The best Bond theme that isn't

[biggytitbo]

The disappointing 'The Confessions of Thomas Quick' ends with this rather excellent song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLwAVIUyrkg

that immediately struck me as an almost quintessential Bond theme, one of the less bombastic ones maybe but perfect nonetheless. Even the video is reminiscent of Bond opening titles and the lyrics are a fine rumination on Bond himself.

What other songs make perfect Bond themes, but aren't?

[Brundle-Fly]

I love this. Ali Goldfrapp kicks in after four mins. Just imagine Saul Bass doing the title sequence instead of Maurice Binder for a change?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWemS7WC2_Q&frags=pl%2Cwn

[Thomas]

Tweak the lyrics, and Lana Del Rey's 'Shades of Cool' makes for a better theme than Sam Smith's forgettable, watery offering. It was surely devised as a Bond theme audition single. All guitary at 3:50.

I enjoy this parodical vision of a Moonraker theme by a Sidebottom-sounding David Bowie.

Oh, send me anywhere, to Berlin,
Rio, Tokyo, or Margate
'Your mission today, James Bond, is go and rake the moon'
Eyebrow raises quizzically,
unflappably,
looks down at his digital watch

[greenman]

This with a more PC lyrical reworking for a Sergio Leone Bond made instead of Diamonds are Forever...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmQtO0bVysM

[Dr Rock]

Rolling Stones Street Fighting Man? Contemporaneous Bonds would be You Only Live Twice or From Russia With Love. Probably doesn't fit the movies, oh well.

ABBA - Money Money Money has the right production, lyrics suitably Bondy. Possibly The Day Before You Came would have fitted a non-campy Bond, For Your Eyes Only would be the same time with a very replaceable theme tune.

[greenman]

Gimmie Shelter surely?

[Dr Rock]

That would be my other choice. Hmmm, the lyrics are better though, what with Bond being quite rapey.

[Bad Ambassador]

https://youtu.be/zpaqBXc5MTk

[biggytitbo]

The other obvious one is Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep by Middle of the Road.

[goinggoinggone]

Gold by Spandau Ballet.

[Dr Rock]

Confide In Me by Kylie.

[greenman]

Everything But The Girl - Missing

[biggytitbo]

Confide In Me by Kylie.

That's a very good shout for a Brosnan, which would inevitably be a terrible disappointment after a decent opening.

[mothman]

Obvious, and it did make it into the end credits, but kd lang's Surrender should have been the theme to Tomorrow Never Dies rather than that tedious Sheryl Crow song.

[kitsofan34]

Genuinely not trying to be a contrarian but Tomorrow Never Dies is my favourite Bond theme.

[Dr Rock]

https://youtu.be/zpaqBXc5MTk

Good call but possibly doesn't count because it was for a Batman film. From the YouTube sidebar I'd pick More by The Sisters Of Mercy. 1990 so Licence To Kill is the closest Bond for it.

[colacentral]

Genuinely not trying to be a contrarian but Tomorrow Never Dies is my favourite Bond theme.

I really like it too. Moonraker is excellent too, both the original and the disco version. Both are highly underrated.

In regards to the topic, "Gun Has No Trigger" by Dirty Projectors would be the first answer that springs to my mind.

[biggytitbo]

Genuinely not trying to be a contrarian but Tomorrow Never Dies is my favourite Bond theme.

It's a top ranking bond theme, easily top 5 and best since a View to a Kill I reckon.

[Bad Ambassador]

Good call but possibly doesn't count because it was for a Batman film. From the YouTube sidebar I'd pick More by The Sisters Of Mercy. 1990 so Licence To Kill is the closest Bond for it.

Much as I like the GoldenEye theme, this would have been perfect for that, with its themes of double identity and kicking with the big melody just in time for the title to appear on screen.

[kitsofan34]

thanks guys i feel a lot better now! xx

[buzby]

Sia's Kill And Run from The Great Gatsby soundtrack was basically a tryout for a Bond theme, but they went to Adele instead.

New Order's Angel Dust and it's instrumental dub twin Evil Dust basically scream middle-eastern spy shenanigans (and yes, that's the same Lebanese mountain chantthat was sampled on Byrne & Eno's My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts)

[Kane Jones]

John Grant - Glacier. Goes full-on John Barry towards the end, watery piano arpeggios and string galore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpsehu905W0

[Custard]

Sia - Kill and Run
https://youtu.be/7RmZVf8YgFw

[buzby]

Sia - Kill and Run
https://youtu.be/7RmZVf8YgFw

Sia's Kill And Run from The Great Gatsby soundtrack was basically a tryout for a Bond theme, but they went to Adele instead.

Nice to know someone else appreciates it though. The key change for the final chorus where she really lets go is sublime.

[a duncandisorderly]

this would benefit from a more cinematic arrangement &, with apologies to loretta heywood, a bigger vocal, but the song is pure bond-theme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bac8pAmJL08

[Attila]

Oh, Ringo, if only you didn't compose so slowly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd8fOouKiLc

[a duncandisorderly]

Oh, Ringo, if only you didn't compose so slowly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd8fOouKiLc

oh, that's poor. v.poor.

[Dyl Spinks]

Moz has a good few:

My Love, I'd do Anything For You
To Give is the Reason I Live (Frankie Valli cover)
Interlude (sans Siouxie)

I like Springsteen's song Life Itself as a Bond-esque kind of thing, too.

My favourite piece of Bond music is Four Tet's Crawl, End Crawl from Quantum of Solace. Genius.

[thraxx]

Peanut Dispenser, by Gorky's.

Any Gorky's song in fact.

[Ornlu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vapzbk7gmbc