Goldfinger
Music by John Barry (Jonathan Barry Prendergrast), words by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. But Shirley Bassey mentioned a Tim Eury regarding the Lyrics. I don't know who Tim Eury is and what he has done for the lyrics.
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Goldfinger
recorded: August 20, 1964 released: charted: |
The 1995 US collection Goldsinger - The Best of Shirley Bassey contains the original mono and stereo recording on one CD.
A remix of the 1964 version has been done by the Propellerheads in 2000 and released on The Remix Album...Diamonds Are Forever.
Title song from the 1964 James Bond movie "Goldfinger", with Sean Connery as James Bond and Gert Froebe as Goldfinger. The movie is also known as "Ian Fleming's Goldfinger" and in Germany as "James Bond 007 - Goldfinger". It was the third movie in the record-breaking James Bond series and the first to feature a vocal track over the opening credits. This song was a worldwide hit, and selled more than a million copies in the USA alone and gave Shirley Bassey a Gold Disc in May 1965. The Peak US Billboard position was No. 8 for the United Artists single and the soundtrack LP reached No. 1. In the UK the song reached a surprisingly modest No. 21 on Columbia. This was Shirley Bassey's first song for a James Bond Movie. Diamonds Are Forever followed 1971 and Moonraker 1979. Nobody else has been asked to record more than one James Bond theme. This song is an essential part of almost every live concert of Shirley Bassey. Therefore the song is available on many live recordings, also videos.
Shirley Bassey wrote about "Goldfinger":
- "John Barry wrote the music.
We were touring in England at the time and he was conducting for me. One
day he said, 'There is this new song for the James Bond film Goldfinger
and we'd like you to do it. I know your rule that you will never listen
to a song unless there are words. There are no words, I must warn you -
there's only the music, which I have done. And we're waiting on the lyric.'
And because we had such a wonderful relationship on our tour I said to
John, 'Well, I'll listen to it. I'll break my rule.' And thank God I did,
because the moment he played the music to me, I got goose pimples, and
I told him, 'I don't care what the words are. I'll do it.' And fortunately
the words - they were by Tim Eury and Leslie Bricusse - were great."
In the sixties John Barry did share a bachelor pad with Michael Caine.
In Caine's autobiography, he recalls being kept awake, off and on, till dawn
one night. He found Barry slumped over the piano having just finished Goldfinger.
Harry Saltzman, the Bond producer, hated the Goldfinger
theme and much of the rest of what Barry came up with - John Barry said:
"Harry would start with, 'This is crap!' And it went downhill from there."
The photo on the right is from the Knudsen / Albinus wedding.
Here a short biography of John Barry or read the article
Dude Barry was a ladykiller.
Read what Shirley Bassey said about Sean Connery and Michael Caine in an
interview.
And read the great sleevenote to 12 Of Those Songs written by Sean Connery.
The note about Goldfinger from the 30th anniversary Bond collection:
- On August 12, 1964, lan Fleming died. Four months later,
"Goldfinger"
premiered. With its high-profile images of a fully-armed Aston Martin DB-5, a nude woman painted from head to toe in gold paint, the mute Korean manservant - Oddjob - with his steel-rimmed bowler, Bond's near-emasculation by a laser beam atop a gold table, and the concept of a raid on Fort Knox - this third adventure brought cinema's James Bond to a new level of popularity. Certainly contributing to this was the first "important" Bond title theme and the series' first title vocal, composed and conducted by Barry. Shirley Bassey's powerful rendition of "Goldfinger" not only added a rich shimmer to this third James Bond movie, it created the first American hit song out of a Bond title theme - shot to #8 on the U.S. charts and to #20 on the U.K. charts - and transformed Bassey into an international singing sensation.
"Goldfinger" (the song) is Barry's personal favorite of all his many Bond titles. "Shirley Bassey was perfect casting," he noted. "She brought such conviction to it." The first Bond for which he was given full musical authority, Barry feels that "Goldfinger" was the first time that "the musical style [in a Bond] really came together. Everything culminated with that film."
