A View To A Kill by Duran Duran

“A View to a Kill” – Single by Duran Duran from the album A View to a Kill (soundtrack). B-side “A View to a Kill” (That Fatal Kiss). Released 6 May 1985.

Written and recorded as the theme for the James Bond film of the same name, it became one of the band’s biggest hits. It is the only James Bond theme song to have reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100; it also made it to number two for three weeks on the UK Singles Chart while stuck behind Paul Hardcastle’s “19”.

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.

The song’s music video was filmed in the Eiffel Tower and was directed by the duo of Godley & Creme. The video opens with the iconic gun barrel sequence and is centered around the scene from the film where Max Zorin’s henchwoman May Day kills private detective Achille Aubergine in front of James Bond at the Tower. It then cuts to the band walking by the Tower on a secret mission: Simon Le Bon, disguised as a tourist, wearing a gray trenchcoat and carrying a Walkman; John Taylor, a long-haired tourist dressed in black; Nick Rhodes, a photographer working with a top model (Gail Elliott); Andy Taylor, a blind accordionist who plays the Bond theme on the accordion; and Roger Taylor, a supervisor inside a van. The band’s actions coincide with events shown from the movie, while Bond pursues May Day through the Tower, culminating in her escape via parachute. The video ends with a beautiful young girl approaching Le Bon to question him, “Excuse me… aren’t you?”, where he breaks the fourth wall to say, “Bon. Simon Le Bon.” However, her moving Le Bon’s arm to talk to him causes him to accidentally activate a detonator concealed inside his Walkman, blowing up the Eiffel Tower.

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.

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Duran Duran - A View To A Kill (BBC - Live Aid 7/13/1985)

Duran Duran - A View To A Kill (BBC - Live Aid 7/13/1985)03:25

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