Hans Zimmer Love

At church on Sunday some friends and I got into a discussion regarding the film scores Hans Zimmer has produced.  That in turn led me to listening to the Interstellar soundtrack while at work today, which then led to pondering my favorite music from Zimmer.  Narrowing down to only five was hard enough, especially since after looking into all the soundtracks he has been a part of that I wasn't aware of, but having to put his numerous masterpieces in a ranked order is near impossible.  Therefore, I will be listing eight films total, three of which are honorable mentions and five are my favorites.  The honorable mentions could have gone longer, but you have to draw a line somewhere.  The below list of three and five are in order of their theatrical release date.

Honorable Mention:

The Lion King

Sherlock Holmes

Interstellar

Top Five:

Crimson Tide

The Rock

Gladiator

The Dark Knight

Inception

A Trip Down The Rabbit Hole Of My Mind

Another title for this post could have been, "How Christopher Nolan/Hans Zimmer Incepted Bond's Music In Our Earholes."

Stick with me for a minute because this is going to get a little convoluted.  So I recently went to see the latest Marvel movie, Doctor Strange, and the visual effects got me wanting to watch Inception again.  Although I cannot watch movies at work I do listen to music on YouTube a lot.  Instead of watching Inception I decided to listen to the soundtrack.  That led to hearing music similar to a previous James Bond movie.  Now, it is well documented that the music during the climactic snow scenes in Inception was inspired by the soundtrack of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, a Bond movie from 1969, and Christopher Nolan is a big fan of the 007 film series.  But what I didn't realize is Nolan's 2010 movie also borrowed from the David Arnold-scored Bond entry, Quantum of Solace.

To recap, Doctor Strange visual effects led to Inception visual effects, which led to Inception soundtrack, which led to Quantum of Solace soundtrack.  Doctor Strange.  Inception.  Quantum of Solace.  Bears.  Beets.  Battlestar Galactica.

There is a fine line between homage and outright theft.  It probably depends on your overall liking of the person attempting to honor the source material that determines whether you consider it a tribute or a blatant copy.  Since I respect Zimmer's musical style and Nolan's directorial craft, I give them a pass.

If you've never noticed the similarities between the Bond soundtracks and the Inception score, check out the final battle on Piz Gloria in On Her Majesty's Secret Service compared to the snow sequence from Inception, as well as the opera sequence from Quantum of Solace alongside "Old Souls" and "Waiting for a Train" from Inception.

Closing Time For 102.1 The Edge

It was announced yesterday that Dallas/Fort Worth's alternative rock station KDGE 102.1 The Edge would be ceasing operations and moving to 97.1 The Eagle.  During the FM station's transition, Semisonic's 1998 hit "Closing Time" has been put on a continuous loop with a brief message from Radio Voiceover Guy explaining the move.  The choice in music, which is a little too on the nose in my opinion, got my friends and I wondering about the royalties for the song being played so much.

I put in the minimal work effort to find out how much an artist gets paid for their song being played on the radio, and it turns out that it isn't that much.  Keep in mind that I have no idea how accurate the following calculations will be because I don't really care enough to put forth the effort to research the true amount a person gets from having their song played on the radio.  With that caveat, let's proceed.

Apparently when a song is played on the radio, and I'm not counting Pandora or other streaming services as being in that group, the writer of the song and the publisher receive approximately 12 cents from a major market station, which KDGE would fall under.  College stations get away with only paying half that amount.  So of that 12 cents, the writer and publisher have to split it.

Dan Wilson, lead singer for Semisonic, composed "Closing Time," therefore he would be eligible for the six cents per play that The Edge is shilling for its transition.  I'm not entirely sure when the station decided to put "Closing Time" on a loop, but it will end today at 5:30 p.m.  Assuming it started at 5:30 p.m. yesterday, that is a full 24 hours of "Closing Time."

The album version, which is the rendition being heard today, lasts 4:33.  Including the quick explanation that The Edge is moving to The Eagle, the entire time it takes for "Closing Time" to play and the next rendition of "Closing Time" to begin is approximately five minutes flat.  If you multiply that out by 24 hours you get 480 times of hearing "Closing Time," which in my estimation is more than enough for one lifetime.

Having to play "Closing Time" 480 times at 12 cents a pop would cost the station $57.60.  Half of that goes to Semisonic for writing the song.  So either Dan Wilson gets $28.80 alone for writing the song or the three band members each get $9.60, depending on the agreement the band had when it came to song writing.

I guess if you are a "glass is half empty" kind of person you would say, "Wow, only 30 bucks for an entire day's worth of song playing.  Really?"  But if you are a "glass half full" person, then it would be, "That's $30 I didn't have before and I didn't do anything at this moment to earn it."  Sure, they took the time in 1998 to write out the song and polish it up for radio play, but nearly 20 years later you aren't doing anything at all to earn that money.

On a side note, did anyone know that the lead singer of Semisonic was the Grammy-award winning guy behind Adele's 21?  I certainly didn't.

