For Your Eyes Only (song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Sheena Easton song. For the Blondie song of this name, see The Hunter (Blondie album).
"For Your Eyes Only"
For Your Eyes Only song.jpg
Standard UK/European and Brazilian artwork
Single by Sheena Easton
from the album For Your Eyes Only
B-side"For Your Eyes Only" (instrumental)
Released19 June 1981
Recorded1981
GenrePop
Length3:04
2:54 (7")
LabelLiberty (original), RT Industries (current)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Christopher Neil
Sheena Easton singles chronology
"When He Shines"
(1981) 		"For Your Eyes Only"
(1981) 		"Just Another Broken Heart"
(1981)
James Bond theme singles chronology
"Moonraker"
(1979) 		"For Your Eyes Only"
(1981) 		"All Time High"
(1983)

"For Your Eyes Only" is the theme tune to the 12th James Bond movie, For Your Eyes Only, written by Bill Conti and Mike Leeson, and performed by Scottish singer Sheena Easton. The song reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number eight on the UK Singles Chart.[1][2] It was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards in 1982.

Background[]

The song is written by Bill Conti and Mike Leeson.

Conti – who was also responsible for the film's score – had originally written the song thinking about Donna Summer or Dusty Springfield, singers he thought "fit the Bond style". Film studio United Artists suggested Sheena Easton, an up-and-coming singer who had recently scored a No.1 hit in America with "Morning Train". Conti heard Easton's debut album Take My Time and felt unimpressed but decided to work with her in the song after meeting Easton in person.

Leeson's lyrics originally only used "for your eyes only" as the final line, as the lyricist felt he could only use the phrase as a conclusion. After credit sequence artist Maurice Binder complained about having to synchronize the unveiling of the title with it being said in the theme song, Conti decided to work with Leeson to write lyrics that opened with "for your eyes only".[3] The US band Blondie had previously been asked to write the title song but it was rejected in favour of Conti's by the Bond producers (the finished song appeared on their 1982 album The Hunter).

Easton is the only artist (to date) to be seen singing the theme song to a Bond movie during its opening titles, as Maurice Binder liked Easton's appearance and decided to add her to the credits.[4] Her seductive appearance in these clips was, according to Roger Moore, more sexy than any of the Bond girls, although Easton herself states that the filming process was very unglamorous.[5][6] In particular, Binder had to attach Easton to a chair so she would be immobile during a take where the camera zooms on the singer's lips.[4]

This was one of the few Bond themes not to have a contribution by John Barry. The song was produced by Christopher Neil, who was Easton's regular producer at the time.

The song was released as a single in June 1981, at the same time as the film's launch. It became a worldwide hit, reaching the top ten in the UK, number 1 in the Netherlands and top five in the US. It remains one of Easton's biggest hits and is included on compilation soundtrack albums.[7]

Music video[]

Two different music videos for the song were released. The first was the Maurice Binder title sequence from the film, but with the credits removed (therefore just showing Easton performing the song). The second was more conventional and was directed by Steve Barron.

Cover versions[]

  • Johnny Pearson, on his 1982 instrumental album, On Golden Pond.
  • Helena Vondráčková recorded the Czech rendering "Jsem Stále Stejná" for her 1983 album Zrychlený Dech.
  • The song's music, with different lyrics and a different title ("To Know No Boundaries"), was used in a series of advertisements for Merrill Lynch during the mid-1980s.
  • Bradley Joseph, who toured with Easton for a number of years as her musical director, arranged an instrumental version for his 2006 album, Piano Love Songs.
  • Also in 2006 the song was covered by Thomas Anders for his swing album Songs Forever.
  • The song was covered by Austrian symphonic metal band Edenbridge. It was released as a single in 2006.
  • Freedy Johnston, on the 2017 multi-artist compilation album, Songs, Bond Songs: The Music Of 007.[8]

Chart positions[]

Chart (1981) Peak
position
Australian Kent Music Report 6
Austrian Top 40 3
Belgium Ultratop 5
Canadian RPM Top Singles 5
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 1
French Singles Chart 4
German Top 100 5
Irish Singles Chart 11
Japan Oricon Singles Chart 22
New Zealand Singles Chart 4
Norwegian Singles Chart 1
Spanish Singles Chart 11
Swedish Singles Chart 3
Swiss Singles Chart 1
UK Singles (OCC)[11] 8
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 4
US Billboard Adult Contemporary 6
Year-end chart (1981) Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[13] 92

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2006). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Books
  2. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records Limited
  3. ^ Bill Conti. For Your Eyes Only audio commentary. For Your Eyes Only - Ultimate Edition, Disk 1: MGM Home Entertainment.CS1 maint: location (link)
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Silhouettes - the James Bond Titles. You Only Live Twice Ultimate Edition, Disk 2: MGM Home Entertainment.CS1 maint: location (link)
  5. ^ Channel 4 - Top Ten Pop Princesses (documentary)
  6. ^ BBC documentary - Never Can Say Goodbye, November 2000
  7. ^ Allmusic
  8. ^ "For Your Eyes Only, by Freedy Johnston". Currycuts.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 37, 1981" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Sheena Easton – For Your Eyes Only" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  12. ^ "Sheena Easton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  13. ^ "Number One Awards – Billboard's 1981 Year-End Charts : Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 93 no. 51. December 26, 1981. p. YE-9. Retrieved 5 April 2020.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""