A View to a Kill (song)
| A view to kill | |
|---|---|
| Duran Duran | |
| publication | May 6, 1985 |
| length | 3:37 |
| Genre (s) | Synthpop , new wave , movie song |
| Author (s) | Duran Duran, John Barry , Jason Corsaro |
| Producer (s) | Bernard Edwards |
| Label | Parlophone |
| album | A View To A Kill (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |
| Cover versions | |
| 1985 | VSOP |
| 1985 | DJ's Factory |
| 1997 | Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson |
| 2002 | Lost prophets |
| 2005 | Diablo |
| 2008 | Northern Kings |
A View to a Kill is a 1985 song by Duran Duran written by the band and John Barry . The piece is also the soundtrack to the film James Bond 007 - In the Face of Death .
John Barry and Duran Duran were nominated for the song at the 1986 Golden Globe Awards for Best Movie Song .
history
According to legend, Duran-Duran bassist Nigel John Taylor and film producer Albert R. Broccoli met at a party. Taylor, slightly drunk, asked Broccoli when he would finally hire someone sensible to record one of the James Bond theme songs. This is supposed to have actually led to Broccoli being introduced to the band to James Bond composer John Barry and Jonathan Elias .
Duran Duran had a completely free hand when it came to songwriting. Who had how much influence on the song is considered controversial today. The type of collaboration is also described differently. The singer Simon Le Bon remembered that the keyboardist Nick Rhodes had the initial idea, while the guitarist Andy Taylor said that the first rough version was by John Taylor. Barry listened to their ideas, collected and evaluated them. According to Le Bon's version, Barry was discreet with the assistance and had little influence on the actual composition, but made sure with his ideas that the songwriting was done quickly. This contrasts with Barry's memories of saying he spent more than two weeks in the rehearsal room with the band, especially since the band was deeply divided at the time. John and Andy Taylor, on the other hand, recalled tension between Barry and keyboardist Nick Rhodes, who both had different visions of the song.
After the band wrote the song, Barry took care of the final arrangement. In fact, A View to a Kill was the last song the band recorded with a classic line-up. In 1986 John Taylor and Andy Taylor left the band and formed Power Station .
A View to a Kill was eventually recorded at Maison Rouge Studio and CTS Studios in London. A 60-piece orchestra accompanied the recordings. The song was produced by Bernard Edwards , Duran Duran and Jason Corsaro .
A View to a Kill was released as a single on May 6, 1985 on the Parlophone label. On the B-side was the instrumental title That Fatal Kiss by John Barry.
Music style and text
Musically it is funk- influenced synthpop in the typical style of Duran Duran. The tempo is 125 bpm . In addition to keyboard, guitar, bass and drums, a string orchestra is also used musically. A Fairlight CMI was used to generate the sharp, staccato-like orchestral beats, while the real string orchestra generated the atmospheric soundscape.
The text is shaped by the film title and depicts an intimate and erotic relationship with a person who is not mentioned. The language is rich in images and creates a rather mysterious mood. In terms of vocals, Simon Le Bon uses a rather soft vocals in the stanzas, while the chorus has a more energetic effect through the use of the chest voice .
Music video
Kevin Godley and Lol Creme ( Godley & Creme ) directed the video, released in 1985. The video contains both scenes from the film and scenes based on the style of the film with Duran Duran in the lead roles. It was actually the first Bond song to make use of the music video medium .
In the music video itself, Duran Duran play various agents. Roger and Andy Taylor, who later left the group, acted against the remaining three members, which in hindsight looks like an announcement of the approaching separation. At the beginning of the clip, Roger Taylor sends cameras around the Eiffel Tower from a probe , and Nick Rhodes takes pictures with his spy cam. In the clip, Taylor plays James Bond's ( Roger Moore ) assistant while shooting May Day ( Grace Jones ) with a camouflaged weapon. Meanwhile Andy Taylor attacks Simon Le Bon with his Sonic accordion and causes his camera to explode. In the end, a woman recognizes Simon Le Bon, who introduces himself with the words "Bon, Simon Le Bon." Shortly afterwards, a postcard of the Eiffel Tower explodes.
The video was shot over three days in Paris in July 1985. After Girls on Film , it is the second collaboration with the directing duo.
success
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The song became a number one hit in the United States , Canada , Sweden, and Italy . In Germany it only reached number 9, while in the UK it reached number 2. This makes it one of the British band's greatest hits. With number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 , it also has a special position among the James Bond theme songs. Paul McCartney 's Wings -Song Live and Let Die and Carly Simon Nobody Does It Better only reached the 2nd place.