25 Favorite U2 Songs

Since meeting my friend James in the Stephen F. Austin State University dorms, my naïve musical sensibilities were enhanced with the introduction of the glorious Irish band U2.  Like so many other dummies going about their normal lives, I had heard plenty of U2 songs and enjoyed most of them, but it didn't dawn on me that so many of these songs I had been tapping my toe along with and belting out choruses, sometimes substituting the wrong words like we do with many tunes we aren't quite familiar enough with (yeah, I'm looking at you Joanna and your Twenty One Pilots "Stressed Out" remix), were all from the same group.

After nearly two decades of buying up their CDs, chasing after them on world tours (going to Canada to see a show counts as world travel in my eyes), shaking hands with The Edge outside Reunion Arena, and even holding the lyrics (along with about six other super-fans) for Bono one evening due to having not rehearsed the old song enough to re-memorize the lines, I figured it was time to try and narrow down what my favorite songs actually were for my favorite band.  Normally I would have made a top 10 list, as that is what I love to do.  However, with 13 studio albums, five compilation albums, one live album, and approximately 60 singles from said records, trying to narrow it down to only 10 songs wasn't fair to one of the greatest rock and roll groups of all time.

Therefore, below are my top 25 songs from U2's collection of music.  The top four are probably in line with most people's favorites, probably mixed around a bit though, but after that it gets a little more personalized.  Take for instance number 14 (spoiler alert, it is "When Love Comes to Town").  Prior to my trip to Vancouver for the opening of the Innocence + Experience Tour last year, that song might have only been in the bottom 25 of this list.  However, after the passing of B.B. King, coincidentally, on the night of the opening show, the following day the group added the song to their set and fans (with James and me among them) were treated to a live version of the song, which was the first time that had happened in 23 years.  That personal experience has elevated the song a lot and now, instead of just hearing a blues collaboration between U2 and B.B. King, it has become a cerebral memorial of the trip in general.

So without further ado, here are my personal favorite 25 U2 songs:

1. "With or Without You"

2. "One"

3. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"

4. "Where the Streets Have No Name"

5. "Love is Blindness"

6. "All I Want is You"

7. "City of Blinding Lights"

8. "Beautiful Day"

9. "Mysterious Ways"

10. "Numb"

11. "Walk On"

12. "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

13. "Pride (In the Name of Love)"

14. "When Love Comes to Town"

15. "Please"

16. "Every Breaking Wave"

17. "The Wanderer"

18. "Hawkmoon 269"

19. "The Troubles"

20. "Window in the Skies"

21. "God Part II"

22. "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)"

23. "No Line on the Horizon"

24. "Elevation"

25. "Magnificent"

'Writing's on the Wall' Released; A Mixed Bag

The theme song to the upcoming James Bond film Spectre was released today.  There are elements I really like about "Writing's on the Wall" and then there are some other aspect's I'm a little underwhelmed by, but overall I like the song.

 

The orchestration is top notch.  If it were an instrumental like "The James Bond Theme" from Dr. No or the theme to On Her Majesty's Secret Service it would likely be rated much higher.  I feel the song will fit in nicely with the film's score.

 

However, the lyrics and Sam Smith's singing is not as well received.  It should be noted that for the most part I don't enjoy the love ballads when it comes to a James Bond theme song.  The exception to that is "Nobody Does it Better" from The Spy Who Loved Me.  Smith doesn't ever really belt out the lyrics, which I'm not in love with in the first place, and when it finally gets to the end of the song and you think he is going to pull a Shirley Bassey and end on a powerful note, it somewhat sputters out.  He never really reaches the crescendo I was expecting.

 

Overall I feel the song is going to grow on me, unlike "Another Way to Die" from Quantum of Solace, which started off well liked and slowly moved back the more times I listened.  My initial reaction would be that among the Daniel Craig-era themes, it is behind "Skyfall" and ahead of "You Know My Name," which is the tune from Casino Royale.

The 'Writing's On The Wall' Months Ago; Confirmed Today

After months of speculation wondering who would be singing the title song for the upcoming 007 film Spectre, it was announced today, with the singer himself providing a teaser yesterday, that Sam Smith would be crooning the theme song, titled "Writing's on the Wall."  Smith was selected for the project earlier this year, with the film's director confirming this summer that the theme song was already recorded and fans wouldn't have to wait too long for the official announcement.  British singer Smith had to stay tight-lipped about it when asked by the media.

 

"It was hard actually," Smith told Reuters of the ordeal.  "I think it was harder than normal because everyone kind of guessed at the beginning and said it was going to be me and I had to be really good at lying."

 

After Smith read the script, he said he was so inspired it only took about 20 minutes to write out the lyrics.  Smith collaborated with songwriter and record producer, Jimmy Napes, who has worked with Smith on his recent Grammy-winning tracks.  Regarding the song's sound as to whether it would be a stereotypical Bond song or be more influenced by his own style, Smith said, "I wanted to inject as much of me as I could into the song and then dress it in a Bond way if you know what I mean.  I sing love songs.  That's what I sing and that's what I wanted to do.  I wanted to write a huge love song."

 

Smith was the heavy favorite early in the rumor mill, but since that time others had become media darlings and fan favorites, including Ellie Goulding, Ed Sheeran, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Lana del Rey, One Direction, and Adele, who recorded the previous Bond theme, Skyfall, which went on to win the Academy Award, Critics' Choice Award, Golden Globe, and Brit Award for Best Original Song or Single of the Year.  The theme song won the Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

 

"Writing's on the Wall" will be available to purchase and stream on September 25, a month ahead of the UK release of Spectre.  It is the first Bond theme to be recorded by a British singer since 1965's Thunderball by Tom Jones.  While Paul McCartney is British and did record 1973's Live and Let Die, that is considered a group performance since it was with his band Wings.

