Adele - 'Skyfall' title song discussion

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  • l4NSW wrote:
    Great song, shame about the singer, needs Shirley bassey to do it justice. However it is tons better then the last one!!

    you must be joking...Adele not a great singer???? Who are you, Bassey's gimp ho?
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    edited October 2012 Posts: 4,416
    MartinBond wrote:
    One of the better youtube-people I've heard, but why on earth did she try and turn it into a jazzy tune? X_X

    The theme is best thing from the number, that's what you missing now.

    Does anybody actually know what Adele is causing? 'Skyfall' is not very 'typical' Adele if you ask me, especially when comparing her biggest hits from the albums '19' and '21'. 'Skyfall' is according to our ears much more Bond-ian, but I have a gut feeling that many young Adele fans don't even know what the 'typical Bond sound' is. They just think that this is a prelude to a different, much more melodious, harmonieus sound. A bit like the female version of Michael Bublé.

    So logically, Adele introduces the Bond sound we all love to a new audience. I'm pretty certain this will cause part of the 'Bond-buzz' this year. Off course, Bond-mania like in the 'Thunderball' years will not happen anymore. But I think 'Skyfall' will get close.

    The only thing it wil causing is what it did with Madonna too. The movie wil promote with talking/heaven pricing of her and Q. But for the rest i disagree, keep dreaming. Since Brosnan leave he take moost of the causing with him if this whasn;t already gone after Twine. Promotion with QOS whas a litle bit better then CR but with Skyfall at this moment it is even or worse then CR. The magazine you talk about, the beer, the parfume not yet seen. Veronica wil do nothing this time then only repeaing DAD on 19 October and mabey one week later CR and week after that QOS. Mabey there wil be 1 or 2 specials if we are lucky and some litle red carpted on 29 October with fames onintrest Dutch people who talk but that's it. I also think it something to do with the fact Bond isn't released any more in December like TMND and Twine be and DAD be promoted in December.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 58
    Does anybody actually know what Adele is causing? 'Skyfall' is not very 'typical' Adele if you ask me, especially when comparing her biggest hits from the albums '19' and '21'. 'Skyfall' is according to our ears much more Bond-ian, but I have a gut feeling that many young Adele fans don't even know what the 'typical Bond sound' is. They just think that this is a prelude to a different, much more melodious, harmonieus sound. A bit like the female version of Michael Bublé.

    So logically, Adele introduces the Bond sound we all love to a new audience. I'm pretty certain this will cause part of the 'Bond-buzz' this year. Off course, Bond-mania like in the 'Thunderball' years will not happen anymore. But I think 'Skyfall' will get close.

    I'm not sure what you mean by "not very 'typical' Adele". If you're talking about the music and style of singing, tons of her songs are like that, of course her songs don't have the James Bond theme in the background, but in my opinion, I'd say "Skyfall" is a mixture of her songs "Melt My Heart To Stone", "Lovesong" and her covers of "Fool That I Am" when it comes to her style of singing. Her most famous songs are very upbeat compared to her other songs on the album. As far as 'typical', this is very Adele.

    BTW...lol...who doesn't know the Bond Theme song? lol Everyone does!
  • Is it me, or has anyone else picked up that the 4 chords used during the verse are the Bond theme? Subtle, yet clever to use them with a different melody that distracts the listener.
  • Posts: 27
    I don't know if this is the right forum to discuss such things from a professional point of view (classical musician) but here is my few cents:

    The usage of MINOR KEY in a James Bond Films functions at its best if result sound GLAMOROUS. This is not given and is only to be achieved trough a right attitude, education and training in composing because that's difficult to achieve. John Barry was a master of that art and his Bond - songs and scores when in minor, sound GLAMOROUS , not SAD.

    Now, SAD is the easiest approach to a MINOR KEY. It's a child - approach: MAJOR:HAPPY , MINOR: SAD. And there it stops for all uneducated hobby - proletarian musicians which most of pop - authors really are, including unfortunately David Arnold as well.

    Or Sheryl Craw. Or Adele.

