A View To A Kill by Duran Duran

Album: A View To A Kill Soundtrack (1985)

Charted: 2 1

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

This is the theme song to the 1985 James Bond movie of the same name starring Roger Moore and Grace Jones. It is the only theme from a Bond movie to hit #1 in America.
The story behind this song, according to the bassist John Taylor, was that he approached the longtime Bond producer, Albert R. 'Cubby' Broccoli, while extremely intoxicated when they were both at a party. He stated that he was a long time fan (Major Bond geek would be more accurate. An Aston Martin was said to be one of his first "rock star" purchases, and he frequently mentioned his Bond video collection in interviews) of the series, but the music for the last few movies had been mediocre. He then offered to have his band fix the problem and Broccoli took the idea under advisement.
If you are a complete Duran Duran nut, you will notice during the video that there seems to be communication between three band members (Le Bon, Rhodes, and Roger Taylor), while the other two members (John and Andy Taylor) are doing things like shooting the deployed cameras and setting Rhodes's ear mike to explode. John and Andy were the members who left for Power Station. The other three made up the band Arcadia. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Michelle - Seattle, WA, for above 2
This was the last single Duran Duran released before they took time off to pursue side projects. John and Andy Taylor joined Robert Palmer to form The Power Station, while Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, and Roger Taylor formed Arcadia. A year later Le Bon, Rhodes and John Taylor continued recording as Duran Duran.
Duran Duran performed this from the Philadelphia stage at Live Aid in 1985. At the time, it was the #1 song in the US, and their performance was the first song broadcast by ABC as part of their coverage of the event. MTV broadcast most of the show in the US, while the BBC aired it in England.
Looking back at this song during a 2012 interview with the A.V.Club, John Taylor commented: "Bond songs have to be big songs, don't they? They have to have the grandiosity. It's like designing a Rolls-Royce. You want it to be completely state of the art, but it's always going to have the honking great radiator grill on the front. There's certain criteria that have to be fulfilled. But I think we nailed it with that song. We really did nail it."
Being asked to perform the theme song for a James Bond movie is a great honor, but the requirement to include its title in the lyrics can be challenging. Just ask John Taylor. "To this day we are forever grateful that we didn't get Quantum Of Solace," he said.

Comments: 19

Deusvult"dance into the fire" - going to hell
"a sacred why (is there hell)?,(leads to) a mystery gaping (eternal fire)
"fatal kiss is all we need" - Kiss with the devil is all it takes
"fatal sounds of broken dreams" - Broken hopes of going to Heaven
"First time in years to drench your skin in lover's rosy stain" - Participate in your lover's blood sacrifice (partake in Satanist rituals)
"A chance to find the phoenix for the flame" - Hopes of finding eternal life in the wrong places
"A chance to die, but can we..." chance to seal the deal with the Devil
"dance into the fire" - Is going to hell worth this?
Seventhmist from 7th Heaven"A sacred why (Y), a mystery gaping inside." Not-so-subtle imagery with that line.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1985 {July 13th} a video of Duran Duran's "A View To A Kill" was aired on the Dick Clark ABC-TV Saturday-afternoon program, 'American Bandstand'...
At the time "A View To A Kill" was in it's first of two weeks at position #1 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart, and it spent seventeen weeks on the Top 100...
"A View To A Kill" also reached #1 in Canada and Italy, in their native U.K. it peaked at #2 for 3 weeks, and it was "19" by Paul Hardcastle that kept it out of the top spot for those three weeks...
Between 1982 and 2004 the British band had twenty one records on the Hot Top 100 chart, eleven made the Top 10 with two* reaching #1, besides the above "A View To A Kill", their other #1 record was "The Reflex", for two weeks on June 17th, 1984 and it stayed on the Top 100 for twenty one weeks...
* They just missed having two more #1 records on the Hot Top 100 chart when both "The Wild Boys" {1984} and "Notorious" {1987} peaked at #2...
Shandroise De Laeken from Davao City, PhilippinesBy watching this MV, I finally understood why girls went crazy over John Taylor!!!! GOSH!! HE'S SOOOO HANDSOME!!
Alexis from Union, MoAmong the acts honored to do a Bond theme, Duran Duran is in an elite class by themselves as AVTAK is still the only James Bond theme to go to #1.
Ken from Pittsburgh, PaThe lyrics link goes to lyrics for Rio Grand not View to a Kill
Esskayess from Dallas, TxBest way to watch "A View to a Kill" (the movie) is to watch the opening titles, featuring this great song, then, hit "STOP" and toss the DVD in the trash.
Ang from Columbus, OhThe only people that appear to die in the video are simon and Nick Rhodes.
- marcus, houston, TX