Vancouver Trip: Part 2 (U2 Concert Photo Album)

I don't have many photos from the concert (since in today's world of Twitter/Facebook/the World Wide Web there are a ton of better pictures from anything you were probably doing at any point in time), but what I do have I will share.

 

This is what the stage looked like following the first night's show.  The platform to the right is the main stage and the circular area to the left is the secondary stage (where the Edge fell).  The black screen in the middle is raised during the performance and different images are shown throughout the show (as you will see in a few pictures).  The band also performed inside the video screen for a couple of songs.

 

I don't remember which song this was for, but it is from the first night.  It may be from the opening song, "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)."

 

Here is the obligatory cell-phone flashlight moment that has replaced lighters during a band's slow song.  This was done during "A Song for Someone."

 

 

 

 

The four photos above are from the band's entrance during the encore.  The first three are from night one and the last one is from my vantage point on the second night.

 

A clear shot of the back of Larry Mullen Jr.

 

A blurry version of the front of Larry Mullen Jr.

 

Here is a nice close-up of the Edge.  As you can tell from the previous few photos, my spot on the first night was very close to the stage.  To be exact, I was on the rail right in the middle of the catwalk between the main and secondary stages.  It was a great spot to see the band members close, but you couldn't see what was going on with the screen above.

 

That leads us to the second night's general admission spot.  I was as far back as possible, but still right in the middle of the main and secondary stages.  Here is a shot of the Edge inside the video screen and an image of Bono singing from the main stage on the outside of the screen.

 

And finally a shot of both the Edge and Bono inside the screen.  You wouldn't know it, but the color of the screen was actually yellow.

 

The concerts were great.  Thanks to the unfortunate death of B.B. King we heard "When Loves Come to Town," which hadn't been played live since the early 90s.  Overall I enjoyed the set list, view, and experience of night two more than the opening show, but both were great.  Really glad I went with James to see U2 in Vancouver.  I'll never forget it.

A Photographic Recap Of My Trip To Vancouver

I recently traveled with my friend James to attend the opening two shows of the new U2 tour in Vancouver.  We flew to Seattle and drove up to Canada for financial reasons, but it turns out that was the best way to do it because the scenic drive along the Pacific Coast of Washington was one of the most picturesque viewscapes I've ever been privileged to experience.  There were some funny stories that I might share later when I have a little more time, like how James nearly contradicted my Customs interrogation answer about whether or not we were bring foreign foods into Canada, but for now it will mostly just be some pictures from Seattle, Vancouver, and the concerts.

 

This is a distant view of downtown Seattle from the inside of our rental car.  You can see to the left a domed building.  That is Safeco Field, where the Seattle Mariners play baseball.

 

Did someone mention Safeco Field?  Here is a bit closer view, but still from the I-5.

 

After turning off the main interstate to take a more leisurely paced, charming drive we came across the above mountain with looming cloud coverage.  All of Seattle and its surrounding suburbs were this gloomy both days we were in the area.

 

Before entering Canada, we pulled the car off to the side to take a closer look at the above view.  This is Bellingham Bay.  It was gorgeous.

 

This was a trail leading off from our view above of Bellingham Bay that went down toward the water's edge.

 

This is the entrance into Vancouver's Chinatown, which is where our hotel was located.

 

Speaking of our hotel, this is one of the views from our hotel.  We had a corner room on the fourth floor (which turns out to actually be the fifth floor if it were in America) of the Patricia Hotel.  This building has a storied history but is currently located in a rough part of the city.  Many homeless people lined the street, but not once were we accosted.

 

And here is the night view out the other window of our hotel.  Yes, that is the business's neon sign that brightly shines every evening.  Luckily the drapes were quite thick and we were not bothered by the light.  Now, the fact that we didn't have any A/C was another issue.

This is a waffle I had one morning while in Vancouver.  It's the greatest waffle I've ever put in my mouth.  The line was an hour long, so we had to wait a bit longer than anticipated to eat that morning.  This particular waffle was crispy and covered in strawberries, caramel, nuts, powdered sugar, whipped cream, and ice cream.

 

And this is James's waffle.  Did I mention we waited an hour for our breakfast?

 

I know I said I would post some pictures from the U2 concert, but that will have to wait until later in the week.

Rolling Stones Zip Code Tour

My recent interest in the top 500 albums list from Rolling Stone has already paid off in more than just hearing great music.  While working my way through the "best" albums of all time yesterday I came to the seventh item on the list, The Rolling Stones' (not associated with the magazine) Exile on Main Street.  That reminded me that tickets for the British rock group's final tour went on sale that morning and I bought two tickets in the nosebleed seats.  Sending an e-mail to my mom about my recent purchase reminded her of the tickets being available and we bought an additional ticket (on the first level near the stage) for her.  So Joanna, my mom, and I will be seeing The Rolling Stones in Arlington on June 6.

