48 Fun Facts About James Bond Theme Songs

Who composed the 'James Bond Theme' first heard in Dr. No (1962)?

Monty Norman composed the theme; John Barry arranged it and later claimed authorship, but Norman won a 2001 libel action against The Sunday Times over the credit.

Which singer is the only person to have performed more than one Bond theme?

Shirley Bassey sang Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and Moonraker (1979); no other artist has performed more than one Bond title song.

Which was the first Bond theme to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song?

Skyfall won Adele the Oscar for Best Original Song in February 2013, a first for a Bond theme; Sam Smith and Billie Eilish then made it three Bond films in a row.

Which is the only Bond theme to have reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100?

Duran Duran's 'A View to a Kill' topped the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1985; in the UK it peaked at number two behind Paul Hardcastle's '19'.

Which was the first Bond theme to reach number one on the UK singles chart?

Sam Smith's 'Writing's on the Wall' entered the UK chart at number one in October 2015, a first for a Bond theme; Billie Eilish's 'No Time to Die' later debuted at the top too.

Which Bond film has more than one opening theme, including a calypso 'Three Blind Mice'?

Dr. No opens with the James Bond Theme, then 'Kingston Calypso' (Three Blind Mice) and a bongo interlude; John Barry's single of the theme reached No. 13 in the UK.

Who sang the vocal version of 'From Russia with Love' heard at the film's end?

Matt Monro's vocal version of Lionel Bart's 'From Russia with Love' plays over the end titles; the opening used John Barry's instrumental arrangement.

Which lyricists wrote 'Goldfinger'?

Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse wrote the Goldfinger lyric to John Barry's tune; told only of the girl killed by gilding, they built it around the 'Midas touch' image.

Which producer called 'Goldfinger' 'the worst song I've ever heard in my life'?

Harry Saltzman, co-producer with Albert R. Broccoli, hated the song, which became Bassey's only US top-40 hit and entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.

Director Guy Hamilton played John Barry which song as a 'gritty and rough' model for 'Goldfinger'?

Hamilton played Barry 'Mack the Knife' as the gritty model; the finished Goldfinger soundtrack topped the Billboard album chart in 1965, displacing the Beatles.

Who sang the last-minute Thunderball title song after 'Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' was dropped?

Tom Jones recorded 'Thunderball' at the last minute after Broccoli insisted the theme contain the film's title; he reportedly fainted holding the final note.

Which two singers recorded 'Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang', the abandoned original Thunderball theme?

Shirley Bassey recorded 'Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' first, then Dionne Warwick; neither is heard in the film, though the melody runs through the score, and both surfaced on 1990s releases.

Who performed 'You Only Live Twice' (1967)?

Nancy Sinatra sang it after Cubby Broccoli first sought her father Frank; its opening violin bars echo a melody from Tcherepnin's First Piano Concerto.

Which Bond film has an instrumental title theme, with Louis Armstrong singing elsewhere in it?

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) opens with a John Barry instrumental; Louis Armstrong's 'We Have All the Time in the World' plays during the film, sung without his trumpet.

Who wrote the lyrics for 'Diamonds Are Forever' and later 'The World Is Not Enough'?

Don Black wrote the lyrics to Thunderball, Diamonds Are Forever, The Man with the Golden Gun and The World Is Not Enough, four Bond title songs across 34 years.

'Live and Let Die' reunited Paul McCartney with which producer, who won a Grammy for its arrangement?

George Martin produced and arranged 'Live and Let Die', winning a Grammy for the arrangement; it was the first Bond theme nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar.

Which singer performed 'The Man with the Golden Gun', the only Bond title track to miss both UK and US charts?

Lulu sang 'The Man with the Golden Gun' (1974), which John Barry called 'the one I hate most'; its lyrics were notably suggestive.

'Nobody Does It Better' from The Spy Who Loved Me was composed by whom?

Marvin Hamlisch composed 'Nobody Does It Better' with words by Carole Bayer Sager; Carly Simon's recording spent three weeks at No. 2 in the US behind Debby Boone.

'Nobody Does It Better' was the first Bond theme since Dr. No to do what?

It still slips the film's name into the lyric.

Which singers were considered for or offered 'Moonraker' before the eventual singer?

Mathis withdrew, Paul Williams cut a version with different lyrics, and Kate Bush declined because of her Tour of Life.

Which Scottish singer performed 'For Your Eyes Only' and appeared on screen in the titles?

Sheena Easton sang 'For Your Eyes Only' and is the only theme performer to appear in a Bond title sequence; Conti had Donna Summer or Dusty Springfield in mind.

Which band had a title song rejected for For Your Eyes Only in favour of Bill Conti's?

Blondie's own 'For Your Eyes Only' was turned down when the producers preferred Bill Conti's song; Blondie released theirs on the 1982 album The Hunter.

Rita Coolidge's Octopussy theme, with lyrics by Tim Rice, was titled what?

John Barry wanted Don Black but he was busy with the musical Merlin, so Rice stepped in.

Duran Duran performed 'A View to a Kill' at which 1985 concert, their last together before splitting?

Duran Duran played 'A View to a Kill' at Live Aid in Philadelphia on 13 July 1985, the classic line-up's last performance together until its 2003 reunion.

