WSJ-A look back at “Nobody Does It Better”
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal looks back on the theme song to the James Bond movie
Read the full article at https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-secret-agent-in-carly-simons-nobody-does-it-better-11589031471
The Secret Agent in Carly Simon’s ‘Nobody Does It Better’
The singer, the lyricist Carole Bayer Sager and others look back on the Bond theme for ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’—and the duality of James
an excerpt from the article:
In the fall of 1977, Carly Simon’s sultry rendition of “Nobody Does It Better” rose to No. 2 on Billboard’s pop chart, casting James Bond in a new light.
Written by Carole Bayer Sager (words) and Marvin Hamlisch (music) for “The Spy Who Loved Me,” the Bond theme was the first to be titled differently from the movie.
As 007 fans await “No Time to Die”—delayed until November but already teased with a theme by Billie Eilish—Ms. Bayer Sager, Ms. Simon, pianist Michael Omartian and arranger Richard Hewson revisited their hit. Last year, Ms. Bayer Sager received the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Johnny Mercer Award; Ms. Simon’s most recent book is “Touched by the Sun: My Friendship with Jackie.”
Later in the article…
Ms. Simon: As I recorded my vocal, I imagined how the movie would start. Bond films always had plenty of action before the theme song came on.
I also felt Carole’s female perspective in the lyrics. They fit me perfectly. Adding “James, you’re the best” was the perfect homage.
