All Time High

Last updated
"All Time High"
All Time High Rita Coolidge.jpg
Single by Rita Coolidge
from the album Octopussy
B-side "All Time High" (Extended Instrumental Version)
ReleasedJune 1983 [1]
Genre Pop rock, soft rock
Length3:02
Label
Composer(s) John Barry
Lyricist(s) Tim Rice
Producer(s)
James Bond theme singles chronology
"For Your Eyes Only"
(1981)		"All Time High"
(1983)		"A View to a Kill"
(1985)

"All Time High" is a song by American singer-songwriter Rita Coolidge that serves as the theme song to the James Bond film Octopussy (1983). Written by John Barry and Tim Rice and produced by Stephen Short and Phil Ramone, the song was released through A&M Records in 1983.

Contents

Background

"All Time High" marked the return of regular James Bond theme composer John Barry after his absence from the For Your Eyes Only soundtrack for tax problems. He wanted to work again with Don Black, but his commitments to the musical Merlin forced Barry to seek another lyricist. Tim Rice quickly accepted the invitation. [2] Barry's friend Phil Ramone produced the song, while recording and mixing of the track is credited to Stephen Short. [3] The soundtrack for Octopussy was recorded over five days in early April 1983.

The movie's peculiar title negated the possibility of its theme song being based on its title, although Rice would later state: "I think it would have been more interesting if we had tried to write a song called 'Octopussy'". Instead Barry suggested that Rice submit six potential song titles, and it was from these that "All Time High" was selected. Rice was provided with a copy of the script for Octopussy and also viewed the shooting of some scenes from the movie at Pinewood Studios, Rice visiting Pinewood in mid-December 1982. The completed lyrics for "All Time High" would include the line "We're two of a kind" which in the movie is spoken by Octopussy (played by Maud Adams) to James Bond (Roger Moore), and the title evidently refers to the key aerial sequences featured in the movie. [2]

Prior to Rita Coolidge being assigned the Octopussy theme, Mari Wilson was a contender, a British singer whose retro-image evoked the mid-'60s when the Bond series originated; but Wilson's lack of a US-profile led to a negative decision. [4] In January 1983, the producer of Octopussy: Cubby Broccoli, stated that he hoped to have current hitmaker Laura Branigan sing the movie's theme song, an artist choice which both Barry and Rice have stated would have pleased them. However, on March 29, 1983 Rita Coolidge was revealed as the singer, a seemingly surprising choice in that Coolidge's career peak had occurred some six years previously. [2]

Coolidge recalls that Barbara Broccoli, daughter of Cubby Broccoli and herself the assistant director of Octopussy, was a fan of Coolidge and made a point of playing Coolidge records around her father until "one day [he said], "Who is that? That's the voice I want for the movie." Rice still had to complete his contribution as the singer arrived in the studio, with Coolidge stating that "we were waiting for the lyrics as the instrumental track had already been done." [5] The chorus of "All Time High" features a lyric similar to that of Coolidge's #2 hit "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher" whose lyric "When you wrap your loving arms around me I can stand up and face the world again" is echoed by the "All Time High" lyric "We'll take on the world and win".

"All Time High" was the second theme song from a James Bond movie for which a video was made, the video consisting of footage of Coolidge – shot in soft focus – singing in an apparent Indian palace (in fact the Royal Pavilion at Brighton) intercut with scenes from the movie. [2]

Impact

"All Time High" was used as catch phrase in the promotion for its parent movie with posters advertising Octopussy as "James Bond's all time high." Generally unmentioned in reviews for Octopussy, "All Time High" was cited by The Washington Post as "inane...its silly Tim Rice lyrics sung with deadly lethargy by Rita Coolidge." [2]

In the US "All Time High" reached #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1983. Adult contemporary radio was much more receptive, with "All Time High" spending four weeks at #1 as ranked by Billboard magazine. Coolidge had previously topped the Adult Contemporary chart in 1977 with "We're All Alone".

In the UK, "All Time High" rose no higher than #75 and remains the lowest-charting James Bond theme; "The Man with the Golden Gun" by Lulu had failed to reach the then fifty-rung chart in 1974 and "Moonraker" by Shirley Bassey fell short of the Top 75 in 1979. However, the track became a major hit in several European countries: Austria – #14; Finland – #11; Germany – #13; the Netherlands – #8; Sweden – #8; and Switzerland – #7: Coolidge had previously only charted in one of these six countries, that being the Netherlands (with "We're All Alone" – #15/1977) which was also the only one of the six countries where she'd chart again ("I Stand in Wonder", #56/1999). Additionally "All Time High" afforded Coolidge chart placements in Australia – #80; Canada – #38, New Zealand – #26, and South Africa – #8. The track was also ranked at #48 in the annual hit parade tally for 1983 in Brazil.

