15 April
2013 William Boyd, whose James Bond continuation novel is set to
be one of this year’s publishing highlights, has today announced
that his book will be called SOLO.
The announcement came on the opening day of The London Book
Fair, where Boyd is Author of the Day.
He explained his choice of title:
‘Sometimes less is more. For me as a novelist the simple beauty
of SOLO as the title of the next James Bond novel is that this
short four-letter word is particularly and strikingly apt for
the novel I have written. In my novel, events conspire to make
Bond go off on a self-appointed mission of his own, unannounced
and without any authorization - and he’s fully prepared to take
the consequences of his audacity.
FULL
STORY
MARCH 2013 - Derek Watkins (1945-2013)
22
March 2013 Session trumpeter Derek Watkins, who played on every
official James Bond movie soundtrack from Dr. No (1962) to
Skyfall (2012), has died at the age of 68.
Five-time James
Bond composer David Arnold posted on his Facebook page today: "Dear Derek, if
you don’t mind, I'll keep the chair open for you, I don’t think
anyone else could fill that place."
Thomas Newman,
who succeeded Arnold as the composer of the score for Skyfall,
also recently praised Watkins' status in Bond history: "When Sam
Mendes went out on to the podium after we'd finished recording
and acknowledged Derek, you should've heard the orchestra. He
had to take two bows because people kept applauding him".
MARCH 2013 - Mitchell Hooks (1923-2013)
17 March
2013 American artist and illustrator Mitchell Hooks renowned for
his artwork for paperback books and magazines has died at the
age of 89.
Hooks painted
the iconic image of Sean Connery as James Bond 007 used on the
UK Quad poster for Dr. No in 1962. The US 1-Sheet poster
followed in 1963 using the same design, but added small line
drawings of scenes from the film.
William Boyd’s Bond Novel: UK Publication Date Announced
James Bond:
The New Mission
1969. A veteran secret agent. A single mission.
A licence to kill. James Bond returns.
The title and plot may remain a closely guarded secret, but Ian
Fleming Publications have announce that William Boyd’s new Bond
novel will be published in the UK by Jonathan Cape on 26th
September 2013, and will be available from HarperCollins in the
United States and Canada from early October.
16 February
2013 - London
Today, a train named after James Bond film Skyfall was
unveiled at King’s Cross Station. It’s the first time a film has
permanently given its name to a train. The East Coast London to
Edinburgh service, train number 91007, has been renamed
Skyfall with each of its eleven carriages wrapped in
Skyfall artwork.
Producers
Barbara Broccoli and
Michael G. Wilson, actress Naomie Harris
(Eve Moneypenny) and writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade were on
the train’s maiden journey which departed from platform 007 at
King’s Cross at 8.33am.
DAME SHIRLEY BASSEY TO MAKE HER FIRST APPEARANCE ON
AN OSCAR SHOW
ABOVE:
Shirley Bassey and eleven-time James Bond composer John
Barry with gold discs awarded for the recording of
'Goldfinger' which sold over one million copies in the
USA in 1964. Shirley Bassey was made Dame Commander of
the Order of the British Empire in 2000. 'Goldfinger'
(co-written by John Barry, Leslie Bricusse & Anthony
Newley) was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in
2008.
8 February 2013
- BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Dame Shirley Bassey will make a special
appearance on the Oscars®,
show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today.
"We are thrilled to welcome the legendary Dame Shirley Bassey to
our Oscar show," said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. "Her
association with film music is world renowned and we are proud
that she will be making her first Oscar appearance on our
telecast.
Bassey is this year celebrating her very own "Diamond Jubilee"
with a career spanning over six decades. She has recorded over
44 albums, sold over 135 million records and has sold out
concert halls across the world. In June 2012, she was one of a
number of esteemed artists, including Elton John, Paul McCartney
and Annie Lennox, who performed at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
Concert. In the United States, Bassey is best known for
recording the theme songs for the James Bond films Goldfinger,
Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker."
Oscars for outstanding film
achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February
24, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®,
and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television
Network.
007
MAGAZINE reviews BOND 50 on Blu-ray!
BOND 50 has arrived…
…so what’s good, what’s bad, what’s ugly, what’s new, what’s
missing?
KEVIN HARPER runs his expert ears and eyes over the new BOND 50
Blu-ray sets from both sides of the Atlantic to give 007
MAGAZINE readers the most
comprehensive review available.
First Croatian edition of Ian Fleming's DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
3 October
2012 - Croatian special edition of Ian Fleming’s DIAMONDS ARE
FOREVER presented at a gala event in Zagreb.
“I knew you all
expected Mr. Bond to show up for his promotion,” said David
Slinn, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, “but
he is currently at an undisclosed location, performing
undisclosed duties.” His excellency was addressing an audience
of some hundred people, gathered in good cheer at the Café
Kinoteka in Zagreb on September 19th for the unveiling of the
first Croatian edition of Ian Fleming’s DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER,
joining numerous Olympic and Paralympic athletes freshly
returned from their successes at the 2012 London Games.