 

It will be Joanna's and my first (and only if this truly is their final tour) time to see the band, but the upcoming event will be my mom's third time to see them live.  Her first Rolling Stones concert was when she was in high school and she drove down to Houston to see the group.  It would be something to be able to experience the same band 50 years apart.  I envy my mom for what she is going to be a part of this coming summer.

 

On an additional note regarding the music list I am listening to at work, I found that the exaggerated singing people do to make fun of Bob Dylan really isn't that far off base of what he actually sounds like.  Also, I was highly impressed with Marvin Gaye's What's Going On.  Didn't realize I would be such a fan of his stuff, but I really liked it.

Rolling Stones' Top 500 Albums

Do you ever get placed next to a coworker with an annoying habit that absolutely drives you nuts, but saying anything would make you look like more of a jerk than the person actually committing the social atrocity?  I am in that situation currently with a gum chewer.

 

While I do have a distaste for everything related to chewing gum, the umbrage I take against her is for popping the gum every 30 seconds.  I sit about 15 feet away from her and every time I hear the pop, or sometimes multi-pop, of the disgusting gum being blown out of her mouth it is like nails on a chalkboard.  I cringe when the sound starts and it takes only about four or five times before I feel my skin crawling and I have to either leave my desk for a long time hoping she ultimately grows tired of the gum or put earphones in and listen to some music through the computer.

 

Since leaving my desk for an hour that isn't my lunch break isn't really going to work out in the long run, I have elected to start listening to different mixes on YouTube.  Finally I decided to listen to what are considered the greatest albums of all time, leading to a list published in Rolling Stone Magazine in 2003.  Obviously it is heavy on rock and roll since that is what the publication has focused on for so long and lists like this are never 100% accurate since music is art and art is subjective, but it at least gives me a jumping off point to listen to some great music that I normally wouldn't ever hear if it isn't played on the radio or I don't already own the CD.

 

Looking through the 500 albums listed, it turns out I had only heard 23 of them in their entirety, and 15 of those were from The Beatles and U2, which I own all of their records.  The other eight albums I had heard were from The White Stripes, Coldplay, The Strokes, Arcade Fire, Miles Davis, The Clash, and Amy Winehouse.

 

As of this morning I added the second album on the list, The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds.  I'm not sure I would say it is the second greatest album of all time, but it was certainly enjoyable.  It did have "Sloop John B" and "God Only Knows," which are great tracks.

 

Having already reveled in the first and third albums on the list from The Beatles, which are Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Revolver, I will be moving along to number four.  This afternoon will be brought to you by Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisted.

'Spectre' Singer Betting Odds

So with 23 previous theme songs chronicled, who is currently the favorite rumored to be headlining the next 007 feature song?  As of the beginning of this year, “Stay with Me” crooner Sam Smith leads the pack at 4-1 odds.

 

The full roster of performing acts you can bet on include:

 

Sam Smith (pictured) 4-1

Ed Sheeran 6-1

Lana Del Ray 8-1

Rita Ora 8-1

One Direction 8-1

Ellie Goulding 10-1

Coldplay 10-1

Adele 12-1

Taylor Swift 12-1

Katy Perry 16-1

Thirty Seconds to Mars 16-1

Florence and the Machine 16-1

Lady Gaga 16-1

Tom Jones 16-1

 

As of a week ago The Daily Mirror was reporting that Adele was flown to Los Angeles to record potential new music for the film.  There are no sources backing this claim up, but if it is true, that puts Adele’s 12-1 odds at a really great bet.

 

Current James Bond actor Daniel Craig and 007 producers have made it very clear how happy they were with Adele’s contribution to the previous film, Skyfall, so bringing her back for another theme song isn’t completely out of left field.  If Adele were selected again, she would be only the second artist in history of the film series to record more than one song.  Shirley Bassey sang the theme songs for Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, and Moonraker.

The Skyfall Theme

Being the first Bond theme to win Best Song at the Golden Globes, Brit Awards, and Academy awards, “Skyfall” sounds exactly like what a 007 theme song would were it sung by Adele.  Adele and producer Paul Epworth wrote the musical number, with orchestration by J. A. C. Redford, featuring a 77-piece orchestra.  Additional accolades included Best Song at the Critics’ Choice Awards and Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammy Awards.

 

 

“Skyfall” was released at 12:07 a.m. on October 5, 2012 as part of the Global James Bond Day, which was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the release of Dr. No.  The song was an immediate success, going to number one on the UK’s iTunes online store less than 10 hours after it was released.  It reached number two on the UK singles chart and eight on the Billboard Hot 100.  It has sold more than 1.6 million copies in the US and is the first Bond song to sell a million digital copies.  Among worldwide music charts, “Skyfall” peaked in top 10 among several countries, reaching the top spot in Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Switzerland.

 

From initial contact to final product, it took Adele and Epworth 18 months to complete “Skyfall.”  Included in the music is an intentional reference to Monty Norman’s “James Bond Theme” after the first chorus.  Reviews were particularly positive, with many comparisons being made to the Shirley Bassey themes.  Along with Bassey’s influence, Epworth watched the first 13 Bond films for additional inspiration.

 

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born May 5, 1988, in Tottenham, north London, England.  At the age of 4, Adele took an interest in singing and cites the Spice Girls as major influences in her singing.  She later became interested in R&B artists, including Aaliyah, Destiny’s Child, and Mary J. Blige, and after accidentally stumbling upon albums for Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald, Adele started experimenting with her voice.  In May 2006, she graduated from the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology.

