This topic is part of the weekly 6000 songs, 6000 opinions. In this, every week another song from the Acclaimed Music song top 6000 is selected for discussion. The song is chosen completely at random, through random.org, making the selections hopefully very varied. The only other rule in this is that after an artist has had a turn, he can’t appear for another ten weeks. The idea for this topic came to me because I wanted to think of a way to engage more actively with the very large top 6000 songs that Henrik has compiled for us, while still keeping it accessible and free of any game elements. Yes, that’s right, no game elements. You are free to rate the song each week, but I’ll do nothing with this rating. I want it to be about people’s personal reviews and hopefully discussions. So in reverse to other topics on this site I say: “Please comment on this song, rating is optional”.
Earlier entries of this series can be found here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3065&p=45337&hilit=archive#p45337
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“Pretty girl, beware of this heart of gold/ this heart is cold”
36. Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger
The facts:
Year: 1964.
Genre: Bond song.
Country: United Kingdom.
From the album: Goldfinger.
Acclaimed Music ranking: #3119.
Song ranking on Acclaimed Music in the artist’s discography: 1st.
Ranks higher than William, It Was Really Nothing by The Smiths, but lower than Glass Jar by Gang Gang Dance.
Place in the Acclaimed Music Song Poll 2015: Unranked.
The people:
Produced by George Martin.
Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley.
Composed by John Barry.
Vocals by Shirley Bassey.
Guitar by Vic Flick.*
Saxophone by John Scott.
* This is speculated. The recording sessions for this song took a long time and John Barry, who kept being unsatisfied with the results, kept revolving many session musicians around (including Jimmy Page!). It has never become clear which artists actually appeared on the released recording, outside of saxophonist John Scott and of course Shirley Bassey. This is also the reason why this artist credit list is incomplete. It is usually thought that Vic Flick did the ultimate guitar line, but it is by no means a sure thing. He played guitar on all the other tracks of the Goldfinger soundtrack, however.
The opinion:
One of my favourite elements of movies and especially action blockbusters, is a great title sequence. A good one warms you up, gets you in the mood for what is about to come. No series has had the title sequence as such an important part of its DNA than the James Bond movies. It is always the part I look forward to the most when in the cinema, even if the sequences themselves don’t vary all that much. Images of guns and sexy women, usually bathed in dark or fire-red colours, accompanied by a song that is either full of death, sex or romance: it’s all I need.
Of course, this love for these title sequences goes hand in hand with a love for the Bond songs. I love most of the official Bond tracks, but also a lot of songs from other artists that could have been Bond songs, like much of the works by Lana Del Rey, Portishead or Dutch artist Kovacs (a Shirley Bassey sound-alike who namechecked the British singer in her own hit Diggin’) or individual songs like Supremacy by Muse or even Trust in Me as sung by Scarlett Johansson in the recent remake of The Jungle Book.
Everybody has his or her favourite Bond song, but Shirley Bassey’s Goldfinger is unarguably the most iconic Bond track, no matter if Paul McCartney’s Live and Let Die is more famous. Goldfinger captures the idea of what a Bond song is in its most full form. Sure, the song might borrow heavily from jazz, but Bond Song has become a subgenre unto itself and without Goldfinger this likely wouldn’t have happened.
A word needs to be said here in defence of From Russia With Love by Sinatra sound-alike Matt Monro, released a year later. That is the first Bond song and actually captures much of the sound that Barry and Bassey would perfect with Goldfinger. The simmering jazz feel, the sense of adventure and the feel for romance are already there with Monro, even if he sings more relaxed than any other Bond singer after him. I think From Russia With Love is an underrated song, even if Goldfinger is superior.
Goldfinger is also quite a weird track. Even the lyricists thought so and had little enthusiasm for it. Harry Saltzmann, producer of the Goldfinger film, was even less happy with it and wanted it out of the movie. Let’s face it: the lyrics are delirious. They consist of a description of the dangerous personality of the titular bad guy. Just like the portrayal of Auric Goldfinger by actor Gert Fröbe is cartoonish (in a good way), the lyrics paint a picture of a guy who is almost a caricature of a cold-hearted man. That it is also told as a warning to innocent girls is even wackier. It is no wonder that many people had problems with imagining these lines actually being sung.
