Soundtracks

Without the James Bond soundtracks, the Bond films would be silent, devoid of all music except dialogue. Many of the famous scenes throughout the films would certainly of been very dull indeed, not to mention missing out on such iconic tracks like 'The James Bond Theme' and '007' to name just two. Luckily, the talents of John Barry, Monty Norman, David Arnold and many other composers have made the musical world of Bond an auditory delight.

Written by some of the most talented composers, they have created some unforgettable music for audiences to enjoy. With so many highlights to choose from the films, it would be hard to name just a few individual tracks. However soundtracks like From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and The Living Daylights are certainly popular choices, as are offerings from For Your Eyes Only, A View To A Kill and The Man With The Golden Gun. On the other hand, less liked soundtracks would be Dr No (for containing too many unused tracks) and Goldeneye (because of its cold, dark overtones with heavy industrial synth sound).

While the soundtracks have often featured the famous title themes, they are much more than this. The soundtrack has to do more than simply provide background music, it should be able to stand on its own and revoke memories in your mind of those scenes in the film. It provides the atmosphere to the scenes currently being shown and when done successfully should invoke an emotional response. Whether this is one of energy and excitement in the adrenalin-fuelled action sequences, the warm feeling from the soft romantic tones and romantic melodies, or tension and nervousness in the suspense-building pieces, the world of the James Bond soundtracks provides them all. §