TOP 40/ 60 YEARS OF JAMES BOND MUSIC. This post: #31. More: tomorrow. 

The TOP 40 SONGS from

60 YEARS of

 BOND

9Rank: 31

]Title: THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS

$Performer: a-ha

)Movie: The Living Daylights

l Year: 1987

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When it all gels perfectly, a Bond title song can be an enduring vehicle for the franchise. There are examples where a hot act has been matched with a great song (eg. Wings and “Live And Let Die” and Tina Turner’s “GoldenEye”). In 1985, Duran Duran proved that a pop group could create magic when it released the hit title song “A View To A Kill”. For the next Bond instalment, the idea was to repeat that success with another hot band. 

Norwegian trio a-ha had already blazed the world charts with singles such as “Take On Me” and “The Sun Always Shines On TV”. The group agreed to work on a new Bond title song for ‘The Living Daylights’. This new 007 adventure was more of a gamble, as Roger Moore had opted out of the lead role. Timothy Dalton was cast as the new James Bond. While working on the title song, a-ha was also working on a second album. The pressure was on and this resulted in conflict with veteran composer John Barry. He composed the title song with a-ha’s Pal Waaktaar. The two also co-produced the track with Jason Corsaro and another a-ha member, Magne Furuholmen.

While the song does integrate some novel approaches to a Bond song, the end result is disappointing. It remains significant in that it is – to date- the only official Bond title song not recorded by a British or American act.

OP