THE MUSIC OF JAMES BOND---George Lazenby was axed as a guest speaker at The Music of James Bond held at the Perth Concert Hall in Melbourne, Australia due to his offensive remarks during his appearance. One member of the audience said, "He spent all of the interview just talking basically about his sexual conquests, he was homophobic, he swore, he certainly wasn’t talking about his Bond movies, he downplayed the Queen, a day after she died. At one point he named an Australian cricketer whose daughter he was chasing and he said he dragged the daughter out of the pub and put her in the car in London, which is horrific … he named women he had slept with, and there were children in the audience, and a lot families who had brought their kids probably to their first classical music concert." Lazenby posted his apology, "I am sorry and saddened to hear that my stories in Perth on Saturday might have offended some people. It was never my intention to make hurtful or homophobic comments and I am truly sorry if my stories that I have shared many times were taken that way. I only ever wish to share some stories and hopefully entertain some people. I personally have friends within my close circle who are gay and I would never wish to offend anyone. Having been surrounded by strong women all my life, I have always admired and respected women and their wishes. I figure my real achievements in my life are my kids: when my daughter Melanie recently got married, I was so proud. As I am of my other kids, Jennifer - who has made me a great granddad. My younger kids are doing well: George Jnr and my twins, Samuel and Kaitlin. Now in my 80s, family and friends are naturally what's most important to me. Love George xx".
George is a product of his time. I truly believe he's a decent honest guy. He's been relating those stories for years but I think a lot of today's crowd would see him as a sexist misogynist dinosaur...exactly what M thought of Bond!
I wasn't there, so I can't comment on what he said--just on what has been reported. There are a lot of actors who were 'products of their time." the difference is that many of those actors have re-evaluated themselves and realized that perhaps their past actions certainly weren't something to be proud of, much less boast about, again and again.
It's not just a matter of times having changed; even in 1969 Lazenby managed to offend a number of people by being crass, vulgar and not particularly bright. UA publicity regarded him as a walking disaster.
Sounds like the exact same stories he always tells when at panels and Q&A. I've attended several here in LA with Lazenby as guest and I can literally set my watch to how quickly he talks about women he's slept with, no matter what the 1st question asked. It's like he has to keep reminding the general public that he's virile. And honestly, he was a dull James Bond and there's nothing new for him to share on the topic anyway.
His stories have no doubt remained the same while the audiences have changed. I'm sure he was satisfied with the responses he'd been getting for decades. Those kinds of stories were common for a long time (ask Burt Ward about his time as Robin and you'll hear about all sorts of sex). Lazenby did a single Bond film, so what else is he gonna talk about relevant to the topic? His appearance on "The Return of the Man from UNCLE?"
This was probably the first time he dealt with any real blowback. Maybe, if he's ever asked again, he'll change the stories a bit. But he's always marched to his own drum.
Several years ago, my daughter was on a little kids' basketball team with his daughter, coached by his then-wife Pam Shriver. George did not like it when people told him "Your granddaughter is so cute!"
I always liked the movie but never was a fan of Lazenby in it, he often came across as quite arrogant.
In recent years watching his interviews I have mild empathy for his independent personality but have never liked how he always brags about sleeping with everyone, it always comes across as sad and pathetic.
James Bond is a fantasy. But when it crosses into the realm of reality, it gets weird and gross pretty quickly.
As I worked on this film for its release across Europe, kind of curious where this came from? I know the US had a different opinion than Europe, but I have never heard of this attitude from UA?
Just for the record worked with him directly as well.
I have seen this concert and overheard many patrons expressing their concern over Mr. Lazenby’s voluminous comments.
However, for those interested in the music, I’ll reiterate what I posted in the other thread about 60 years of James Bond music.
The title songs were performed for medium-sized orchestra augmented by drum-kit, bass, guitar, and some tasteful little synth flourishes. The arrangements consist of some modernisations and tweaks—however it’s very tastefully done to give it all a cohesiveness and is very much in the spirit of the “Bond sound” we know and love.
Some songs are performed in duet with female and male vocalists, and it makes them interesting, fresh, and no less enjoyable. You Only Live Twice was a particular highlight done this way.
They also perform the James Bond Theme (kind of obligatory!), as an opener, as well as a medley combining the OHMSS instrumental theme with OO7, after the intermission.
The only songs I didn’t notice having an airing were For Your Eyes Only, All Time High, and Die Another Day—all of which would have valid reasons for not working as well as others in a concert setting.
Musically, an excellent and worthy celebration. Bravo to conductor, film music aficionado, and all-round nice fella, Nicholas Buc, the vocalists Bonnie Anderson and Luke Kennedy, and orchestras!
