, and in my mind, more distinctively, so it would've been preferrable for it to be the title song (not possible since it didn't exist until later). From a point of view of the feel of each song, I feel NGAB beats AWTD by a large margin. QoS is a high energy film, a speeding bullet wheezing by, but that energy is fundamentally melancholic. AWTD doesn't really capture that. It is a continuation of the style of YKMN, which isn't something to be rejected outright (this is, as I said, an energetic picture), but crucially, I think the song should've had an element of sorrow in it, which I feel it only barely has. NGAB has that quality in spades. From a point of view of musical preference, I much prefer NGAB to AWTD. NGAB is to me a great song. AWTD is good but the vocals, which I find annoying in places, let it down. If it weren't for that, it would still be under NGAB, but much closer.
I don't really care about changing things in these movies, they are what they are, but if I had to make a change, I'd have NGAB as the title song of QoS.
Great post!
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Speaking of pastiches, parodies and knockoffs, I think it's fine that every once in a while, a theme song is unabashedly, quintessentially Bond, like Surrender is (I wouldn't say any of the other three songs have such a quintessential feel). The Bond movies have their style. The reason we can even imagine a song like that playing over a parody is that someone deemed said style worthy enough of parodying in the first place, and it would be sad to see the real article relinquishing that style to others. Keep it changing, keep finding new things within it? Sure. But not leave its origins entirely behind. If every song was Surrender, things would grow boring and stale, but if no songs were Surrender, I'd feel something was missing as well.
And 'tease and tantalise' is silly :P
Was any song actually rejected for QoS?
I agree, very insightful
Particularly that "Surrender", a song from a villain's persepective, would be the better lead off, ahead of the audiences experience of the villain's scheme,
While Sheyl Crowe's song would make a better outro, following the audiences experience of the James Bond / Paris Carver relationship and her fate.
I've lived under the impression that it was a bake-off between AWTD, NGAG, and Forever (which for my money would stand as an all-time great Bond theme had it been chosen).
NGAG was not a rejected song, as other users said.
Forever sounds like an amateur, fan made song which I doubt ever reached EON at any point.
This comment from the producer of Forever goes into his side of the story. I don't think there's anything "amateur" about it, it's a demo. Have you ever heard the demos for Kamen's LTK score, for example? They sound far worse than the demo for Forever.
I stand corrected, thanks.
It's a shame that Arnold didn't get more control over the title songs. His two efforts (TWINE and YKMN), both were quite good and his proposed alternates (Surrender, what we can hear of I Will Return, and NGAG) sounded quite good as well.
Okay lets keep focused on the theme songs.
Would you rather the theme song be Kiss Kiss Bang Bang OR retain Thunderball?
1965 and Barry is scoring another Bond adventure. He decides to eschew the title of the movie in favour of something unique. He writes, with Leslie Briscusse, Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. He then features the instrumental through out the film.
The title of the song coming from a nickname given to the character of Bond by an Italian journalist. The film is completed and the producers issue a small change. They want a new theme song for the film that features the title of the movie. Quickly Barry must pivot. He teams up with Don Black and they write a whole new song. Sir Tom Jones is brought in to record it. .
It wasn't until the 30th anniversary of Bond that it came to light that a song Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was actually recorded. One version by Dame Shirley Bassey and another longer one by Dionne Warwick. The Warwick version seems the most likely to be the version that was used up to the producers changing their minds. As it fits perfectly with the Title Sequence of Maurice Binder.
I'm curious, you would rather they kept Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang or are you happy with the TB song we got from Sir Tom Jones?
I would take Warwick's version over Bassey's any day of the week though, Warwick is a brilliant singer and just gives it so much more depth and interest and sultriness; Bassey kind of seems like she's just shouting in comparison.
I don't think he meant "Forever" was meant for Winehouse, I think he just phrased it awkwardly.
And I agree that I much prefer Dionne Warwick's version.
True. However, Dionne Warwick is also a revered vocalist - especially from her days as the go to singer for the Burt Bacharach /Hal David songbook.
That said, it is impossible for me to even think about the film THUNDERBALL without starting to hum the official theme.
I've never been a fan of TB the song, the tag line just doesn't work for me
"He strikes like Thunderball" what does that even mean?
Tom's rendition is a bit too earnest and reverent as well, I prefer him when he's sounding relaxed and having a good time.
Also, as a rule of thumb, I think Bond themes are better sung by women
By the by, if Tom had ever auditioned for the role of James Bond, I think he would have adopted this pose... (and the microphone shoots poison darts)
Yeah I think the Bassey one has a more normal intro doesn’t it?
I was thinking they could have used the song for the end credits, Surrender-style, but they’re probably better as they are with something a bit more punchy and fun at that point of the film.