"GoldenEye" is a song written by Irish musicians Bono and the Edge and performed by American singer Tina Turner. It served as the theme for the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye. Produced by Nellee Hooper and released as a single on November 6, 1995, by Virgin (US) and Parlophone (UK), the track was a chart hit in Europe. It topped the Hungarian Singles Chart and reached the top five in Austria, Finland, France, Italy and Switzerland, as well as number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. "GoldenEye" was less successful outside Europe, reaching number 43 in Canada, number 63 in Australia, and number two on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. The music video for the song was directed by Jake Scott.

Background and release

Depeche Mode was initially approached in 1994 to sing the main theme song for GoldenEye, but were coming to the end of their Devotional Tour and could not meet the schedule. Instead, the producers got Tina Turner to agree to do the song. After being informed of Turner's involvement, Bono and the Edge of Irish rock band U2 were next to join, and agreed to write the song. The track was produced and mixed by British producer/remixer/composer Nellee Hooper, best known for his work with Massive Attack, Madonna, U2, and Björk. The track reached number ten on the UK Singles Chart and became a top-five hit in several European countries. "GoldenEye" was first released on the original motion picture soundtrack and the following year it was included on Turner's album Wildest Dreams. The song has been covered by Nicole Scherzinger for the 2010 remake of the GoldenEye 007 video game.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard described "GoldenEye" as a "gloriously over-the-top James Bond theme" and a "tingly, feline performance" by Turner. He found that producer Nellee Hooper "captures the essence of the movie, wrapping the track in sweeping strings and horns that are fondly reminiscent" of the 1964 movie Goldfinger, and added that U2's Bono and the Edge "get in on the fun, writing a tune that's fraught with cryptic lyrical twists and romantic intrigue." James Masterton for Dotmusic said that "like most Bond themes it tends towards the sweeping style of the early John Barry efforts yet still manages to retain its own identity." Nisid Hajari from Entertainment Weekly stated that the James Bond myth "certainly allows for the trinity of Sex, Danger, and Elegance to verge on melodrama." He noted the song's "self-conscious vocals and maudlin horns and strings", that "blithely crosses the line". A reviewer from Liverpool Echo felt that Turner "manages to sound like Shirley Bassey". David Cook from The Michigan Daily wrote that "it's amazing how similar this song sounds to other opening songs from previous James Bond movies — there must be some magic formula to making all of the sound so Bondlike." Pan-European magazine Music & Media deemed it a "perfect candidate" for the soundtrack of 007's "latest adventure", stating that Turner "and her raw R&B power easily fit in the Shirley Bassey tradition." They also noted that the composers "stayed close to the traditional James Bond sound". Music Week gave the song top score with five out of five, writing that the singer's voice "soars above a swirling orchestra in this powerful single with a classic Bond feel." Jeff Farance from The News-Journal, while reviewing the movie, felt that the title sequence is "pure Bond, with Tina Turner belting out the title song in the grand tradition of magnificent music for 007." Mark Sutherland from NME said that "Tina Turner turns in the traditional Shirley Bassey-esque theme with a performance so dramatic that there's no way anything on screen will ever be able to match it."

Music video

The accompanying music video for "GoldenEye" was directed by English film director Jake Scott and edited by David D. Williams. It was produced by Caroline True and Ellen Jacobson-Clarke, and made its debut at the end of October 1995. The video features Turner, wearing a long white strapless dress, either sitting on a chair or walking on a catwalk in front of a large golden eye. In between there are several scenes from the movie. The video also features Sudanese model Alek Wek.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Release history

Alternate rejected theme song

Like many Bond themes before it, Tina Turner's version was not the only recorded song for the film. Swedish pop band Ace of Base also recorded a song that was optioned to the studio. Ace of Base's "The GoldenEye" was later reworked into "The Juvenile" which appeared on their Da Capo album in 2002.

Samples and covers