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                                                MUSIC IN BOND MOVIES

 Click here to get the lyrics of  older bond themes. And here for the latest one.                                                              

                                                                        TRIVIA

No one really knows who wrote the famous The James Bond Theme- Monty Norman or John Barry. A theme was originally written by Monty Norman which  the producers didn't like so they asked  John Barry to tinker around with it. Barry   "arranged" it based on his previous work "Bees Knees". This theme  has since appeared in every official Bond film. But due to contractual obligations, Monty Norman receives credit. What remains a mystery is what was the contribution of each  to the theme and thus who should get the real credit. (Vic Flick did that excellent guitar work on the theme).

Read about the 2001 libel case:

Monty Norman Sues (March 5, 2001)

Monty Norman Wins (March 19, 2001)

Shirley Bassey,the Welsh crooner is the only artist to provide the theme for more than one Bond film. She has sung the themes for "Goldfinger "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Moonraker".

Dionne Warwick did a song called "Mr. Kiss-Kiss-Bang-Bang" for the movie "Thunderball" before the producers decided that the films title needed to be in the theme. He was chucked out and Tom Jones came in. An instrumental version of the song was  used in the soundtrack, and the song itself was released on the James Bond 30th Anniversary Collection.Tom Jones reportedly fainted after recording the high note at the end of the song.

"We Have All The Time In The World" by Louis Armstrong, the main theme to "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", reached No1 on the UK charts  in 1995 when it was re-released following it's use in a Guinness commercial.

Guns n' Roses released a cover version of "Live And Let Die" (original  by Paul McCartney and Wings) in 1991.

Alice Cooper supposedly did  a theme for "The Man With The Golden Gun" which appears in his  "Muscle of Love" album. The CD version included  notes claiming it was to be the theme song of the movie, but was later removed.

Sheena Easton is  the only performer to appear in the opening credits of a bond movie ("For Your Eyes Only") which were  used as the promotional video for the song.

"Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown?" sung by Nina can be  heard playing in the Swiss town during Bond's escape from Piz Gloria, the SPECTRE headquarters in OHMSS.

The only Bond song to reach No 1 on the charts (in US) is  the theme to "A View To A Kill" by Duran Duran.

Eric Clapton recorded a version of the Bond theme for  "Licence To Kill" but it was not used.

Pulp did a song  for 'Tomorrow Never Dies' but was rejected; it was re-named "Tomorrow Never Lies" and appeared as a B-side to  their single "Help The Aged".

"Nobody Does It Better" performed by Carly Simon was the first Bond theme not to use the film title as its own title(barring Dr.No which only had the James Bond Theme), although the title is incorporated into the lyrics."All Time High"  by Rita Coolidge for 'Octopussy'  is the only Bond theme not to mention the title of the film in its lyrics.

Kate Bush, the British singer  was the original choice to sing the main theme for 'Moonraker'. In the movie you can hear the Theme from The Magnificent Seven (composed by Elmer Bernstein)  when Bond arrives at the Service's base in Brazil.

The theme  for 'Lawrence of Arabia' by Maurice Jarre is played in 'The Spy who Loved me' when Bond and agent triple-x walk through the desert after their car breaks down.

Composer John Barry who was the music director for as many as 11 Bond movies plays a cameo role in "The Living Daylights" as Kara Milovy's orchestra conductor in the final scene.

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