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When
the entire Bond catalogue turned up on remastered CD in 2003 - many JOHN BARRY
fans got fidgety - quietly pawing their wallets in Soundtrack glee (from 1962's
"Dr. No" through to "Diamonds Are Forever" in 1972 and
beyond). And having mitched from school six times in 1971 to see "Diamonds
Are Forever" at Dublin's Savoy Cinema on O'Connell Street (which I thought
was the coolest thing in the world) - this little beauty was always going to be
my first port of call when it reappeared in decent remastered form. And what a
winner it is...
Not
only is there a huge haul of previously unreleased material made available for
the first time here (most of it better than what was released) - it's
tastefully presented and has been remastered with pure love from the original
master tapes by top Engineer DOUG SCHWARTZ (assisted and remixed by Michael
McDonald) to truly spectacular effect - much like the films would be with the
Lowry Process a few years later (frame-by-frame restoration). Here is the
Dastardly Blofeld and comely Tiffany Case details...
UK
and USA released March 2003 - "Diamonds Are Forever (Original Motion
Picture Soundtrack)" by JOHN BARRY on EMI Capitol 72435-41420-2-4 (Barcode
724354142024) breaks down as follows (75:48 minutes):
1.
Diamonds Are Forever (Main Title) - Sung by Shirley Bassey
2.
Bond Meets Bambi And Thumper
3.
Moon Buggy Ride
4.
Circus, Circus
5.
Death At The Whyte House
6.
Diamonds Are Forever (Source Instrumental)
7.
Diamonds Are Forever (Bond and Tiffany)
8.
Bond Smells A Rat
9.
Tiffany Case
10.
007 And Counting
11.
Q's Trick
12.
To Hell With Blofeld
Tracks
1 to 12 are the album "Diamonds Are Forever: Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack" - released December 1971 in the UK on United Artists UAS 29216
and in the USA on United Artists UAS 5220.
PREVIOUSLY
UNRELEASED BONUS TRACKS:
13.
Gunbarrel And Manhunt
14.
Mr. Wint And Mr. Kidd/Bond To Holland
15.
Peter Franks
16.
Airport Source/On The Road
17.
Slumber, Inc
18.
The Whyte House
19.
Plenty, Then Tiffany
20.
Following The Diamonds
21.
Additional And Alternate Cues
The
10-page booklet has affectionate, witty and informative liner notes from JEFF
BOND (no relation) with Page 5 being a double foldout sporting an array of
colour stills from the movie - Sean Connery as James Bond swinging from pulleys
outside the penthouse apartment of Willard Whyte's Vegas skyscraper, Jill St.
John as Tiffany Case in a bath washing 007's hairy chest (I'm glad someone is),
Charles Grey as Blofeld posing with a sword and a menacing look, Lana Wood as
Plenty O'Toole at the crap tables (posing with as little as possible) and a brief
glimpse of the wonderfully camp killer couple Putter Smith and Bruce Glover (as
Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd) trying to dispense with our James via a Bomba Supreme
and some flaming kebab skewers (nice). Alas there are no photos of Lola Larson
and Trina Parks as the acrobatic Bambi and Thumper kicking the crap out of 007
like he deserved it. The last page has reissue credits and some discography
info (United Artists released the theme song as a 7" single in the UK and
USA where it charted at 38 and 57 respectively).
But
the big news here is the SOUND - this CD sounds utterly glorious. Recorded in
October 1971 by Barry at CTS Studios in London (Engineered by John Richards) -
it was afforded all the luxury of modern recording facilities - and man does it
show. The moment the brass of "Diamonds Are Forever" hits you
followed by Shirley Bassey's superb vocal - you know you're in for a thrill.
The brilliantly scored "Moon Buggy Ride" is pure Bond - all blasting
brass and strings building until it goes into that strings only centrepiece -
the audio is truly fabulous. The slinky lounge piano of "Source
Material" is gorgeous too but the absolute bees knees is surely "007
And Counting" where Bond is wrestling to stop the laser satellite from
space starting World War III - it's just magisterial - beautifully recorded and
transferred.
As
if the Soundtrack itself isn't the Georgie Best - you're hit with a wad of
Previously Unreleased material from the original film that's been in the can
for 40 years too long. "Gunbarrel And Manhunt" is like a mini Bond
fest all rolled up into one - first you get the Sixties 007 theme we know and
love - then blasting brass - then smooching strings - then menace and intrigue
- back to triumph - its just brilliant. But thrill of thrills is the brilliant
4 minutes of "Mr. Wint And Mr. Kidd/Bond To Holland" where the
"bitten by the bug" duo of scorpion killers are gingerly dispensing
with anyone who gave them diamonds. It's masterful John Barry - slinking along
- adding so much to the film (you see the thing in your mind's eye).
"If
God had wanted man to fly Mister Wint...
He
would have given him wings Mister Kidd!"
Well
now the dapper chap has been given wings. Open your heart to your inner 007 and
get this fabulous CD in your Bath-O-Sub. La
Bomba Supreme indeed...
