MI6 :: Goldfinger (1964) :: James Bond 007

Music - Goldfinger

Credits
Music composed, arranged and conducted by: John Barry
Song Lyrics: Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley
Song Performed By: Shirley Bassey
James Bond Theme: Monty Norman
Orchestra conductor: Sid Margo
Guitar solos: Vic Flick
Saxophone solos: Johnny Scott
Music recorded at CTS Studios, Bayswater, London in July 1964
Engineer: John Richards

Chart History
UK Single: Charted 15/10/64 reaching #21 (total 9 weeks)
USA Single: Charted 23/01/65 reaching #8
UK Album: Charted 31/10/65 reaching #14
USA Album: Charted 12/12/64 reaching #1 for 3 weeks (total 13 weeks)

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MI6 Briefing
The title track was first performed by Anthony Newley, who wrote the lyrics to John Barry's music (this "jazz" version was later released on the "The Best Of James Bond – 30th Anniversary Limited Edition" album). Shirley Bassey recorded the version used in the film on 20th August 1964. The original mono version of the commercially released single can now be found on the album "Goldsinger - The Best of Shirley Bassey", along with the common stereo version.

The "Goldfinger" single sold over a million copies in the USA on the United Artists label and earned Bassey a coveted gold disc in May 1965. Released in the UK on the Columbia label, the single performed modestly reaching number 21.

Shirley Bassey said about Goldfinger: "John Barry wrote the music. We were touring in England at the time and he was conducting for me. One day he said, 'There is this new song for the James Bond film Goldfinger and we'd like you to do it. I know your rule that you will never listen to a song unless there are words. There are no words, I must warn you - there's only the music, which I have done. And we're waiting on the lyric.'

And because we had such a wonderful relationship on our tour I said to John, 'Well, I'll listen to it. I'll break my rule.' And thank God I did, because the moment he played the music to me, I got goose pimples, and I told him, 'I don't care what the words are. I'll do it.' And fortunately the words were great."

Composer John Barry shared a flat with actor Michael Caine, and during Barry's work on Goldfinger, Caine recalled in his autobiography of being kept awake though the night. In the morning Caine found Barry slumped over his piano having just finished Goldfinger.

However, not everyone fell in love with Barry's work on the film. According to Barry, producer Harry Saltzman hated the Goldfinger theme and much of his work, "Harry would start with, 'This is crap!' And it went downhill from there".

Despite criticism from Saltzman, Barry has said that "Goldfinger" is his personal favourite of all his Bond theme. "Shirley Bassey was perfect casting, she brought such conviction to it." It was the first 007 film that he was given full musical authority, and Barry commented that "Goldfinger" was the first time that "the musical style [in a Bond] really came together. Everything culminated with that film."

Remastered Soundtrack Listing

Main Title - Goldfinger (02:48)
Into Miami (00:57)
Alpine Drive - Auric's Factory (04:27)
Oddjob's Pressing Engagement (03:08)
Bond Back In Action Again (02:31)
Teasing The Korean (02:16)
Gassing The Gangsters (01:05)
Goldfinger (02:10)
Dawn Raid On Fort Knox (05:48)
The Arrival of the Bomb and Count Down (03:29)
The Death of Goldfinger - End Titles (02:34)
Golden Girl (02:10)
Death of Tilley (02:04)*
The Laser Beam (02:54)
Pussy Galore's Flying Circus (02:48)

Total Duration: 00:41:09
*Official track listing incorrectly spells Tilly as "Tilley"

Complete Cue List

United Artists Fanfare – unreleased
Bond Back In Action Again
Belly Dance Source Music – unreleased
Goldfinger (Main Title)
Into Miami
Tracked Music - Enter Goldfinger (Death of Goldfinger/End Titles 1:58-approx.2:24 [fade out])
Tracked Music - Bond, James Bond (Oddjob’s Pressing Engagement 0:06-0:26)
The Best Place In Town – unreleased
Golden Girl
Excuse Oddjob, Mr. Bond (unreleased, but almost identical to Golden Girl 0:10-0:16)
Planting the Tracker – unreleased
Oddjob’s Hat - unreleased
Alpine Drive (Alpine Drive/Auric’s Factory 0:00-1:53)
Auric’s Factory (Alpine Drive/Auric’s Factory 1:53-4:27)
Death of Tilley
The Mirror – unreleased
The Laser Beam
Keep an Eye On Him – unreleased
Pussy Galore’s Flying Circus
Auric Stud – source music – unreleased
Better Bred Than The Owner – unreleased
Teasing the Korean
Gassing the Gangsters
Oddjob’s Pressing Engagement (Oddjob’s Pressing Engagement 0:00-2:23)
Felix to the Farm (Oddjob’s Pressing Engagement 2:23-3:08)
He Wants You – unreleased
He Had A Pressing Engagement/That’s My James – unreleased
Bond and Pussy (the barn scene) – unreleased
Dawn Raid on Fort Knox
The Arrival of the Bomb (The Arrival of the Bomb and Countdown 0:00-1:20)
Countdown (The Arrival of the Bomb and Countdown 1:20-3:29)
The President Wants To Thank You Personally – unreleased
The Death of Goldfinger (The Death of Goldfinger and End Title 0:00-1:19)
End Title – Original Version (The Death of Goldfinger and End Title 1:19-2:34)

Bonus / Alternative Tracks

Anthony Newley Goldfinger Demo. Lyricist Anthony Newley recorded two versions of Goldfinger. A jazz version was released on the James Bond 30th Anniversary album, and an orchestral (instrumental) version was also recorded but so far unreleased.
End Titles Film Version (The Death of Goldfinger/End Title 1:19-1:25 + Goldfinger Main Title 0:00-55 & 2:10-2:48)

PS-1196-UA

72435-80891-2-7

UA 23.008

ULP 1076

DA 5015

Confirmed Release History