Another Way to Die

"Another Way to Die"
Single by Jack White and Alicia Keys
from the album Quantum of Solace and As I Am: The Super Edition
Released	September 30, 2008 (U.S.) October 20, 2008 (Europe)
Format	7" CD digital download
Recorded	2007; Sputnik Sound, Blackbird Studio (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	4:23
Label	Third Man J XL
Writer(s)	Jack White
Producer(s)	Jack White
Jack White singles chronology
"Sitting on Top of the World" (2003) "Another Way to Die" (2008) "Fly Farm Blues" (2009)
Alicia Keys singles chronology "Superwoman" (2008) "Another Way to Die" (2008) "Empire State of Mind" (2009) James Bond theme chronology "You Know My Name" (2006) "Another Way to Die" (2008) "Skyfall" (2012) Music video "Another Way to Die" on YouTube

"Another Way to Die" is a song by American rock musician and singer Jack White and American R&B singer Alicia Keys. Written and produced by White as the theme song to the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace,^[1][2] it was released as a single in the United States on September 30, 2008 and in Europe on October 20, 2008. The song is the first single from As I Am: The Super Edition.

The song—which features White on vocals, guitar and drums and Keys on vocals—is the first duet in the Bond film series,^[1] and was nominated for Best Short Form Music Video at the 2009 Grammy Awards, with director P. R. Brown.^[3] It was also nominated for Best Song at the 2008 Critics' Choice Awards,^[4] and won Best Original Song at the Satellite Awards 2008.^[5]

The single was released as a limited edition 7" single of 6,000 copies^[6] in the U.S. on September 30, 2008 by White's label Third Man Records,^[7] and in the United Kingdom on October 20, 2008 by XL Recordings.^[8] It was also released as a downloadable song for the video game Guitar Hero World Tour on November 7, 2008.^[9] An instrumental version of the song was also used in a Coca-Cola commercial, as Coca-Cola Zero was used to promote the film;^[10] however, White subsequently announced that he had not approved of the song being licensed for this use.^[11]

Roughly the first two minutes of the song were first played on September 13, 2008 on the radio show Siglo 21 on Radio 3 in Spain.^[12] The song premiered on British radio on September 18, 2008 on BBC Radio 1's The Jo Whiley Show. Newsbeat described the reaction from listeners who e-mailed their opinions as mixed.^[13] On October 3, 2008 the music video premiered on Channel 4.

Background

White wrote and produced the song and he plays the guitar, drums and piano, while Keys provides vocals, becoming the first duet in Bond theme history.^[14] The pair filmed a video for the song in Toronto on September 6, 2008, whilst Keys was at the Toronto International Film Festival promoting her film The Secret Life of Bees while White was there with It Might Get Loud, a documentary on the electric guitar.^[15][16] Initial reviews of the song were mixed, with some critics anticipating that the song could grow in popularity the more it was played on radio and performed live. Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis had previously been rumored as the vocalists for the Bond theme.^[1]

Music video

The music video for the song was released on Yahoo! Video on September 29, 2008, and directed by P. R. Brown. It has since made its way onto YouTube and other video sharing sites. It can also be seen on the DVD of the film. It features White singing and playing both guitar and the drums. Keys sings and plays piano in the video. Video effects and CGI are in the background featuring wavy lines and use of dawn and dusk. A shot of Daniel Craig as James Bond appears in the very last shot, which appeared in the theatrical trailer for the film. The video was announced as a nominee for Best Short Form Music Video at the 51st Grammy Awards.

In the opening titles to the theatrical film, the song begins when Bond fires a bullet. He roams the desert aiming his gun in every direction, and slowly the sand dunes he has been patrolling become nude women in silhouette. Aside from the desert theme, there are also visual cues of the night sky, and lines of celestial navigation seen, as well as various handgun silhouettes. The main colors used in the video are black, blue, and orange.

Chart performance

On September 28, 2008, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number twenty-six on downloads alone, and peaked at nine. Also, it became Keys' first chart-topper in Finland, and charted inside the top ten in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland. In Canada it debuted at number fifteen on the Canadian Hot 100 on the issue dated October 18, 2008, based on a large number of downloads.

In the United States it debuted at number eighty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 on the issue dated November 29, 2008, spending one week only on the chart.

In Australia the single made its way into the top forty, peaking at number twenty-nine for the week of December 1, 2008. "Another Way to Die" was the first James Bond theme song to feature on a Triple J Hottest 100 playlist, compiled almost every year since 1989; in 2008 the song was ranked the eighty-seventh most popular.

Critical reception

The song received acclaim as an individual song, but was subject to some poor reception as a Bond theme,^[17] with Jude Rogers of The Guardian calling the song "jagged" and "awkward".^[18] Criticism focused on how the song does not seem to fit as a James Bond theme. In the 2008 Popjustice Reader's Poll, the song was voted as the second "Worst Single".^[19]

Live performance

"Another Way to Die" was included on Keys' set list on her The Freedom Tour. Neither White nor Keys performed the song on television, or at awards ceremonies.