In January 1984, "All Time High" was put forward for consideration for an Academy Award nomination for Best Song in two full-page ads run in the entertainment trade papers; these ads also touted the full score of Octopussy. However, Octopussy failed to accrue any Academy Award nominations. [2]

Legacy

According to the Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits by Wesley Hyatt, Coolidge considered "All Time High" to be an unfinished work and customarily would include the song in concert via her backing musicians playing it as an overture rather than singing it as part of her program. However, Coolidge did state in 2006: "It is a wonderful song and I am very proud to be a part of that family [of James Bond theme singers]." [5]

"All Time High" was not originally featured on Never Let You Go, the Rita Coolidge album released in October 1983 although it does occur on some pressings. Since 1998, "All Time High" has been included on several Coolidge anthology releases including a 2001 retrospective on Spectrum Records entitled All Time High.

In 2012 Tim Rice described "All Time High" as "not one of the most exciting Bond songs ... just a nice, dreamy ballad." [2]

Covers

"All Time High" has been remade by Anita Meyer for her 1987 release Premiere, by Pulp in 1997 for David Arnold's Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project album.

Shirley Bassey, for her 2002 release Bassey Sings Bond, recorded a dance version in 2006 by Kelly Llorenna. The song was referenced and then performed by Mark Wahlberg and Norah Jones in the film Ted .

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Rice</span> English lyricist and author (born 1944)

Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Disney on Aladdin, the Lion King, the stage adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, and the original Broadway musical Aida; with Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA, with whom he wrote Chess; and with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita. He also wrote lyrics for the Alan Menken musical King David, and for DreamWorks Animation's The Road to El Dorado.

<i>The Best of Bond... James Bond</i> 1992 soundtrack album from the James Bond films by various artists

The Best of Bond... James Bond is the title of various compilation albums of music used in the James Bond films made by Eon Productions up to that time. The album was originally released in 1992 as The Best of James Bond, as a one-disc compilation and a two-disc 30th Anniversary Limited Edition compilation with songs that had, at that point, never been released to the public. The single disc compilation was later updated five times in 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, and 2021. The 2008 version was augmented with the addition of a DVD featuring music videos and a documentary. Another two-disc edition, this time containing 50 tracks for the 50th anniversary of the franchise, was released in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Barry (composer)</span> British composer and conductor (1933–2011)

John Barry Prendergast was a British composer and conductor of film music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert R. Broccoli</span> American film producer (1909–1996)

Albert Romolo Broccoli, nicknamed "Cubby", was an American film producer who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career. Most of the films were made in the United Kingdom and often filmed at Pinewood Studios. Co-founder of Danjaq, LLC and Eon Productions, Broccoli is most notable as the producer of many of the James Bond films. He and Harry Saltzman saw the films develop from relatively low-budget origins to large-budget, high-grossing extravaganzas, and Broccoli's heirs continue to produce new Bond films.

<i>Octopussy</i> 1983 James Bond film by John Glen

Octopussy is a 1983 spy film and the thirteenth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. It is the sixth to star Roger Moore as the MI6 agent James Bond. It was directed by John Glen and the screenplay was written by George MacDonald Fraser, Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rita Coolidge</span> American singer (born 1945)

Rita Coolidge is an American recording artist. During the 1970s and 1980s, her songs were on Billboard magazine's pop, country, adult contemporary, and jazz charts, and she won two Grammy Awards with fellow musician and then-husband Kris Kristofferson. Her recordings include "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," "We're All Alone", "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love", and the theme song for the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy: "All Time High".

<i>A View to a Kill</i> 1985 James Bond film directed by John Glen

A View to a Kill is a 1985 spy film and the fourteenth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions, and is the seventh and final appearance of Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted from Ian Fleming's 1960 short story "From a View to a Kill", the film has an entirely original screenplay. In A View to a Kill, Bond is pitted against Max Zorin, who plans to destroy California's Silicon Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Broccoli</span> American film producer

Barbara Dana Broccoli is a British-American film and stage producer, best known internationally for her work on the James Bond film series. With her half-brother Michael G. Wilson, Broccoli controls the James Bond film franchise.

Since its inception in 1962, the James Bond film series from Eon Productions has featured many musical compositions, many of which are now considered classic pieces of British film music. The best known piece is the "James Bond Theme" composed by Monty Norman. Other instrumentals, such as "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", and various songs performed by British or American artists such as Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger", Nancy Sinatra's "You Only Live Twice", Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die", Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better", Sheena Easton's "For Your Eyes Only", Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill", Tina Turner's "GoldenEye" also become identified with the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A View to a Kill (song)</span> 1985 single by Duran Duran

