Happy Birthday Timothy Dalton! ….Day 80 of Bond 365

It’s Saturday and it’s Timothy Dalton’s birthday today! He was the fourth actor to portray James Bond, if you don’t count the 1967 comedic version of Casino Royale. What do you think of Dalton as James Bond? 

Dalton in Jane Eyre

Timothy Dalton

Born this day in 1944 or 1946

James Bond in The Living Daylights and License to Kill

Timothy Dalton is under appreciated as James Bond. There, I put it out on the table. I think however that the timing was against Dalton in three ways when he put on the tuxedo. 

First, when Dalton was initially approached to play Bond was when Eon Productions was looking for a replacement for Sean Connery for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Dalton had been working in theatre and films, starring opposite Malcolm McDowell, Peter O’Toole, Anthony Hopkins, Marcello Mastroianni, and Virna Lisi. Eon Productions approached Dalton and he tested for the role, but he felt he was too young (he would have been around 25 at the time) so he turned down the role. A 25-year-old Bond does seem young; George Lazenby who did play Bond in OHMSS was just around 30 at the time. However, I think that his serious portrayal would have fit very well with the OHMSS storyline.

Secondly, when Dalton did come on board as Bond, it was right after Roger Moore’s more lighthearted interpretation of the British secret agent. While I think we can all agree that sometimes things went just a little too light (for example, sound effect noises that accompanied stunts), asking audiences to move from fun to deep, dark serious was too much to ask of Bond audiences at that time. Following up after Connery rather than Moore would have been better for Dalton. Obviously audiences like serious Bond – Craig’s era – which I think was more palpable as a follow up to Pierce Brosnan’s Bond.

Third, the long wait between License to Kill and Goldeneye (6 years) was unfortunate especially since there has been criticism regarding the strength of the Bond stories that Dalton starred in. If filming could have started sooner so that Dalton would have portrayed Bond for the third of three films he signed up for, I think Goldeneye would have provided audiences the opportunity to nod and agree that Dalton was made for the tuxedo. It was sad that Dalton made the decision to walk away, but you have to respect him for deciding to move on. And, it’s not like Dalton could not find work. He has been one very prolific and successful actor over the years!

I am glad that he got his shot at James Bond, even if timing wasn’t on his side. We got to see another side to Bond and Dalton did pave the way for Brosnan, who blended into a middle-of-the-road Bond (which really would have eased audiences in a post Moore era), and later Craig, who brought serious Bond back in a huge way.

Timothy Dalton and Bond Girl alum Eva Green in Penny Dreadful

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Bumper Month to Celebrate Bond!

Last weekend, I found an application for my iPad called “Remind mii” that allows me to input significant dates and it, in turn, will display timely reminders of birthdays, anniversaries, and other events. I’ve had to tweak the categories but since downloading the app, I have been adding Bond franchise related dates partly for personal interest, but also to identify milestones that warrant a word or two from yours truly.

Already, June is a rather busy month for commemorating movie premieres, various book releases, and even birthdays of a couple of directors!  Last week was the 30^th anniversary of Roger Moore and Maud Adams’ Octopussy (1983). Today marks the UK release of You Only Live Twice (1967) and 1985’s A View to a Kill. Tomorrow Licence to Kill (1989) will celebrate its release, 24 years ago.

While I unfortunately do not have any autographs of any stars from You Only Live Twice (not yet anyway!), I do have a few photographs from the other three films to commemorate the occasion.

Octopussy (1983) Maud Adams

In honor of its 30^th anniversary, my boyfriend and I rewatched the 1983 Octopussy last week. It had been several years since I had watched what would be Roger Moore’s second to last outing as James Bond. While there were a few witty lines, more often the one-liners were cheesy and over the top. The Tarzan yell sound effect when Moore swings through the forest via a hanging vine made me groan out loud – didn’t they learn anything about leaving out silly sound effects with Thunderball? The nod to Fleming’s short story “The Property of a Lady” was a nice touch. And honestly, it was an entertaining movie to revisit.

A View to a Kill (1985) Roger Moore and Tanya Roberts

My boyfriend and I had the pleasure of meeting Tanya Roberts (Stacy Sutton) a couple of times over the past few years, both occasions were at the Hollywood Collector’s Shows, in the summer of 2009 and again this past January.

Diana Lee Hsu (Loti) was at the collector’s show in January. You will remember her role of Loti who met her demise late in the movie. However, did you know that she is also the dancer in the opening Bond song?

