The Music of James Bond

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The story of the music behind Ian Fleming's Agent 007 is filled with real-life drama. In this exploration, author Jon Burlingame unveils the extraordinary history of James Bond's soundtracks, enriched with fascinating and previously undisclosed tales. Each chapter focuses on a different Bond film, detailing the music's backstory and providing accessible analyses of each score, from the last-minute creation of the iconic "James Bond Theme" in Dr. No to John Barry's influential scores for Goldfinger and Thunderball. The evolution of Bond music is traced through the incorporation of synthesizers, disco, and modern electronica, highlighting how David Arnold reinvented the sound for the 1990s and beyond. The narrative is packed with behind-the-scenes anecdotes, including the long-standing authorship controversy of the Bond theme, Frank Sinatra's near-performance of the Moonraker title song, and how artists like Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, and Madonna created chart-topping hits. The book also reveals untold stories, such as Eric Clapton's shelved guitar work for Licence to Kill and Amy Winehouse's near-involvement with Quantum of Solace. With new interviews and extensive research, this edition is a treasure for 007 enthusiasts and music fans alike, now updated with a chapter on Skyfall.