John Barry had already conducted for Shirley Bassey during her concerts and thought she might be up for it. It was a bulls-eye, because Bassey had an enormous sense for larger-than-life drama. Only someone who was as unafraid for pure camp like Bassey could possibly give the song its big feel that is a mix of dangerous love and pure menace. Bassey is said to have almost fainted after doing those famous high notes that end the track, but the result is impeccable. Sure, the song is camp, but it also glorious camp. It is like an old-fashioned boy’s comic book been set to music, but it is the type of boy’s comic book that doesn’t make you want to grow up. Bassey gave an impossible song class and distinction and as such made it impossible to ever release a Bond film without a song.
Of course, there have been quite a few excursions in other territories for Bond tracks. Live and Let Die was the first attempt to do a full-on rock track and it is great. The songs were never shy to appeal to current pop, as witness the efforts by Duran Duran (the wonderful A View to a Kill), a-ha (the surprisingly good The Living Daylights) or last year’s decent Writing’s On the Wall by Sam Smith. Yet even these songs have some of the Barry-Bassey formula in their DNA. The only song that doesn’t is Die Another Day by Madonna, which is therefore universally hated by every fan of Bond songs (I despise it too). These excursions are necessary and fun, but usually they are followed by a return to tradition. In most cases they are showcases for women with an extraordinary powerful voice, like Tina Turner (GoldenEye, my personal favourite), Adele (the equally good Skyfall) and Gladys Knight (the disappointing Licence to Kill).
Not only did this song dictate the future of Bond songs, it would also influence Bassey herself. Though she was already popular in the UK, this song cemented her place internationally and she would continue to release songs in a similar sound for years. Of course she did two more official Bond tracks. The first, Diamonds are Forever, is as good as Goldfinger, but the second, Moonraker is a huge disappointment and if you ask me one of the worst Bond songs. Bassey also recorded Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang for Thunderball, but it was decided to go with a title track featuring Tom Jones instead. That song, by the way, is probably the most formulaic of all Bond tracks, a half-copy of Goldfinger (including lyrics about the bad guy), but now sung by a man. Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was released independently of the film. It is okay if you ask me, but not as good as Thunderball.
Shirley Bassey would have many more hits in the UK, some in the rest of Europe and none in the US. Yet, only now I’ve listened to her work outside of Bond and her two other famous songs (This Is My Life and Big Spender) and there is a lot to love there. Highly recommended to anyone who likes Bassey’s voice, based on Goldfinger. Her covers of The Doors’ Light My Fire and The Beatles’ Something are especially good and her take on I (Who Have Nothing) is truly moving.
9/10
Other versions:
There are a lot of covers of Goldfinger, though the AM-ranked Ash song with the same title has nothing to do with it. Many of the songs are instrumental. In fact John Barry himself released an instrumental in 1965. The funny thing is that this reveals that the opening indeed sounds a lot like Moon River, as the lyricists initially said it did (something that was lately muffled by the addition of the saxophone in the opening).
Other instrumentals are by jazz legend Count Basie (a natural fit), a live rock rendition by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (a good showcase for their skills) and the Bohüslan Big Band (which I use here as a placeholder for countless similar efforts). Most notable is the one who Billy Strange, which charted alongside the Bassey original.
The vocal covers usually feature a woman with a strong voice. The best is actually from 2016: a rock version by the Finnish Tarja. It’s really glorious, so check it out. Chaka Khan and Sharon Jones are also reliable. Céline Dion mangled it too, but thank goodness it is not on Spotify, so I don’t have to force it on you. Want a male version and want a metal version? Look no further than the recording by Finnish cult band The Leningrad Cowboys. It’s strangely effective. Apparently, Goldfinger is popular in Finland, because singer Eino Grön also did a translated cover of it called Hän Vaatty, though I haven’t been able to locate it. To finish things up and bring everything full circle: there is a remix by Propellerheads of the Bassey version that is good fun.
The playlist:
6000 Songs: Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger
- Rob
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6000 Songs: Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger
Last edited by Rob on Sun Jun 26, 2016 9:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: 6000 Songs: Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger
I adore it! One of my favorites. And I have four Bond songs in my top 500 favorite songs, including "Goldfinger". "Die Another Day" would probably land in the top 750, though, and rank as my sixth favorite Bond song of all time. It brilliantly rips the foundation of the Bond theme songs, ending up polarizing a lot of fans, and is one of the only two good things about the title movie itself. (And, yes, I did just reveal my enormous crush on Halle Berry.)Rob wrote:Yet even these songs have some of the Barry-Bassey formula in their DNA. The only song that doesn't is Die Another Day by Madonna, which is therefore universally hated by every fan of Band songs (I despise it too).
