OST: "CASINO ROYALE"

Original released on LP Colgems COSO-5005

(US, 1967)

Burt Bacharach appropriately comes up with a rambunctious soundtrack for the 1967 James Bond spoof, "Casino Royale". Things get underway with Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass' performance of the fast-paced main title, which features the usual Bacharach mix of pop phrasing and complex arrangements; this theme is subsequently augmented with a lush string arrangement and marching band rhythms on "Sir James' Trip to Find Mata" and turns into a mod rock jam during "Flying Saucer First Stop Berlin." Bacharach excelled at these kinds of musical cut-ups, but thankfully he used liberal doses of humor and melody to keep the proceedings from turning too rarefied or messy.

At times, the humor even turns to camp, as it does with the manic hodgepodge of circus themes, gypsy music, and lounge grind on "Home James, Don't Spare the Horses.". Being a parody to the James Bond films, with Peter Sellers playing the role of double agent 007, it was truly one of the genuine kitsch movies that emerged in the 60s: so bad, weird and inchoerent that it quickly turned into a cult-movie. How such a film got a magnificent music score like this? I really don't know, but I still consider this soundtrack one of the very best ever! Burt Bacharach's music, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass playing the main title and Dusty Springfield's sweet interpretation of "The Look of Love" are indeed too much for one James Bond!