A View to a Kill (song)



"A View to a Kill" is the thirteenth single by the English new wave band Duran Duran, released on 6 May 1985. Written and recorded as the theme for the 1985 James Bond movie of the same name, it became one of the band's biggest hits. It remains the only James Bond theme song to have reached number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100; it also made it to number 2 for three weeks on the UK Singles Chart.

In 1986, composer John Barry and Duran Duran were nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "A View to a Kill". The song was the last track recorded by the most famous five member lineup of Duran Duran until their 2001 reunion. It was performed by the band at Live Aid in Philadelphia, their final performance together before their first split. Following Barry's death, the band paid tribute as their encore at the 2011 Coachella Festival, Simon Le Bon reappearing in a tuxedo for a pared-down version backed by an orchestra, before launching into the full, upbeat track. Bassist John Taylor told the crowd: "We lost a dear friend of ours this year – English composer John Barry. This is for him."

About the song
The song was written by Duran Duran and John Barry, and recorded at Maison Rouge Studio and CTS Studio in London with a 60-piece orchestra.

Duran Duran were chosen to do the song after bassist John Taylor (a lifelong Bond fan) approached producer Cubby Broccoli at a party, and somewhat drunkenly asked "When are you going to get someone decent to do one of your theme songs?" This inauspicious beginning led to some serious talks, and the band was introduced to Bond composer John Barry, and also Jonathan Elias (whom Duran Duran members would later work with many times). An early writing meeting at Taylor's flat in Knightsbridge led to everyone getting drunk instead of composing.

Singer Simon Le Bon said of Barry: "He didn't really come up with any of the basic musical ideas. He heard what we came up with and he put them into an order. And that's why it happened so quickly because he was able to separate the good ideas from the bad ones, and he arranged them. He has a great way of working brilliant chord arrangements. He was working with us as virtually a sixth member of the group, but not really getting on our backs at all."

Due to a clear separation of areas of responsibility, the cooperation between band and composer turned out to be harmonic to a large extent. The band was in charge of the actual songwriting and Barry created the final arrangement including the orchestra part. The song was finally completed in April 1985, and released in May 1985. In the UK it entered the singles chart at No. 7 before peaking at No. 2 the following week, and remained at that position for three weeks. In the US, it entered the charts at No. 45, and on 13 July it reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It remains the only Bond theme with this chart performance.

In November 2014, the James Bond site MI6 revealed a previously unreleased 7:30 extended remixed 12" version of the song and it has since been mentioned on Duran Duran's website which suggests that it might be the real deal. MI6 claim that Steve Thompson created the 12" mix in Paris with the band, although John Taylor says "I don't remember hearing it at the time". The remix was added to MI6-HQ's SoundCloud. In a Super Deluxe Edition article dated November 22, 2014, Steve Thompson confirmed to an interviewer that he, Mike Barbiero and the band, with the exception of John Taylor, were in a Paris studio where they had made the 12" version of the song.

7": EMI. / Duran 007 United Kingdom

 * 1) "A View to a Kill" – (3:37)
 * 2) "A View to a Kill (That Fatal Kiss)" – (2:31)
 * Also released in a gatefold sleeve (DURANG 007)

7": Capitol Records. / B-5475 United States

 * 1) "A View to a Kill" – (3:37)
 * 2) "A View to a Kill (That Fatal Kiss)" – (2:31)

CD: Part of "Singles Box Set 1981–1985" boxset

 * 1) "A View to a Kill" – (3:37)
 * 2) "A View to a Kill (That Fatal Kiss)" – (2:31)

Covers, samples, and media references
Cover versions have been recorded by the Welsh alternative metal band Lostprophets, Canadian punk rock band Gob, Australian band Custard, appearing on the 1999 released album The Songs Of Duran Duran: UnDone and the Chilean heavy metal band Los Mox on their album ...Con Cover, released in 2006.

Shirley Bassey covered the song for an album of Bond theme songs, however, she wasn't satisfied with the quality, so the album was withdrawn from sale.

Finnish Melodic Death Metal band Diablo has covered the song, so has Finnish symphonic metal cover supergroup Northern Kings. In 2008, the song was covered with a bossa feeling by former Morcheeba singer Skye on the cover album Hollywood, Mon Amour.

Måns Zelmerlöw performed a live version of the song at the beginning of the Andra Chansen (Second Chance) round of Melodifestivalen 2010 in Örebro, Sweden.

Other appearances
Albums:
 * Decade: Greatest Hits (1989)
 * Greatest (1998)
 * Singles Box Set 1981–1985 (2003)
 * Encore Series 78–03 Reunion Tour (2003)
 * Live from London (2005)

Personnel

 * Nick Rhodes: keyboards
 * Simon Le Bon: vocals
 * Andy Taylor: guitars
 * John Taylor: bass
 * Roger Taylor: drums
 * John Barry: orchestra conductor