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Q Branch Archive for posts tagged ‘bond music’

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Happy Birthday FRWL

Happy 50th Birthday to From Russia With Love!

This James Bond film, the second by Eon Productions and the second with the suave Sean Connery in the role as Bond was released on the 10th October 1963!  This of course featured the gypsy scene where the two ladies fought furiously over James Bond with Spectre as the baddie and with Daniela Bianchi as the Bond girl Tatiana Romanova.

The theme at the start of the film was John Barry’s James Bond Theme but the title song was performed by Matt Munro and heard during the film and playing over the end credits.  This is a lovely piece of music and a favourite Bond Theme that The Name is Band – a Bond Tribute band love to play!  Our own crooner is of course Gavin Lazarus and our version can be heard here on soundcloud or here on our website – www.bondtributeband.co.uk

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John Barry and the Bond Music

Eleven of the James Bond Films, from EON Productions, had the illustrious John Barry to thank for the bond music.

As a young boy John Barry gained most of his musical influences after spending hours with his father who worked as a projectionist in cinemas all over York.  He was a trumpet player in the army and after leaving became a music arranger for Jack Parnell and the Ted Heath Orchestras.  He then spent many years composing music for organisations such as the BBC and  EMI Columbia and, in 1962 the producers of Dr No approached him to write for the latest James Bond film, and with Monty Norman writing the theme, John Barry was the arranger of the one and only James Bond Theme. Unmistakable and unforgettable.  The second this bond theme is heard every man in the room will start raising an eyebrow and putting on their best bond impression!

John Barry worked on the soundtracks for all the following James Bond films and his brassy and moody style can be heard in each and every one: 1962 Dr No – James Bond Theme with Monty Norman, 1963 From Russia with Love with Lionel Bart, 1964 Goldfinger with Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, 1965 Thunderball with Don Black, 1967 You Only Live Twice with Leslie Bricusse, 1969 On Her Majesty’s Secret Service with Hal David, 1971 Diamonds Are Forever with Don Black, 1974 The Man With The Golden Gun with Don Black, 1979 Moonraker with Hal David, 1983 Octopussy with Tim Rice, 1985 A View To A Kill with Duran Duran, 1987 The Living Daylights with Paul Waaktaar-Savoy.

The Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band love playing the Bond music at events, parties and celebrations all over the UK and abroad.  Each Bond theme is different but they all have fantastic orchestral scores and the challenge we face is replicating these amazing scores so that our live 10-piece band is as close and authentic to the original as possible.

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Bond Themed Proms

Well although the weather isn’t really proof – it is actually summer! And that can only mean one thing:…. it’s time for school proms!

The Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band are looking forward to a few Bond Themed Proms in the near future where glamorous dresses, fantastic hair styles, raised eyebrows and lots of serious and funky DJ’s will be worn.  Of course, there will be the casino tables, the cars for photographs, large golden guns, martini glasses and red carpets galore!

But, more importantly, there will be the Bond Tribute Band: The Name is Band, the 10-piece live band playing as guests arrive.  Sometimes we will start early with our versions of all the Bond Themes from Skyfall through to Live and Let Die, Tomorrow Never Dies to The Living Daylights. For the Bond set there will be lots of sequins, feathers and of course the dancers!  For some Cocktail receptions the Bond Tribute Band will be playing easy listening jazz standards with a bit of Etta James, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Ella Fitzgerald as guests arrive and the Bond Themed set through dinner.

Of course, once the cocktail or drinks reception with fun casinos and photographs with look-a-likes are over it’s time to party and the Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band will be ready to get the dance floor packed with the best hits from the 1960’s to present day chart numbers!  So expect some great party hits by Paulo Nutini, Beyonce, Barry White, Tom Jones, Duffy, Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars and many more!

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Nobody Does It Better

….. than the James Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band! An awesome live 10-piece Bond Tribute band consisting of some of the finest musicians on the circuit!

Bond music is timeless and there are so many variations and versions from performers such as Adele, Lulu, Matt Munro, Tom Jones, Chris Cornell, Garbage, Shirley Bassey, Nancy Sinatra, Tina Turner, Aha, Duran Duran and many more!

The Bond Tribute Band perform a cabaret style set of Bond themes and we particularly like Nobody Does It Better by Carly Simon from the Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me.  Nobody Does It Better is such a simple song, beautifully sung with lovely words that even manage to capture the title of the Bond Film as a line within the lyrics.

The Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band have a fabulous version of this song on our website for you to listen to.  If you are looking to book a Bond Tribute Band for your Bond themed event then please get in touch with our own Miss Moneyspent!

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Adele – Services to Music

Adele won an Oscar for her Bond Theme Skyfall for the Bond film with the same title.  Adele co-wrote the music and lyrics for Skyfall and it became a number one hit!

Adele has now received membership of the Order of the British Empire for her services to music as part of the Queen’s 87th Birthday celebrations – the physical award will be bestowed on her later this year in a formal ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

This is fantastic news and the James Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band think that Skyfall was a cracking Bond Theme!  In fact, it’s one of our favourites to perform at Bond themed parties and events!  To hear our version please visit the website.

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NEW BOND GIRL

Well, if the rumours are true, then Penelope Cruz looks set to be the next Bond Girl in the next Bond Film with Daniel Craig again playing James Bond.

Penelope Cruz is a stunning woman and would make a great Bond Girl.  Sexy, sassy and surprisingly over the age of 40 years!  This is unusual for Bond films as normally the ladies are also a lot younger.  But Penelope isn’t the oldest Bond Girl so far – that title goes to Dame Judy Dench who played “M”.

Well, that’s the next Bond Girl sorted but what about the Bond Music?  Who will be successful in the bid for the next Bond Theme?  Having listened to a bit of Muse lately they fit the bill of Chris Cornell who performed the Bond Theme for Casino Royale with his “You Know My Name”.  This Bond theme was edgy, fiesty, rocky, was face paced and full of energy.  Muse would be fantastic with their dark, emotive, energetic and extravagant feel.  Their live shows are incredible and the Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band think they would be really big contenders!

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Diamonds Are Forever

 

Diamonds Are Forever.  This song has been recorded by the Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band and is one of our favourites!  A slow seductive start on the piano, a little gentle push with the vocals and then all the band enter with passion, feeling and a whole lot of brass.

Diamonds Are Forever – the James Bond Film made in 1971 with the title track of the same name, sung brilliantly by Dame Shirley Bassey and written by the incredible John Barry.  This Bond Theme only just made it however as the producer of the film hated it, and it was only through persuasion by co-producer Cubby Broccoli that ensured the song was used in the end!  The Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band are really pleased they did!  What a cracking number and as always, sung with passion by Dame Shirley Bassey.  According to rumours it was said that John Barry suggested, when singing the typical 007 Bond lyrics that were filled with innuendo – that she imagined she was singing to erm… well… a phallic shaped object!  We’re not really sure if that would have been inspirational or not!

To hear our version please follow the link to Soundcloud.  In order to give the best representation of our sound, this demo was recorded in the studio and mixed down by our own Sound Engineer Tony – who also happens to be one of the UK’s top recording engineers!  Please note – there are no multiple tracks or layers in this recording.  Just 10 musicians doing what they do best – and loving the end result.  Because we always bring Tony with us for all our Bond Themed events we can ensure that we always sound as authentic to the original music as possible – whatever bond music we are playing – whether in the recording studio or performing live at events.

As we only ever perform LIVE and only ever as a 10-piece, with the arrangements written especially for Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band, we know we sound like this each and every time we perform at all our events.  So, if you are looking to book band for a band for a James Bond Event then look no further! We are a lively Bond Tribute Band with an entertaining Cabaret style Bond themed set which is followed by a further set of non-stop party hits to really get the party started.  We know that for all the events we attend that our sound for the Bond Tribute set will be as close to the original themes as possible.  In addition, our performance is lively, professional, and above all we really do enjoy what we do.  This ensures that the client and all their guests also have an amazing evening and a night to remember!

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Live & Let Die

Live and Let Die.  This bond theme song has been recorded by the Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band and we love it.  This is an awesome track and is the Bond Theme from the Bond Film Live & Let Die which starred Roger Moore in his first role as the 007 Agent.  Here Bond meets the dark forces of Voodoo and Dr Kanaga, Baron Samedi, snakes and Jane Seymour as the Bond Girl Solitaire.

Interestingly enough Clint Eastwood was approached to star as the next James Bond after Sean Connery left – but he declined as he felt the role should be played by someone with an English accent. Roger Moore was successful and a new Bond was born.  Live and Let Die was written by Paul and Linda McCartney and was a change in style from the previous Bond Themes written by John Barry.  This time it was pure rock and roll.

The Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band love the light and shade in this bond theme.  Another soft start but with lots of rock and a whole lot of roll.  Our drummer Matt Venn LOVES playing bond music, especially this number – loving the middle section when the drums start flying and he can really get stuck into making the whole number sound PHAT! Gavin Lazarus on vocals can adapt his voice to suit any number and this one has a lovely melodic start but then Gavin lets his rocky side soar.  An absolutely fabulous Bond Theme.

Looking for music for a James Bond Event – visit our website www.bondtributeband.co.uk

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Skyfall

Skyfall – this bond theme has been recorded by the Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band.  Originally recorded by Adele for the Bond Film Skyfall in 2012 which starred Daniel Craig as the suave 007 Agent.  The song was actually released at 0:07am on the 5th October as this date was apparently called “James Bond Day” and marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Dr No.

Sadly, the original Skyfall recorded by Adele was the last Bond theme to feature the amazing Derek Watkins on trumpet.  He was a hero to many trumpet, and brass, players all over the world having a unique and unmistakable sound and technique and had played on every Bond sound track.  He was, quite simply, a legend! A truly remarkable and gifted musician.  To see a clip of Derek and an absolutely stunning version of My Way – follow this YouTube link – you’ll see for yourself why he performed on every Bond Theme and why he has been so inspirational to so many brass players – a very classy performer and in a league all of his own!

The recording by Adele apparently had 77 musicians performing this bond theme and over took two days to record.  The Bond Tribute Band are just 10 people and we took a total of 4 hours to do all six new tracks in the studio but we think our version of this piece of bond music is authentic in sound and dynamic.  This is one of our favourite bond themes to perform.

The Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band only ever perform totally LIVE and only as a 10-piece.  You won’t find any backing tracks used in any of our performances.  If you are looking for a band for a James Bond Event then please get in contact – we’d love to hear from you!

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Thunderball

Thunderball.  Originally performed by the Welsh Sex God that is of course Tom Jones! The original sound track for this film was “Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” sung by Shirley Bassey but concerns were over whether the title of the film should be the same as the sound track and so Thunderball was used instead.  This is the version by the Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band and features Gavin Lazarus (who is our very own Sex God but without the tight leather pants) who nails the long top note at the end and sings with suave sophistication all the way through this number.

Apparently rumour has it that when recording this Bond Theme Tom Jones said “I closed my eyes and held the note for so long when I opened them again the room was spinning”. What an absolute legend!

The Bond Tribute Band love this Bond theme – we have two trumpets, one trombone and one saxophone playing on this track.  We love the way the vocals interlink with the brass, chasing each other all the way through the song.  Nick Malcolm has a unique style and sound on trumpet and he can be heard with his own solo in the middle of Thunderball – blimmin marvellous stuff! Nick’s been known to raise a few eyebrows of his own at our Bond events – a few hairs on the back of the neck also with his wonderful trumpet solos in both the Bond and Party set.

If you are after a James Bond Themed Night and would like some quality bond music performed then please get in contact – we’d love to hear from you and see how we can make your event a night to remember…. but for all the right reasons!