DIE ANOTHER DAY BOTB Showdown
The 4M dance floor opened yesterday if you’re wondering where it’s at but don’t hurry off just yet. 😉
In 2002, Pierce Brosnan returned as 007 for the fourth and final time. I don’t remember the theme song, Die Another Day by Madonna. After listening to it again after all these years I understand why I don’t remember it. In my opinion, it’s definitely not one of the best James Bond theme songs but I’ll work with what I have in this round and try to come up with a couple of suit able covers.
SecondHangSongs is a good resource for finding covers. Unfortunately the site wasn’t a big help this time. I wound up using YouTube to score both of cover artists. I was happy to find a male version of Die Another Day. Listen to Q-Kryst, then let me know what you think.
Imagine my surprise when I found another male vocal of Die Another Day on YouTube. It’s just the artist at the piano and while it doesn’t have the big electric synthesizers or other bells and whistles plugged into the mix I rather like it. In fact, I think it’s more suited for as a James Bond theme song. List to Ziggy Venneman to see if he gets your vote.
I invite you to visit other BoTBers with possible showdowns going on today.
- CAAC (me) 1st
- The Doglady’s Den (Debbie) retired member, active voter
- Golch Central (Mike) on and off
- Jingle Jangle Jungle (Mary) 1st
- Mike’s Ramblings
- STMcC Presents BoTB (Stephen, BoTB Manager)
- The Sound of One Hand Typing (John)
- Tossing It Out (Lee)
*Unless noted, all other participants will present two battles per month on the 1st & 15th
Polls close Aug 6th at noon (EST)
I mentioned earlier that I don’t like Die Another Day too much. I found it interesting what Wiki shared…
“It [Die Another Day] was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording, but also for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song of 2002 (while Madonna herself won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress for her cameo)”.
How something is voted for the best and worst blows my mind but there you have it!
Next Monday, I will announce the winner in this battle showdown, so mark your calendar to check back. Until then, be safe and stay healthy!
10 Comments
diedre Knight
Lordy! Slim pickins’ this time. Much as it vexes me to do so, I’ll go with the best worst – Madonna 😉 Still, a good battle is one that makes us think. Thanks!
Eugenia
I don’t care for either one, and I can’t stand Madonna. Ziggy gets my vote.
messymimi's meanderings
Mercy, now i know why i never bothered to listen to this one, it just isn’t up to snuff for a Bond movie. Ziggy, he’s not so irritating as the first, which isn’t exactly a positive reason to choose him, is it.
Brian
Yep, they’re not that great but Zippy for me since anything beats Madonna!
John Holton
I dunno, Cathy… they’re both pretty awful. I’ll go with the first one, by Q-Kryst, because it’s not as awful as the other one…
Sandee
I don’t care for either one of them, but Ziggy gets my vote. Madonna made a mess of it in my opinion.
Have a fabulous day and week, my friend. Big hug. ♥
Stephen T. McCarthy
CAThy, It’s That YOU!
Sorry to say so but this wasn’t one of my favorite Bond Battles.
Just my own personal opinion here, but I felt the first recording was unlistenable. (Well, technically not “completely unlistenable”, because I did manage to make it through the first minute and twelve seconds.)
The second version was just so slow and dreary that I felt I was attending a funeral. Nevertheless, I did play it through to the end, so Ziggy Venneman gets my vote.
When I hear a good Bond theme, I feel like I wanna go out and blow something up just for the thrill of it all. These recordings just didn’t give me that explosive feeling.
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Birgit
Yes, how does this song won best and worst. I think, if it was not Madonna she never would have been up for the Golden Gloves or the Granmy. It’s not my favourite by any means but I don’t hate it. I like the men singing it better but I will go with man #2 because I like how he made it his own.
Arlee Bird
I don’t think too much of this song. I can’t recall ever having heard it before, but if I did I forgot it for good reason. Listening to the original and the versions in this Battle I think we have good evidence that music is getting worse. This song kind of sucks!
However in the spirit of Battle play I will vote. The first one started getting on my nerves. On the second, the vocalist reminded me of that Crash Test Dummies song “MM-Mmm-Mmm” except I liked the Dummies’ song better.
The piano work saved the day for Ziggy so I’ll give my vote to his version.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Thomas Anderson
Hi, Cathy!
I prefer Bond theme songs that are sung by females. The performance that set the bar high for all others was Shirley Bassey’s quintessential recording of “Goldfinger” which left me shaken and stirred. I don’t mind that Madonna was picked to sing the theme of Pierce Brosnan’s 007 movie Die Another Day, but I don’t like the techno arrangement or the music video.
Turning to your first of the month band battle, I didn’t care for the version of the song by contestant #1, Q-Kryst, because the arrangement sounded similar to Madonna’s version and his whiny emo vocal irritated me.
Ziggy’s version is also a departure from the brassy, swaggering style found in most Bond themes. His sad, suffering vocal is rather creepy, but at least it offered my ears and nerves a welcome break from the industrial techno dubstep madness. Therefore I give my vote to gladiator #2 – Ziggy Stardust Venneman.
Yessum, it really should come as no surprise that a song, an artist, an actress or anything else can be voted “best” by one group and “worst” by another group. That’s how we roll in The Roaring 2020s.
I wish you a safe and happy week and month, dear friend Cathy!