    The last glamurous Bond - Song in minor key was Goldeneye, probably by accident. Since 1996 I'm waiting for another glamorous sounding Bond - song. The first ingredient would be to finally use the Bond- Chord: a BIG MINOR NONACHORD which is a glamorous Bond - Chord, and to build from there. Also, one does not have to imitate John Barry but to apply his courage to create very untypical, almost unorganic way of a melody - concept and making it sound completely natural (like "The sniper was a woman"). This rule includes scores as well. This is difficult, even for a trained composer, but maybe John Powell..

    I hope David Arnold never to return, although he is a rhythmically gifted person. A Bond score should not be sadness combined with mostly THIRDS - CONNECTIONS (very easy to fill up time and used by ALL untrained composers incl. Arnold) and broken, fast written half - melodies. It should be an imaginative work of art. I hope Newman will do it better.

    With Adele's song we got a beautiful but again sad song. Please STOP.

    This is my first post in this forum, greets to you all
    a 30 years - Bond-fan
    s.
  • Posts: 183
    Welcome @seroxx!

    A little diversion from the main topic (but still related!)

    A joke from Jimmy Carr on 8 out of 10 Cats this evening:

    Adele has released her new single this weekend for the new 007 film Skyfall.
    Some of the lyrics are "Let the Skyfall, let it crumble"
    And as we all know, Adele is a big fan of crumble...

    And continuing with the Adele/Skyfall humour, Empire have a humorous take on the lyrics themselves - http://www.empireonline.com/features/adele-skyfall-lyrics-decoded
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    @seroxx welcome to the forums! You can present yourself in this thread http://mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/13/new-members-introduce-yourself/p24#Item_703 and join us in other discussions.

    Thank you for your input on this subject but we may have different ideas about Skyfall. I think Skyfall is supposed to be a sad song! There is nothing wrong with that, the lyrics are sad and so is the melody. And before you think this is perhaps the opinion of an uninformed person and untrained ear I'll tell you that although I am not a professional musician I studied classical piano for well over 10 years of my life and only stopped to pursue an academic career.
  • its a rehash of the bassey bond themes and a poor one at that! i much prefered the rumour that dutch goth rock band within temptation were going to perform the theme tune called faster
  • its a rehash of the bassey bond themes and a poor one at that! i much prefered the rumour that dutch goth rock band within temptation were going to perform the theme tune called faster
    That sounds way too 80's and just flat out wrong for Bond.
  • i disagree the chris cornell you know my name is very edgy like this track
  • it is bieng banded around the web that it is included in the soundtrack as an instramental
  • Posts: 612
    Yello's Oh Yeah is more suitable than that song. Not for Bond, not for my ears.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,370
    @johnboyfitzy007, welcome to the forums! If you have more than one thing to post (after posting a comment and nobody has commented after you), just edit your original comment and post there, so it doesn't appear as spammy.

    Less than one month left now for me to hear this song in theaters. I'm still holding out on it until that time.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 4,622
    Update: its settled at #15 on my list. It knocked off most of the newer fare (post Barry) except for TWINE, but that's as far as it's going, for now. Can't move it any higher. The other themes are just too good.
    btw, I'm now officially informing the world that I will be boycotting the SF soundtrack album simply because it will not include the most important song from the actual soundtrack that it purports to represent. Releasing the SF soundtrack without the title vocal track is like the Beatles releasing Sgt. Pepper, but not including the title vocal track. Insanity.
    Eon pulled this stunt with CR. I'm not getting ripped off twice. These soundtracks need the main title song. Harrumph. >:P
    @johnboyfitzy007. Yes, the Within Temptation song is somewhat Bond worthy. It would have to be re-worked a bit, but WT is definitely deserving of consideration for a future title. Sharon's got one of the most powerful female voices in all of rock. She and her bandmates, with their symphonic-rock sound, I'm sure could put together a powerful and memorable Bond theme.
  • i disagree the chris cornell you know my name is very edgy like this track
    That's true, and it was a great Bond song. This is edgy but it just isn't Bondian, it just reminds me of a washed up 80's metal band.
  • Posts: 91
    does anybody have the file to this version in full
  • Posts: 5,745
    @hart