Umm...no..Simon was very much alive at the end of the video because he's the one who spoke with the woman, saying his name in James Bond fashion
Marcus from Houston, TxThe only people that appear to die in the video are simon and Nick Rhodes.
Henry from Bedrock, InCertainly my favorite Bond Theme, that is until "You Know My Name" from Casino Royale. Now that song rocks.
Susan from Airdrie, -I meant being played on the radio in 1985.
Susan from Airdrie, -I have to agree. The best Bond song ever. I remember this being played on the radio in 1985. Right after it ended, the radio played a voice over saying, "Inst, inst, instant replayyyyy!" and they played it AGAIN! And I didn't even mind because I loved the song so much! :)
Jamie from Portland, OrBest Bond song ever. I'd take it over the overrated Live And Let Die anyday.
Matthew from Milford, MaBeware the evil pyrokinetic teddy bear!
Mike from Santa Barbara, CaThis is the most popular of all the James Bond movie themes, surpassing even the theme song to "Live and Let Die."
Katie from Memphi, TnActually, the end of the video makes you think the actual Eiffel Tower blows up. But in fact, the end shows a postcard of the Eiffel Tower being blown up. A bit cheesy, yes.

Nick plays a fashion photographer who hears things in his ears (I believe it's Roger talking to him?) but at the end Andy (who plays a blind man playing an accordion) presses a button that sends a shrieking noise through his ears. I think his camera blows up or something?

John appears to be a sightseeing tourist until his binoculars (the kind you put money in to look out of) turns into a gun. Simon has a Walkman which in fact sets off bombs.
Mark from San Francisco, DcI believe that Duran Duran and John Barry cooperated on this score (and wicked score it is). Also of note, as mentioned earlier, this was the last song the original DD members played together in 1985 at Live Aid. It was also the venue where Simon's always-tenuous voice finally betrayed on him. I don't think it's available on the Live Aid DVD but his voice cracks mightily on the high part of the lyric 'That fatal kiss is all we need'.
Steve from Birmingham, EnglandBecause the video... (which was directed by godley and creme-dodgy duo from 10cc band fame)...featured clips from the movie, the band where seen interacting with Roger Moore and posing as various dodgy looking spies, Nick Rhodes was a heavily made-up fashion photographer who keeps hearing things in his ear and eventually gets electrocuted, John Taylor 'throws a few shapes' with the binoculars and to be honest i can't remember what happens to the other two taylors, highlight of the whole video is Simon Le Bon in Russian sailor boy outfit who, cornered by a top looking bird at the end, responds to her...'aren't you???..' question by saying 'the name's Bon......Simon Le Bon', top laughs.
I think they do all get killed, Le Bon does get blown up when his 'state of the art' sony walkman self destructs, John Taylor presumbably has some kind of hair accident.
AVTAK may not be the finest Bond theme but it's certainly the last great Bond theme, bit sad when you think it's twenty years ago and there's been a lot of them since.
as someone probably never said at the time...'it's a juggernaut collision between brass stabs and a sea of strings'.......
Angelica from La Puente, CaI vaguely remember the video to this as having a cool spy storyline in which each member of the band is killed off one after the other. Simon died at the end of the video when a girl blew up a building. Anybody else remember?

see more comments

More Songfacts:

How To Save A LifeThe Fray

"How To Save A Life" by The Fray was inspired by a teenager lead singer Isaac Slade mentored at a camp for troubled youth in Colorado.

Heartache TonightEagles

Bob Seger co-wrote the Eagles #1 hit "Heartache Tonight."

Wanted Dead Or AliveBon Jovi

"Wanted Dead Or Alive" by Bon Jovi got the Unplugged craze going when Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora performed it with just their acoustic guitars at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards.

Me And Julio Down By The SchoolyardPaul Simon

Mickey Mantle and John Madden both appear in the video for "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard" by Paul Simon. Biz Markie and Big Daddy Kane do a rap intro.

Boot Scootin' BoogieBrooks & Dunn

Ronnie Dunn wrote "Boot Scootin' Boogie" before he teamed up with Kix Brooks to form Brooks & Dunn. It was originally recorded by the country group Asleep At The Wheel, but Brooks & Dunn did it themselves when it got its own line dance.

Disco LadyJohnnie Taylor

The first #1 hit with the word "disco" in the title wasn't a disco song. It was an R&B song called "Disco Lady" by Johnnie Taylor in 1976. The lady he's singing about is disco, but the song isn't.