Was There A Rejected Shirley Bassey Theme For Quantum Of Solace?

The Performance, the eagerly awaited new album from the great Shirley Bassey, came out in England this week. (There's no word yet on when we Americans can expect it. Let's hope we don't have to wait as long as we did for her last collection, Get the Party Started.) The Performance has been especially eagerly awaited by James Bond fans, as it's produced by Bond composer David Arnold and (among songs by such diverse artists as Rufus Wainwright, Manic Street Preachers, Kaiser Chiefs and KT Turnstall) contains a track written by Arnold and frequent 007 lyricist Don Black, "No Good About Goodbye." Now CommanderBond.net raises the prospect that the Arnold/Black song might, in fact, be a rejected title song for Quantum of Solace. Interesting! Head on over to CBn to read their evidence, listen to the song, and make your own conclusions. Personally, I think there's some merit in the argument. The prevalence of the word "solace" would seem a clue, and the lyrics themselves comment more on Bond's state of mind in the movie (following Vesper's death) than the Jack White song did. Bassey begins: "Where is the SOLACE that I crave?/Will it still haunt me to my grave?/Too broken to forgive/Too painful to relive..." (That "solace" is in caps to indicate that the word is belted out in that patented Bassey belt.) Furthermore, and perhaps most damningly, the song clocks in at 4:22, the exact same duration as White's "Another Way to Die." I have definitely grown to like the Jack White song (a duet with Alicia Keys) quite a lot since I first heard it, but I also hate to think that we missed out on another Shirley Bassey Bond theme! Whether or not it was intended for Quantum of Solace, the song makes a good listen, and I can't wait to hear the whole album.