GoldenEye (song)

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"GoldenEye"
Single by Tina Turner
from the album GoldenEye: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from the United Artists film and Wildest Dreams
ReleasedNovember 6, 1995 (1995-11-06)
RecordedSeptember 1995[1]
StudioOlympic Sound (London, UK)
GenreElectronica[2]
Length
  • 4:41 (album version)
  • 3:30 (single edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Nellee Hooper
Tina Turner singles chronology
"Proud Mary"
(1993)
"GoldenEye"
(1995)
"Whatever You Want"
(1996)
James Bond theme singles chronology
"Licence to Kill"
(1989)
"GoldenEye"
(1995)
"Tomorrow Never Dies"
(1997)
Music video
"GoldenEye" on YouTube

"GoldenEye" is a song written by Irish musicians Bono and the Edge and performed by American singer Tina Turner. It served as the theme for the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye. Produced by Nellee Hooper and released as a single on November 6, 1995 by Virgin (US) and Parlophone (UK), the track was a chart hit in Europe. It topped the Hungarian Singles Chart and reached the top five in Austria, Finland, France, Italy and Switzerland, as well as number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. "GoldenEye" was less successful outside Europe, reaching number 43 in Canada, number 63 in Australia, and number two on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. The music video for the song was directed by Jake Scott.

Background and release[edit]

Depeche Mode was initially approached in 1994 to sing the main theme song for GoldenEye, but were coming to the end of their Devotional Tour and could not meet the schedule. Instead, the producers got Tina Turner to agree to do the song. After being informed of Turner's involvement, Bono and the Edge of Irish rock band U2 were next to join, and agreed to write the song. The track was produced and mixed by British producer/remixer/composer Nellee Hooper, best known for his work with Massive Attack, Madonna, U2, and Björk. The track reached number ten on the UK Singles Chart and became a top-five hit in several European countries.[3][4]

"GoldenEye" was first released on the original motion picture soundtrack and the following year it was included on Turner's album Wildest Dreams. The song has been covered by Nicole Scherzinger for the 2010 remake of the GoldenEye 007 video game.[5]

Critical reception[edit]

Larry Flick from Billboard described "GoldenEye" as a "gloriously over-the-top James Bond theme"[6] and a "tingly, feline performance" by Turner. He found that producer Nellee Hooper "captures the essence of the movie, wrapping the track in sweeping strings and horns that are fondly reminiscent" of the 1964 movie Goldfinger, and added that U2's Bono and the Edge "get in on the fun, writing a tune that's fraught with cryptic lyrical twists and romantic intrigue."[7] James Masterton for Dotmusic said that "like most Bond themes it tends towards the sweeping style of the early John Barry efforts yet still manages to retain its own identity."[8] Nisid Hajari from Entertainment Weekly stated that the James Bond myth "certainly allows for the trinity of Sex, Danger, and Elegance to verge on melodrama." He noted the song's "self-conscious vocals and maudlin horns and strings", that "blithely crosses the line".[9]

A reviewer from Liverpool Echo felt that Turner "manages to sound like Shirley Bassey".[10] David Cook from The Michigan Daily wrote that "it's amazing how similar this song sounds to other opening songs from previous James Bond movies — there must be some magic formula to making all of the sound so Bondlike."[11] Pan-European magazine Music & Media deemed it a "perfect candidate" for the soundtrack of 007's "latest adventure", stating that Turner "and her raw R&B power easily fit in the Shirley Bassey tradition." They also noted that the composers "stayed close to the traditional James Bond sound".[12] Music Week gave the song top score with five out of five, writing that the singer's voice "soars above a swirling orchestra in this powerful single with a classic Bond feel."[13] Jeff Farance from The News-Journal, while reviewing the movie, felt that the title sequence is "pure Bond, with Tina Turner belting out the title song in the grand tradition of magnificent music for 007."[14] Mark Sutherland from NME said that "Tina Turner turns in the traditional Shirley Bassey-esque theme with a performance so dramatic that there's no way anything on screen will ever be able to match it."[15]