 

Due to a posting of her demo on MySpace in 2006, Adele was signed to a contract with XL Recordings, which led to her debut album, 19, being certified four times platinum in the UK and double platinum in the United States.  Her second single from the album, “Chasing Pavements,” reached number two on the UK chart and stayed there for four weeks.  Subsequently, she won Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.  Other awards included an Urban Music Award for “Best Jazz Act,” a Q Awards nomination for Breakthrough Act, a Mercury Prize nomination, and a Music of Black Origin nomination in Best UK Female.

 

Following an appearance on Saturday Night Live in 2008, Adele’s popularity in America climbed sharply.  The day after her performance, 19 topped the iTunes charts and ranked at number five at Amazon.com and “Chasing Pavements” rose into the top 25.  The album jumped 35 spots to number 11 on the Billboard 200.

 

Her second album in 2011, 21, was a critical and commercial smash, surpassing the first.  The album went on be certified 16 times platinum in the UK and diamond in the United States.  Adele’s record held the top position longer than any album since 1985 and is the longest running number one album by a female solo artist in the history of the UK and U.S.  It won a record-tying six Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, two Brit Awards, and three American Music Awards.  In total, it has sold 30 million copies worldwide.  Adele became the first artist ever to sell three million albums in the UK in one calendar year.

 

While her first and second singles from 21, “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone like You,” respectively, were in the top five of the UK singles chart, it made her the first living artist to achieve such a feat since the Beatles in 1964.  With the release of her third single, “Set Fire to the Rain,” Adele became the first artist ever to have an album hold the number-one position on the Billboard 200 concurrently with three number one singles.

 

Billboard named Adele Artist of the Year in 2011 and 2012.  In 2012, she was listed at number five on VH1’s 100 Greatest Women in Music and Time magazine named her one of the most influential people in the world.

 

Adele has one child, with charity entrepreneur Simon Konecki.

 

Paul Epworth, born July 25, 1974, is an English music producer, musician, and songwriter who has worked with artists that include Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Cee Lo Green, Florence and the Machine, Foster the People, John Legend, and Bruno Mars.

 

Along with his producing and songwriting, he is also known for remix work under the pseudonym Phones.  His remix catalogue of music includes selections from U2, P-Diddy, Nine Inch Nails, Interpol, and Coldplay.  Epworth briefly did work under the name Epic Man.

 

For Epworth’s work with Adele he has won four Grammies and an Academy Award.  His production on the number one debut album Made of Bricks by Kate Nash included a writing credit on the hit single “Foundations,” which earned him an Ivor Novello nomination.  Epworth is a member of the Music Producers Guild.  In 2009, Epworth won best newcomer at the inaugural Music Producers’ Guild Awards and the following year he won the Brit Award’s, Music Producers’ Guild Award’s, and Music Week’s Producer of the Year awards.

 

Jonathan Alfred Clawson Redford, born July 14, 1953, is an American composer, arranger, orchestrator, and conductor whose work spans across concert, chamber, and choral music, film, television, and theater scores, and recorded music.  Redford’s youth was influenced by arrange of music, from symphonic, nineteenth-century opera, and film composition to the Beatles, Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell, and jazz artists.

 

As a teenager, Redford worked as a music arranger for rock ‘n’ roll bands and by his early 20 he was scoring documentaries and educational films.  After moving to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s, he started working in television, with early composing for Starsky & Hutch.  During a 1980s American Federation of Musicians strike, Redford used the time wisely, continuing his education with Hal Johnson, Frederick Zweig, and Walter Scharf.

 

Excluding the time he was on strike, Redford has been writing music at a steady pace since 1976, working with such artists as Steven Curtis Chapman, Bonnie Raitt, and Sting.  Artists that have performed his work include the Chicago Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Kansas City Chorale, New York Philharmonic, and Utah Symphony.  His work has also been featured in programs at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, St. Peter’s Basilica, and London’s Royal Albert Hall.

 

Redford has written scores for more than three dozen feature films and 500 episodes of television.  His music on St. Elsewhere earned him Emmy nominations in 1984 and 1985.

 

Redford has authored a book, titled Welcome All Wonders: A Composer’s Journey.

The Quantum of Solace Theme

Marking the first duet in James Bond music history, Jack White of the White Stripes and Alicia Keys collaborated with one another for “Another Way to Die” from Quantum of Solace.  White wrote and produced the track.

 

Initial reviews of the song were mixed, with many believing it to be a good song on its own but poorly done when considered a 007 theme.  According to the 2008 Popjustice Reader’s Poll, the song was voted as the second “Worst Single” of the year.  The US Billboard Hot 100 debut reached only 81, where it spent only one week on the chart.  However, the song did fare better overseas, where it charted inside the top ten in the UK, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, and Denmark, where it was certified gold.

 

In 2008, “Another Way to Die” won Best Original Song at the Satellite Awards and received a nomination for the same category at the Critics’ Choice Awards.  The music video was nominated at the Grammy Awards for Best Short Form Music Video.