Track listing

CD and 7" single

1. "Another Way to Die" – 4:23
2. "Another Way to Die" (Instrumental) – 4:23

Personnel

Credits are taken from the record sleeve.^[20][21]

Alicia Keys – vocals Jack White – vocals, drums, bass, guitar, producer, mixing Jack Lawrence – baritone guitar, bass guitar Laura Matula – piano Wayne Jackson – horns Jack Hale – horns Tom McGinley – horns Lindsay Smith-Trostle – cello Lyndsay Pruett – violin, five string violin

Michael Rinne – double bass Vance Powell – engineer Mark Petaccia – assistant engineer Nathan Yarboro – assistant engineer Josh Smith – assistant engineer Vlado Meller – mastering The Third Man – design Rob Jones – design

Charts and certifications

Chart positions Chart (2008–09) Peak position Australian Singles Chart[22] 29 Austrian Singles Chart[22] 2 Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[22] 10 Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[22] 20 Canadian Hot 100[23] 15 Czech Airplay Chart[24] 65 Danish Singles Chart[22] 7 European Hot 100 Singles[23] 12 Finnish Singles Chart[22] 1 French Singles Chart[22] 98 German Singles Chart[25] 8 Irish Singles Chart[26] 12 Japan Hot 100[23] 39 Norwegian Singles Chart[22] 4 Scottish Singles Chart[27] 4 Slovak Airplay Chart[28] 80 Swedish Singles Chart[22] 15 Swiss Singles Chart[22] 4 UK Singles Chart[29] 9 US Billboard Hot 100[23] 81

Year-end charts Chart (2008) Position Austrian Singles Chart[30] 57 German Singles Chart[31] 78 Swiss Singles Chart[32] 42 UK Singles Chart[33] 83 Certifications Country Certification Denmark[34] Gold

Chart procession and succession

Alternate Rejected Theme Song

Like other Bond themes before it, Alicia Keys and Jack White's release was not the only recorded song for the film. Welsh traditional-pop and jazz singer, and three-time previous Bond theme singer, Shirley Bassey also recorded a song for the film that was optioned to the studio. The song was co-written by the film's composer David Arnold and was not finished in time to be used for the film's release. Bassey's "No Good About Goodbye" was later released on her The Performance album in 2009, with a very distinct Bond-esque sound to the song.

See also

• List of number-one singles of 2008 (Finland)
• Outline of James Bond

References

1. Donahue, Ann (July 29, 2008). "Alicia Keys, Jack White Team For Bond Theme". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2008.
2. Hiatt, Brian (October 2, 2008). "Jack White and Alicia Keys: Bond's New Duo". Rolling Stone. RealNetworks, Inc. Archived from the original on 19 October 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
3. "The 51st Annual Grammy Awards Nominations List". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
4. "14th Annual Critics Choice Awards – Nominees – Best Song". VH1. Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
5. "2008 13th Annual SATELLITE Awards". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
6. "Another Way To Die by Jack White & Alicia Keys". Norman Records. Archived from the original on 26 October 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
7. "Jack White (2) & Alicia Keys – Another Way To Die". Discogs. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
8. "Jack White: Alicia Keys: Another Way To Die". HMV. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
9. "MI6 Confirms Activision's 007 Status -- Quantum of Solace Video Game Makes Retail Debut". IGN. October 31, 2008. Archived from the original on 4 November 2008. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
10. Sweney, Mark (September 11, 2008). "Coca-Cola launches ad featuring Jack White's Quantum of Solace music". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 12 September 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
11. Jack White Didn’t Approve That Coke/Bond Commercial, by Brandon Stosuy, at Stereogum; published September 15, 2008; retrieved June 7, 2016
12. "Another Way To Die – Extracto de radio (Audio y Letra)" (in Spanish). Archivo 007. September 15, 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
13. "James Bond theme gets first play". Newsbeat. BBC News Online. September 18, 2008. Archived from the original on 19 September 2008. Retrieved September 18, 2008.
14. Bray, Elisa (September 19, 2008). "First Listen: Another Way To Die, James Bond Theme, Jack White and Alicia Keys". The Independent. London: Independent News & Media. Retrieved January 17, 2009.
15. Houpt, Simon (September 6, 2008). "Alicia Keys on Bond and Bees". The Globe and Mail. Toronto: CTVglobemedia. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
16. "Jack White, The Edge, Jimmy Page film for Toronto". NME. IPC Media. August 18, 2008. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
17. Cochrane, Greg (2 October 2012). "Adele's James Bond theme song Skyfall is leaked online". Newsbeat. BBC News Online. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
18. Rogers, Jude (October 2, 2012). "Adele,Music,James Bond (Film),Culture,Thriller (Film genre),Film". The Guardian. London.
19. "Popjustice Readers' Poll Results 2008: Results". Popjustice. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
20. "Images for Jack White (2) & Alicia Keys – Another Way To Die". Discogs. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
21. "Images for Jack White (2) & Alicia Keys – Another Way To Die". Discogs. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
22. "Jack White & Alicia Keys – Another Way To Die". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved November 3, 2008.
23. "Another Way to Die – Alicia Keys/Jack White". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 9 November 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
24. "RADIO TOP100 Oficiální" (in Czech). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved November 3, 2008.
25. "Musicline.de – Chartverfolgung – Jack White & Alicia Keys – Another Way To Die". Media Control (in German). PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
26. "Irish Top 50 Singles, Week Ending 6 November 2008". Irish Recorded Music Association. Chart-Track. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
27. "Official Scottish Singles Chart Top 100: 26 October 2008 - 01 November 2008". Retrieved June 29, 2015.
28. "RADIO TOP100 Oficiálna" (in Slovak). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved November 12, 2008.
29. "Chart Stats – Alicia Keys & Jack White – Another Way To Die". The Official Charts Company. Chart Stats. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
30. "Austriancharts.at - Jahreshitparade 2008". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (in German). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 8 November 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
31. "Single Jahrescharts 2008". Media Control (in German). MTV Germany. December 16, 2008. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
32. "Swisscharts.com - Swiss Year-End Charts 2008". Media Control. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
33. "UK Year-End Charts 2008" (PDF). The Official Charts Company. ChartsPlus. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
34. "Guld og platin 2009" (in Danish). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. January 28, 2009. Retrieved November 9, 2010.

External links

• Another Way to Die at Discogs
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics