Other: Covers of Bond Music (2)

Distributor: e2

Tracks ...

the action themes

1. James Bond Theme
2. Tomorrow Never Dies
3. Thunderball
4. Goldfinger
5. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
6. Live And Let Die
7. The Man With Golden Gun
8. A View To A Kill
9. GoldenEye

the love themes

1. Nobody Does It Better ( theme from 'The Spy Who Loved Me' )
2. For Your Eyes Only
3. Moonraker
4. All Time High ( theme from 'Octopussy' )
5. From Russia With Love
6. The Look of Love ( theme From 'Casino Royale' )
7. Diamonds Are Forever
8. Licence To Kill
9. bonus track James Bond Theme ( new version )

Duration: 55 mins 41 secs.

CD Number: ETDCD 054

Released in '98, this also is another of those cheapo CDs ( not sure about the guy impersonating 007 on the cover ? ), the 18 tracks include the non EON Bond film Casino Royale with a version of The Look of Love but excludes You Only Live Twice & The Living Daylights. It caught my attention for the way the themes are broken into 2 sections: action & love.

It's a case of session musicians & 3 or 4 singers trying to reproduce the sound of the originals which is a hard act to follow. Like The James Bond Themes CD released in '89, it's like Stars on 45 meets Bond. The singers are at their best when they produce their own voices and try not to impersonate the big star singers. The guy singing From Russia .. sounds like he's been taken from a stage show. The orchestrations are quite good and true to the originals especially on GoldenEye.

The 'bonus' final track is a cover of Moby's James Bond Theme with some funny Bond quotes sounding nothing like Brosnan or Connery.

Still for the low price it's worth a listen at your local music store.

Distributor: eastwest

Tracks ...

1. Diamonds Are Forever - featuring David McAlmont
2. Nobody Does It Better - featuring Aimee Mann
3. Space March - featuring Leftfield
4. All Time High - featuring Pulp
5. Moonraker - featuring Shara Nelson
6. The James Bond Theme - featuring LTJ Bukem
7. Live And Let Die - featuring Chrissie Hynde
8. Thunderball - featuring Martin Fry
9. From Russia With Love - featuring Natacha Atlas
10. On Her Majesty's Secret Service - featuring Propellerheads
11. We Have All The Time In The World - featuring Iggy Pop

Duration: 52 mins 34 secs.

CD Number: 3984-20738-2

This cover version CD has some great 007 songs. With BIG orchestrations by Mr. Arnold who gives old familiar tunes a new 90's lease of life. Helped on this 11 track project by artists like David McAlmont, Propellerheads, Martin Fry and Pulp.

All credit to Tomorrow Never Dies composer Arnold, tunes like the ponderous Space March from You Only Live Twice are greatly improved. Alas the James Bond Theme is unrecognisable but hey this is the 90's. I still prefer Moby's new version of the Theme and surprised no place for For Your Eyes Only or either of Dalton's Bond films.

Difficult to stop playing this CD and essential for 007 fans who like newer versions of their favourite tunes.

Distributor: Object Enterprises Ltd

Tracks ...

1. Doctor No
2. From Russia With Love
3. Goldfinger
4. Thunderball
5. You Only Live Twice
6. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
7. Diamonds Are Forever
8. Live And Let Die
9. Man With The Golden Gun
10. The Spy Who Loved Me
11. Moonraker
12. For Your Eyes Only
13. Octopussy
14. A View To A Kill
15. The Living Daylights

Duration: 45 mins 45 secs.

CD Number: OP0018

Released in '88 when my Bond CD collection was very small, this instrumental CD covers 15 of the James Bond films. It's one of those cheap CDs that you see in a sale and wonder if worth buying. Due to the cover & photos I took a chance and was greatly surprised.

The tracks, kindly in order unlike The Best of James Bond 30th Anniversary Collection, keep close to the originals and remind you of music played in cinemas before the screening of a Bond film. The only blemish is Man With The Golden Gun with the missing 'The' which sounds nothing like the original and is an entirely different arrangement.

Good background music and definitely still worth a purchase if available at bargain price.

Distributor: Tring International

Tracks ...

1. James Bond Theme ( from 'Dr No' )
2. Licence To Kill
3. The Living Daylights
4. Never Say Never Again
5. The Man With Golden Gun
6. A View To A Kill
7. All Time High ( from 'Octopussy' )
8. Theme From 'Casino Royale'
9. For Your Eyes Only
10. Live And Let Die
11. From Russia With Love
12. Diamonds Are Forever
13. You Only Live Twice
14. Nobody Does It Better ( from 'The Spy Who Loved Me' )
15. Thunderball
16. Mooraker
17. Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
18. Goldfinger

Duration: 54 mins 19 secs.

CD Number: GRF110

This was released at the time of Licence to Kill ( '89 ) and is another of those cheapo CDs with a nice cover, the tracks include the non EON Bond films Casino Royale & Never Say Never Again. The orchestra is accompanied by singers trying to reproduce the sound of the originals which is a hard act to follow. It's like Stars on 45 or Stars in Their Eyes meets Bond. The singer of The Living Daylights sounds more like David Bowie than a-ha and Moonraker's singer is no Shirley Bassey.

The tracks, like The Best of James Bond ..., are in no chronological order. I have a feeling that some of the tracks are taken from the previous CD especially The Man With The Golden Gun which is the different instrumental arrangement again and not a Lulu cover version.

For the low price it's worth a listen if still available in your local store.