Licence to Kill (1989) Diana Lee Hsu

And, also at the January show was Robert Davi (Franz Sanchez). He was an incredibly jovial person and very engaging with all those who stopped at his table. Since I have the uncommon spelling to my name, occasionally celebrities will misspell my name after I’ve spelled it out. It happens and it’s interesting to see how different stars go about fixing the error:

Licence to Kill (1989) Timothy Dalton and Robert Davi

One of the things I noticed is that a lot of the celebrities at the collector's show were congratulating Mr. Davi on his singing by comparing him most favorably with Frank Sinatra. Well, come to find out, he had an album out titled “Davi Sings Sinatra – On the Road to Romance.” And you know what? He can really croon like Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. If you like the Brat Pack music of the 50s/60s, pick up Mr. Davi’s CD or catch one of his performances.

Robert Davi and Bond fans

Editor's Note: All photographs except the last photo are pages from The James Bond Archives edited by Paul Duncan (Taschen, 2012).

License to Kill (2010) from SPECTRA*Paris

Elena Alice Fossi, SPECTRA*Paris -- Agent Jane

The sound of footsteps that at first have a laissez-faire pace soon quicken with a sense of urgency before melting into the opening notes of “License to Kill” as Elena Alice Fossi takes aim and hits the mark with a popping noir electro-rock number. With lyrics, Drowning in red water / I must speak to agent Bond! / Creeping the dark path, Fossi thus begins a spy filled journey on the second album by SPECTRA*Paris. Of course Fossi is no stranger to taking lead vocals: many listeners of electronic darkwave will likely recognize her name associated with the Italian band, Kirlian Camera, founded in 1980 by Angelo Bergamini. Fossi joined Kirlian Camera in 1999 as lead singer, and in the intervening years since, she has focused on a variety of side projects.

In 2006 while Fossi was working on a third album for her side project Siderartica, she found that the direction she was exploring didn’t fit with the project. At that point, she founded SPECTRA*Paris as a “rock band filled with love for aesthetics, fun and drama! Crime, spy stories, fashion and sex at the Opera house!!!” (Original Sin Fanzine Blog Interview, May 2010). In addition, Fossi outfitted S*P with all female musicians, a rarity in the sea of all male bands that populate the industry at large. And in the following year, “Dead Models Society (Young Ladies Homicide Club)” was released through the Trisol label. In her first album, she referenced Hitchcock’s Vertigo and Carol Reed’s The Third Man, and Fossi did a cover of Tears for Fear “Mad World” from the cult film Donnie Darko. References to and blending popular culture would be a recurring theme for Fossi on her second album.

“License to Kill” started taking shape in 2009. Again, Fossi turned to cinema for inspiration and continued to explore the themes of her first album. This time she crossed Brian De Palma’s musical Phantom of the Paradise, released in 1974, with the spy genre, and who else better represents the genre than James Bond. “In a few words, charming agent 007 will have to investigate on a disquieting facts having Swann – unquestioned boss of the Death Records – as a main and surely weird character” (SPECTRA*Paris MySpace exclusive interview, July 1, 2009). She used the combination of genres, in this case opera house musical and spy, to convey the injustice and difficulties facing bands today in the music industry (Black Magazine Interview, December 2010). Fossi incorporates Swan, the villain from De Palma’s movie, and makes several references to James Bond, by name and nods to some of the Bond movies. Fossi professes to taking all of what she watches, making “a massacre of all that useless trash I’ve seen, going to select just a few frames from several movies” (PeekaBoo Interview, April 15, 2011) in order to create her own movie via her albums. 

Taking a look at the various glamour photos of the S*P band, one can readily see their homage to the spy genre. Lean, beautiful lethal bodies in high heeled leather boots and black trench coats, or much less, toting “hand” guns, these ladies represent the sexy equivalent of James Bond. Fossi admits that music isn’t her muse as much as the written and visual forms of popular culture around her (PeekaBoo Interview, April 15, 2011). However, along with the visual iconography, lyrics play an important part to the visual representation that Fossi creates. She describes her “store of thoughts and ideas is a like a TV screen whereas characters, colours and settings are taking place. That’s just the reason why I’m used to attaching great importance to lyrics, even though I couldn’t be under the illusion that I’m succeeding in expressing all that I would like in 5 minute music per song.” (Frank Bentert from Bodystyler Magazine, May 2011).

“License to Kill” is comprised of ten tracks, two of which are instrumentals, which describes the story of the conniving Death Records owner by the name of Swan. Will Swan’s empire be toppled?

Track 01 License to Kill

This track could be seen as the prelude to the entire album, setting the stage of the lies and deceit that exist. Fossi sings about looking for salvation from drowning and believes that death of another will cleanse her. She seeks out Agent Bond for help. Many references are made to murder and various weapons – gun, knife, hands, stinging needles – in this electro-rock song. The strength of the music and Fossi’s vocals lends itself to being in the company of many of the more recent Bond theme songs by contemporary pop/rock artists. Whereas Bond has his iconic gun barrel sequence, S*P has the theatre stage. As the song fades, one can almost hear the sweep of the heavy velvet curtain swooshing back as a spotlight begins to illuminate center stage.

