1 Robbie Williams Song Is Based on a James Bond Tune
James Bond had a huge impact on British culture, including music. For example, a Robbie Williams song is based around a 007 theme. The track in question is one of the best tunes in the franchise’s history. In addition, the 007 theme was performed by one of the most interesting female singers of the 1960s.
The James Bond movie ‘You Only Live Twice’ inspired a Robbie Williams song
The Bond franchise started with Dr. No, but it didn’t hit its stride until the third film, Goldfinger. That movie understood that the series needed a mix of humor and brutality, cool gadgets, and a theme song that used the movie’s title. The brassy power ballad “Goldfinger” by Shirley Bassey served as the template for numerous subsequent Bond themes.
Enter You Only Live Twice. It’s not one of the better movies in the series, but it includes the all-time great theme song “You Only Live Twice” by Nancy Sinatra. The tune combines Asian instrumentation, classical music, and Sinatra’s heavenly vocals into a pop classic. “You Only Live Twice” was part of a great run of 1960s pop hits by Sinatra. In addition to her all-time hit “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” the singer was also known for her eclectic hits that spanned the genres of pop, rock, and country music.
Williams worked part of “You Only Live Twice” into his song “Millennium.” Perhaps that was a good move for him as a British pop star. Nobody loves Bond quite like the British.
Which version of the James Bond song is better?
So which song is better? Well, “Millennium” has its upsides. It mixes the strings of “You Only Live Twice” with some late 1990s electronica, and that works pretty well.
But who am I kidding? “You Only Live Twice” is as timeless as a 1960s pop song is going to get. Everything about “Millennium” reeks of the 1990s, right down to its title. It’s a pleasant listen, but it’s not the sort of song that will stand the test of time. On top of that, I cannot imagine Bond himself enjoying “Millennium” very much.
What it’s like to write with Robbie Williams
During a 2023 interview with GQ, “Millennium” writer Guy Chambers discussed working with Williams. “It’s hard to compare him to anyone else,” he said. “As you can see in the film, he’s just completely unique: very intuitive, very intelligent — very, very clever with words. His vocabulary is pretty huge; the writing process tended to be quick. The first album was written in about nine days. There was this sort of immediate energy between us that was very pleasing, that I didn’t always have with other people.”
Chambers made writing tunes with a pop star sound simple and easy. “I would just sit with him, with a guitar or piano, and he would sing melodies at me,” he recalled. “He would come up with lyrics almost instantaneously. When I met him he had a lot of ideas floating around, a lot of poems and lyrics. He’s a very natural songwriter — I would just try to keep up.”
“Millennium” is a great tune, and its success proves that “You Only Live Twice” lived twice.
