My Long-Lasting Bond With 007

IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India

Roger Moore, who played James Bond in more films than any other actor, reflects on the good ol' days…

Ever since the title of the latest James Bond adventure was announced, there has been much talk about what it means. Some have pointed out that "Quantum of Solace" is the name of a short story in Ian Fleming's book "For Your Eyes Only." Michael G Wilson, the film's producer, has said, it means "a measure of comfort."

I have to admit that the title worries me somewhat, as it no doubt did the lyricist charged with penning the title song. Music always plays a big part in Bond films – from the opening "gun barrel" sequence, featuring Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme," – to the incidental music and title song. Having masqueraded as 007 in seven Bond films – all with memorable theme songs – I would have liked a simpler and more "singable" title for this new epic.

I have not yet seen "Quantum of Solace", which opens in the UK on October 31, so I'm not sure how the title plays into the film. (Though I do know that it is not incorporated into the theme song, "Another Way to Die." I checked !) I did see Daniel Craig's first Bond adventure, "Casino Royale," and I thought he was terrific. Had I been asked to perform even a few of the stunts he executed, I would have most certainly been hospitalised.

I actually was injured on my own first outing as Jimmy Bond in "Live and Let Die" while filming the big jet-boat chase. During a practice run, I was trying to make a quick turn when the engine cut out, leaving me with no steering. I continued in a straight line ... right into a wooden boathouse. On impact, I flew out of the boat and hit a wall, cracking my front teeth and twisting my knee badly.

I needed a cane for days afterward. Fortunately, most of the scenes at that time involved me sitting in the boat. There I was, a fearless 007, hobbling on a cane to my boat and then pretending to be indestructible on camera. Who says I can't act?

Making "Live and Let Die" started me thinking about titles and title songs. "Live and Let Die" is a rather easy-to-remember play on words. And it's not unfriendly to a lyricist either as Paul McCartney proved when he wrote the song and performed it with Wings.

Though when George Martin, who orchestrated and produced the track, played it for Harry Saltzman, the film's producer, Saltzman looked up, grumbled and said, "OK, but who can we get to sing it?"

Martin looked, rather incredulously, at Saltzman. "But you already have the world's biggest recording star singing it!"

My second outing was "The Man With the Golden Gun," for which Don Black created a wonderful lyric setting up the villain Scaramanga as charging "a million a shot" to assassinate a target. With music by John Barry and sung by Lulu, it was a punchy and very appropriate top and tail to the movie. That's the thing about Bond songs: When matched to Maurice Binder's wonderful title designs, they tell a bit of the story. One story Ian Fleming did not want to be told on screen was "The Spy Who Loved Me." He wrote the novel through the eyes of a female Russian agent, as opposed to Jim Bond, and reportedly hated it. He therefore stipulated that only the title could ever be used in a film.


For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).


Read these article :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY


For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM awards four Bengali novelists
The Hindu : Education Plus : Honour for IIPM
IIPM ranked No.1 B-School in India, Management News - By ...
IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
Moneycontrol >> News >> Press- News >> IIPM ranked No1 B-School in ...
» IIPM ranked No1 B-School in India :: Education, Careers ...
The Hindu Business Line : IIPM placements hit a high of over 2000 jobs
Deccan Herald - IIPM ranked as top B-School in India
India eNews - IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
IIPM Delhi - Indian Institute of Planning and Management New Delhi ...
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
IIPM makes business education truly global-Education-The Times of ...