Sound Sample.

One of many James Bond related early Ska releases that can be found HERE.

Sound Sample.

Sound Sample of “Jump Up” by Byron Lee.

Being that Dr. NO (the first of all the James Bond films) was set in Jamaica it seems fitting that ska bands as diverse as The Skatalites and The Selector (amongst many others) have all covered JB theme songs (the ones I have posted can be found HERE). Even though there isn’t any real Ska on this soundtrack it does include a lot or Caribbean music including a number of tracks by Byron Lee and The Dragonaires (I’ve heard they even make a brief appearance in the movie).

Track Listing:
1. “James Bond Theme” – Monty Norman Orchestra[4]
2. “Kingston Calypso” – Byron Lee and the Dragonaires
3. “Jamaican Rock” (not heard in the film, a possible unused title track)
4. “Jump Up” – Byron Lee and the Dragonaires
5. “Audio Bongo” (an Electronic music version of a musical theme for Dr. No)
6. “Under the Mango Tree” – Diana Coupland
7. “Twisting with James” (unused in the film)
8. “Jamaica Jazz” – (unused in the film, an instrumental of Jump Up)
9. “Under the Mango Tree” – (Instrumental unused in the film)
10. “Jump Up” – Byron Lee and the Dragonaires
11. “Dr. No’s Fantasy” (unused in the film)
12. “Kingston Calypso” – Diana Coupland
13. “The Island Speaks” (an instrumental version of a musical theme for Dr. No accompanying Bond and Quarrel landing on Crab Key)
14. “Under the Mango Tree” – Monty Norman
15. “The Boy’s Chase” (unused in the film)
16. “Dr. No’s Theme” [instrumental version of Kingston Calypso]
17.”The James Bond Theme” (an unused instrumental version of Dr. No’s Fantasy)
18. “Love at Last” (heard briefly in a party sequence)

I’ve always loved the James Bond opening title sequences and especially this one most of all. Being that I work in the Motion Graphic industry I can really appreciate the painstaking efforts they must have put in to this mesmerizing animation with the tools they had to work with at the time. To top it off it ends by introducing the first scene of the first James Bond movie with “Kingston Calypso” (the 3 Blind Mice styled tune) by none other than Ska pioneers Byron Lee & The Dragonaires!

Sound Sample.

       Great cover of the theme tune to the 1964 James Bond flick “Golfinger”. Another early James Bond Ska cover done by the Skatalites can be found HERE.

Sound Sample.

        Great cover of the theme tune to the 1963 James Bond flick “From Russia With Love”. Another early James Bond Ska cover done by Tommy McCook can be found HERE.