You're right. It is not as good as Thunderball, but Dionne Warwick's is better. As you said, Tom Jones' song just sounds like a half-version of "Goldfinger", while Dionne Warwick's song, while maintaining some of "Goldfinger"'s qualities, sings about Mr. Bond's traits, while insanely being mad in love with him but at the same time, despising him. Sounds familiar?Rob wrote:Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was released independently of the film. It is okay if you ask me, but not as good as Thunderball.
It really is, but that opening "Where are you?" is magical and gives me goosebumps. I think the song would have worked a little better if it wasn't sung by Shirley Bassey, even though she was practically the only person available to sing the song at such short notice, despite that magical "Where are you?"Rob wrote:Moonraker is a huge disappointment and if you ask me one of the worst Bond songs.
Rob, have you heard the song she and David Arnold submitted for Quantum of Solace? I think it is an interesting juxtaposition between her youthful vocals heard on "Goldfinger" and the older, lower vocals on "No Good About Goodbye". I understand why the producers decided to go with Amy Winehouse (until her drug problems started affecting the song), but this song blows Jack White and Alicia Keys' song out of the water.
And, Rob, you forgot to mention the best Bond song of them all, "Nobody Does It Better". Haha. But the thing about Bond songs is it can be seriously polarizing on which Bond song is the best of them all, and that is the beauty of the songs.
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Re: 6000 Songs: Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger
I know it has it's defender among fans of electronic dance-pop (I like the genre, but still not this song), but I think part of the reasons why most Bond-fans don't take to it is that it just doesn't catch the right feeling. It might be "a rip on the foundation of the Bond theme songs", but who wants a rip when you should be getting the real deal? This is an official Bond song after all. What Die Another Day especially lacks is atmosphere. There are several feelings that a good Bond song can emit, mostly a sense of danger (Goldfinger, Goldeneye) and action (Live and Let Die, A View to a Kill) or else perhaps a wistful romance (You Only Live Twice, For Your Eyes Only) or light eroticism (Diamonds Are Forever, Tomorrow Never Dies). Whatever the case, there is always a feeling of high drama. Die Another Day lacks any of those feeling and has no drama. It's a cold piece of plastic. Plastic is not always a bad thing in music, but it is not James Bond.babydoll wrote:I adore it! One of my favorites. And I have four Bond songs in my top 500 favorite songs, including "Goldfinger". "Die Another Day" would probably land in the top 750, though, and rank as my sixth favorite Bond song of all time. It brilliantly rips the foundation of the Bond theme songs, ending up polarizing a lot of fans, and is one of the only two good things about the title movie itself.Rob wrote:Yet even these songs have some of the Barry-Bassey formula in their DNA. The only song that doesn't is Die Another Day by Madonna, which is therefore universally hated by every fan of Band songs (I despise it too).
I hadn't heard it yet, but now I have it. It is very good, if a bit predictable. I would love to have heard Winehouse's take on it. It's a shame about Jack White and Alicia Keys though. In theory both are perfect for Bond, but somehow the song didn't work. It's my least favorite after Die Another Day.Rob, have you heard the song she and David Arnold submitted for Quantum of Solace? I think it is an interesting juxtaposition between her youthful vocals heard on "Goldfinger" and the older, lower vocals on "No Good About Goodbye". I understand why the producers decided to go with Amy Winehouse (until her drug problems started affecting the song), but this song blows Jack White and Alicia Keys' song out of the water.
Well, I couldn't fit in every Bond song in a natural way. I've heard quite a few people say now that Nobody Does It Better is the best of the bunch, but I would rank it somewhere in the middle, actually. Still a good song, but not a stand-out if you ask me.And, Rob, you forgot to mention the best Bond song of them all, "Nobody Does It Better". Haha. But the thing about Bond songs is it can be seriously polarizing on which Bond song is the best of them all, and that is the beauty of the songs.
I actually wanted to do a Bond-song poll here on AM just before Spectre came out, but never got around on setting it up. Maybe, sometime in the future. Could be fun.
