With the passing of Roger Moore at the age of 89, we pay tribute to one of the most iconic figures in all of cinema: James Bond.
Just as revered as the actors who played James Bond are the theme songs that stand as a sonic calling card for each film, setting the mood perfectly for what we are about to see. Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger" (1964) set a standard that has proven quite difficult to maintain over the years, but not for a lack of trying.
In fact, some of the more ambitious contributions to the Bond canon come to us from artists whose contributions never quite made it to the silver screen. This unenviable list includes Blondie ("For Your Eyes Only"), Johnny Cash ("Thunderball"), the Beach Boys ("You Only Live Twice"), the Pet Shop Boys ("The Living Daylights"), and even Alice Cooper, whose sinister "The Man With The Golden Gun" was ultimately nixed for consideration after being turned in a day late.
Cooper's performance is initially restrained, as if trying to play it straight, but it isn't long before the cracks in the facade begin to appear and the real Alice takes over. Adding to the song's campy vibe are the backing vocals by none other than Liza Minnelli, Ronnie Spector and the Pointer Sisters!
While it is highly unlikely Cooper's song would have saved one of the lesser entries in the Bond franchise, but it certainly couldn't have hurt.
Instead, the song was relegated to Side Two of Alice Cooper's Muscle Of Love album.