5. Art Of Noise's "James Bond Theme"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMDtyQiKTok Until now, every song on this list has been an original composition - but then the Art of Noise are well-known for cover versions. Licence to Kill would be Timothy Dalton's second outing as a double-o agent and his interpretation of Bond was focused on getting back to basics by honing in on the gritty realism that many say is true to Ian Fleming's original incarnation. So when the Art of Noise pitched a jazzy, keyboard-driven version of Monty Norman's iconic James Bond theme in 1989 the producers were left shaken, if not stirred, by what they heard. How could an audience keep a straight face while serious Bond engages in a high-speed car chase set to something that sounds like something it was lifted from a Commodore Amiga game? The remix of the James Bond Theme was politely declined for inclusion on the Licence to Kill soundtrack by Michael Kamen, holding the fort for John Barry who was recovering from throat surgery. After all, he'd wanted Eric Clapton to record the main title theme and although Gladys Knight's big ballad was to be a success, a novelty remix was never going to cut the caviar. This left the Art of Noise free to include it on their new album, Below the Waste. How kind.