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MI6 previews the new book by Jon Burlingame that
charts the fifty year history of James Bond title
themes and soundtracks...
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The Music of James Bond - Book Preview
6th March 2012 / 11th September 2012
The Music of James Bond - Jon Burlingame
The story of the music that accompanies the cinematic adventures
of Ian Fleming's intrepid Agent 007 is one of surprising real-life
drama. In The Music of James Bond, author Jon Burlingame throws
open studio and courtroom doors alike to reveal the full and
extraordinary history of the sounds of James Bond, spicing the
story with a wealth of fascinating and previously undisclosed
tales.
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Burlingame devotes a chapter to each Bond
film, providing the backstory for the music (including
a reader-friendly
analysis of each score) from the last-minute creation of
the now-famous "James Bond Theme" in Dr. No to
John Barry's trend-setting early scores for such films
as Goldfinger and Thunderball. We learn how synthesizers,
disco and modern electronica techniques played a role
in subsequent scores, and how composer David Arnold reinvented
the Bond sound for the 1990s and beyond.
The book brims with behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Burlingame
examines the decades-long controversy over authorship of
the Bond theme; how Frank Sinatra almost sang the title
song for Moonraker; and how top artists like Shirley Bassey,
Tom Jones, Paul McCartney, Carly Simon, Duran Duran, Gladys
Knight, Tina Turner and Madonna turned Bond songs into
chart-topping hits.
The author shares the untold stories
of how Eric Clapton played guitar for Licence to Kill
but saw his work shelved, and how Amy Winehouse very nearly
co-wrote and sang the theme for Quantum of Solace. |
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New interviews with many Bond songwriters and composers, coupled
with extensive research as well as fascinating and previously
undiscovered details - temperamental artists, unexpected hits,
and the convergence of great music and unforgettable imagery
- make The Music of James Bond a must read for 007 buffs and
all popular music fans.
Reviews
"Jon Burlingame provides the intriguing and often fascinating
story behind the one heretofore neglected aspect of the James
Bond phenomenon: the soundtracks and the incredibly talented
people behind them. The Music of James Bond manages to be exhaustively
researched, yet highly entertaining. Those of us who pride ourselves
on being 007 scholars will be humbled by the wealth of new insights
the author reveals. With this indispensable book, Burlingame
reaffirms his status as one of the world's foremost experts on
motion picture soundtracks." --Lee Pfeiffer, co-author,
The Incredible World of 007 and The Essential Bond, and Editor-in-Chief,
Cinema Retro Magazine
"At last, a worthy historical analysis of 007 that finally
puts the music in the spotlight; often neglected and overlooked,
John Barry's distinctive sound played a pivotal part in defining
James Bond's screen persona. Jon Burlingame's incredibly detailed
account successfully threads together the full story, and in
doing so, reveals more twists and turns than an Ian Fleming novel. --Geoff Leonard and Pete Walker, co-authors, John Barry: The
Man With the Midas Touch
