GoldenEye

"GoldenEye" is a song written by Irish musicians Bono and the Edge and performed by American singer Tina Turner. The song served as the theme for the James Bond film GoldenEye. Released as a single on November 6, 1995, the track was a chart hit in Europe, topping the Hungarian Singles Chart and reaching the top five in Austria, Finland, France, Italy and Switzerland, as well as number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. It 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. 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".