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Now on the CBn main page...

Special Concert Planned For Bond Lyricist Don Black

Credits include 'Thunderball', 'Diamonds Are Forever' and 'The World Is Not Enough'

http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.p...to-air-on-radio

Don Black is celebrating his 70th birthday. Presumably, he's writing the QUANTUM OF SOLACE title tune as we speak, no? (!).

Any thoughts and opinions on how I believe is the greatest lyricist to grace the Bond stage - and managed to do so across all eras of 007.

Not necessarily. Depends on what the agreement is with the artist. The artist might be writing the title tune on their own, or in co-operation with Arnold.


You really think Don Black is the best Bond lyricist? I think he's alright as a lyricist, but nothing spectacular. His Bond lyrics do the job as Bond lyrics, ranging from passable (THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH) to flat-out awful (THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN). And in the non-Bond sphere, his lyrics have often been pretty poor; his lyrics for the musicals ASPECTS OF LOVE and SUNSET BOULEVARD were terribly clunky.

IMO, Leslie Bricusse is the best Bond lyricist, and a solid lyricist in general. His lyrics for YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE remain the most poetic, thought-provoking set of lyrics to ever be featured in a Bond song.

Please tell me this is a joke !! I mean, with all due respect to the old gentleman, but MWTGG and DAF had horrible, horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE lyrics!

He has a powerful weapon

He charges a million a shot,

An assassin that's second to none,

The man with the golden gun.

Lurking in some darkened doorway,

Or crouched on a roof top somewhere,

In the next room, or this very one

The man with the golden gun.

Love is required whenever he's hired,

It comes just before the kill.

No-one can catch him, no hit man can match him

For his million dollar skill.

One golden shot means another poor victim,

Has come to a glittering end,

For a price, he'll erase anyone

The man with the golden gun.

His eye may be on you or me.

Who will he bang?

We shall see. Oh yeah!

Love is required whenever he's hired,

It comes just before the kill.

No-one can catch him, no hit man can match him

For his million dollar skill.

One golden shot means another poor victim,

Has come to a glittering end,

If you want to get rid of someone,

The man with the golden gun

Will get it done

He'll shoot anyone

With his golden gun.

******************

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Now on the CBn main page...

Special Concert Planned For Bond Lyricist Don Black

Credits include 'Thunderball', 'Diamonds Are Forever' and 'The World Is Not Enough'

Presumably? Why?

I bloody well hope not.
Retro, camp nonsense we can do without.

Well, Thunderball was a great song.

lets see my favourite bond themes

Live and let die nope no don black
You know my name no don black there
The living daylights Nope
On her majesties secret service no lyrics here

and

You only live twice


wow none there too. amazing

Incidentally, why is this in the QoS spoiler section?

It’s nether related to QoS or a spoiler.

yes, move this to music discussion

I was being slightly comical here. I do think Don Black is a perfect lyricist for Bond. I think his Bond songs stand up as the ones that are less of a pastiche, less of a formula and more about the film's themselves rather than a "let's get a number one for this film" agenda.

Horses for courses by all means, but I personally highly rate the title tracks for DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, TOMORROW NEVER DIES and THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.

I agree we can do without retro, camp nonsense. But I was personally never aware that Don Black fell into that category.

He also gets Bond, which is a diminishing talent these days when it comes to 007 on screen. He knows what can be got away with. He also knows what works.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN are two of the campest songs ever written.

SURRENDER is pure retro-camp.

Moved to this to General Bond Music Discussion for now.

Yeah, they're pretty cornball (albeit enjoyable in a guilty pleasure sort of way). THUNDERBALL is pretty campy, to boot.


Yeah, it might as well be the definition of retro-camp.