The Somewhat Delayed Song Thread

[cloughie]

Nancy, yes - not sure about Sheena; the Bond films without a Barry score were never as good, IMO. I'd vote for Thunderball well before FYEO - and the rest of the score, too; that haunting alto flute theme made the otherwise tedious slow-motion underwater scenes riveting!

Thunderball - yes, Tom at his young and hungry best.

[Lat-Literal]

Less obvious Bassey:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt3oQN0cAv0

... and the weakest of the '60s Bonds has one of the best theme songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e_2_kVrSuI

... oh! And not forgetting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7KMMxAQp8I

Weird Al Yankovic.

The first two are spot on. You are right about "Moonraker" not being obvious. It is a pity that it is often forgotten but it is more restrained than some. There is a really fascinating Wikipedia entry for it which includes this - "Frank Sinatra was considered for the vocals, before Johnny Mathis was approached and offered the opportunity. Mathis was unhappy about the song and withdrew from the project, leaving the producers scrambling for a replacement. Kate Bush declined, so John Barry offered the song to Bassey within just weeks of the release date". And as I am sure you know, the lyrics in both songs are by Hal David on sabbatical from Burt Bacharach. Thanks to everyone for other great suggestions too.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

And as I am sure you know, the lyrics in both songs are by Hal David on sabbatical from Burt Bacharach.

I didn't know! (I'd "registered" it as another Don Black ) And I didn't know the Sinatra connection, either - but now I do, I can "hear" that voice singing it: and it's just perfect for it - 'tho' not, perhaps, by 1979 when it would have been recorded!

PS - Hold On!!! KATE BUSH???!!!

[Lat-Literal]

I didn't know! (I'd "registered" it as another Don Black ) And I didn't know the Sinatra connection, either - but now I do, I can "hear" that voice singing it: and it's just perfect for it - 'tho' not, perhaps, by 1979 when it would have been recorded!

PS - Hold On!!! KATE BUSH???!!!

Yep.

It could be the only time when Frank Sinatra and Kate Bush were considered alongside each other.

The latter's debut, "Wuthering Heights", was a 1978 record so that just about explains it - timing!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes - and I suppose The Man With the Child in His Eyes might have made a subversive contribution to the Bond "image"!

[teamsaint]

no votes for Duran Duran then?

here's Shirley on good form

[Lat-Literal]

Yes - and I suppose The Man With the Child in His Eyes might have made a subversive contribution to the Bond "image"!

Yes indeed.

no votes for Duran Duran then?

here's Shirley on good form

Nice. As we are on Shirl, I have seen her live once. That was in a Somerset field where I also saw Tony Bennett. We were amazed at just how sturdy they were, since when they have continued on (for ages). To try to bring it back into the fold just a little, it was the Electric Proms show where there questions beforehand about whether just too many years had passed. "The Performance" CD with which it coincided wasn't easy for her given that she was being asked to sing compositions by, among others, Richard Hawley, the Pet Shop Boys and the Manic Street Preachers. The documentary about that project is a fascinating "watch". Both album and concert turned out to be a success, albeit allowing for age. And while the songs by the mentioned artists are generally the ones named and all were pretty good, it was the lesser known Tom Baxter's one that, to my mind, was the strongest:

Shirley Bassey -

Almost There - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVqYRaOCMvs

and the rather different version by its writer...............

Tom Baxter -

Almost There - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BZ21SQzk9I

[teamsaint]

Yes - and I suppose The Man With the Child in His Eyes might have made a subversive contribution to the Bond "image"!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

no votes for Duran Duran then?

Well - I can't find a solo, but this Trio suggests that he's not suited to the Bond idiom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TOaWYOvZAI

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

[Lat-Literal]

Oh yes. I've just got it. That's totally brilliant teamsaint.

Think we know where the '79 Broccoli heads were now.

[Lat-Literal]

So then, what connects "Ticket To Ride", "Summer Breeze", "Send In The Clowns", "I Shot the Sheriff" and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"? They were all featured in the BBC World Service's very strange if memorable series "Pedagogical Pop" which enabled students across the globe to speak English by analysing every single word in a popular song:

Isley Brothers - Summer Breeze - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T88fbHOmvRk

http://dxinternational.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/english-by-radio-pedagogical-pop-and.html

(Unfortunately the links don't work but if anyone can find a snippet I would be very keen to hear it again)

[Lat-Literal]

.........No one. Ah well, this is my antidote to all of that "middle of the road". The best album from the immediate post-punk era, in my humble opinion, wasn't punk at all but rather a strange concoction across six sides of vinyl that was panned by almost every critic at the time. Released six days before my eighteenth birthday, I was struck by its unexpected intelligence and variety and it has left a lasting impression on me. Bizarrely, it is also Boris Johnson's favourite "rock/pop" album but we won't hold that against it:

The Clash - Charlie Don't Surf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1lc4rqh7ZU

The Clash - Up In Heaven (Not Only Here)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfMA9nYzo2M

The Clash - Washington Bullets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1LhlVtbW_U

The Clash - Something About England

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUnV-486qTk

All from "Sandinista" by The Clash

[Lat-Literal]

Anyways, the most sophisticated western pop song of all time was, of course, written in 1934 by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. Fact!

Here is the obvious version but there are many great, and arguably better, recordings and I would very much welcome suggestions:

Art Garfunkel - I Only Have Eyes For You - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-ikfwXOtqE

[Lat-Literal]

Erm, right, well there are these:

Carmen McRae - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=879IbR6S8-E

Forester Sisters - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w70lg6JWAVs

Mercury Rev - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tc1CwA8wbQ

Lester Bowie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMyGAs-ZNYc

..............and lots more!