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I hope the anniversary dates will not be an obligation.
And with Hamlisch‘s and Kamen‘s scores most in need of a complete release I would love LLL to do those before any Craig Bond score (they all had an already rather complete release).
And of course, Barry‘s scores remain a must.
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Posted: |
Feb 26, 2025 - 8:41 PM
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By: |
seinmind
(Member)
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Assuming it’s business as usual at MGM and EON, and with Licence to Kill having had its time in the spotlight, it’s fun to imagine what the rest of 2025 has in store. Over the past 15 months, La La Land has delivered an incredible output of Bond albums, and as fans, we've been fortunate to check off many of our Bond holy grails thanks to their efforts.
With Q1 of 2025 already nearly halfway through, let's make a few assumptions:
A View to a Kill could be a spring/summer release. The film premiered on May 24, 1985, and with La La Land’s typical release pace, this timing could help prevent Black Friday from becoming Bond Friday. Not that they would mind—Bond releases have proven quite profitable for the label.
While we don’t want to reignite the “missing masters” rumors, it's worth noting that in 2003, when Lukas Kendall looked into the inventory at CTS, AVTAK was among the unaccounted-for titles. In the FSM James Bond Scores - The Scoop thread, AVTAK was frequently mentioned as part of the group of scores that couldn’t be expanded, alongside Dr. No, From Russia With Love, and Moonraker (we all know how that story ended). While we mourned the loss of Moonraker, it was Octopussy that proved even more elusive.
Looking ahead to the end of the year, we have Thunderball and GoldenEye, both major year-end theatrical releases (1965 and 1995, respectively). A John Barry Bond score will likely sell well, and pairing it with GoldenEye could entice buyers to pick up both in a single order—something they might not do if the releases were separate. As for Eric Serra’s GoldenEye score, it has its dedicated fans and remains a standout piece for the film it accompanies. Lukas Kendall’s blog recently drew attention to Dangerous Connections on YouTube, which dives deep into samples Serra used to create his score. It’s a fascinating watch—and a great score.
https://www.lukaskendall.com/post/goldeneye-synths
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBXmroPzBWM
Speaking of Eric Serra (yes, we’re continuing with him), the Club James Bond France site (translated via Google Chrome) features a 2022 interview where he discusses his career, his work on GoldenEye, and his other collaborations. The article's header image shows the young composer working on the iconic Gun Barrel cue (admit it, you love that cue).
https://jamesbond007.net/2022/eric-serra-linterview-goldeneye-le-grand-bond/
A Side Thought: With Amazon now calling the shots, will "anniversary" dates still play a role in the selection of soundtracks for release? Initially, these dates weren’t emphasized. For instance, The World Is Not Enough was released on its 19th anniversary. There was likely also a level of respect for keeping official EON films separate from non-EON films. However, now that all the films are under the corporate umbrella of MGM, could we see Never Say Never Again added to the release schedule alongside the official Bond films? 2028 would mark its 45th anniversary. With Spectre celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, it might not have seemed significant to EON, but for the ever-profit-seeking Amazon, it could be an opportunity they won’t want to pass up.
We’ll see what the future holds.
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I'm not convinced that releasing in 5-year anniversary years is an immutable rule.
It might just have been a way of creating pitch sizzle for pitching the first releases, or it may have been Eon's motivation for asking for LLL's help to get Octopussy out.
Or it may simply have been a way of deciding which ones to do first.
Remember what Neil said in that podcast — there is no big plan up front. Each release is its own independent project.
The key word I use is “might” — I don't know anything with certainty on this question. I'm just challenging that most of us don't know with certainty either, and those who do know for sure probably can't comment.
Ever since “the Moonraker tapes are lost” I've learned to be more mindful or what we really know versus what's being assumed, speculated, or inferred.
Plus, anniversary year is loose.
Since OHMSS was released in December 1969, any date in 2024 or up to December 2025—an almost 2-year window—could be marketted as 55th anniversary. If that's even necessary.
Cheers
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Speaking of Eric Serra (yes, we’re continuing with him), the Club James Bond France site (translated via Google Chrome) features a 2022 interview where he discusses his career, his work on GoldenEye, and his other collaborations. The article's header image shows the young composer working on the iconic Gun Barrel cue (admit it, you love that cue).
https://jamesbond007.net/2022/eric-serra-linterview-goldeneye-le-grand-bond/
Definitely a fascinating interview! I love how honest Serra is about his whole experience. I've always really loved Serra's score but I wonder how much better the score could've turned out if the producers had given Serra more notes from the start.