 

Prior to White and Keys being officially announced as the performers, singers Leona Lewis and Amy Winehouse were rumored to be selected.  Winehouse had even recorded a demo track with producer Mark Ronson, but it was later explained that due to Winehouse’s well-publicized legal issues she was not prepared to record any music at that time.

 

Jack White, born July 9, 1975, as John Anthony Gillis, is the frontman for the White Stripes, but his collaborations with other artists and bands are varied, including Loretta Lynn, Bob Dylan, Beck, the Rolling Stones, and Danger Mouse.  He is the youngest of 10 children and was raised Catholic.  White began playing drums at the age of 6 and in elementary school was influenced by the Doors, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin.  In his teenage years he began listening to blues and 1960s rock, which would become the influence that led to the White Stripes.

 

White’s first recorded album was with a family friend when the two were working together at upholstery.  White played guitar and the band was named the Upholsterers.  Eventually meeting Megan White, the two were wed and formed the White Stripes, although they did not present themselves as husband and wife, but as siblings.  The band released six albums and a live album, with their biggest hit being “Seven Nation Army,” which spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and won a Grammy for Best Rock Song.  It has even become an international sporting and protest anthem.

 

Along with the White Stripes, White has also been a founding member of the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather.  Along with producing all of his own work through his label, Third Man Records, he has also produced for numerous artists.  His two solo albums have received eight Grammy nominations and both albums have reached the top spot on the Billboard charts.

 

White has won eight Grammy Awards.  In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked White at 70 on its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and David Fricke’s 2011 list ranked him at number 17.  White is a board member of the Library of Congress’ National Recording Preservation Foundation.

 

Along with his work on Quantum of Solace he has also contributed to Cold Mountain, where he was also featured in an acting role, The Great Gatsby, and It Might Get Loud, a documentary about the electric guitar.

 

White has married and divorced twice, once to bandmate Meg White, where he took her last name, and again to model Karen Elson.  White has a son and daughter with Elson.  He currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

Alicia Augello Cook, known professionally as Alicia Keys, was born January 25, 1981.  Keys studied music and dance at an early age, learning classical piano beginning at the age of 7.  She was enrolled in the Professional Performing Arts School at 12, where she majored in choir and began writing songs, and graduated at 16 as valedictorian.  Although accepted to Columbia University, Keys was unable to handle both recording music and attending classes and dropped out of college after a month.

 

It wasn’t until signing with her third record label that she released her debut album, Songs in a Minor, which sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and was certified six times platinum.  Her debut single Fallin’ spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.  Keys became the most successful new artist of the year and won five Grammy Awards for her work on the album, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year.  The achievement made her only the second American recording artist to win five Grammys in a single night.  Fallin’ was also nominated for Record of the Year.

 

Keys’ second and third albums were also successes, earning her another seven Grammies.  Her live album, Unplugged, debuted at number one in the United States, making her the first female to have an MTV Unplugged album debut at number one.  It was the highest debut since Nirvana’s release in 1994.

 

In total, Keys has released five studio and two live albums and sold more than 35 million albums and 30 million singles worldwide.  She has won 15 Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards, 17 Billboard Music Awards (including Latin and R&B/Hip-Hop ceremonies), seven BET Awards, 16 NAACP Image Awards, two People’s Choice Awards, and numerous other accolades.  Billboard magazine named her the top R&B artist of the 2000s and placed her number 10 on their list of the Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years.  In 2010, VH1 included Keys on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and two years later ranked her 14 on its 100 Greatest Women in Music.

 

Contributions to soundtracks other than Quantum of Solace include Men in Black, Shaft, Dr. Dolittle 2, Ali, Sex and the City 2, 12 Years a Slave, and The Amazing Spider-man 2.

 

Keys has appeared in television cameos on The Cosby Show, Charmed, and American Dreams, as well as film work in Smokin’ Aces, The Secret Life of Bees, and The Nanny Diaries.

 

Having given birth to her second child late last year with husband Swiss Beatz, a hip-hop recording artist and producer, Keys plans to release a series of children’s books.

The Casino Royale Theme

With the announcement of Daniel Craig as the new James Bond, the series went in a grittier, more realistic direction, mirroring the Jason Bourne films.  This rougher tone was also found in the music selections of theme song performers.  Craig's first outing in 2006 was Casino Royale and producers wanted a strong male singer to perform the theme.  They eventually selected Chris Cornell to work with composer David Arnold to create a song that could substitute for the "James Bond Theme" in order to reflect 007's inexperience in the movie.

 

 

Prior to the announcement that Cornell had been selected, other artists were rumored to be in the running, which included previous Bond theme performer Tina Turner and English musician Tony Christie.

 

"You Know My Name" was released early online and reviews were generally favorable, winning the Satellite Award and World Soundtrack Award.  This leaked version, which differed from the final product, peaked at number 20 on the UK Single Download Chart.  While the theme song didn't make it on the film's soundtrack, Cornell did include it on his second solo album.  Cornell and Arnold worked separately before combining their efforts into a single tune.  Arnold has stated "You Know My Name" has the "same genetic material as the Bond theme, but in a different order and in a different shape."

 

In the United States, the song peaked at 79 and 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Pop 100, respectively.  The official release of the single peaked at number 7 in the UK and other top 10 positions were found in Denmark (2), Finland (3), Italy (4), Norway (5), Switzerland (10), and the Netherlands (10).  The single was nominated for a Grammy for Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media.