Indeed, it did. Although it was only #3 in a series that would continue to propagate for decades, "Goldfinger" represented, in many ways, a peak.
Following a plot outline of the film "Goldfinger" I found on the net:
- Beginning innocently enough with a murder, James Bond finds himself investigating
Auric Goldfinger, a gold dealer who the Bank of England suspects is stockpiling
huge amounts of gold bullion. However, he soon uncovers a far more sinister plot
called Operation Grand Slam and has a fair bit of bowler-hat-dodging to do from
Goldfinger's manservant, Oddjob.
For much more information about the movie look at KLast 007.
In an actual survey among Bond fans about all Bond films, Goldfinger won
in multiple categories including soundtrack - read
Bond fans go for Gold-finger.
An interesting message from the "CNN" website, November 27, 2002, though it has not directly to do with "Goldfinger":
- Elton John slams Madonna
(CNN) -- Musician Elton John frowned on Madonna's theme song to the latest Bond film, The Sun Online reports.
He said on the BBC's "Liquid News" show that the "Die Another Day" theme "is the worst Bond tune of all time." He further argued the Material Girl's song "hasn't got a tune."
John then said either he, Lulu or Shirley Bassey should have been chosen to compose the 007 song.
"I don't think it's the best Madonna record and I'm a big fan," he said.
...
Shirley Bassey has sung "Goldfinger" and "Pennies From Heaven" 1980 in the Muppet Show episode 100 (aired: October 4, 1980). Read more about the show at Kermitage.
"Goldfinger" was also part of the soundtrack to the movie "Little Voice" 1998.
Anthony Newley died on April 14th 1999 of cancer. He had been a composer, actor, director and singer. He wrote the musical show "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off" together with Leslie Bricusse from which Shirley performed the songs "Typically English" and "Once In A Lifetime". On The Best Of James Bond – 30th Anniversary Limited Edition has been released a version of "Goldfinger" sung by Anthony Newley himself. You can also listen on-line to it in Nuvs' 007 Shrine. Read about Newley also at The Joker. He was married to actress Joan Collins from 1963 till 1970. Later pictures of Shirley Bassey together with Joan Collins.
For row two of the lyrics you will also read sometimes "...the mightiest touch", but I'm sure that my version "... the Midas touch" is the correct one.
- Midas was in Greek and Roman legend, a king known for his foolishness and greed.
According to the myth, Midas captured Silenus, the satyr and companion of the god Dionysus.
For his kind treatment of Silenus Midas was rewarded by Dionysus with a wish.
The king wished that all he touched might turn to gold, but when his food became gold and he nearly starved to death as a result, he realized his error.
Dionysus then granted him release by having him bathe in the Pactolus River, an action to which the presence of alluvial gold in that stream is attributed.
In another story the king was asked to judge a musical contest between Apollo and the satyr Marsyas. When Midas decided against Apollo, the god changed his ears into those of an ass. Midas concealed them under a turban and made his barber swear to tell no living soul. The barber, bursting with his secret, whispered it into a hole in the ground. He filled in the hole, but reeds grew from the spot and broadcast the sibilant secret - Midas has ass's ears" - when the wind blew through them.
Lyrics:
- Goldfinger
He's the man, the man with the Midas touch
A spider's touch
Such a cold finger
Beckons you to enter his web of sin
But don't go in
Golden words he will pour in your ear
But his lies can't disguise what you fear
For a golden girl knows when he's kissed her
It's the kiss of death ...
From Mister Goldfinger
Pretty girl, beware of his heart of gold
This heart is cold
Golden words he will pour in your ear
But his lies can't disguise what you fear
For a golden girl knows when he's kissed her
It's the kiss of death ...
From Mister Goldfinger
Pretty girl, beware of his heart of gold
This heart is cold
He loves only gold
Only gold
He loves gold
He loves only gold
Only gold
He loves gold
(transcribed by Roman <scribbler@gmx.net>)
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