Update: Bad news for Amy Winehouse is good news for James Bond
The news this weekend that Amy Winehouse would not, in all likelihood, be recording the theme song for the upcoming James Bond film was disappointing in that it again turned the focus away from the British singer's music and onto her personal life.
This Associated Press story quotes Winehouse producer Mark Ronson as stating that the soul revivalist is "not ready" to record any music, a comment that seems to have been disputed by Winehouse's press team. Other stories claim to quote an unnamed Winehouse rep as saying the reason Winehouse won't record the theme for "Quantum of Solace" is a result of artistic differences.
An official statement from Winehouse's U.S. rep implies that Winehouse and Ronson couldn't agree on the song. "Mark had presented a track to Amy but she had other ideas about the direction it should take. She’s always made her own decisions about her music. Needless to say, this is part of the process between artist and producer and we're sure they will continue to make great music together."
But regardless of the reason, it is indeed a shame that Winehouse's career continues to play out in the tabloids. Getting a healthy Winehouse back in the studio could potentially quiet the tales of drug abuse and police run-ins that dominate headlines about her.
Nevertheless, the Grammy darling, no matter your take on her music, was still the wrong choice for "Quantum of Solace."
While tapping Winehouse could be seen as a risk, she was actually a risk-free, obvious choice, her music steeped so much in the soul of the '60s and '70s that Winehouse can sometimes look as if she's playing a part. To compare her with a former Bond songstress, Winehouse is Shirley Bassey with a rebel's streak. It's hard to imagine Winehouse crafting anything that didn't sound a bit like a rip on Bassey's own "Diamonds Are Forever." In fact, much of Winehouse's 2007 album "Back to Black" does.
So there's no doubt that Winehouse could have crafted a perfectly acceptable Bond theme, as any of the songs on "Back to Black" would have fit in comfortably with the jazzy Bond songs of the '70s. They're dapper and sexy and attempt to exploit a sort of vintage coolness, and that's the problem.
Check her 2008 Grammy appearance. Stripped of all the drama as to whether she would appear, Winehouse and her black cocktail dress could be dropped 20 to 30 years in the past and no one would be the wiser. Indeed, the song "You Know I'm No Good" comes complete with a reference to former Bond man Roger Moore.
But 2006's Bond film "Casino Royale" marked a change in direction for the series. It was a Bond less concerned with the kind of retro charm that Winehouse is steeped in. Although some here in the office would argue that "Casino Royale" saw 007 copping a few moves from Jason Bourne, it was nevertheless a sleeker, tougher, more modern Bond, and one less concerned with where the films had already gone ("Casino Royale" essentially restarts the Bond myth).
A Winehouse song opening the new Bond film would be a step backward for the new Daniel Craig Bond flicks, a nod to a period when the Bond films where championing Bassey, Louis Armstrong and Carly Simon, among others. Winehouse's music essentially celebrates playing a game of dress-up, and a case could be made that it easily fits within the constraints of the Bond formula -- the formula of the pre-"Casino Royale" Bond films.
"Casino Royale," we hope, began a new Bond trend -- redefining the series so it's one that's less concerned with tradition.*
* Note: That doesn't mean allowing a Madonna to pander to now-outdated pop trends.
A better alternative:
The best choice for the job, while still staying on a soul-music tip, would be Gnarls Barkley, who could bring an appropriate sense of outlandish grandeur to the tune. Through its two albums, the electro-soul duo has shown an ability to add orchestral flourishes and modern accessories without sounding indebted to an era or obsessed with the latest sounds.
Photo: Getty Images / NARAS
