Lalo Schifrin's iconic "Theme from MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE" had lyrics by Fred Milano and Angelo D’Aleo. Really bad ones.
Here is a first-run through, without rehearsal, of singers Stephen Van Dorn and Rena Strober and pianist Mike Farrell bravely sight-reading this mess of a song. Nicholas Kraft mans the bongos.
We were tempted to do another take, but none of had the stomach to listen to it again!
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE lyrics by Fred Milano and Angelo D’Aleo
Here is a link to a checklist of Sheet Music from which this was chosen.
A good sincere try. The editing, the smiling bongo man, the pacing cameraman, and the performers are so camp I don't know which is funnier – the video or the poster comments before me.
Makes me glad there were no lyrics for 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' - but related to John Barry, there was a Johnny Mathis cover for the 'Midnight Cowboy' theme. Somehow the lyrics rendered the song awkward and shows some instrumentals should just be left alone.
I do love the chemistry magic when lyrics perfectly mate the melody. John Barry w/ various lyricists, Mancini/Mercer, Bacharach/David to name a few.
This does get the bizarre award. But half the fun of these is not just to discover cool good songs but the fun of attempts to put to lyrics themes I have been playing all my life.
I love these and maybe sometimes more than hearing the 1,367th rendition of LAURA.
Well after hearing this. let me say there maybe a rare exception to the point singing themes. But anyone could tell, that this type of theme would be tricky. however try whistling it, it does not come out to bad?
Funny, but pretty awful -- reminded me of when the ferrel cats in my neighborhood are in heat.
As for "Makes me glad there were no lyrics for 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' - but related to John Barry, there was a Johnny Mathis cover for the 'Midnight Cowboy' theme. Somehow the lyrics rendered the song awkward and shows some instrumentals should just be left alone."
Without pulling out my CD of the soundtrack for "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," there IS a song, "We Have All The Time In The World," sung by Louis Armstrong, perhaps with lyrics by John Barry's longtime collaborator Don Black.
Funny, but pretty awful -- reminded me of when the ferrel cats in my neighborhood are in heat.
As for "Makes me glad there were no lyrics for 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' - but related to John Barry, there was a Johnny Mathis cover for the 'Midnight Cowboy' theme. Somehow the lyrics rendered the song awkward and shows some instrumentals should just be left alone."
Without pulling out my CD of the soundtrack for "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," there IS a song, "We Have All The Time In The World," sung by Louis Armstrong, perhaps with lyrics by John Barry's longtime collaborator Don Black.
It was NOT the TITLE song. OHMSS used the instrumental over the main titles unusually for a Bond film.
That's why the comment about no lyrics is pertinent.
Correct Clark Wayne. As a "Bond Barryite" it's forever in my brain cells. : ]
Anyway, at the risk of hi-jacking this thread I would like to postscript my initial post related to Midnight Cowboy and Johnny Mathis' with this stream of thought:
Mathis also recorded a cover for 'Everybody's Talkin.' A good try and not unusual for (sometimes too many) middle of the road singers at that time to sing their versions.
But eeeek, for me (and I'm sure many others) the Harry Nilsson version is THE one. And even so, the version I love is the movie soundtrack opening which Nilsson re-recorded under John Barry's supervision. Not the earlier 1968 one he did on his 'Aerial Ballet' LP and not even writer Fred Neil's version. It's all on You Tube.
For me the term is “Reference Equals Preference.” That is, the initial positive impact each individual feels upon discovery. I compare different audio components the same way although the ultimate comparison is with the memory of live acoustic performances.
An exception (again, only for me,) is hearing Dionne Warwick's 45rpm version of “The Valley Of the Dolls” theme for decades, then thanks to You Tube discovering Warwick's movie opening and writer Dory Previn's (substituted) soundtrack vocal. I love them all equally.
Little does anyone know that there were lyrics for the title song On Her Majesty's Secret Service. However, the producers felt that they were too personal and went with the music version as it is in the title sequence. Anyhow, here for the first time is the lyrics to OHMSS:
He is Bond, And he's from Aus-tra-l-i-a! He's not Sean, But he's good enough for ya'! Saved the girl, But she stood and ran away... This never happened to the other fellow, they say!
Blofeld's here, But now he is tall and thin! Got no scar! His accent's American! He and Bond Don't realize they've met before... Yet somehow ol' Blofeld could still recognize Roger Moore!
George is cool, But Sean beats him any day! Telly's bland, But better than Charles Gray! Acting's weak, But, brother, it could be worse! Imagine if Telly played Bond, and George had been Ernst?
Bond's in love, Theresa is sure the best! 'Cause her name Is not just a pun for "breast!" They got hitched, But her life was Blofeld's price, For all of the damage Bond's done since "You Only Live Twice!"
Bond is mad, And he's after Blofeld's hide! Sweet revenge Will come with a 'copter ride! But poor George Won't be there in the end... 'Cause Connery's back -- guess we'll never say never again!
