Did you know this about the GoldeEye score

I sometimes take a detour from writing about the James Bond books and write about something else. Tonight is one of these nights and this blog post is dedicated to the song GoldenEye preformed by Tina Turner in the 1995 James Bond film with the same title.

After a six year absence James Bond would be back in 1995 with the first Bond film staring the new actor to portray James Bond. His name was Pierce Brosnan.

Most of us know the story about Brosnan being offered the role back in 1986. But due to a contract with Remington Steele could not accept the offer back then.

So when the film and its soundtrack was released I listened to it over and over again. At the same time I ran The Swedish James Bond Fan Club and read everything I could about Pierce Brosnan. And one night it suddenly appeared to me, something that I have never heard anywhere else.

When Bono and The Edge (of U2) wrote GoldenEye for Tina Turner to preform, they must have had Brosnan's life in reference.

Below is the lyrics in black and my comments in red.

See reflections on the water
More than darkness in the depths
See him surface in every shadow
On the wind I feel his breath

Goldeneye I found his weakness
Goldeneye he'll do what I please
Goldeneye no time for sweetness
But a bitter kiss will bring him to his knees

You'll never know how I watched you
From the shadows as a child
Brosnan says that the first film he ever saw at the cinema was Goldfinger back in 1964 when he moved to London.
You'll never know how it feels to be the one
Who's left behind
Brosnan was offered the part in 1986 but had to turn it down due to Remington Steele.
You'll never know the days, the nights,
The tears, the tears I've cried
Brosnan's wife, actress Casandra Harris who acted in For your Eyes Only died of Cancer. 
But now my time has come
Brosnan gets his second chance at Bond with GoldenEye. 
And time, time is not on your side

See him move through smoke and mirrors
Feel his presence in the crowd
Other girls they gather around him
If I had him I wouldn't let him out
Clearly about James Bond. 

Goldeneye not lace or leather
Golden chains take him to the spot
Goldeneye I'll show him forever
It'll take forever to see
What I've got

You'll never know how I watched you
From the shadows as a child
Brosnan says that the first film he ever saw at the cinema was Goldfinger back in 1964 when he moved to London.
You'll never know how it feels to get so close
And be denied
Brosnan was offered the part in 1986 but had to turn it down due to Remington Steele.
It's a gold and honey trap
I've got for you tonight
Revenge it's a kiss, this time I won't miss
Brosnan gets his second chance at Bond with GoldenEye.
Now I've got you in my sights
With a goldeneye, golden, goldeneye
With a goldeneye, goldeneye

Every time I listen to this song I get the feeling its all about Brosnan getting his second chance at playing Bond and this time he will make the role his!

Far fetched? I myself do not think so. How about you? Listen to the track below and hear the emphases and let me then know what you think in the comments below. If you do not think I am right please mention what you believe the lyrics are referring to.

The above drawing was made by artist Jeffrey Marshall. 

This is James Bonds true age

Over the years there have been a lot of talk about the age of James Bond. How old is Agent 007? When was he born? You can almost get the feeling that no one actually knows.

But the thing is that Ian Fleming told us how old James Bond is in one of the novels.
You can find it for yourself in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE page 241.

"By the time he left [Fettes College], at the early age of seventeen, he had twice fought for the school as a light-weight and had, in addition, founded the first serious judo class at an English public school. By Now it was 1941 and, by claiming an age of nineteen and with the help of an old Vickers colleague of his father, he entered a branch of what was subsequently to become the Ministry of Defence"

So to make it short. In 1941 James Bond was seventeen years old. Then he was born in 1924.

If he was born in 1924 he was 29 years old in 1953 when CASINO ROYALE was published. A book that is written in the present.

Then it was one written mission a year and in an interview with Fleming I have heard him say that every book equals a year in Bonds life (asked about the high amount of female lovers that Bond has).

So if James Bond was born in 1924 and 29 years old in 1953 then he was 40 years old in Flemings last novel THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. Note that OCTOPUSSY and THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS were actually published before Ian Fleming past away as short stories in different publications.

Now just for fun lets look at the age of the actors who have portrayed James Bond on screen from the point of view that James Bond should be around 29 years of age.

Sean Connery was born 1930 and therefore 32 years old when appearing in DR.NO.

George Lazenby was born in 1939 and therefore 30 years old when appearing in ON HER MAJESTYS SECRET SERVICE.