    Isn't that just the CR theme / trailer theme. I'm confident it is.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 5,767
    i much prefered the rumour that dutch goth rock band within temptation were going to perform the theme tune called faster
    My first impression is that, while Adele doubtlessly is easy to look at, WT´s singer is dangerously attractive.
    The song might be nice in a YKMN way if it was produced differently. My major problem with WT is that they sound kind of sterile. But with less triggered drums and a big orchestra, who knows?
    timmer wrote:
    btw, I'm now officially informing the world that I will be boycotting the SF soundtrack album simply because it will not include the most important song from the actual soundtrack that it purports to represent. Releasing the SF soundtrack without the title vocal track is like the Beatles releasing Sgt. Pepper, but not including the title vocal track. Insanity.
    Eon pulled this stunt with CR. I'm not getting ripped off twice. These soundtracks need the main title song. Harrumph. >:P
    Because the world cares so much: Couldn´t you just regard the soundtrack album as an album by itself? In my experience that´s much more fun. I mean, if you want to hear the film you can always slip in the dvd/br? And if the soundtrack is any good, how can you say that the song is the most important track?

  • Buy or download the ost, upload it, add Adele's SF at the top of the playlist in itunes, burn it. Done deal.
  • Monsieur_AubergineMonsieur_Aubergine Top of the Eiffel Tower with a fly in my soup!
    edited October 2012 Posts: 642
    Here are some notes from the interview on BBC News website with Monty Norman. I have added only minor additions in brackets. Nice of Norman to get involved...:-/

    Monty Norman has given Skyfall his seal of approval, telling the BBC: "I think it's very good, it works for the film very well and I'm honoured that it gives a large nod towards my original." <---(ahem!!)

    Norman continued: "In a sense it's a pretty sensible thing to do, if you want to feel the 'James Bond quality' of the music."

    "Whatever one thinks of the James Bond Theme, and most people seem to like it, that is the signature tune of the James Bond films so if you use that kind of quality as they've done, that's good." <--- (so eloquant!)

    Norman, who wrote the theme for the first Bond movie, Dr No, 50 years ago, said he thought the Bond franchise had made the right choice in Adele. <--- (as he rubbed his fingers and thought of royalties more deserved by the estate of J. Barry)

    "I think Adele's terrific, a truly good singer - one of the best singer's that we've had for many years. She can only go from strength to strength," said Norman.

  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,350
    Wonderful to hear from Norman again. Thanks @Monsieur_Aubergine.
  • its a rehash of the bassey bond themes and a poor one at that! i much prefered the rumour that dutch goth rock band within temptation were going to perform the theme tune called faster

    Much as I love Sharon den Adel and this song and have the long version on a custom compilation disc, this wouldn't fit a Bond film. But I definitely think she could sing a Bond song.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 4,622
    Yes, WT would be an inspired choice for a Bond song. They have made some really good music lately, merging symphonic metal with a pop sensibility.
    Update, re. the continuing adventures of Adele and SF. At last look, I had elevated the new theme to as high as #15 out of 22 after comparing it one-to-one with its Bond peers. I quickly found it didn't hold a candle to the 13 themes of FRWL to AVTAK, however with the last 8 entries, I found it competitive with the efforts by Aha, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner, Sheryl Crow and Chris Cornell, while not touching Garbage, but of course vastly superior to the two unmentionables, which allowed me to rank it as high as #15.
    However, upon revisiting it's 5 closest competitors, I find it doesn't actually beat any of them, especially not Cornell's (a powerful and underrated Bond theme) Aha, or Gladys Knight. SF does push TND and GE, IMO, but doesn't surpass, so for now I will settle it comfortably as the least of the 20 worthy Bond themes -- but still with potential for modest upward movement, depending on how well it complements the screen presentation and tone of the film, which is what its main purpose is anyway, as opposed to being a stand-alone single.
    SF does evoke the dreamy qualities of such memorable Bond themes as YOLT and MR, however it's still essentially a dreary dirge, that never quite finds it's legs or realizes it's potential. The lame lyrics (when itcrumbles) and needless backing vocals don't help either. While hinting at greatness, the song I think ultimately falls flat and fails to deliver. It seems to get lost in its own lamentations.
    What salvages it though, is that it does at least make an effort to sound like a Bond-song. A sense of ominous foreboding and danger is present, thus it is evocative of John Barry's classic-era Bond originals, done with the likes of Bassey, Nancy Sinatra and Tom Jones, which laid down the vibe for Bond-themes to come and countless imitators. Notable exceptions: the two unmentionables.
    SF is not a bad Bond theme. It does rate inclusion and status with the others. I just don't find it terribly impactful comparatively speaking, and certainly not better than any of the other very worthy entries in the canon.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 4,619
    'SKYFALL' debuts at No. 8 in the US.
    http://www.billboard.com/news/maroon-5-keeps-psy-out-of-hot-100-s-summit-1007976042.story#/news/maroon-5-keeps-psy-out-of-hot-100-s-summit-1007976042.story

