Cape Symphony presents “The James Bond Experience: Music Behind The Man” on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 3:00 PM at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center.
Cape Symphony
Gerald Steichen, Guest Conductor
Cape Symphony Musicians
Table of Contents
Tickets for “The James Bond Experience: Music Behind The Man”
Program
Please note the program is subject to change.
THEMES FROM 007
Arr. Calvin Custer
GOLDFINGER
John Barry, Arr. Bruce Donnelly
THUNDERBALL
John Barry, Arr. Angermuller
SURRENDER
David Arnold, Arr. Lucas Waldin
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
Bernard Herrmann, Arr. Vince Leonard
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
Bill Conti, Arr. Bruce Donnelly
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Lionel Bart, Arr. Angermuller
WRITING’S ON THE WALL
Sam Smith, Arr. Matt Podd
SECRET AGENT MAN
P.F. Sloan, Arr. Fleischer
SOUL BOSSA NOVA
Quincy Jones, Arr. Fleischer
~Intermission~
MUSIC FROM “THE INCREDIBLES”
Michael Giacchino, Arr. Bill Holcombe
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
John Barry, Arr. Bruce Donnelly
YOU KNOW MY NAME
David Arnold, Arr. Ledingham
PETER GUNN
Henry Mancini
THE PINK PANTHER
Henry Mancini, Arr. Calvin Custer
THE LOOK OF LOVE
Burt Bacharach, Arr. Mark Taylor
LIVE AND LET DIE
Paul and Linda McCartney, Arr. McKenzie
NOBODY DOES IT BETTER
Marvin Hamlisch, Arr. Raine
THEME FROM “SHAFT”
Isaac Hayes, Arr. Bill Holcombe
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART
Jim Steinman, Arr. Hinchey
About Today’s Program
Since its inception in 1962, the James Bond film franchise has captivated audiences around the world with its over-the-top villains, groundbreaking action sequences, suave narratives, memorable characters and beautiful settings. Bond film theme songs are a testament to the enduring appeal of the series and its ability to evolve with the times while maintaining its signature style. From the brassy bombast of "Goldfinger" to the sad sensuality of "No Time to Die," these themes have been a highly anticipated part of each Bond experience.
Here are some of the best, with some Bond-adjacent pieces thrown in as well. Sit back and enjoy the memories and excitement these beloved melodies bring back for so many of us! What’s your favorite?
THEMES FROM 007
Arr. Calvin Custer
Calvin Custer (1939-1998) created hundreds of popular orchestral arrangements over his storied career. His medley of four of the great James Bond melodies – “The James Bond Theme,” “For Your Eyes Only,” “Live and Let Die,” and “Goldfinger” – sets the stage perfectly for “The James Bond Experience.”
GOLDFINGER (1964)
John Barry, Arr. Bruce Donnelly
Those wailing horns, that unmistakable voice! Composed by John Barry with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, “Goldfinger” was performed by Shirley Bassey for the film’s title sequences and the soundtrack album. She nearly passed out while holding the final note during an all-night recording session! The single was a Top 40 hit. “Goldfinger” is recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the top tunes in American cinema, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.
With lyrics painting a fearsome picture of the film’s famous villain, this song perfectly captures the danger and allure of the Bond universe. “Goldfinger” set a high bar for all Bond theme songs to follow.
THUNDERBALL (1965)
John Barry, Arr. Angermuller
In a decades-long association with the Bond franchise, English composer and conductor John Barry (1933-2011) wrote the score for 11 Bond films. Lyrics to “Thunderball” were written by Don Black. Singer Tom Jones, too, reports having nearly lost consciousness in the recording booth while sustaining a long, final note.
SURRENDER (1997)
David Arnold, Arr. Lucas Waldin
Tomorrow Never Dies was English composer and longtime 007 fan David Arnold’s first Bond soundtrack. He was recommended by the job by John Barry himself, who enjoyed Arnold’s album of James Bond theme covers.
The theme song for Tomorrow Never Dies was reportedly chosen through a competition won by Sheryl Crow, whose song was used for the opening credits. “Surrender,” written by Arnold in John Barry’s unmistakable style and with lyrics by Don Black, was recorded by k.d. lang (presumably without loss of consciousness) and used for the end credits. Melody patterns from “Surrender” appear prominently throughout the film’s score.
