Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page Worked on a Song From a James Bond Movie
While Jimmy Page is most famous for his work with Led Zeppelin, he used to work as a session musician. One of the most notable tracks he worked on as a session musician was the title song for a classic James Bond movie. During an interview, Page discussed what happened when the pop star who sang the song collapsed in the studio.
Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page says it took 1 take for a pop star to sing this song for a James Bond movie
According to GQ, Page worked as a session musician on Marianne Faithfull’s “As Tears Go By” and some of the incidental music from The Beatles’ movie A Hard Day’s Night, among other projects. Page revealed what it was like working as a session musician. “You didn’t go around talking about it,” he said. “I would get the recording date, turn up and I literally wouldn’t know who was going to come in the door. Sometimes I would recognize the person, but more often than not I had no idea.”
Page revealed what happened when he worked on the title song of the Bond movie Goldfinger. “The full orchestra sounded absolutely amazing, but then Shirley Bassey arrived,” Page said. “She arrived with a friend, was very quiet and then was asked to come out and sing. And it took her just one take.”
Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page reveals what happened when Shirley Bassey fainted
Page revealed why this episode was especially dramatic. “And at the end of the tape, she collapsed on the floor … she just held this one note and she basically ran out of breath and collapsed,” Page said. “You know how dramatic she is usually, what with all the stuff she does with her hands, but this was even more dramatic – and I was in the front row of the musicians, so I really had a good view of all of this.”
The way the world reacted to the title song from the James Bond movie ‘Goldfinger’
“Goldfinger” became a hit in the United States. It reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 13 weeks. It remains Bassey’s only top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100. She later sang the themes for two more Bond movies: Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker. The song “Diamonds Are Forever” reached No. 48 on the chart.
“Goldfinger” was a more modest hit in the United Kingdom. The Official Charts Company says the song reached No. 21 in the U.K., staying on the chart for nine weeks. While “Goldfinger” wasn’t as big in the U.K. as it was in the U.S., Bassey had a more prominent career in the U.K., releasing 12 songs that reached the top 10 there. Three of those tracks reached No. 1: “As I Love You” and a double A-side of “Reach for the Stars” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain.”
“Goldfinger” remains one of the most famous songs from a Bond film and it wouldn’t be the same without Page.