Re: 6000 Songs: Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger
On the first topic, my heart nearly stopped when I read that. No Bond song has brilliantly captured the sensual nature of the series. Most people rightfully think it's an oversexed series, but what "Nobody Does It Better" does is inject a human instinct into such plastic characters. Interestingly, I loved that you criticized "Die Another Day" for being "plastic" when in reality, the characters are plastic themselves, no change in emotional depth, there for conventional filmmaking's purposes.Rob wrote:Well, I couldn't fit in every Bond song in a natural way. I've heard quite a few people say now that Nobody Does It Better is the best of the bunch, but I would rank it somewhere in the middle, actually. Still a good song, but not a stand-out if you ask me.babydoll wrote:And, Rob, you forgot to mention the best Bond song of them all, "Nobody Does It Better". Haha. But the thing about Bond songs is it can be seriously polarizing on which Bond song is the best of them all, and that is the beauty of the songs.
I actually wanted to do a Bond-song poll here on AM just before Spectre came out, but never got around on setting it up. Maybe, sometime in the future. Could be fun.
And you should do a poll! Or maybe Bleu as a part of the "artist" thing, for really Bond music is like an artist of its own. I'm hoping Blondie's "For Your Eyes Only" will finally get its dues (it is infinitely better than Sheena Easton's) as well as Radiohead (infinitely, infinitely better than Sam Smith's).
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Re: 6000 Songs: Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger
That's mostly true of course (though the Craig-films have changed this slightly), but I like many Bond songs more than the film, because they contain that amount of grotesque drama. Even the lesser ones have it, except Die Another Day.babydoll wrote:Interestingly, I loved that you criticized "Die Another Day" for being "plastic" when in reality, the characters are plastic themselves, no change in emotional depth, there for conventional filmmaking's purposes.
Perhaps I will do the Bond poll soon. I haven't had much time for these forums the last few weeks so I'm not aware of any "artist" plans by BleuPanda, but I will hopefully catch up one of these days.
Re: 6000 Songs: Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger
It has drama and it has character. It's full of defiance, something that relates very well to Bond's time in the North Korean prison. It is his face being slammed down into the water that opens the intro. "It's not my time to go" could easily be Bond's motto; throughout the series in its various stages, the character is a bit reckless, but he always survives, choosing to "die another day." It's a strength; it's pure defiance. Even the song's "plastic-ness" reveals the emptiness of his life, only satisfied by sex, telling Freud to "analyze this". Even though you may despise that song, and I certainly can respect that, it is wrong to say this song doesn't have a purpose in the series. Madonna knows the purpose of Bond to the audience, but the song in itself reveals far more about the character Bond than he and the audience knows.Rob wrote:That's mostly true of course (though the Craig-films have changed this slightly), but I like many Bond songs more than the film, because they contain that amount of grotesque drama. Even the lesser ones have it, except Die Another Day.babydoll wrote:Interestingly, I loved that you criticized "Die Another Day" for being "plastic" when in reality, the characters are plastic themselves, no change in emotional depth, there for conventional filmmaking's purposes.
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Re: 6000 Songs: Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger
In a way I got all of these things, but to me it only highlights that Madonna doesn't want to play along with Bond, doesn't want to believe in the fantasy. That's all nice and welcome and deconstructions have their place, but not in an actual Bond movie. Sure, the plastic sound captures the plastic feel of this particular film, but here it was also a problem of the film itself. I prefer something like Diamonds Are Forever, which is in my eyes as a film is equally as awful as Die Another Day, but at least we get Bassey delivering the sexiness and the tension that the film fails to provide.babydoll wrote:It has drama and it has character. It's full of defiance, something that relates very well to Bond's time in the North Korean prison. It is his face being slammed down into the water that opens the intro. "It's not my time to go" could easily be Bond's motto; throughout the series in its various stages, the character is a bit reckless, but he always survives, choosing to "die another day." It's a strength; it's pure defiance. Even the song's "plastic-ness" reveals the emptiness of his life, only satisfied by sex, telling Freud to "analyze this". Even though you may despise that song, and I certainly can respect that, it is wrong to say this song doesn't have a purpose in the series. Madonna knows the purpose of Bond to the audience, but the song in itself reveals far more about the character Bond than he and the audience knows.Rob wrote:That's mostly true of course (though the Craig-films have changed this slightly), but I like many Bond songs more than the film, because they contain that amount of grotesque drama. Even the lesser ones have it, except Die Another Day.babydoll wrote:Interestingly, I loved that you criticized "Die Another Day" for being "plastic" when in reality, the characters are plastic themselves, no change in emotional depth, there for conventional filmmaking's purposes.