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
Bernard Herrmann, Arr. Vince Leonard
While Alfred Hitchcock’s spy thriller North by Northwest predates Bond films by a few years, it’s easy to see hints of the iconic Bond style in its theme. Bernard Herrmann’s score, with its blaring woodwinds, is all about tension and menace. Herrmann scored many of Hitchcock’s most famous films, including Psycho. His first film score was for Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane in 1941.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (1981)
Bill Conti, Arr. Bruce Donnelly
For Your Eyes Only is the 12th film in the James Bond franchise. Bill Conti added disco and funk styling to John Barry-influenced elements in the score. The title song was performed by Sheena Easton. Debbie Harry was originally hired to perform it, but reportedly quit when producers refused to allow her band, Blondie, to write and perform an original song for the film.
Sheena Easton is the only Bond artist to be shown singing their theme song onscreen in the movie’s title sequence. “For Your Eyes Only” hit the top ten in pop charts in the UK and the US. It was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy award, and remains one of Easton’s biggest hits.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)
Lionel Bart, Arr. Angermuller
Lionel Bart, well-known in the musical theater world for his work on Oliver!, was hired by the film’s producers to write this wonderful theme song to From Russia With Love. It was sung by Matt Monro. Monro’s version is heard during the film as music playing on a radio, and then over the film’s end titles as its theme.
WRITING’S ON THE WALL (2015)
Sam Smith, Arr. Matt Podd
English singer Sam Smith wrote this song for Spectre, the 24th in the James Bond series. Though it received mixed reviews on release, “Writing’s on the Wall” became the first Bond movie theme to hit #1 on the UK singles chart. The song won Golden Globe and Academy Awards.
SECRET AGENT MAN (1966)
P.F. Sloan, Arr. Fleischer
Our program takes a bit of latitude here! “Secret Agent Man” was most famously recorded by Johnny Rivers for the opening titles of the television series Secret Agent. Many other versions, covers and adaptations have been recorded over the years by artists including Mel Tormé, Art Blakey, Devo, Bruce Willis, and Blues Traveler. It’s been recorded in French, Spanish, Finnish, Japanese, Swedish and Portuguese, in genres from jazz to surf rock to punk.
SOUL BOSSA NOVA (1962)
Quincy Jones, Arr. Fleischer
Hang on, this isn’t a Bond theme… or is it? Comedian Mike Myers used this irrepressible tune as the theme song for his James Bond parody series Austin Powers. Grammy Legacy Award winner Quincy Jones says it was composed in just 20 minutes. Not bad, for music that’s made generations of people smile!
~Intermission~
MUSIC FROM “THE INCREDIBLES” (2004)
Michael Giacchino, Arr. Bill Holcomb)e
Following intermission, we’re back in the groove with music from Pixar’s The Incredibles. What’s the Bond connection here? Well, it’s a stretch, but Incredibles director Brad Bird had originally sought out none other than John Barry to compose the music for this film. Barry declined, and Michael Giacchino got his first big feature film commission. The upbeat, orchestral jazz style was new for Pixar. Giacchino’s work was nominated for two Grammy awards.
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971)
John Barry, Arr. Bruce Donnelly
John Barry’s “Diamonds Are Forever,” with lyrics by Don Black, is the second Bond theme to be sung by Shirley Bassey. Dame Shirley performed “Diamonds Are Forever” at the Queen’s 60th Jubilee Party at Buckingham Palace in 2012, and at the October 2022 “The Sound of 007: Live from the Royal Albert Hall” show commemorating the 60th anniversary of the James Bond films. With a career spanning more than seven decades and over 140 million records sold worldwide, Bassey is one of the best-selling female artists of all time.
YOU KNOW MY NAME (2006)
David Arnold, Arr. Ledingham
“You Know My Name” is the theme song for Casino Royale, the first of the Bond movies to star Daniel Craig. American musician Chris Cornell co-wrote, produced and performed it. Its up-tempo, aggressive style and its lyrics reflect a new direction for James Bond, aligning beautifully with Craig’s grittier, more conflicted portrayal. The song’s motif is echoed throughout the film.