    Just for comparison:
    "Another Way to Die" peaked at number 81.
    "You Know My Name" peaked at number 79.
    "Die Another Day" peaked at number 8.
  • MartinBondMartinBond Trying not to muck it up again
    edited October 2012 Posts: 858


    A véry decent instrumental take by someone.
    hart008 wrote:
    does anybody have the file to this version in full

    http://www.midiotmusic.com/MP3transfer/JamesBondTheme-QuantumofSolace.mp3

    Got that one for you.
  • Posts: 1

    I'm very happy with the song. Catchy, dramatic, great singing, cool arrangement. Although I wish once in a while they'd make Bond songs in major keys (Happens rarely but it happens; For Your Eyes Only, Nobody Knows Him Better, License To Kill)

    Here's a cover I made of the new song:
    I played all the instruments but since I don't play the violin or brass instruments the accordion takes care of the drama duties. Oh,and don't shoot me for my lousy after effect work :-)
  • Posts: 7
    I think its ridiculous not being on the soundtrack. Probably because if it was, the single wouldn't sell so well. One plus side though - i won't have to listen to awful Adele when i'm enjoying the score.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 4,622
    Solex wrote:
    I think its ridiculous not being on the soundtrack. Probably because if it was, the single wouldn't sell so well. One plus side though - i won't have to listen to awful Adele when i'm enjoying the score.
    This is simply greed on the part of someone. The soundtrack album gets compromised, shortchanged, so that Adele can sell more singles at the expense of Bond fans who might otherwise simply buy the soundtrack album. It is inexcusable that Eon would bow to such artist pressure. It wasn't too long ago that artists that recorded soundtrack songs did not include them on their own releases. The movie soundtrack had rights. The artist simply released the song as a single but wasn't able to block its inclusion on the soundtrack. Madonna is the first Bond artist that I can think of that actually was able to include her Bond song on one of her own albums, but at least she didn't block the song from also being included on the DAD soundtrack album. I am not an Adele fan. I have no interest in buying her single. I want the SF song included on a SF soundtrack album where I can listen to it within the context of the broader soundtrack, and all on one disc. Is this too much to ask, that the soundtrack album include the most important song on the soundtrack? Shame on Eon. Shame on Adele.
    What I'll do is I'll pick up a used copy of the soundtrack album down the road, on-line or at some used cd store. I do collect the Bond soundtracks, but I don't need this one right away. If the main title track was included though, I would buy it new right away. I'll get the Adele song someday on my next JB Greatest Hits purchase. That's how I got the Chris Cornell song. I don't buy singles. Although I did buy the CR soundtrack new, minus the Cornell song, because I thought this was an anomaly.. that Cornell was being a dick, and that Eon rolled over just this once, as this had never happened before with the main theme. But its happened again-2nd time in 3 films-so this time I'm not playing along. Harrumph! [-( Sometimes you got to take a stand for the consumer and boycott!

  • So good that the Adele song is not on the soundtrack cd. More space for Thomas Newman's score
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