Roger Moore was born in 1927 and therefore 46 years old when appearing in LIVE AND LET DIE.

Timothy Dalton was born in 1946 and therefore 41 years old when appearing in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS.

Pierce Brosnan was born in 1953 and therefore 42 years old when appearing in GOLDENEYE. Note that Brosnan was 34 when first offered the role in 1987.

Daniel Craig was born in 1968 and therefore 38 years old when appearing in CASINO ROYALE.

What is does James Bond have in you world. In mine he has always been 36-38. Feel free to comment below.

A young Sean Connery

The man with the golden typwriter - signed!

Recently, Bloomsbury Publishing released the book THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN TYPEWRITER. 

It is of course a book about Ian Fleming and more closely a book containing letters Ian Fleming wrote to others about James Bond. The book is edited my Fergus Fleming who is Ian Flemings nephew. The book was actually supposed to be called DEAR MR. FLEMING in the beginning but the title got changed.
The purpose of this volume is to celebrate his brilliant mind and personality, and to showcase the backstory to each of his Bond books, how they came to be and the impact they had.

Maybe you have not heard the story of the Golden typewriter that Ian Fleming bought as a treat to himself when he received notice that Jonathan Cape wanted to publish Casino Royale. 

In 1995 an anonymous bidder bought the typewriter at an auction. Many believe the buyer to be Pierce Brosnan but when I meet him in 1995, when he came to Stockholm to promote GoldenEye, he said clearly that he was not the buyer. Since that day no one seams to know where the famous typewriter has gone. 

Do you want your copy signed?

And that's what today's blog post is actually about because right now one can order a signed book at Goldsboro Books for the RRP of £25 + postage. You can order the book here.

I have noticed that some (or many) of the blog readers are on a tight budget and then there is some other great options. 

If you just wish to read the book and not owning it I suggest you head down to your local library and book it (also eco friendly). If you do wish to own it without the signature you can buy it at Amazon for £17. But hey, that's not enough, there are other sellers at Amazon who actually sells new copies of this book for as little as £12.73. In other words almost half the RRP price. See it as a tip to all types of James Bond fans with different budgets. 

If you wish to read an interview with Fergus Fleming about the book you can head over to this web page. Below you can see a clip from the making of the audio book.

Here is your chance to drive an Aston Martin!

British company BUY A GIFT has together with Orion publishing arranged a contest with an amazing first price. The winner will be offered to drive an Aston Martin for six miles and if that's not enough the winner will also get a free hardback of the new James Bond novel Trigger Mortis signed by the author Anthony Horowitz.

So as you can see there will be one very happy winner in this contest.
So why do I share this with you and not compete on my own. Well there is one tine little detail. To participate you need to live in the UK. So since I live in Sweden I wish to share this opportunity with the blog readers. 

To enter the contest you need to write down your strongest James Bond moment so I thought I should share mine below.

In 1999 I worked as a film booker for Sweden's largest cinema chain. One day my manager comes in to my office and says I will have to take his place on a quick journey to England. I was invited by Eon productions to attend the shooting of DIE ANOTHER DAY at Pinewood studios.

When I arrived to the five star hotel called Mandarin Oriental in London I was shown to my room. On my bed there were the latest James Bond books for me to read.

The next day we took a bus out to Pinewood Studios and watched some scenes being shoot with the lovely Halle Barry and then we had a break for Lunch. At my lunch table I got to sit next to scriptwriter Neal Purvis. A wonderful man and it was a real pleasure talking to him. We talked about an hour and then I gave him a Swedish first edition of Casino Royale from 1955 and he was very pleased. We exchanged email addresses and then I also spent quite some time talking to Producer Michael G Wilson.

Swedish Casino Royale first edition 1955

Later that day it was time for dinner. I dont know were we were but it was some sort of men's club. Truly posh and fancy. Totally overwhelming for a young Bond fan from the suburbs of Stockholm.

At the dinner table I sat next to Lidy Hemming (Costume designer) and that was fun but later I got to speak to Barbara Broccoli and that was amazing. She was so kind and generous and I was truly nervous but it worked out fine after a wile.

I dont have a single photograph from this trip but I have it all stored in my head. I meet Barbara Broccoli half a year later when she came to Sweden with Pierce Brosnan to promote  DIE ANOTHER DAY  but thats a diffrent story.

Now it is your turn. What's your favourite Bond moment?

To take part in the contest to get your chance to drive an Aston Martin, Click here!