Exploring the "The Sound of 007"

One of the most distinctive aspects of the James Bond films, aside from the spectacular stunts, exotic locales, beautiful women and of course, the different actors portraying Bond, is the music. The title songs and musical scores for the 007 series are often as memorable as the films themselves. Artists like Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney & Wings, Chris Cornell and Adele have all contributed title songs to the series, and composers like John Barry, Marvin Hamlisch and David Arnold have composed scores to the movies. A new documentary, The Sound of 007, currently streaming on Amazon Prime, explores the history of 007 music through a series of new and archival interviews with Barry, Hamlisch, current Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, and artists like Billie Eilish, Tina Turner and Jack White.

The film is a comprehensive look at the history of music in the Bond franchise throughout its 60 year history, beginning with Dr. No (1962), the first entry in the series, right up until the most recent film, No Time To Die (2021). Along the way, there are insightful interviews and comments about the creation of the music for the films, including the now iconic 007 Theme. There are also some cool behind the scenes stories about the creation of the title songs in the Bond saga, including Goldfinger, Thunderball and Diamonds are Forever. Since the film was produced around the time of No Time To Die's release, there's a significant amount of behind the scenes coverage for the recording of the title tune for that film, and its score by Hans Zimmer, as well as a look at the songs for the rest of Daniel Craig's tenure as Bond. 

The James Bond franchise has been around for six decades now, and interesting to see how the films (and their music), have adapted to the changes in musical styles throughout the years. The Sound of 007 also includes some fantastic performance clips of artists like Shirley Bassey, Louis Armstrong and Paul McCartney performing their classic Bond theme songs. There are some title songs that are given surprisingly brief coverage, like Sheena Easton's "For Your Eyes Only," but with 60 years of Bond music to explore, it's understandable that some songs might get a bit less focus. The documentary does not cover the "unofficial" Bond films, the 1967 spoof Casino Royale, or Sean Connery's return to the role in 1983's Never Say Never Again, neither of which was released by Eon Productions, the producers of the official Bond series.

The Sound of 007 is a fascinating and insightful look behind the scenes of one of the most enduring series in cinema history. What you will discover while watching this engrossing documentary is just how integral the music is to the character of James Bond, and how it absolutely helps to define his onscreen persona. And you'll hear some great stories about some of the most enduring and memorable film music of the last six decades. The film, directed by Mat Whitecross, is a must see for 007 fans. There's a companion program, also streaming on Amazon Prime, The Sound of 007: Live From The Royal Albert Hall, featuring artists like Shirley Bassey and Paloma Faith performing some of the theme songs from the films in the series. The Sound of 007 is now available for viewing on Amazon Prime. Here's the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcs5icPCTnI.