Songs… James (Bond) Songs
Wow, did you hear what happened at the 2022 Oscar Awards Ceremony?
Duh, Will Smith smacked comedian Chris Rock!
No! I was referring to the Best Original Song Award going to yet another James Bond film, it’s the third time in the last 10 years that this has happened!
First in 2012 with Adele’s song “Skyfall;” then in 2016 with Sam Smith’s “Writing’s On The Wall;” and then again this year with Billie Eillish’s “No Time To Die.”
It’s hard to believe a film series getting its music right three times in a row. One might even imagine that Daniel Craig himself has something to do with its success, perhaps in the background playing a magic flute.
In all seriousness, we might think of John Williams and Star Wars when we think of great distinct film music; but what makes the Bond songs so special is that they’re all composed by different artists with different visions. Possibly the only thing connecting each song is their leitmotifs, which stems from the 60s and distinguishing them as unmistakably James Bond.
In honor of the three consecutive wins for Best Original Song won by three different James Bond movies, let’s take a moment to recognize each and learn some interesting facts about them.
We’ll begin with:
“Skyfall” by Adele
Released in 2012 for the film of the same title, it is the first of three Academy Award Winning Original Songs for the film series revolving around the central character and secret agent, James Bond.
The song was written by Adele and Paul Epworth and features orchestration by J.A.C. Redford. Together they aimed to create a song similar to the traditional Bond themes of the past that so accurately captured the mood of the films.
The song’s brass is explosive at times, rich, full of soul and very reminiscent of Monty Norman’s original James Bond theme written in 1962 for Dr. No.
Adele’s voice is strong yet haunting, referencing the title of the film many times throughout the song and with lyrics expressing a final opportunity to complete a mission as the world around crumbles. Interestingly, Adele was nine months pregnant while recording the song and claims to have had to sing in a lower pitch to avoid startling her baby.
According to Songfacts.com it is said that Adele read the entire script of Skyfall before writing a single lyric. Not only that but from the very beginning she was a bit anxious about her ability to write for a Bond movie, expressing her concern to the director Sam Mendez: “I write songs about myself, how can I make a ‘Bond’ song?” Sam replied: “Just write a personal song! Carly Simon’s ‘Nobody Does it Better’ was a love song.”
“Writing’s On The Wall” by Sam Smith
Released in 2015 for the film Spectre, it is the second installment of the award-winning Bond songs.
Written by Sam Smith, this song is often compared to Adele’s “Skyfall” but critics would say that it falls short. Regardless of what the critics say, however, “Writing’s On The Wall” topped UK’s charts at #1, which made it the first ever James Bond theme to do so. Adele’s “Skyfall” and Duran Duran’s “A View To A Kill” previously topping at #2.
According to Songfacts.com, Sam Smith wrote the song in 20 minutes after Barbara Broccoli and Sam Mendes proposed the opportunity. Smith went on to say: “It’s the quickest I’ve ever written a song – it took 20 minutes… and they loved it!” Different to Adele’s process but every artist has their methods. Sometimes inspiration comes like a gust of wind, making its mark and swiftly leaving.
Since this song is often in the shadow of Adele’s “Skyfall,” I would like to mention that I really do like this song as I feel it is more dynamic in both the music and in Smith’s voice, often singing really high. Apart from that, I like that he doesn’t repeat the title of the film throughout the song.
“No Time To Die” by Billie Eillish
The most recent of the Bond songs was released in 2020 for the film of the same title but was awarded to Billie Eillish and her brother Finneas O’Connell at the 2022 Oscar Award Ceremony. The song features orchestration by Hanz Zimmer, a well-known composer famous for composing scores for films such as The Dark Knight, Inception and Interstellar.
At the time of recording the song Billie Eillish was only 17 years old, making her the youngest person to ever record a James Bond theme.
Compared to the other two songs listed above, this one seems to lack brass, instead creating suspense with the use of electric guitars similar to the old Spaghetti Western themes.
“No Time To Die” peaked on the UK charts at #1, making it the second James Bond song to do so.
About these three songs
Listening to these three songs it’s not hard to understand why they all won Academy Awards. They are all highly produced and feature intense orchestration and nostalgia regarding the already successful James Bond films.
Considering that the theme has been referenced in many Bond films since 1962, there’s a required creativity to be able to make something sound similar yet unique in its own way.
While all three songs above are technically “orchestral pop,” each individual artist adds their own uniqueness to it, establishing themselves forever in James Bond history. It must be a privilege to be chosen to compose something so exclusive that only the greatest, most talented artists have had the opportunity to do so.
They’re interesting songs in the fact that during the time they were popular, they popularized orchestral music. Electronic machines to the side, traditional instruments shine again as kings of film music for their ability to convey emotion and suspense.