OCTOBER 2012 - Everything Or Nothing hits the mark
In the week
that 007 fans celebrate 50 years since the release of Dr. No,
LUKE WILLIAMS reviews Stevan Riley's documentary Everything
Or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007, and finds it a
refreshingly candid account of the history of the world's
greatest film franchise.
LUKE WILLIAMS
also chatted with acclaimed film-maker Stevan Riley exclusively
for 007 MAGAZINE.
007
MAGAZINE ULTIMATE JAMES BOND FILM POLL RESULTS
Ahead of the
much-anticipated 50th anniversary of the release of the first Bond film,
Dr. No on October 5th, an international survey of 007 MAGAZINE
readers has rated On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), starring
George Lazenby and directed by Peter Hunt, as the greatest Bond film of
all time.
007 MAGAZINE
was in attendance this week as legendary photographer Terry
O'Neill launched his new exhibition and book All About Bond
at the Proud Gallery on Chelsea's Kings Road.
Given that Ian Fleming's James Bond lived in a flat just off the
Kings Road, it is somehow appropriate that Proud Chelsea is the
location for a stunning exhibition of some of photographer Terry
O'Neill's huge collection of 007 focused photography, which
opened on 12th September with a signing event with the great man
himself.
Proud
Chelsea | 161 King’s Road | London | SW3 5XP
t: 020 7839 4942 w.
www.proud.co.uk
Open Monday – Sunday, 10am – 7pm.
SEPTEMBER 2012 - Hal David (1921-2012)
Composer John Barry with Jazz legend Louis Armstrong and
lyricist Hal David at the recording of 'We Have All The
Time in the World', which featured in the 1969 James
Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
1 September
2012 - Hal David, the lyricist who worked with Burt
Bacharach on an unparalleled canon of songs for film and
television has died at the age of 91.
David's James
Bond connection began in 1967 when he added lyrics to
Bacharach's 'The Look of Love', which had originally been
intended as an instrumental piece. The Oscar-nominated song was
performed in Casino Royale (1967) by Dusty Springfield.
In 1969 he
wrote the lyrics for 'We Have All The Time in the World'
composed for the film On Her Majesty's Secret Service by
John Barry. The late composer cited it as one of his favourites.
He thought it was the finest piece of music he had written for a
Bond movie, and because of the pleasure of working with Louis
Armstrong. Hal David also wrote the lyrics to 'Do You Know How
Christmas Trees are Grown?' which was sung by Nina Van Pallandt
in the film On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). David
was re-united with John Barry in 1979 when he wrote the lyrics
for Moonraker, sung in the film by Shirley Bassey.
AUGUST 2012 - OBITUARY
Marvin
Hamlisch (1944-2012)
The composer
Marvin Hamlisch, who wrote the score for the 1977 James Bond
film The Spy Who Loved Me and co-wrote (with Carole Bayer
Sager) it's Oscar-nominated title song 'Nobody Does it Better',
has died in Los Angeles, aged 68.
Hamlisch wrote
more than 40 film scores including The Way We Were
(1973), The Sting (1974) and A Chorus Line (1985).
In total he won three Academy Awards, four Emmys, a Tony and
three Golden Globes.
JULY 2012 - James Bond escorts HM Queen Elizabeth II to the Olympic
Games
James Bond
(Daniel Craig) escorts HM Queen Elizabeth II to the opening of
the London Olympic Games in spectacular fashion in this
special short film from acclaimed director Danny Boyle. The
film 'Happy and Glorious' was shown as part of the BBC
coverage of the opening ceremony on 27th July.
More pictures
JULY 2012 - New audio books feature the cream of
British acting talent
Thursday 6th September
2012 will mark a hugely significant event for James Bond fans everywhere.
The launch of Ian Fleming’s classic Bond novels, read by a stellar
selection of brilliant readers!
Kenneth
Branagh, David Tennent, Roy Kinnear and Toby Stephens are
amongst the top British talent lined up to to read the twelve
new, unabridged James Bond audio recordings.
Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style opens at The Barbican
July 8
2012
Designing 007: Fifty
years of Bond Style
The Barbican marks the 50th anniversary of the James Bond franchise, from
1962's Dr. No to this year's Skyfall, with a unique
exhibition showcasing the inside story of the design and style of the
world's most influential and iconic movie brand.
In collaboration with EON
Productions and with unprecedented access to their archives, Designing
007 is a multi-sensory experience, immersing audiences in the creation
and development of Bond style over its auspicious 50 year history.
Designing 007: Fifty Years of
Bond Style runs at
The
Barbican from 6 July - 5 September 2012
JUNE 2012 - George Leech (1921-2012)
Veteran
stuntman George Leech has died at the age of 90.
