St. Petersburg

Lore & Background

In the film *GoldenEye*, Saint Petersburg, Russia is the setting for a memorable tank-chase sequence. The producers were not satisfied with Éric Serra's original synthesizer-based score for this scene, so they brought in John Altman to write a more traditional, orchestral piece. Serra's unused track, however, was not discarded entirely—it was included on the soundtrack album under the title "A Pleasant Drive in St. Petersburg." This dual-composer approach reflects the film's broader musical tension between Serra's electronic style and the more symphonic elements provided by Altman and David Arch.

In Their Own Story

The tank rumbled through the cobblestone streets of Saint Petersburg, a hulking metal beast tearing through kiosks and fountains. James Bond, at the controls, weaved through traffic while Janus operatives gave chase. The scene was scored not by Éric Serra's original electronic composition, but by John Altman's sweeping orchestral piece—a last-minute replacement that gave the chase its traditional Bond-film grandeur. Serra's unused track, "A Pleasant Drive in St. Petersburg," remains on the soundtrack album as a ghost of what might have been.

Reader's Guide

Saint Petersburg appears in the film *GoldenEye* as the location of the tank-chase sequence. This scene is notable for its musical history: Éric Serra originally composed a synthesizer track for the chase, but the producers rejected it in favor of a more traditional orchestral score by John Altman. Serra's unused piece survives on the soundtrack album as "A Pleasant Drive in St. Petersburg." The film also features a comedic rendition of Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man" sung by Irina (Minnie Driver), though this song does not appear on the soundtrack.

Did You Know?

• The tank-chase scene in Saint Petersburg was originally scored with a synthesizer track by Éric Serra, but the producers replaced it with a traditional orchestral piece by John Altman.
• Serra's unused track for the Saint Petersburg chase appears on the soundtrack album under the title 'A Pleasant Drive in St. Petersburg'.
• The film features a comedic rendition of Tammy Wynette's 'Stand by Your Man' sung by Irina (Minnie Driver), but this song is not included on the soundtrack.
• The soundtrack album includes 16 tracks, with the theme song 'GoldenEye' performed by Tina Turner and written by Bono and The Edge of U2.