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Is Adele's James Bond song 'Skyfall' eligible for Oscars?

By Nick Goumond

Oct 05 2012 05:37 am

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When it was announced that Grammy champ Adele was singing the title track for the new James Bond film "Skyfall," she seemed like a lock for a Best Song bid at the Oscars. 

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However, now that the top-notch tune has debuted, it seems she has a big problem -- she incorporated the classic theme for the film franchise, which dates back to "Dr. No" in 1962, into her soulful song. And that snippet of music could make her ineligible for an Academy Award. 

Rule 15(I)(B) clearly states: "An original song consists of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the motion picture." The academy went so far as to bold that last clause to emphasize the required provenance of the entry.

One could argue that "Skyfall" meets this requirement and has the added element of those few bars of Monty Norman's music from "Dr. No." The studio is planning on submitting the song, leaving it up to the music branch to decide if it can contend.

If "Skyfall" is ruled ineligible, it will be in good company among iconic Bond themes. Among those snubbed by the Oscars are both of Shirley Bassey's signature tunes -- "Goldfinger" (1964) and "Diamonds are Forever" (1972) -- as well as Tina Turner's rendition of U2's "Goldeneye" (1995) and Madonna's "Die Another Day" (2002).

Indeed, only three of this signature tunes have even contended for Best Song and all were bested. Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die" from the 1973 film of the same name lost to "The Way We Were"; Carly Simon's rendition of "Nobody Does it Better" from 1979's "The Spy Who Loved Me" lost to "You Light Up My Life" and "For Your Eyes Only," sung by Sheena Easton, lost in 1981 to "Arthur's Theme."

Take a listen to "Skyfall" above and then vote in our poll below. 

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