Albums
The song was released on the official 1985 soundtrack album. Over the years it has also appeared on the following compilation albums:
- 1986: Duran Duran - Duran Duran Story
- 1989: Duran Duran - Decade
- 1992: The Best of James Bond - 30th Anniversary Collection
- 1998: Duran Duran - Greatest
- 1999: The Best of Bond ... James Bond
- 2003: Duran Duran - The Singles 81-85
- 2004: Duran Duran - The Singles 1986–1995
- 2011: Duran Duran - 10 Great Songs
- 2012: Duran Duran - Greatest Hits on CD & DVD
- 2012: Duran Duran - The Biggest & The Best
- 2012: Duran Duran - Best of
Since its release, the song has been part of the standard program in the band's live program. They also played it on their appearance on Live Aid 1985 , the last performance in the original line-up. Live versions of Duran Duran are featured on the following albums:
- 2003: Encore Series
- 2005: Live from London
- 2010: Live At The Beacon Theater (NYC, August 31, 1987)
- 2010: BBC In Concert: Manchester Apollo, 25th April 1989
- 2011: Live! - Rome - 12th May 2011
- 2011: Live 2011 (A Diamond In The Mind)
- 2017: Thanksgiving Live - The Ultra Chrome, Latex And Steel Tour
- 2018: Budokan
In contrast to the usual publishing practice at the time, a single remix of the song was never released. It was not until November 21, 2014 that a remix version was released via the James Bond fansite M16, which was attributed to Steve Thompson . This is a 12 '' extended version that lasts 7:35 minutes. The version is said to have been recorded with the entire band except for John Taylor.
Cover versions
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The song was covered in the year of its release. On the one hand by the jazz band VSOP , on the other hand also by the Eurodance band DJ's Factory , which reached number 22 in the German charts.
Shirley Bassey's 1987 version, which she recorded for the album The Bond Collection , which was never officially released, has a special position . The album was released twice against the will of the artist, who was not satisfied with the recordings.
Metal versions were released by the death metal band Diablo and the supergroup Northern Kings .
Overview
- 1985: VSOP
- 1985: DJ's Factory
- 1987: Shirley Bassey
- 1997: Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson
- 1997: Gob ( The Duran Duran Tribute Album , Mojo Records)
- 1998: Transmutator (Remix on Bond Beat & Bass - The Elektronika James Bond Themes )
- 1999: Custard
- 2002: Lost prophets
- 2005: Diablo
- 2008: Northern Kings
- 2008: Skye
- 2010: Måns Zelmerlöw (live at Melodifestivalen 2010 )
occupation
- Main vocals: Simon Le Bond
- Guitar: Andy Taylor
- Bass: John Taylor
- Keyboards: Nick Rhodes
- Drums: Roger Taylor
Individual evidence
- ↑ Golden Globes, USA (1986). In: IMDb. Retrieved March 3, 2019 .
- ↑ David Ehrlich, Rolling Stone: James Bond Movie Theme Songs, Ranked Worst to Best. In: Rolling Stone. November 2, 2015, Retrieved March 3, 2019 (American English).
- ^ Jon Burlingame: The Music of James Bond . OUP USA, 2012, ISBN 978-0-19-986330-3 , pp. 174 (English, limited preview in Google Book Search).
- ^ A b c Robert G. Weiner, B. Lynn Whitfield, Jack Becker: James Bond in World and Popular Culture: The Films are Not Enough, Second Edition . Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2012, ISBN 978-1-4438-4384-3 , pp. 137 (English, limited preview in Google Book search).
- ↑ MR. KISS KISS BANG BANG! BOND BY BARRY. (part 2 of 2). (No longer available online.) In: ianfleming.org. November 28, 1999, archived from the original ; accessed on March 3, 2019 .
- ^ Jon Burlingame: The Music of James Bond . OUP USA, 2012, ISBN 978-0-19-986330-3 (English, limited preview in Google Book Search).
- ↑ a b c Annie Zaleski: Duran Duran's “A View To A Kill” propelled James Bond into the modern world. In: music.avclub.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019 (American English).
- ^ Duran Duran "Roger Remembers the Recording of Duran Duran's" A View to A Kill. In: duranduran.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Songfacts: A View To A Kill by Duran Duran - Songfacts. In: Songfacts. Accessed March 3, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Happy Anniversary: Duran Duran, “A View to a Kill”. In: Rhino. Retrieved March 3, 2019 .
- ↑ Duran Duran - A View To A Kill. In: Discogs . Retrieved March 3, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c Christofer Jost: A View to a Kill. In: Song Lexicon. Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg , accessed on March 3, 2019 .
- ↑ Music video on YouTube
- ↑ Administrator: Duranalysis: Duran Duran's A View to a Kill. In: Morgan Richter. April 10, 2011, Retrieved March 3, 2019 (American English).
- ↑ A Madcap Video Shoot in Paris Yields a View to Kill For: The Five Faces of Duran Duran. In: People . Accessed March 3, 2019 .
- ↑ Charts DE Charts AT Charts CH Charts UK Charts US
- ↑ Duran Duran. In: 80s80s radio. Retrieved March 3, 2019 .
- ^ A 12-inch mix of Duran Duran's "A View To A Kill" emerges | superdeluxeedition. Retrieved March 3, 2019 (American English).
- ↑ Chart tracking: DE . Retrieved March 3, 2019
- ↑ Pieter: James Bond -A View To A Kill-. In: Shirley Bassey Blog. September 21, 2017, accessed March 3, 2019 .
- ↑ Veteranernas kväll i Örebro. In: Helsingborgs Dagblad . Retrieved March 3, 2019 .