Diamonds Are Forever - SOUNDTRACK***

Diamonds Are Forever/Bond Meets Bambi & Thumper/Moon Buggy Ride/Circus Circus/Death At The Whyte House/Diamonds Are Forever/Diamonds Are Forever/Bond Smells A Rat/Tiffany Case/007 & Counting/Q's Trick/To Hell With Blofeld

Sean Connery returns to his role as 007 James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. The title song is by Shirley Bassey and once again James Barry is responsible for the score. The chart placing is notably lower than for the early soundtracks. (US:74)

“The theme song features reliable Shirley Bassey again belting out her throaty stylings against John Barry's impeccable orchestration.”

“The album is embarrassingly short; there was so much other great incidental music that could have been included. But what is here is exciting stuff. The quieter parts are cool jazz beefed up with the signature Bond motifs on horns and strings. Barry injects even more energy and tension into the action scenes. Staccato trumpets, violins and percussion (very prominent here is the xylophone) dole out the militaristic spy themes that define the genre.”

“Perfectly evocative of the glitz of Vegas, John Barry's score here captures the fun, over-the-top feel of the successful return of Sean Connery to the role of Bond.”

“John Barry returns again with another masterpiece. Shirley Bassey for her second time performs the title song with sensational class and charm. All in all, one of the best 007 soundtracks and thoroughly enjoyable.”

“Perhaps some of John Barry's best work on the Bond series, Diamonds accurately captures the hazed, odd quality of this movie that makes it one of the most fascinating 007 outings. Shirley Bassey's rapturous title track makes it in its luxurious entirety, along with two other versions that are equally entrancing. The satellite theme 007 & Counting is here in grand form, and Barry fans will be delighted with this interpretation of the Bond theme in To Hell With Blofeld which closes the LP.”

“The music was a departure from what John Barry had been writing for the Bond films up to that point, as the score was much more lightweight, not in substance, but in sound, appropriately reflecting the tone of the film. The string and percussion sections are much more prominent than in earlier Bond films. It is one of the better Bond scores and has a magical and glistening quality about it which is much more complex than given credit for.”