My love of the James Bond series is something I inherited from my father. I imagine others in my generation share a similar story, as it was our parents who were first introduced to the character in books and movies and passed it on to us. It is now that rare pop-culture item that not only survived into the 21st century but it still just as relevant and popular.
Some of my earliest, best memories revolve around our family gathering together to watch the ABC Sunday night presentations of the Bond movies. This night of the week also was when my dad would grill out for dinner, possibly steaks or maybe burgers and hot dogs. I always wished Sunday evenings were endless then, being fully content with my parents, sisters, grilled burgers and James Bond. These elements perhaps aren't unique in the grand scheme of life, but they're special to me. Plus, I absolutely dreaded Monday mornings ushering in another arduous, insufferable week of school.
Our trusty Betamax machine recorded many of ABC broadcasts of the 007 films, in addition to those installments which aired on HBO in the early 80's (FOR YOUR EYES ONLY and OCTOPUSSY were both watched repeatedly). In later years, I recalled that strangely we had never owned or watched 1969's ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, now a personal favorite, (my mother wasn't too fond of George Lazenby as James Bond, apparently). Also strangely, ABC had edited out the pre-credits sequence of GOLDFINGER, meaning it was all new to me when I finally watched the full version (on VHS) in 1995.
I think of all the 60's and 70's era Bond films, it was John Barry's amazing and varied music for DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER that made the strongest impact on me. When I first started hunting record stores for soundtrack albums, I ran across this compilation (on cassette) of themes and cues, re-recorded by conductor Roland Shaw and his orchestra (not sure he really owned them or not, but whatever) and concentrated on the series from 1962 until 1971. The main draw was that the final track was labeled as being from DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, titled "007 Theme". At that point, I didn't realize this theme had been introduced in 1963's FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE and subsequently made multiple appearances in Barry's scores for THUNDERBALL and MOONRAKER. Admittedly, as a kid I mostly enjoyed revisiting the 70's era movies. All I knew was that this broad, propulsive theme underscored the oil rig battle at the climax of DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and I considered it one of the coolest movie tunes ever.
This compilation was a great start for a new kid on the soundtrack block like me, allowing me to sample highlights and get acquainted with wonderfully kooky tunes such as Herb Albert's CASINO ROYALE main theme and the electrifying "Dawn Raid on Fort Knox" from GOLDFINGER. Plus, I knew that on long car trips with the family (which occurred very frequently), my dad wouldn't argue if I asked him to play this cassette. I so wanted his approval on what I liked, to validate movies and music I enjoyed, probably because I respected his own tastes and interests. An album such as this could be a musical "bridge" built between us, granting him glimpses of where my interests were and where they melded with his. This feeling never diminished and that musical bridge I continued to embellish, treasuring those times when my dad shared from his side too.
Eventually I gathered all of the James Bond scores on disc and many received deluxe, expanded editions. However, I was always saddened by that fact that my father passed away before all of these special releases as it would have been so much fun to listen to these albums together, maybe even create a custom compilation for him. His unexpected passing in 1994 wound up igniting an interest to delve further into both the original Ian Fleming novels and the films, which were all about to undergo a renaissance in 1995, thanks Pierce Brosnan's resurrection of the series with GOLDENEYE. I began reading the novels along with anything published on the film productions. I hunted down the soundtracks on CD, starting with MOONRAKER. And I might be one of the few fans who can turn emotional when listening to certain John Barry themes, because of such strong memories of my father. I really wish he'd been able to see GOLDENEYE and the subsequent movies, as he would have been overjoyed to see Bond on the big screen again.
I continue to be a fan of James Bond in all its various incarnations, styles and actors, for my own personal reasons but also because the series represents a memento, a lasting link to something my dad and I could share together.
Tracklist-
Side A:
1. The James Bond Theme
2. You Only Live Twice
3. Goldfinger
4. From Russia With Love
5. Underneath The Mango Tree
Side B:
1. Pussy Galore's Flying Circus
2. Thunderball
3. The Look Of Love
4. Casino Royale
5. Dawn Raid On Fort Knox
6. Bond Below Disco Volante
7. 007 Theme
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