Track 02 A Clockwork London

Fossi continues the electro-rock tempo as she dips into a darker driven beat with help of electric guitars. The theme shifts from murder to the concept of death and the disposition of one’s soul. Our singer could be dying but who would know when the stage façade is an illusion: Here no one knows me, my bloody hands / I could look as a pretty girl! Fossi says she is living for her dreams however the consequences are high. There are no references to Bond or spies in general; instead, the musical aspect, in this case the stage performance is central. It sets up the conflict that needs to be resolved.

Track 03 007 Gold

Movie samplings of a conversation between police dispatch and a patrol unit that cuts off abruptly with the line “She’s got a gun!” introduces another electro-rock song with synthpop elements that give way to more industrial sounding electric guitars. This song returns to the spy aspect of the story, setting up a relationship between spy and musical references that alternate back and forth between the tracks. Bond is referred to by film titles such as “GoldenEye” and “License to Kill” as well as the truncated title “From Russia”. The spy seems to be on a stake out while Fossi finds strength to fight: My shiva golden eye / Got fever like a fire / See people throwing dice / My shiva golden eye / And now I’m about to [shoot] him dead.

Track 04 Movie Ghouls

Returning to the theatre, the pace slows to a synthpop ballad. The lyrics become more emotional and personally symbolic for Fossi. Here tale seems to have the power to turn people to stone, or from the keys of undisclosed spells she now possesses. She has the power; our spy is nowhere to be found in this track.

Track 05 Aston Martin DBS

This is the first of two instrumentals offered by Fossi. It revs the beat back up like the passing seconds of a clock. Just as the song hits its groove, it is over. It’s only 72 seconds long, which is unfortunate since it is a sporty rhythm that is very catchy. The Bond reference is of course in the title.

Track 06 Carrie Satan

The ticking beat carries over into this darkish synthpop song. The lyrics reveal bad things are closing in on Fossi yet she believes she will prevail in spite of the hardships and criticisms that surround her.

Track 07 Death Records

Here’s where Fossi gets to the heart of the problem: Swan, as owner of Death Records, masterminds the exploitation of her musical talents and profitability. She plays with her vocals, twisting and sharpening her voice with the accompaniment of harsh determined electric guitars. At moments, her voice becomes sorrowful and soul searching in its mood. Bond appears and faces Swan as Fossi’s anger swells against Swan and his lies. On stage, the fame and fortune (for Swan anyway) is touted. There is fear in Bond’s presence but he doesn’t seem to exact justice or resolution: No suspect comes out / Just lights on the stage … Their eyes full of fear.

Track 08 Lost Highway Voices

Fossi returns to a ballad’s pace, her voice wavering and breathlessly whispering the lyrics as she realizes there is no going back, only forward. Perhaps to a better place: And words to light the creepy skies / And rain to clean sweet cheering lies / Across the beauty that remains. All her barriers have been broken, but Fossi is hopeful. Our agent appears for the last time.

Track 09 S.I.S. Soundtrack

The second instrumental accompanied by some supporting metallic sounding vocals compliment the 95 second track. It is reminiscent of Kraftwerk returning to the more electro-rock tone. The song incorporates a guitar drilling out the melody with a synthpop wailing that drives the beat along to an all too short song that seems to tease the listener towards the finale.

Track 10 Phantom Theme (Beauty and the Beast)

Fossi covers the 1974 Paul Williams song (same title) that was featured in De Palma’s movie. It is the climatic moment in which both sides – good and evil – assemble and are reconciled within Fossi herself, a new self. Resolution is unclear: Like a circus on parade / Seldom close enough to see / I wander through an angry crowd / And wonder what became of me. The original Williams song was over eight minutes long (Paul William's Phantom of the Paradise Original Soundtrack, Youtube) but Fossi chose to cover the last half of the song. The track and lyrics compliment Fossi’s vocal range and style. This may be the best song on the album to showcase her vocal prowess, and I would say, it rivals her cover of “Mad World” (a track from S*P’s first album).

“License to Kill” is a fascinating melting pot of cultural references to De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise, James Bond and the spy genre while critcizing the nefarious dealings that plague the music business industry. The songs are edgy, chaotic and dark. The Bond references, particularly in the first track, are easily comparable with our famous British agent, while many of the other tracks limit to flirting with spy references. Visually, Fossi and her band don the secret agent persona of black trench coats or skimpy outfits of Bond girls. They even are seen poising with a red sports car in some photos. A third album was released by the group – a Christmas album in 2010 and features some of the same tracks from the second. Fossi has not indicated what’s next for the group, but hopefully, she’ll consider a fourth outing with our intrepid spy at some point in the near future.

All photos are from Kirlian Camera and SPECTRA*Paris websites.