As I worked on this film for its release across Europe, kind of curious where this came from? I know the US had a different opinion than Europe, but I have never heard of this attitude from UA?
Just for the record worked with him directly as well.
regards Andy b
I've seen internal memos from exasperated UA publicity executives saying they didn't think him capable of talking about anything but cars, women and sex. There was talk of hiring carefully selected translators to make him sound more intelligent and less vulgar when dealing with foreign journalists.
I am somewhat "anti-woke" myself but Lazenby always did come across in interviews as a big-headed Aussie buffoon with nothing remotely interesting or insightful to say about his sole Bond effort (which, as we all know, turned out to be a fantastic film despite him, rather than because of him, I would suggest). As the saying has it, there's no fool like an old fool (especially an octogenarian boasting of his sexual conquests. Eeeuuuwww...). What a shame the always charming, witty and intelligent Roger Moore is no longer with us, he would have been perfect for this concert event.
As I worked on this film for its release across Europe, kind of curious where this came from? I know the US had a different opinion than Europe, but I have never heard of this attitude from UA?
Just for the record worked with him directly as well.
regards Andy b
I've seen internal memos from exasperated UA publicity executives saying they didn't think him capable of talking about anything but cars, women and sex. There was talk of hiring carefully selected translators to make him sound more intelligent and less vulgar when dealing with foreign journalists.
And Lazenby didn't endure himself to Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman when he arrived at London's Heathrow Airport with long hair and a beard after the U.S. premiere of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".
I am somewhat "anti-woke" myself but Lazenby always did come across in interviews as a big-headed Aussie buffoon with nothing remotely interesting or insightful to say about his sole Bond effort (which, as we all know, turned out to be a fantastic film despite him, rather than because of him, I would suggest). As the saying has it, there's no fool like an old fool (especially an octogenarian boasting of his sexual conquests. Eeeuuuwww...). What a shame the always charming, witty and intelligent Roger Moore is no longer with us, he would have been perfect for this concert event.
You're right about Roger More, I just watched OCTOPUSSY with the commentary on from Moore and there's a scene where Bond arrives at a hotel with a bunch of women in bikinis around and Moore remarks:
"I suppose today we'd say it's sexist, but part of the glamour of Bond is to have attractive-looking people sitting around a swimming pool."
"The easiest way of getting a picture in the paper is to have a pretty girl. The Bond publicists in the office were very aware of that and they had a lot of pretty girls around. I spent my life smiling, carrying about with presumably the character being irresistible to the opposite sex. It's a rotten job but somebody's got to do it."
He's gracefully able to address the modern context without being heavy-handed and then going on to make a joke about it too. We're not even talking about being "woke", it's literally just being aware of the context around you. Moore was always very classy and at least seemed to be comfortable with himself. Lazenby just seems out of touch and not that comfortable, it's kind of sad.
I mean, even the romance plot in Austin Powers is literally about this - a swinging dude from the 60's learning that his 60's flower power / free love lifestyle is completely out of date with modern times. Come on George:
I get tired of this fake culture war between "woke" and "anti-woke".
I've never yet met anyone who can satisfactorily define "woke" to me, or describe where the boundaries are between reasonable good taste and being unreasonably "woke".
However, as a word it's been successfully weaponized by the political right to create yet another way to divide people and get them spitting at each other.
Let's not make this about that culture war.
This is just about the fact Lazenby was so out of touch and creepy that he alienated an audience that was there to celebrate the music of James Bond. It's was a poor show on his part, and he'll learn from it.
I get tired of this fake culture war between "woke" and "anti-woke".
I've never yet met anyone who can satisfactorily define "woke" to me, or describe where the boundaries are between reasonable good taste and being unreasonably "woke".
However, as a word it's been successfully weaponized by the political right to create yet another way to divide people and get them spitting at each other.
Let's not make this about that culture war.
This is just about the fact Lazenby was so out of touch and creepy that he alienated an audience that was there to celebrate the music of James Bond. It's was a poor show on his part, and he'll learn from it.
Cheers
Not sure if you were responding to me, SJT69, or the topic in general, but I do think "woke" as a term has been weaponized as a straw-man against the practice of social and scholarly critiques that have existed for as long as societies have existed.
The example I gave of Roger Moore in the DVD commentary was what I think is an easily-attainable state of awareness which was simply to observe and acknowledge the obvious changes in societal values over time, which he handled quite well. Lazenby did not and for whatever reason he has made it this far without any backlash even though his anecdotes have been out of touch with society for decades.
The link of Austin Powers is quite apropos as Lazenby presents himself as virtually stuck in time from the swinging' sixties, right down to using "peace" as his tagline after telling these stories. He's an interesting man.