And considering how dead set Eon apparently was on getting Serra, I wonder how much truth there is to the story that Robert Folk was also in the running.
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Speaking of Eric Serra (yes, we’re continuing with him), the Club James Bond France site (translated via Google Chrome) features a 2022 interview where he discusses his career, his work on GoldenEye, and his other collaborations. The article's header image shows the young composer working on the iconic Gun Barrel cue (admit it, you love that cue).
https://jamesbond007.net/2022/eric-serra-linterview-goldeneye-le-grand-bond/
I don't know if Google translate was being too literal, or does Serra really say a few times in the interview that he was seduced by Barbara Broccoli? 
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Posted: |
Mar 1, 2025 - 5:23 AM
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By: |
seinmind
(Member)
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I don't know if Google translate was being too literal, or does Serra really say a few times in the interview that he was seduced by Barbara Broccoli?
Broccoli married in 1991 and is now known to be divorced. I was tempted to joke that she was "single" in 1994, but on a more serious note, I interpret it as her wanting him (and his music) so badly that nothing was off the table. He initially turned down the production, they accepted his decision, only to chase him down later, begging for his involvement.
I really enjoy this score and defend it. GoldenEye was the first Bond film I saw from start to finish, and it helped that the GoldenEye 64 game was hugely popular at that time. The game’s sound design (among other elements) closely mirrored the film, which made the experience even more immersive. I’ll always maintain that the dark, post-Soviet, military-esque, metal-and-concrete aesthetic of the film was perfectly complemented by Serra’s music.
It’s great to see people warming up to the score over the years. Even Michael G. Wilson and Martin Campbell have defended the composer and the score (Tank chase aside), noting that it’s not as bad as some critics have made it out to be. Honestly, I can’t imagine GoldenEye sounding any other way.
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Am I the only one who is a little bit sad that with the flood gates seemingly open on La La Land Bond releases, that one day in the not to distant future. There will no more Bond releases to dream of or look forward too?
Edit (assuming that is, that they find the Moonraker tapes.:-) )
Honestly, no. With a how fickle this business is (I mean, look at how WB seemed to have closed their doors out of nowhere. Not to mention how uncertain things now may be because of the whole Amazon thing), I'm glad they are dropping several releases a year, instead of the one Black Friday title with which this started.
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Media conglomerates dream of replicating the "franchise success" of the Bond series. A more casual Bond score fan like me will pick up scores I consider lesser that contain just a few tracks of interest.
In that context, what's to worry about with the continuation of the La-La Land Bond series? They have sold; they'll keep selling.
I'm really looking forward to s fully dynamic "Bond '77" myself. Those were the days.
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Posted: |
Mar 2, 2025 - 11:12 AM
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By: |
seinmind
(Member)
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Am I the only one who is a little bit sad that with the flood gates seemingly open on La La Land Bond releases, that one day in the not to distant future. There will no more Bond releases to dream of or look forward too?
Edit (assuming that is, that they find the Moonraker tapes.:-) )
What would sadden me most is if a score master, originally usable in 2003 when Lukas worked on the expanded products, is now damaged or lost 22 years later. The biggest regret would be thinking, "I wish we had released it when we had the chance."
While La-La Land is motivated and willing, and MGM/Amazon/EON are on board, they should continue to release these scores at a steady pace before the window of opportunity closes again.
I’d love to hear Lukas’s perspective on the history and his involvement. When he worked with Ryko, was the assumption that the floodgates opened for more expanded Bond albums? And when he produced the 2003 remasters, did he imagine a similar future opportunity? Each time expanded Bond albums gain traction, something seems to stop it. La-La Land, however, managed to establish a relationship with EON, despite MGM’s repeated sales. Thankfully, their persistence paid off, and the partnership continued.
With Star Trek, once Paramount opened their vaults, boutique labels collaborated, dividing up the titles. Over a few short years, all 10 classic scores were released and expanded.
For Bond, a "strike while the iron is hot" approach seems best, especially if La-La Land is handling this solo.
I don’t believe Amazon will create the half-dozen spinoffs the internet is suggesting, but we may see a new Bond film every two to three years. That will ensure there’s no shortage of new scores to release.
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