| Music
- Thunderball
Credits
Music Composed, Conducted & Arranged By: John Barry
James Bond Theme: Monty Norman
Main Theme: "Thunderball"
Song Lyrics: Don Black
Song Performed By: Tom Jones
Album Label: Capitol Records
Highest Chart Position: 35 (UK), 8 (USA)
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Right: UK
album sleeve artwork. |
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History
Thunderball was the third James Bond soundtrack composed and
conducted by John Barry, and performed by the John Barry Orchestra.
The soundtrack was released by United Artists Records in 1965.
The soundtrack mastering was not finished by the time the film
was released in theaters and only featured twelve tracks, roughly
the first half of the film. Additionally, the music in the film
was unfinished just days before the release of the film in theaters
due to a late change by EON Productions to use a title song with
the same name as the film. The last seven tracks were released
for the first time when the soundtrack was issued on Compact
Disc on February 25, 2003.
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Title Theme
John Barry and Leslie Bricusse wrote the original main
title theme, entitled "Mr.
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang". The title was taken from an Italian journalist who
in 1962 dubbed agent 007 as Mr. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.
Barry had thought he couldn't
write a song about a vague "Thunderball" codename or the story of the
film, so instead opted to focus on the character of James Bond. This technique
would be echoed decades later to some degree by Chris Cornell for "You Know
My Name" (Casino Royale). Left: John Barry conducting
the John Barry Orchestra during a James Bond recording
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The song was originally recorded by Shirley Bassey, but was
later re-recorded by Dionne Warwick. Both versions were not released
until the 1990s. The song was removed from the title credits
after producers Albert
R. Broccoli and Harry
Saltzman were worried
that a theme song to a James Bond movie would not work well if
the song did not have the title of the film in its lyrics.
John Barry teamed up with lyricist Don Black and wrote "Thunderball" which
was sung by Tom Jones who, according to Bond production legend,
fainted in the recording booth when singing the song's final,
high note. Jones said of the final note, "I closed my eyes
and I held the note for so long when I opened my eyes the room
was spinning." Unlike "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang",
the lyrics of "Thunderball" are a description of villain
Emilio Largo's character.
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Country musician Johnny Cash also submitted
a song to EON productions titled "Thunderball" but it wasn't
used. The lyrics of Cash's "Thunderball" describe
the story of the film.
The producers' decision to change the film's theme song
so close to the release created delay problems with the soundtrack,
as Barry had written large amounts of the score around the
original theme song and woven it throughout the score (along
with the recurring underwater "Search For Vulcan" motif).
After "Thunderball" was written, Barry wrote, orchestrated,
and recorded several new pieces interpolating it. Barry's
scores always included a track which gave the film's theme
song a full statement in the form of a sensitive, slowed-down
instrumental ballad, often played over a romantic moment
or a scene set in a nightclub or casino; he re-arranged "Thunderball" as
a lush, subtly jazzy orchestral piece in the easy listening
style that was popular at the time.
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Above: German vinyl sleeve artwork
of the "Thunderball" single, performed in German by Alan
Corb instead of Tom Jones.
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Although "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" was
dropped as the theme song, some of the pieces which included
its melody remained part of the score, and it receives full statements
twice: by full orchestra and jazz rhythm quartet with bass, drums,
guitar, and vibraphone in the track "Café Martinique" (immediately
followed by the "Vulcan" cue), and as a wild, bongo-laden
cha-cha-cha in "Death of Fiona." The scene which includes
the latter takes place at Club Kiss Kiss. Because Thunderball's
score had, essentially, two main themes to work from, as well
as the "Search For Vulcan" cue and the "James
Bond Theme," it is arguably the richest of the early Bond
scores, thematically speaking.
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Above: Original artwork
from the UK (left) and German (right) 45rpm releases.
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Soundtrack Listing
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Original Release
1. Thunderball (03:02)
2. Chateau flight (02:30)
3. The Spa (02:42)
4. Switching The Body (02:46)
5. The Bomb (05:44)
6. Cape Martinique (03:48)
7. Thunderball (03:57)
8. Death of Fiona (02:28)
9. Bond Below Disco Volante (03:55)
10. Search For Vulcan (02:24)
11. 007 (02:26)
12. Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (03:15)
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2003 Remastered Release
1. Thunderball (03:03)
2. Chateau Fight (02:31)
3. The Spa (02:42)
4. Switching The Body (02:48)
5. The Bomb (05:45)
6. Cafe Martinique (03:45)
7. Thunderball (03:57)
8. Death of Fiona (02:31)
9. Bond Below Disco Volante (04:05)
10. Search For Vulcan (02:24)
11. 007 (02:27)
12. Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (03:18)
13. Gunbarrel/Traction Table/Gassing The Plane/Car Chase (04:43)
14. Bond Meets Domino/Shark Tank/Lights Out For Paula/For King and Country
(08:18)
15. Street Chase (03:23)
16. Finding The Plane/Underwater Ballet/Bond With SPECTRE Frogmen/Leiter
To The Rescue/... (10:15)
17. Underwater Mayhem/Death of Largo/End Titles (10:21)
18. Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (02:41)
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Total Time (Original Release): 38:57
Total Time (2003 Remastered): 1:18:57
