Back in 1992, SHIRLEY BASSEY recorded an
album of JAMES BOND themes which included a
cover version of TOM JONES' THUNDERBALL.
On reflection, Shirley wasn't too happy with the album
and had it pulled from distribution, so chances are
you've probably never heard it. Well, now you
can - so what do you think?
12 comments:
It would have been interesting to hear her versions of other Bond themes like Live And Let Die and A View To A Kill. After Tom Jones' initial success with "It's Not Unusual" his popularity went into decline and even the Thunderball theme wasn't a hit so in desperation he recorded "The Green, Green Grass Of Home" - the rest is history as they say :)
Green, Green Grass Of Home was one of my father's favourite songs, but he couldn't really stand Tom Jones. Hey, it's not unusual.
Well, I love Green, Green Grass of Home but I'm not too keen on Tom Jones either (seems to really believe he's God's gift to women). Another great song of his was "The Boy From Nowhere" which got to No.2 in the Top 40 in 1987. Of course, his real name is Thomas Woodward - he took the name Tom Jones from the 1963 film starring Albert Finney.
Yup, knew his real name - his pals called him Woodsy, I think (or maybe Woody). The movie was based on Henry Fielding's 1749 novel, 'The History Of Tom Jones, A Foundling'.
Went to see Bassey at the Plymouth Pavillions in 93 or 94. She was just keeping it together enough to belt out an acceptable 'Goldfinger'. Incredible that she and TJ are still performing, but that's the showbiz bug I guess. It can't be the money, surely?
I guess folk in that position always need new money to maintain the lifestyle that their old money has bought them, MH. Although you're right - with a lot of them, it's the need to feel approbation from an audience that motivates them as well.
Kid, I knew Tom Jones was originally a novel but I couldn't remember the author's name. There was a BBC version of Tom Jones in 1997 - did you see it ? Brian Blessed was in it but I don't remember who played Tom.
Not that I remember, CJ. Saw the 1963 movie years ago 'though.
Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck both had a following in the US. "It's Not Unusual" may be the most familiar TJ song to American audiences, since it was the theme song for his weekly TV variety show in the late 1960's.
Thunderball (the movie and novel) had a convoluted history. Unlike the other films, the movie was not based on the book by Ian Fleming. Both were based on an original screenplay by Fleming and Kevin McClory. I think McClory may have sued Fleming, and that's why certain characters and concepts (Blofeld and S.P.E.C.T.R.E.) were tied up in litigation Hell for years.
Actually, the book was based on a screenplay by Ian Fleming, Kevin McClory and Jack Whittingham for a planned earlier attempt at bringing Bond to the screen. Nothing came of it and Fleming subsequently used elements of the screenplay in his novel Thunderball. That brought a lawsuit which was settled out of court and led to McClory getting sole producer credit on the film (with Broccoli and Saltzman credited as executive producers). What gets me is that, while McClory was entitled (at least by consensual agreement) to use the plot after a period of 10 years, I don't really see why he was allowed to use Bond, as Fleming had created him on his own. Ironically, EON Productions now own Never Say Never Again (the 1983 remake of Thunderball) lock, stock and barrel. They should re-release it with the James Bond Theme and titles added.
It's a good question. Mccrory definitely helped co create Spectre and the whole stolen warhead plot. I'm not sure why he was allowed to use Bond. Probably because as intellectual property Bond was intergral to the plot? I don't know. And with no Bond there's no value?
Well, Phil, the point is that Bond wasn't and shouldn't have been McClory's intellectual property. He could have made a movie about Harry Bland (dibs on that name), another secret agent. That way, his contribution to the Thunderball plot would have stood or fallen on its own merits.
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