Thunderball (soundtrack)

The original main title theme to Thunderball was titled "Mr. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang", which was written by John Barry and Leslie Bricusse. The title was taken from an Italian journalist who in 1962 dubbed agent 007 as "Mr. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang". Barry had thought he could not write a song about a vague "Thunderball" term or the film's story, so his song was a description of the character James Bond.[2]

The song was originally recorded by Shirley Bassey. When there were concerns with the length of the track compared to the needed titles, it was later rerecorded by Dionne Warwick as Bassey was not available and featured a longer instrumental opening designed so the lyrics would not be heard until after the title "Thunderball" appeared in Maurice Binder's title design.[3] Neither version was released until the 1990s. The song was removed from the title credits after United Artists requested that the theme song contain the film's title in its lyrics.[4] When it was planned to use the Warwick version in the end titles Shirley Bassey sued the producers[5][6] with the result being that neither version was heard in the film and different instrumental versions of the theme appeared on the High Fidelity (Bassey's) and Stereo (Warwick's) soundtrack LPs.[7]

Barry teamed up with lyricist Don Black and wrote "Thunderball" in a rush.[8] Tom Jones, who sang the new theme song, allegedly fainted in the recording booth after singing the song's final, high note.[8] 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."[9]

Country musician Johnny Cash also submitted a song to Eon productions titled "Thunderball" but it wasn't used.[10] The lyrics of Cash's "Thunderball" describe the film's story.[11]

The producers' decision to change the film's theme song so close to the release date meant that only some of the film's soundtrack had been recorded for release on LP.[8] Adding to the delay issues, Barry had written large amounts of the score around the original theme 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.

Though "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, and features the bongo drumming of bandleader King Errisson. Because Thunderball's score had, essentially, two main themes to work from, as well as the "Search For Vulcan" cue, the "007 Theme" and the "James Bond Theme," it is arguably the richest of the early Bond scores, thematically speaking.

The tune was composed in the key of B-flat minor.[12]

1. "Thunderball (Main Title)" – Tom Jones[upper-alpha 1]
2. "Chateau Flight"[upper-alpha 1]
3. "The Spa"
4. "Switching the Body"
5. "The Bomb"
6. "Cafe Martinique"
7. "Thunderball (Instrumental)"
8. "Death of Fiona"
9. "Bond Below Disco Volante"
10. "Search for Vulcan"
11. "007"[upper-alpha 2]
12. "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"

CD bonus tracks

1. "Gunbarrel / Traction Table / Gassing the Plane / Car Chase"[upper-alpha 1]
2. "Bond Meets Domino / Shark Tank / Lights out for Paula / For King and Country"[upper-alpha 1]
3. "Street Chase"[upper-alpha 2]
4. "Finding the Plane / Underwater Ballet / Bond with SPECTRE Frogmen / Leiter to the Rescue / Bond Joins Underwater Battle"[upper-alpha 2]
5. "Underwater Mayhem / Death of Largo / End Titles"[upper-alpha 1][upper-alpha 2]
6. "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Mono Version)"

• In 1965, KYW-TV in Philadelphia adapted the "007" track, also used in the film From Russia with Love as its longtime theme for its Eyewitness News format. It went on to be used in other Group W stations in Boston, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and San Francisco for their newscasts.

• In 1996, "Weird Al" Yankovic parodied Tom Jones during the opening theme song of the comedy Spy Hard. Instead of passing out, as Jones allegedly did, Yankovic's head explodes at the opening song's end.
• The opening theme to the Warner Bros. cartoon Duck Dodgers (2003–05), performed by Tom Jones with the Flaming Lips, is a pastiche of "Thunderball".
• Jones sang the theme during Sean Connery's AFI Life Achievement Award ceremony in 2006.
• Jaret Reddick, lead singer of Bowling For Soup, covered "Thunderball" on the 2017 multi-artist compilation album, Songs, Bond Songs: The Music Of 007.[13]

• Outline of James Bond

• Burlingame, Jon The Music of James Bond Oxford University Press, 01/10/2012
• Spencer, Kristopher. Film and Television Scores, 1950–1979: A Critical Survey by Genre. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2008