Which Norwegian band recorded the 1987 Bond theme with John Barry, who found it exhausting?

a-ha recorded 'The Living Daylights' with John Barry, who found the sessions exhausting; Pål Waaktaar wrote it and the band re-recorded it for Stay on These Roads.

Who sang 'Licence to Kill' in 1989?

Gladys Knight sang 'Licence to Kill', which borrows the 'Goldfinger' horn motif; Patti LaBelle sang the end-credits song 'If You Asked Me To'.

'GoldenEye', sung by Tina Turner, was written by which pair?

Bono and the Edge of U2 wrote 'GoldenEye' for Tina Turner; Nellee Hooper produced it and it reached number 10 in the UK.

Which k.d. lang song was moved from Tomorrow Never Dies' title sequence to its end credits?

k.d. lang's 'Surrender' was moved to the end credits when Sheryl Crow's song took Tomorrow Never Dies' titles; the film's score weaves its melody throughout.

Which singer's end-credits song 'Only Myself to Blame' was dropped from The World Is Not Enough?

Scott Walker's 'Only Myself to Blame' was cut from The World Is Not Enough's end credits but survived on the soundtrack album, its melody standing for Elektra King in the score.

Madonna's 2002 Bond theme was co-written and co-produced with which French producer?

Mirwais Ahmadzaï, Madonna's collaborator on the album Music, co-wrote and co-produced 'Die Another Day', whose lyric even name-checks Sigmund Freud.

Which grunge frontman performed the Casino Royale (2006) theme?

Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave sang 'You Know My Name'; it was left off the soundtrack album and appeared on his 2007 solo record Carry On.

The Quantum of Solace theme is the only Bond theme that is what?

'Another Way to Die' is the only Bond theme recorded as a duet: Jack White wrote it and sang it with Alicia Keys; Amy Winehouse had been rumoured for the job.

Adele's 007 theme was released at 0:07 BST on 5 October 2012 to mark what?

Adele wrote it with Paul Epworth after reading the script; it also won the Brit, Golden Globe and Grammy.

Sam Smith co-wrote 'Writing's on the Wall' with which songwriter?

Sam Smith wrote 'Writing's on the Wall' with Jimmy Napes, his collaborator on 'Stay with Me'; the pair shared the Best Original Song Oscar in 2016.

Which Radiohead song was submitted for Spectre but rejected because it had not been written for the film?

That made it ineligible for the Best Original Song Oscar, which Sam Smith went on to win.

How old was Billie Eilish when she recorded 'No Time to Die', making her the youngest Bond theme artist ever?

Eilish was 17 when she recorded 'No Time to Die' with her brother Finneas, the youngest Bond theme artist; Hans Zimmer handled the orchestral arrangement and it debuted at UK number one.

'No Time to Die' was released in February 2020, but the film was delayed until when?

The pandemic pushed the film from April 2020 to autumn 2021, opening on 30 September 2021 in the UK; the song went on to win the Oscar in 2022.

How many Bond soundtracks did John Barry compose?

John Barry scored 11 Bond films, from From Russia with Love (1963) to The Living Daylights (1987), after arranging the Dr. No theme.

John Barry's '007' action theme was first heard in which film?

The '007' theme debuted in From Russia with Love (1963), Barry's first full Bond score, and became the series' secondary action motif, last heard in full in Moonraker.

Which session guitarist played the famous twangy riff on the original 'James Bond Theme' recording?

Vic Flick, a session guitarist with the John Barry Seven, played the riff on a 1939 Clifford Essex Paragon Deluxe through a Fender Vibrolux amp.

Which composer scored both Skyfall and Spectre?

Thomas Newman scored both Skyfall and Spectre, earning an Oscar nomination for Skyfall's score; Hans Zimmer took over for No Time to Die.

Which composer, on John Barry's recommendation, scored five Bond films from 1997 to 2008?

David Arnold scored Tomorrow Never Dies through Quantum of Solace, five films in all; his mix of orchestra and electronic beats defined the Pierce Brosnan era.

Which composer scored GoldenEye (1995)?

Éric Serra, Luc Besson's regular composer, scored GoldenEye; his synth-heavy approach divided fans, and John Altman rewrote the St. Petersburg tank-chase cue.

Which Bond film's end credits featured The Pretenders singing 'If There Was a Man'?

John Barry co-wrote it with Chrissie Hynde; a-ha had the title song.

The 'James Bond Theme' grew out of a song its composer wrote for a musical adaptation of which V. S. Naipaul novel?

'Bad Sign, Good Sign' was reworked into the riff everyone knows.

Who wrote the lyrics to 'We Have All the Time in the World', sung by Louis Armstrong?

Hal David, Burt Bacharach's regular partner, wrote the words to 'We Have All the Time in the World' for John Barry's melody; Louis Armstrong recorded it in 1969.

Which rock act recorded a rejected 'The Man with the Golden Gun' for their 1973 album Muscle of Love?

Blondie's spurned 'For Your Eyes Only' likewise surfaced on their 1982 album The Hunter.

Brian Wilson's intended Bond theme 'Run James Run' ended up as the title track of which album?

'Run James Run' became the instrumental title track of Pet Sounds (1966); Johnny Cash also cut a 'Thunderball' that went unused.