Critics loved it. “You Know My Name” became Chris Cornell’s most recognizable and popular song. It was nominated for a Grammy, and won the World Soundtrack Award.
PETER GUNN (1959)
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini is thought to be one of the greatest composers in the history of film. We can’t resist this cool soundtrack to the TV series Peter Gunn –a suave, well-dressed man who captured American hearts before Bond hit the big screen. Peter Gunn won the first-ever Grammy Award for Album of the Year. The opening theme music is instantly recognizable for its jazz orchestration and rock ‘n roll beat.
THE PINK PANTHER (1963)
Henry Mancini, Arr. Calvin Custer
Like its animated namesake, this beloved jazz composition is pure cool fun. Mancini first gave the animators a tempo, which they used to time the actions on the screen, and the piece was finished after that. “The Pink Panther Theme” was nominated for two Grammy Awards and an Academy Award; the soundtrack album was awarded a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2001.
THE LOOK OF LOVE (1967)
Burt Bacharach, Arr. Mark Taylor
“The Look of Love” was popularized by English pop singer Dusty Springfield. While never a Bond theme in the traditional sense, it featured largely in the 1967 parody film Casino Royale, starring David Niven as legendary spy Sir James Bond 007. “The Look of Love” was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song. It made a comeback in the first Austin Powers movie.
LIVE AND LET DIE (1973)
Paul and Linda McCartney, Arr. McKenzie
Paul McCartney reunited with Beatles producer George Martin to bring his signature rock sound to the Bond franchise with “Live and Let Die,” the theme for Roger Moore’s 007 debut. It was performed by McCartney’s band, Wings. On release, this explosive track was the most successful Bond song to date, soaring up the charts in the US and the UK. It was the first Bond theme to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The Guns N’ Roses cover version was nominated for a Grammy.
NOBODY DOES IT BETTER (1977)
Marvin Hamlisch, Arr. Raine
“Nobody Does It Better,” the theme to The Spy Who Loved Me, is among the most successful Bond songs, with three weeks at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It is Carly Simon’s longest-charting hit, and was nominated for Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Awards. Thematically, it falls squarely into the “James Bond as great lover” category, along with 1981’s “For Your Eyes Only,” and 1983’s “All Time High.”
The American Film Institute ranks “Nobody Does It Better” as the 67th greatest film song in their list of the top 100 songs in 20th century American cinema. Covering the song with Radiohead, Thom Yorke called it “the sexiest song ever written.”
THEME FROM “SHAFT” (1971)
Isaac Hayes, Arr. Bill Holcombe
The orchestra departs once again from strict Bond canon to perform a great example of the soulful, funky sounds of the time. With the theme from the film Shaft, Isaac Hayes was the first Black artist to win an Academy Award in a non-acting category. The live performance of the Theme from Shaft at the Academy Awards was groundbreaking. It’s considered by some to be one of the first disco songs.
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART (1983)
Jim Steinman, Arr. Hinchey
Morgan James and Hugh Panaro close out “The James Bond Experience” program with a power ballad duet. “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” the Grammy-nominated smash pop rock hit recorded by Bonnie Tyler, was the biggest hit of her career. A Bond connection? Tyler was free to work on “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in part because she turned down the opportunity to do the theme song for 1983’s Never Say Never Again, which was sung instead by Lani Hall and was the only Bond song not to become a popular hit. Bonnie is reportedly sorry she never did a Bond theme, but does not regret having declined that particular one.
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Tickets for “The James Bond Experience: Music Behind The Man”
Join Cape Symphony for “The James Bond Experience: Music Behind The Man” at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center, 744 West Main Street, Hyannis on Saturday, February 24 at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, February 25 at 3:00 PM.
For more information and to purchase tickets, if available, visit capesymphony.org, call the Box Office at 508.362.1111, email
Only tickets purchased on Cape Symphony’s secure website, www.capesymphony.org, or through the Cape Symphony Box Office are legitimate and guaranteed. Exchanges or credits will only be honored for tix purchased on this Cape Symphony website or through the Cape Symphony Box Office.
Behind the Scenes
Cape Symphony Board of Trustees and Staff
With thanks to Wikipedia and classicfm.com