 

For a complete biography of David Arnold, go here.

 

Christopher John Boyle, better known by his stage name as Chris Cornell, was born July 20, 1964, and raised in Seattle, Washington.  He is currently the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and former lead vocalist of Audioslave.  Cornell has five siblings, several of whom are musicians and singers.

 

Cornell, along with two former members of a Seattle-based cover band by the name of the Shemps, formed Soundgarden in 1984.  Upon signing with A&M Records in the late 80s, Soundgarden became the first grunge band to sign with a major label.  In 1996, following the release of the group's fifth studio album, Soundgarden disbanded, leading Cornell to have a short solo career before joining three of the four Rage Against the Machine band members to form Audioslave.  Beginning in 2001, Audioslave released three studio albums, but Cornell left in 2006 to begin a second stint of a solo career.  Cornell announced a Soundgarden reunion in 2010, which has led to a national tour and new album.

 

Along with his involvement in Soundgarden and Audioslave, Cornell has released three solo albums and was the founder of Temple of the Dog, a tribute band dedicated to his former roommate, Andrew Wood.  Collaborations with other artists include Pearl Jam, Alice Cooper, Linkin Park, Slash, David Cook, and Carlos Santana.

 

Cornell was ranked fourth among Hit Parader's Heavy Metal's All-time Top 100 Vocalists, ninth on Rolling Stone's Best Lead Singers of All Time, and 12th on MTV's 22 Greatest Voices in Music, and was voted Rock's Greatest Singer by readers of Guitar World.  Along with his awards for "You Know My Name" from Casino Royale, Cornell has received 14 Grammy nominations, winning two, an MTV Video Music Award, and a Golden Globe nomination.

 

Cornell has been married twice.  His first marriage, to Soundgarden and Alice in Chains manager Susan Silver, ended in divorce but produced a daughter.  He is currently married to Vicky Karayiannis and has two more children, a daughter and son.

The Die Another Day Theme

Following an unsuccessful bid to garner success with the previous 007 theme song for The World Is Not Enough from alternative-rock band Garbage, MGM wanted a high-profile artist to perform the 20th James Bond film's theme, "Die Another Day."  It was decided the Queen of Pop, Madonna, was the right choice for the film series' significant milestone.  Receiving co-writing and producing credit was Mirwais Ahmadzai and Michel Colombier composed the track.

While "Die Another Day" was nominated for two Grammies and a Golden Globe, critics were mixed on its sound.  Some liked Madonna's exodus from the traditional Bond sound, but others found its electronic and stuttered editing uninspired.  One of the latter critics was Die Another Day soundtrack composer David Arnold, who, it has been rumored, loathed the tune so much he refused to include it in the film's score.  Along with award nominations praising its quality, the song also received a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Original Song.

Madonna included the song on her ninth studio album, along with her greatest hits album in 2009, and the single made its way to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100.  It was also the top selling dance song in the United States in 2002 and 2003.  It reached the top spot on music charts in Canada, Italy, Spain, and Romania and was a top ten hit in several more countries worldwide.  In the UK, it debuted at number three.  "Die Another Day" was certified silver in France, gold in Australia, Belgium, and Greece, and double platinum in Canada.

Not counting Sheena Easton's appearance in the opening credits of For Your Eyes Only, Madonna has the distinction of being the only theme song performer to have a cameo in the film.  She plays Verity, a fencing instructor at Blades Club in London.  The song also is the only one in the series that include s a scene from the film being shown as the credits roll.

Born October 23, 1960, in Switzerland to an Afghan father and Italian mother, Mirwais Ahmadzai, is a leader in the French style of progressive electronic dance music.  In the 1980s, Mirwais began as a guitarist in the punk band Taxi Girl and later formed the acoustic group Juliette et les Independents.  He then set off on a solo career in the 1990s.

His collaboration with Madonna began in 2000, and he has produced and co-written songs for three Madonna albums.  His work on Madonna's album Music garnered three Grammy nominations, including Record of the Year.

His other work includes producing tracks for Fischerspooner and Uffie.  He has also produced remixes of songs from Madonna and Franz Ferdinand.

Michel Colombier is a French composer, songwriter, arranger, and conducter whose filmography includes scores for Against All Odds, Purple Rain, The Golden Child, Major League II, Barb Wire, and How Stella Got Her Groove Back.  Colombier was born May 23, 1939, and died November 14, 2004.  Colombier was married to Dana Colombier and had two children.

With the same first and middle name as her mother, Madonna Louise Ciccone was born August 16, 1958.  Madonna gained fame as a singer in the 1980s by pushing social conventions in her music and reinventing herself over the years.  Her music videos were fixtures on MTV when released, despite controversial imagery and suggestive lyrics.

Prior to signing a solo deal with Sire Records in 1982, Madonna worked with music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy.  Recognized as the greatest-selling female musical artist of all time by Guiness World Records, she has sold more than 300 million records worldwide.  She has released 12 studio albums with an upcoming album scheduled for 2015.  According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Madonna is the best-selling female artist of the 20th century and the second best-selling artist in the United States, only behind Barbra Streisand, with 64.5 million certified albums.  Billboard ranked her second behind the Beatles on the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists.  The magazine also declared her the top-touring female artist of all time.

