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| The "Battle of the Bonds" in 1983 featured on this cover of "Starlog" magazine, was one of the memories of spy James Bond in the 1980s. Source: https://timetobond.blog/2018/01/11/bond-vs-bond-1983/ (May be subject to copyright) |
Nobody seemed to symbolize that more than James Bond. Whether it was the books by Ian Fleming, or the movies starring Sean Connery in the 1960s and 1970s, George Lazenby for a brief interregnum, Roger Moore in the 1970s and 1980s, or Timothy Dalton in the 1980s, Bond was the penultimate spy.
I have a lot of odd memories about Bond in the 1980s.
Movie marathons
Channel 2&7 on peasant vision used to have these movie marathons. Sometimes they would string together four or five movies on the same topic on a Sunday morning and afternoon. Sometimes they played a movie a night for a week or two. It seemed because James Bond was a series that kept on going, movies appeared on these marathons periodically.
Channel 2&7 on peasant vision used to have these movie marathons. Sometimes they would string together four or five movies on the same topic on a Sunday morning and afternoon. Sometimes they played a movie a night for a week or two. It seemed because James Bond was a series that kept on going, movies appeared on these marathons periodically.
Book club
I had heard and read that all the James Bond movies were based on books by Ian Fleming. So, as I became more interested in books about spies, I began to look for these books. The originals all had the same type of cover. The colour would be different but the font was the same and the art, usually a single drawing, was all on the same motif. Moreover, these were the stories the movie was based on, not novelizations of the movie, which is a big difference to emphasize.
I had heard and read that all the James Bond movies were based on books by Ian Fleming. So, as I became more interested in books about spies, I began to look for these books. The originals all had the same type of cover. The colour would be different but the font was the same and the art, usually a single drawing, was all on the same motif. Moreover, these were the stories the movie was based on, not novelizations of the movie, which is a big difference to emphasize.
The foundation of my collection was a pile of James Bond novels I bought one summer I was staying in Brooks with my cousins Fred, Hank and Bobbie. Fred frequented a store called “Ye Olde Book Shoppe”, which also had branches in Lehbridge, which I frequented, and Taber, which I sadly never saw. A different member of the same family operated each store. The guys in Lethbridge and Brooks were brothers.
I picked up a number of James Bond novels by Ian Fleming including, “Thunderball”, “Moonraker”, and “From Russia With Love.”
Over the years I would supplement the collection with purchases from garage sales and other book stores.
Battle of the Bonds
It was 1983, and the next James Bond movie, starring Roger Moore, was set to come out. There had been rumours of another James Bond movie coming out. More fantastically, it was rumoured to have Sean Connery returning to the role of James Bond.
It was 1983, and the next James Bond movie, starring Roger Moore, was set to come out. There had been rumours of another James Bond movie coming out. More fantastically, it was rumoured to have Sean Connery returning to the role of James Bond.
Rumour soon turned to fact. The movie was going to be called “Never Say Never Again” with Sean Connery reprising his role as Bond. However, it was not an Albert Broccoli production like all the previous Bonds.
In fact, it kind of flew in the face of that. It turned out the movie rights to one James Bond novel, “Thunderball” were not airtight, so they were going to re-make that novel as “Never Say Never Again”.
The name of the movie was kind of a joke and a veiled reference to the fact Connery would “never” play Bond again. So, please Sean, never say never again.
So, “Never Say Never Again” was set to go head to head with “Octopussy”, the latest Ian Fleming novel Albert Broccoli was bringing to the big screen.
There was a lot of hype about this “Battle of the Bonds”. I read about it in “Starlog” magazine where they had the two bonds superimposed beside each other.
Model action
About that same time I was getting into model making. Not so much from kits, but from an episode of a show called “That’s Life” hosted by Ann Rohmer and Peter Feniak that aired on Channel 7. It was a news magazine that aired on Saturday afternoons.
About that same time I was getting into model making. Not so much from kits, but from an episode of a show called “That’s Life” hosted by Ann Rohmer and Peter Feniak that aired on Channel 7. It was a news magazine that aired on Saturday afternoons.
One day, Peter Feniak did a story on a guy from Toronto who built models for science fiction movies such as “Alien”. I was absolutely captivated by that, and the fact he used pieces from model kits, along with other stuff, including cardboard boxes his groceries came in, to make these ships.
I thought I would give it a try.
Then, one day, I was in the toy section at Simpson Sears and saw the perfect model. It was an actual space ship, but I had my own ideas of what I wanted to do with it.
It was the shuttle from “Moonraker”, a James Bond movie. It actually looked quite a bit like the Space Shuttles we had been watching lift off with increasing regularity such as Columbia and Challenger.
When I got it home, I realized it was too nice to mess with, so I assembled it and never did either alter it or cannibalize it for parts.
Soundtrack sensations
Almost as much a staple of James Bond movies as the Bond “girl”, was the theme song for the soundtrack. Leading up to the 1980s, there were such hits as “Goldfinger” in 1964 by Shirley Bassey; “From Russia With Love” in 1963 by the John Barry Orchestra; “Thunderball” in 1965 by Tom Jones; “Diamonds Are Forever” in 1971 by Shirley Bassey; “Live and Let Die” in 1973 by Paul McCartney and Wings; and “Nobody Does it Better (From the Spy Who Loved Me)” in 1977 by Carly Simon; and “Moonraker” in 1979 by Shirley Bassey.
Almost as much a staple of James Bond movies as the Bond “girl”, was the theme song for the soundtrack. Leading up to the 1980s, there were such hits as “Goldfinger” in 1964 by Shirley Bassey; “From Russia With Love” in 1963 by the John Barry Orchestra; “Thunderball” in 1965 by Tom Jones; “Diamonds Are Forever” in 1971 by Shirley Bassey; “Live and Let Die” in 1973 by Paul McCartney and Wings; and “Nobody Does it Better (From the Spy Who Loved Me)” in 1977 by Carly Simon; and “Moonraker” in 1979 by Shirley Bassey.
The 1980s brought two monster hits.
“For Your Eyes Only” by Sheena Easton hit the charts in 1981, went all the way to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards in 1982. It was a haunting ballad that showcased Easton’s voice. It was also used by Channel 7, the predecessor to Global, to promote their upcoming shows and movies. Oddly, later that season, Channel 13 aired “For Your Eyes Only”
It is by far my favourite Bond song
The other song, “A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran in 1985, turned out to be the most successful song in the franchise. It went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the only song from a James Bond movie ever to reach number one.
There was also “All Time High” by Rita Coolidge in “Octopussy” in 1983; and the lesser known “The Living Daylights” by A-ha in 1987; and “License to Kill” by Gladys Knight in 1989.
Parting thoughts
There were six James Bond movies in the 1980s: “For Your Eyes Only” in 1981; “Octopussy” and “Never Say Never Again” in 1983; “A View to a Kill” in 1985; “The Living Daylights” in 1987: and “Licence to Kill” in 1989.
There were six James Bond movies in the 1980s: “For Your Eyes Only” in 1981; “Octopussy” and “Never Say Never Again” in 1983; “A View to a Kill” in 1985; “The Living Daylights” in 1987: and “Licence to Kill” in 1989.
I never saw one in the theatre, and many I did not even see in the 1980s.
Yet, it is a testament to how deeply James Bond is etched in pop culture, that he still created all sorts of memories from books, to models, toys and music.
It is true – nobody does it better than James Bond.
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