On Wednesday, legendary singer Tina Turner died at the age of 83 after a long illness.
Any time an all-time icon like Turner passes away, many will pay tribute to the beloved performer, remembering their finest work. Turner’s imprint and impact on culture, let alone just music, is essentially impossible to encapsulate in short.
But for me, when I think of Turner, her glorious rendition of “Goldeneye” for the debut Pierce Brosnan entry in the James Bond movie franchise almost always comes to mind first. The Bond films are known for getting a bona fide music superstar to deliver an original, introductive melody that properly sets the scene for a new entry into 007 cinematic lore.
Turner’s “Goldeneye”, which is beyond haunting and still gives me actual goosebumps every time I blast it in my headphones, tells you absolutely everything you need to know about the mindset of Sean Bean’s Alec Trevelyan and his long-standing vendetta with Brosnan’s Bond in the events of the 1995 classic movie. From the moment Turner starts giving it her all, you understand Trevelyan has Bond in his crosshairs, it’s so personal, and you simply have to know why.
If there is one person I would ever pick to capture the essence of revenge and obsession with a spooky espionage overlay, it’d be Turner in every single instance without hesitation.
Just listen to Turner letting that “Goldeneyeeeeeeee” hang multiple times for a second. Let her set the stage with her trademark robust voice that seemingly always added extra heft and brings so much mystery and intrigue to this vintage Bond tale.
I gotta admit. When I first watched GoldenEye, it was hard to distinguish whether Turner was singing about the latest Bond villain’s threats with “and time, time is not on your side” or herself. I was perfectly fine with believing it was about Turner’s own revenge because I was so eager to learn who could have possibly wronged her. That’s a line no one should ever cross. She had me hook, line, and sinker.
How dare anyone cross Tina Turner like this. The absolute nerve.
To me, “Goldeneye” is the quintessential Bond melody. It’s one that could somehow be repurposed in most movies in the franchise. And I love that it’s how I’ll personally remember and treasure Turner’s memory.