Along with being a gay icon, her legacy includes influencing current artists Adam Lambert, Backstreet Boys, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Fergie, Gloria Estefan, Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Kesha, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, New Kids on the Block, Nicki Minaj, 'N Sync, Paula Abdul, Pink, Rihanna, Spice Girls, and Taylor Swift.

Madonna has won seven Grammy awards, with an additional 21 nominations, received seven Golden Globe nominations, with two wins, two Ivor Novello Award wins, was named MTV's Artist of the Decade in 1989, and countless other accolades throughout her career.  She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility and is a founding member of the UK Music Hall of Fame.

Besides music, Madonna's other ventures include film work, fashion design, writing children's books and founding the entertainment company Maverick.  Her filmography includes Dick Tracy, A League of Their Own, and Evita, for which she won one of her Golden Globes.

While her marriages include actor Sean Penn and director Guy Ritchie, both of which ended in divorce, her list of romantic entanglements include Robert F. Kennedy Jr., comedienne Sandra Bernhard, Warren Beatty, Antonio Banderas, Lenny Kravits, Vanilla Ice, Willem Dafoe, Jose Canseco, Dennis Rodman, and Alex Rodriguez.  Madonna has two children, one with fitness trainer Carlos Leon and the other with Ritchie.

The World Is Not Enough Theme

Don Black returned after more than 25 years to write lyrics for the theme song to The World Is Not Enough, which had the same title.  David Arnold composed “The World Is Not Enough” and it was performed by Garbage, which also produced the theme song with Arnold.  The lyrics were written from Bond girl Elektra King’s point of view, played by Sophie Marceau in the film.

 

 

“The World Is Not Enough” was well received by critics and found its way into the top 40 of 10 singles charts and the top 10 of another four charts, with it reaching number one in Iceland.  Although Garbage’s album tracks vary across several genres and are produced in a post-modern style, the film’s theme song was written to fit the series’ traditional design.  Ultimately it appeared in two “Best of 1999” polls, at 87 on Canadian radio 89X’s “Top 89 Songs of 1999” and Illinois’ Q101 “Top 101 of 1999” at 100.  In 2012, sports and pop-culture blog Grantland listed it as the second best Bond theme song behind “Goldfinger.”

 

Following release of the film, two song-writers sued Eon, MGM, Universal Music, and Universal Studios for copyright infringement regarding a four-note sequence found in “The World Is Not Enough,” claiming it was a derivative of their song “This Game We Play.”  The accusers went so far that they posed as employees of composer James Horner in an attempt to catch Don Black and Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson on tape revealing when he had composed the film’s theme song to strengthen their case.  Ultimately it was decided those involved in writing and recording “The World Is Not Enough” had no prior knowledge of “This Game We Play” and the court rejected the plaintiffs’ claim.

 

Don Black had previously written lyrics for “Thunderball,” “Diamonds Are Forever,” and “The Man with the Golden Gun.”  His full biography can be found here.

David Arnold, born January 23, 1962, oversaw the composition of five James Bond soundtracks on a row, starting from Tomorrow Never Dies and going to Quantum of Solace.  Other major Hollywood soundtracks he has written include Stargate, Independence Day, Godzilla, Shaft, Zoolander, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and Hot Fuzz.  Television credits include British television’s Little Britain and Sherlock.

 

Arnold started composing while working with director Danny Cannon, who initially created short films for which Arnold was asked to contribute music toward.  Shortly following his major film debut, he was hired for Stargate, which excerpts from the soundtrack are the third most commonly used for film trailers.

 

It was the producing of Arnold’s fan-inspired album “Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project” that led to his hiring for Tomorrow Never Dies.  Original 007 music man John Barry was complimentary of the work and recommended Arnold to Bond producer Barbara Broccoli.  His other credit to the Bond series is contributing to the main themes for Activision’s GoldenEye 007 video game.

 

Work outside of film includes being appointed Musical Director for the 2012 Olympic Games and 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

 

Arnold has collaborated with Pulp, Natasha Bedingfield, Melanie C, Bjork, Chris Cornell, and Shirley Bassey.  He is a member of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and has received an honorary degree from University of West London.  His awards include Grammy, Ivor Novello, BBC Radio, and Creative Arts Emmy wins and a BAFTA nomination.

 

With a Scottish lead singer, many believe Garbage is a band formed in the United Kingdom, however, in actuality it was started in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1993.  The other three members of the band, bassist Duke Erikson, guitarist Steve Marker, and drummer Butch Vig are American musicians.  All four members are involved in the songwriting and producing process.

 

 

The band’s musical style has varied over the years, including genres ranging from trip hop, grunge, and 1980s rock to techno, power pop, and shoegazing.  According to record producer Steve Marker, Garbage has attempted to "take pop music and make it as horrible sounding as we can."

 

Through some tumultuous times and a few breakups, the band has released five studio albums and sold more than 17 million units worldwide, with its debut album being a surprise hit, being certified double platinum in the UK, United States, and Australia.  The group has received seven Grammy nominations, two BRIT nominations, 16 MTV Video Music Award and MTV Europe Music Award nominations, with an additional two wins, two Broadcast Music, Inc. award wins, and three Wisconsin Area Music Industry Award wins and an additional nomination.