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Posted: |
Feb 4, 2009 - 1:39 PM
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By: |
MusicMad
(Member)
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I know that I have written about Mr. Shaw's JB007 cover versions on at least one previous occasion: basically I think he produced the best (well: nearly the best), even if his arrangements were not always perfectly in keeping with the OST versions.
I had an old vinyl album with 12 tracks many years ago and a CD release on the Decca label (James Bond 007 . Cinema Gala) was one of my early CD purchases (Aug 88). I replaced this with the more extensive release The World Of James Bond Adventure! some years later and I'm now wondering about this double CD release, basically to get hold of his non-JB007 recordings.
Some of these albums are featured on this highly interesting site:
http://www.spyboproyale.com/coverme.html
Whilst most of his recordings are to my liking, I don't think too highly of his take on Burt Bacharach's Casino Royale ('67) theme - the screaming voices spoil it for me.
As for the title of this thread ... I'm afraid I find his later recordings, specifically OHMSS and Diamonds Are Forever less enjoyable ... less imaginative.
His vocal version of You Only Live Twice is simply superb ... that solo voice end line gets me every time but his big brassy takes are his forte: Chateau Fight and 007 Theme are both brilliant whilst his recordings of the main themes for Goldfinger and Thunderball clear the hi-fi speakers of any dust!
As for other covers ... OnyaBirri ... I can discuss many (having collected JB007 recordings for nearly 40 years). Suggested artists in addition to Roland Shaw include: Franck Pourcel, John Cacavas, Geoff Love, Nic Raine, Carl Davis, Count Basie, Proteus 7, Star Inc., Russ Pay, Dieter Reith, Erich Kunzel, David Arnold(!), The Moneypenny Singers, Moby, Nicky North, The Secret Service Orchestra, Ron Goodwin, Leroy Holmes, Ray Martin, Percy Faith, Mertens Brothers Style, Si Zentner, Elliot Fisher, Sir Julian, The Q Orchestra, The London Theatre Orchestra, uncredited(!) ...
... and, even: Bond (the female quartet) ... (I probably missed one or two) ...
oh, and not forgetting the best of the lot - by far - John Barry (EMI, Ember, Columbia/CBS, Polydor and Sony/Epic recordings).
Some of the above are limited to one theme and several are the same recordings released under different names. I'm sure there are many others available - I read once that Henry Mancini did an excellent recording of the James Bond Theme but I've yet to hear it.
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I like my old Ray Martin GOLDFINGER LP as a kicky, amusing kind of Austin Powers thing. It's campy.
The Roland Shaw covers, on the other hand, are for the most part very serious Bond music. Shaw is my favorite Bond cover artist, every bit as good as Nic Raine.
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Shaw was really the only conductor who could do justice to these scores other than Barry. I remember getting paid 20 bucks baby sitting when I was a sophomore in high school, just months nigh of being able to get my Driver's License and Dad took me the next morning to a mom and pop record store (Wilshire Records) and I bought that gate-fold lp of his Bond recordings. Keep in mind, YOLT was OOP at that time...
P.S. That gate fold lp was only 12 bucks so I still had some dough! 
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http://www.ajb007.co.uk/articles/the-bond-music-of-roland-shaw-1920-2008/
I found that article too a few weeks ago, and I appreciated it a lot because there is so little info about Shaw anywhere. But Barbel got one thing wrong. He says the first album (Themes From the James Bond Thrillers) came out in 1966. In fact, it was released (at least in mono form) in 1964. But that's some good stuff. What a superb vintage LP.
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