He performed stunt double duties, as well as appearing on
screen himself as various goons and henchman, in multiple
James Bond films from Dr. No in 1962 up to A View To
A Kill in 1985.
Born in London, England, on December 6th, 1921, George Leech
started his film career in the mid 1950s in the Pier Angeli
film Port Afrique, and soon found himself in great
demand. A few years later his first 'big action film' came
with The Guns of Navarone. The following year he was
engaged on a modest film called Dr. No - it was to be
the first of eleven James Bond films, which took him through
to Roger Moore's last outing in A View To A Kill in
1985. George has doubled for George Lazenby and Roger Moore,
as well as having a few fisty-cuffs with Sean Connery and his
adversaries. His other credits include Chitty Chitty Bang
Bang, Kelly's Heroes, The Eagle Has Landed, Revenge Of The
Pink Panther, Superman and North Sea Hijack.
George Leech passed away on Sunday 17th June 2012. He is
survived by two daughters. One of them, Wendy Leech, who was
one of the first stuntwomen in the business, is married to
fellow 007 stuntman extraordinaire Vic Armstrong.
JUNE 2012 - OMEGA launch
Planet Ocean Seamaster SKYFALL
June 6
2012
Celebrating the new James Bond film:
The Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M ”SKYFALL” Limited Edition
In Skyfall, to be released in autumn of 2012, James
Bond will take to the screen for the 23rd time with Daniel
Craig again assuming the role of the world’s favourite secret
agent. And once again, 007 will wear an OMEGA Seamaster...
FULL STORY
MAY 2012 - Bond Girl Bérénice Marlohe is OMEGA’s
newest brand ambassador
May 31 2012
Actress Bérénice
Marlohe has been added to OMEGA’s roster of brand ambassadors and
participated in the opening of the brand’s new boutique in Venice.
The half-French
half-Cambodian actress portrays Séverine in Skyfall, the James Bond
film to be released in November. It will mark her English-language acting
debut for Ms Marlohe whose previous film roles have been in her native
French.
MAY
2012 - Iconic Connery images at Terry O'Neill's INFAMOUS
May 5 2012
If one photographer can
be said to have defined the swinging showbusiness scene of the 1960s then
that photographer is the East End born Terry O’Neill, who has photographed
every James Bond from Connery to Brosnan (including David Niven!) 007
MAGAZINE’s LUKE WILLIAMS was at the opening of O’Neill’s new exhibition
INFAMOUS in Mayfair this week ahead of his eagerly anticipated book
ALL ABOUT BOND, which will be published later this year.
Terry O’Neill
INFAMOUS is at
Alon Zakaim
Fine Art, 5-7 Dover Street, London W1S 4LD until 8 June
2012.
APRIL 2012 - Two Bond Girls reunited at Chiller Theatre
April 2012 James Bond Girls Luciana
Paluzzi (Fiona Volpe in Thunderball) and Maryam d'Abo (Kara Milovy
in The Living Daylights) appeared together at the Chiller Theatre
Convention, Parsippanay, New Jersey - April 27-29 2012.
APRIL 2012 - William Boyd to write new James Bond novel
April 12
2012
William Boyd to write new James
Bond novel
Boyd takes Bond back to the Sixties with all the style and flair of Ian
Fleming
William Boyd, the award-winning and bestselling author of Restless and
Any
Human Heart, is to write the next James Bond novel.
The novel, which is yet to be titled, will be published in the UK and
Commonwealth in autumn 2013 by Jonathan Cape – Ian Fleming’s original
publisher and an imprint of Vintage Publishing – and simultaneously by
HarperCollins Publishers in USA & Canada. Rights were sold in the English
language by Jonny Geller of Curtis Brown, on behalf of Ian Fleming
Publications Ltd.
January 2012 - James Bond 50th Anniversary Blu-ray collection
January 10
2012 - THE WORLD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL SECRET AGENT MEETS THE
WORLD’S BEST HOME ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE.
Former Bond
Girls Olga Kurylenko and Caterina Murino joined three 007 film
directors John Glen, Michael Apted (left) and Martin Campbell
on stage at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada
to launch the 50th Anniversary Blu-ray collection.
In
celebration of James Bond’s monumental golden anniversary,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home
Entertainment today unveiled BOND 50, a collectible box-set
featuring all 22 James Bond films on Blu-ray Disc for the
first time in one complete offering. Fans around the world can
pre-order now with participating online retailers...
FULL STORY
January 2012 - Skyfall composer announced
MULTI-AWARD WINNING COMPOSER JOINS BOND 23
Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today announced that
composer Thomas Newman will score the 23rd James Bond film,
Skyfall. “We are delighted to confirm that Thomas Newman
will score. Thomas is one of the most respected and successful
composers, he has a long history of working with Sam Mendes
and we look forward to welcoming him into the Bond family,”
commented Michael. G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
Said Newman today, “I’m incredibly excited to be working with
Sam again. It’s a real thrill to be able to collaborate on
something as special as a Bond movie.”