"A View to a Kill" is the thirteenth single by the English new wave and synth-pop band Duran Duran, released on 6 May 1985. Written and recorded as the theme for the James Bond film of the same name, it became one of the band's biggest hits. It is the only James Bond theme song to have reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100; it also made it to number two for three weeks on the UK Singles Chart while stuck behind Paul Hardcastle's "19". The song was the last track recorded by the most famous five-member lineup of Duran Duran until their reunion in 2001 and was also performed by the band at Live Aid in Philadelphia, their final performance together before their first split.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldfinger (Shirley Bassey song)</span> 1964 single by Shirley Bassey

"Goldfinger" is the title song from the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger. Composed by John Barry and with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, the song was performed by Shirley Bassey for the film's opening and closing title sequences, as well as the soundtrack album release. The single release of the song gave Bassey her only Billboard Hot 100 top forty hit, peaking in the Top 10 at No. 8 and No. 2 for four weeks on the Adult Contemporary chart, and in the United Kingdom the single reached No. 21.

<i>Casino Royale</i> (2006 soundtrack) 2006 soundtrack album by David Arnold

Casino Royale: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The soundtrack to the 2006 film Casino Royale was released by Sony Classical on 14 November 2006. The music was composed by David Arnold and is Arnold's fourth soundtrack for the popular James Bond movie series. Frequent collaborator Nicholas Dodd orchestrated and conducted the score.

The James Bond film series is a British series of spy films based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond, "007", who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. It is one of the longest continually running film series in history, having been in ongoing production from 1962 to the present. In that time, Eon Productions has produced 25 films as of 2021, most of them at Pinewood Studios. With a combined gross of over $7 billion, the films produced by Eon constitute the fifth-highest-grossing film series. Six actors have portrayed 007 in the Eon series, the latest being Daniel Craig.

<i>Goldfinger</i> (soundtrack) 1964 soundtrack album by John Barry

Goldfinger is the soundtrack of the 1964 film of the same name, the third film in the James Bond film series, directed by Guy Hamilton. The album was composed by John Barry and distributed by EMI. Two versions were released initially, one in the United States and the United Kingdom, which varied in terms of length and which tracks were within the soundtrack. In 2003, Capitol-EMI records released a remastered version that contained all the tracks within the film.

<i>Octopussy</i> (soundtrack) 1983 soundtrack album by John Barry

Octopussy is the soundtrack for the eponymous thirteenth James Bond film. The score was composed by John Barry, the lyrics by Tim Rice. The opening theme, "All Time High" is sung by Rita Coolidge and is one of six Bond film title songs or songs that are not named after film's title.

<i>A View to a Kill</i> (soundtrack) 1985 soundtrack album by John Barry

A View to a Kill is the soundtrack for the film of the same name, the 14th instalment in the James Bond film series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We're All Alone</span> 1976 single by Boz Scaggs

"We're All Alone" is a song written by Boz Scaggs, which became a hit for Frankie Valli in 1976. The next year it was a top-ten hit for Rita Coolidge in the US and the UK. Scaggs introduced it on his 1976 album Silk Degrees, and included it as the B-side of two of the four single releases from that LP, including "Lido Shuffle".

<i>The Bond Collection</i> 1992 studio album by Shirley Bassey

The Bond Collection, a.k.a. Bassey Sings Bond, is a 1987 studio album by Shirley Bassey, notable for having been released without the artist's consent and subsequently withdrawn from sales by court order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Only Live Twice (song)</span> 1967 single by Nancy Sinatra

"You Only Live Twice", performed by Nancy Sinatra, is the theme song to the 1967 James Bond film of the same name. The music was by veteran Bond film composer John Barry, with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. The song is widely recognized for its striking opening bars, featuring a simple 2-bar theme in the high octaves of the violins and lush harmonies from French horns. It is considered by some to be among the best James Bond theme songs, and has become one of Nancy Sinatra's best known hits. Shortly after Barry's production, Sinatra's producer Lee Hazlewood released a more guitar-based single version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skyfall (song)</span> 2012 single by Adele

"Skyfall" is a song recorded by English singer Adele for the James Bond film of the same name. It was written by Adele and producer Paul Epworth and features orchestration by J. A. C. Redford. British film production company Eon Productions invited the singer to work on the theme song in early 2011, a task that Adele accepted after reading the film's script. While composing the song, Adele and Epworth aimed to capture the mood and style of the other Bond themes, including dark and moody lyrics descriptive of the film's plot. "Skyfall" was released at 0:07 BST on 5 October 2012 as part of the Global James Bond Day, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the release of Dr. No, the first James Bond film.

References

  1. ↑ "Rita Coolidge singles".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Burlingame, Jon (2012). The Music of James Bond. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 156–163. ISBN   978-019-986330-3.
  3. ↑ "Ping Pong Music". Pingpongmusic.com. 2010-09-14. Archived from the original on 2010-12-30. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  4. ↑ "The Lesbian & Gay Foundation » News". Lgf.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  5. 1 2 "Rita Coolidge". Spencerleigh.demon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2007-02-22. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.