Happy Birthday Vic Flick!

Cheers to UK session guitarist Vic Flick who played the Bond theme from Dr. No in 1962 on his Clifford Essex Paragon Deluxe. 

Lee Aaron sings "Goldfinger" for Jaymz Bee's Music For Secret Agents

Lee Aaron's update of "Goldfinger" is off Jaymz Bee's Music For Secret Agents launching at the Paradise Theatre, November 18.

Here's the scoop...

The lead off track from the forthcoming concept album, Jaymz Bee presents Music For Secret Agents, is the ultimate James Bond theme "Goldfinger" – written by John Barry with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley – featuring the unmistakable voice of legendary rock diva Lee Aaron, who continues to be one of Canada's great vocal powerhouses. Listen to Lee Aaron's version of "Goldfinger" below. Stream it here. 

 

Says Jaymz Bee "Lee Aaron absolutely slays this classic 007 song and I have been a fan since her debut in 1984, so I’m absolutely thrilled to have her on the album. She is incredible!" 

 

Also featured is the extraordinary Juno-nominated saxophonist Alison Young,  who has performed with everyone from Heillig Manoeuvre and Shuffle Demons to Joe Sealy and Corey Hart. 

 

The Music For Secret Agents band includes Eric St-Laurent (guitar), Adrean Farrugia (piano), George Koller (bass), Davide Direnzo (drums), Great Bob Scott (percussion), Irene Torres (backing vocals) and Jono Grant on the talk-box. Produced by Jaymz Bee and Juno, Gemini and Genie winner Jono Grant.

Music For Secret Agents will be celebrated with a live concert and party at Toronto's impressive music venue and movie house, Paradise Theatre (1006 Bloor West) on November 18 featuring a live band, film shorts and videos, courtesy of D.J. Swankenstein. Doors at 7 pm. Concert at 8 pm. Get tickets here.

Listen to Lee Aaron's version of "Goldfinger" followed by Shirley Bassey's original from 1964. 

 

David Gedge & friends remake their fave James Bond themes

David Gedge and Wedding Present pals knock out updated Bond themes on the fab 20-track Not From Where I'm Standing comp.

Here's the scoop...

Not From Where I'm Standing is a 2LP collection of 20 Bond themes covered by current and former members of The Wedding Present. 100% of the profits from its sale will be donated to the 'Campaign Against Living Miserably' (CALM).

Questioned about the origins of the project, David Gedge of The Wedding Present said: "Where do ideas like this come from? Well, I can tell you that this one was born during a soundcheck in New Zealand, in 2013, when the band were playing around with the main melody of the classic Bond theme 'You Only Live Twice'. We decided then that, one day, we should probably attempt to cover this amazing song. We ended up doing just that dur-ing the recording sessions for our 'Going, Going' album in Studios La Fabrique (Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France). And that was that. For a while, anyway. 

"During a later tour, drummer Charles Layton was driving the van and I was sitting in the front passenger seat. On journeys like these Charlie would often plant little seeds of ideas into my mind, knowing that I would go away, think about it, and then return with some kind of master plan. 'You should release a compilation of Bond songs,' he declared. And that was all that he needed to say, really. Most of the themes from the Bond films would effortlessly feature in a list of my favourite ever pieces of music, so I was never not going to be excited by the idea of re-imaginings of twenty of them!"

Get a copy of Not From Where I'm Standing from Rough Trade right here. Check the track list below followed by clips of David Gedge & Sleeper reprising "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" and Simone White's understated version of "Goldfinger," Jetstream Pony's swing through "The Man With The Golden Gun" and a The Donalds knocking out a ramshackle live version of "Live & Let Die.  

Tracks: View To A Kill - Terry de Castro / James Bond Theme - The Sleazoids / Live And Let Die - The Donalds / Nobody Does It Better - Samuel Beer-Pearce / Die Another Day - The Ukrainians / You Only Live Twice - The Wedding Present / The World Is Not Enough - Maria Scaroni / For Your Eyes Only - Klee / Skyfall - Such Small Hands / Goldfinger - Simone White / Diamonds Are Forever - Cinerama / Thunderball - The Legendary Len Liggins / On Her Majesty’s Secret Service - Shaun Charman / Goldeneye - Follow The Moths / Tomorrow Never Dies - Danielle Wadey & Charles Layton / Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - Sleeper featuring David Lewis Gedge / We Have All The Time In The World - David Lewis Gedge / The Man With The Golden Gun - Jetstream Pony / All Time High - Minitel / From Russia With Love - Graeme Ramsay