James Bond (Agent 007) is sent on a mission which takes him to the steamy island of Jamaica, where mysterious energy waves are interfering with U.S. missile launches. As he unravels the shocking truth, 007 must fight deadly assassins, sexy femmes fatales and even a poisonous tarantula. With the help of crack CIA agent Felix Leiter and the beautiful Honey Ryder, he searches for the headquarters of Dr. No, a fanatical scientist who is implementing an evil plan of world domination. Regardless of the obstacles thrown his way, Bond races to save the human race from a horrible fate. (Synopsis from Hollywood.com)

Damned Rodan's Album Review
Rating (out of 5):

The Dr. No soundtrack album is something of an anomaly and, in certain strange ways, more closely resembles the type of soundtrack album that accompanies the release of today's films, in that it contains precious little of the actual movie score and lots of pop music that might or might not have been included in the film at all. The "pop" on the Dr. No album is mainly a number of Caribbean-style instrumentals and tropical lounge songs, most of which are done in several variations. The incidental music is listenable, but of vastly inferior quality to the John Barry scores that were soon to become famous.

The opening James Bond theme (certainly the most dynamic track in the bunch) provides the proper introduction to the first Bond soundtrack album, highlighted by Vic Flick's famous stabbing guitar notes. "Kingston Calypso" and "Underneath the Mango Tree"—the actual recordings used in the film as well as alternate versions—are quite familiar and pleasing mainly for nostalgia's sake. "Jump Up," performed by the Byron Lee Band, was a genuine Jamaican hit, and the scene in which it is used is one of the film's most hilarious: one of the dancers Bond passes in Pus Feller's club gets so frenetic and big-eyed that one must wonder if he's not a bomb winding up to explode.

Several of the incidental tracks are rock-styled and percussion-driven, such as "Jamaican Rock," "Twisting With James" (a very entertaining little piece of music that interpolates Monty Norman's original "James Bond Theme"), "The Boy's Chase," and "Dr. No's Theme" (another variation of "Kingston Calypso"). "Dr. No's Fantasy" is a slower, electric-guitar rendition of "Twisting With James."

"Audio Bongo" is an interesting cut, building suspense with heavy percussion as well as electronics, and "The Island Speaks" is a heavy, moody track with pulsing bongos, used as a backdrop when Bond, Honey, and Quarrel make their way across Crab Key.

Finally, the album's second "James Bond Theme"—Monty Norman's own—is a slow, mambo-like composition that sets a pleasant little mood, but is such a far cry from the "true" Bond theme that it hardly seems appropriate to attach the same title to it.

The Dr. No CD is definitely geared to dedicated Bond soundtrack completists or fans of Caribbean music, real or faux; it is hardly representative of the series' distinctive musical style—or of Dr. No itself, for that matter. Personally, I enjoy listening to it, but more for its entertaining rhythms than its actual contribution to the Bond legacy.

01/24/03

Film Credits
Producers: Albert R. Broccoli & Harry Saltzman (Eon Productions, Ltd.)
Director: Terence Young    
Screenplay: Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, & Berkely Mather
Cinematography: Ted Moore
Film Editor: Peter R. Hunt
Production Designer: Ken Adam
Art Director: Syd Cain
Title Designer: Maurice Binder
Music: Monty Norman
Film Running Time: 110 minutes
 
Cast
James Bond: Sean Connery
Honey Ryder: Ursula Andress
Dr. No: Joseph Wiseman
Felix Leiter: Jack Lord
M: Bernard Lee
Professor Dent: Anthony Dawson
Miss Taro: Zena Marshall
Quarrel: John Kitzmiller
Sylvia: Eunice Gayson
Moneypenny: Lois Maxwell
Major Boothroyd: Peter Burton
Sister Lily: Yvonne Shima
Sister Rose: Michel Mok
Photographer: Marguerite LeWars: Photographer
Superintendent Duff: William Foster-Davis: Superintendent Duff
Mary: Dolores Keator: Mary
Jones: Reginald Carter
Pleydell-Smith: Louis Blaazer
General Potter: Colonel Burton
Commander Strangways: Tim Moxon
Puss Feller: Lester Prendergass
Voice of Honey: Monica van der Syl

CD Tracks

Lyrics

Kingston Calypso
Three blind mice in a row
Three blind mice there they go
Marching down the street single file
To a calypso beat all the while

They're looking for the cat
The cat that swallowed the rat
They want to show the cat the attitude
Of three blind mice

Three blind mice here and there
Three blind mice everywhere
Searching all around for the cat
All over Kingston town pitter pat

They got the carving knife
To cut the pussycat's life
The puss will get the knife for triflin'
With three blind mice

So beware...Three blind mice...Watch your step...Three blind mice...
Deadly mice...Three blind mice...Where they go? Three blind mice...
What they do? Three blind mice...Oh, the mice...Three blind mice...
Deadly mice
 

Jump Up
All the people down Kingston Town,
You know all the people go...Jump Up!

Waving arms about, weaving in and out,
It's so easy to...Jump Up!

Take a pretty girl, make her whirl,
And then both begin again...Jump Up!

Hold her very tight, then for all the night,
You'll be doing the Jump Up!

Jump Up! Jump Up! Jamaica!
Jump Up! Jump Up! Jamaica!
Jump Up music! Jamaica!
Never want to stop! Jump Up!

Listen to the band, take her hand,
And say, "Here we go again! Jump Up!"

Like a ball of fire, you will never tire,
When you're doing the Jump Up!

All the people down Kingston Town, you know,
All the people go Jump Up!

You'll be lost to it,
Once you've tried a bit,
Never give up the Jump Up!

Jump Up! Jump Up! Jamaica!
Jump Up! Jump Up! Jamaica!
Jump Up music! Jamaica!
Never want to stop! Jump Up!
 

Underneath the Mango Tree
Underneath the mango tree, me honey and me, come watch for the moon,
Underneath the mango tree, me honey and me, make bool'aloop soon.

Underneath the moonlit sky, me honey and I, come sit hand in hand,
Underneath the moonlit sky, me honey and I, come make fairy land.

Mango, banana, and tangerine,
Sugar, and ackee, and cocoa bean.
When we get married we make them grow
And nine little child in a row.

Underneath the mango tree, me honey and me, come watch for the moon,
Underneath the mango tree, me honey and me, we plan marry soon.

Underneath the moonlit sky, me honey and I, come sit hand in hand,
Underneath the moonlit sky, me honey and I, come make fairy land.

Mango, banana, and tangerine,
Sugar, and ackee, and cocoa bean.
When we get married we make them grow
And nine little child in a row.

Underneath the mango tree, me honey and me, come watch for the moon,
Underneath the mango tree, me honey and me, we plan marry soon.

Underneath the mango tree...
Underneath the mango tree...
Underneath the mango tree...
Underneath the mango tree.