Bond themes they must be written specifically for the film – a requirement so that Bond themes are eligible for the Oscars. By Niall Doherty ( Louder )
It's ten years ago that out of the blue on Christmas Day, Radiohead surprise-released a rejected Bond theme they’d made for the franchise’s 2015 film Spectre.
But Radiohead are far from alone in that regard. A host of stars have had a crack at a Bond theme over the years only for producers to go looking elsewhere. Here’s a selection that were written, recorded and rejected – some better than the ones that were used. And some not.
Radiohead’s 2015 should've-been classic. This moody, soaring ballad would’ve been perfect for the moody, soaring film, but apparently arrived too late in the day for the filmmakers to use.
Johnny Cash – Thunderball
It’s admirable how country legend Cash, reportedly a big Bond fan, refused to mix up his sound just because he was doing a Bond theme. With its bluegrass skiffle and Cash’s trademark baritone, his take only really would’ve worked if Thunderball was about Bond moving to Tennessee and becoming a cowboy. But Thunderball was not about that and so Cash’s song went unreleased until it appeared on the 2011 compilation Bootleg Vol 2: From Memphis To Hollywood.
Lana Del Rey – 24
It wasn’t just Radiohead who were rebuffed when it came to Spectre theme tunes. Del Rey claimed in the aftermath of Spectre’s release that she’d never been asked and that the gently stirring sway of Honeymoon cut 24 merely had a “Bond feel” to it, despite the fact it even ends with a strum of the famous Bond guitar sound.
The star said one of the tracks on her 2015 album was written for Spectre starring Daniel Craig.“I wrote that for them,”
“I mean, how has that not happened yet?” Del Rey replied when asked by BBC if she would consider writing a theme song for the franchise. The Born to Die singer then sang the chorus to her track “24” — which was one of the 14 songs that appeared on her 2015 album, Honeymoon — before adding, “I wrote that for them.”
Blondie – For Your Eyes Only
Debbie Harry & co. attempted to give Bond a bit of a new wave swagger with their proposed theme for the 1981 Roger Moore-starring Bond film of the same name. Unfortunately for them, the Bond team preferred another song from songwriting duo Michael Leeson and Bill Conti and asked Blondie to record that instead.
They refused and so the task went to Sheena Easton, Blondie’s version appearing on their 1982 record The Hunter instead.
Alice Cooper –Man With The Golden Gun
The Alice Cooper Band were on the crest of a wave to record what would become Muscle Of Love, to the point that despite the fact he hadn’t been asked, Cooper chose to record a theme tune for the next Bond film, confident that the film would take it.
“By the time they heard it, they’d already signed for Lulu’s song. I went, ‘You’re gonna take Lulu over this?’.” They did take Lulu over this, and so another would-be Bond classic was resigned to the outtakes pile.
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After saying yes to the mammoth project, McCartney borrowed inspiration from the namesake book for his soundtrack cut.
Paul McCartney, Wings, and George Martin
Wings was still in its infancy when McCartney tapped them to perform “Live And Let Die.” McCartney wrote the song and then brought in his bandmates for a live feel. This song also marked the first time in a long time that McCartney and George Martin had worked together. The latter handled the orchestral moments.
