9. From Russia With Love - Matt Munro
Description: Remember a couple entries back, when I was panning wistfully romantic tunes that spoke of love? Well, I'm calling in my exception to the rule with From Russia With Love, and you can all just deal with it. Matt Monro's soft vocals sound like something Dean Martin or even Sinatra could have easily breezed through back in the day. Not to mention that while this was the first theme tune with words to it, it was played at the end of the film after 007 ran away with the girl. The film opened appropriately with the slight reworking of the theme to James Bond and the individual theme from the film, effortlessly blended into the aptly titled "Bond Is Back/From Russia With Love". It serves its purpose, and manages not to screw it up in the process.
Choice Lyrics: "I've seen places, faces, and smiled for a moment. But oh, you haunted me so. / Still my tongue tied, young pride would not let my love for you show, in case you'd say no." Before Goldfinger came in and completely re-wrote the book on James Bond films, Ian Fleming's original template was still very much in play. His Bond wasn't dependant on gadgets, was very much a brawler, and didn't tend to sleep around. At least, not in the beginning, anyways. We see a vulnerable side to Bond in the lyrics that he doesn't, and won't, show very often. When he does though, it's best handled in a manner accustomed to this and not to some of the other more heart associated tunes.