Music video[edit]

The accompanying music video for "GoldenEye" was directed by English film director Jake Scott[16] and edited by David D. Williams.[17] It was produced by Caroline True and Ellen Jacobson-Clarke,[17] and made its debut at the end of October 1995.[18][19] The video features Turner, wearing a long white strapless dress, either sitting on a chair or walking on a catwalk in front of a large golden eye.[17] In between there are several scenes from the movie. The video also features Sudanese model Alek Wek.[20]

Charts[edit]

Certifications and sales[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[61] Silver 125,000*
Germany (BVMI)[63] Gold 300,000[62]
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[64] Gold 25,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States October 31, 1995 Contemporary hit radio Virgin [65]
United Kingdom November 6, 1995
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
Parlophone [66]

Alternate rejected theme song[edit]

Like many Bond themes before it, Tina Turner's version was not the only recorded song for the film. Swedish pop band Ace of Base also recorded a song that was optioned to the studio. Ace of Base's "The GoldenEye" was later reworked into "The Juvenile" which appeared on their Da Capo album in 2002.[67]

Samples and covers[edit]

  • In 1999, French rapper Kohndo has sampled parts of the instrumentals in his song "Survivre".
  • In 2008, Lil Mass, another French rapper, sampled it in the song "Beatdown".
  • The song appeared in an episode of MTV series Human Giant and again in the 2010 film Beatdown.
  • American singer Nicole Scherzinger, lead singer of pop group Pussycat Dolls, covered the single for the 2010 remake of the video game GoldenEye 007. The song plays during the game's introduction.
  • Finnish alternative rock band End of You covered the song for their 2008 album Mimesis.
  • Prominent DJ David Morales has performed a club remix of the song, while record producer Dave Hall has provided a more urban flavour on his remix, both versions were included on the European four-track CD single.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Bego, Mark (July 29, 2005). Tina Turner: Break Every Rule. Taylor Trade. ISBN 9781461626022.
  2. ^ Slant Staff (October 4, 2021). "Every James Bond Theme Song Ranked". Slant Magazine. Retrieved January 27, 2024. ...Nellee Hopper creates a musical tapestry fit for the electronica-saturated '90s without overindulging in technological gimmickry.
  3. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records Limited
  4. ^ MI6: GoldenEye (1995): James Bond 007 mi6.hq.com. Retrieved December 11, 2011
  5. ^ GoldenEye 007 Video Game: Behind the Music with Nicole Scherzinger HD Game Trailers.com. Retrieved December 11, 2011
  6. ^ Flick, Larry (November 25, 1995). "Dance Trax: Kervorkian's Wake-Up Call; Albanese Gets 'Happy'" (PDF). Billboard. p. 57. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  7. ^ Flick, Larry (November 4, 1995). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 94. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  8. ^ Masterton, James (November 12, 1995). "Week Ending November 18th 1995". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  9. ^ Hajari, Nisid (November 10, 1995). "Goldeneye". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  10. ^ Liverpool Echo. November 24, 1995. p. 60. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  11. ^ Cook, David (December 8, 1995). "Records: "GoldenEye" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  12. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. November 11, 1995. p. 16. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  13. ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. October 28, 1995. p. 18. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  14. ^ Farance, Jeff (November 17, 1995). "'GoldenEye' is James Bond without peer". The News-Journal. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  15. ^ Sutherland, Mark (November 4, 1995). "Singles". NME. p. 45. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  16. ^ "Jake Scott Music Video Credits as Director". IMVDb. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
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  18. ^ "Site Maintenance".
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  20. ^ Daily Mirror. June 4, 1997. p. 27.
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  62. ^ Mooij, Thessa (April 6, 1996). "Soul Empress Keeps Rejuvenating" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 11. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
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  64. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('GoldenEye')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
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  67. ^ Burlingame, Jon. The music of James Bond. Oxford University Press. p. 281. ISBN 9780199358854.

External links[edit]