''The Man with the Golden Gun'' is the soundtrack for the ninth

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

film of the same name. The theme tune was performed by

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, composed by John Barry - returning to the series after a one film absence (

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the Beatle ...

had scored the preceding film '' Live and Let Die''), and the lyrics to the song were written by Don Black. Barry considered the theme tune – the only Bond film title track not to chart as a single on either the UK Singles Chart or U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 – and score to be among the weakest of his contributions to the series: "It's the one I hate most... it just never happened for me." Certainly the title song is notable for having suggestive lyrics, and during a TV celebration for the series' 40th anniversary, Lulu's performance was introduced with reference to its being the raunchiest of all Bond songs. For the first time, the song's end theme is not a straight reprise of the opener, as it begins with different lyrics (subsequent films followed suit with variations in arrangement, ahead of a new practice of using a different song altogether). Some Bond music fans consider Lulu's brassy vocal to be effective in setting the tone for the film's female characters. Barry's score for the film has stylistic similarities to that of '' Diamonds Are Forever'' - which had marked a gradual transition away from the heavy horn based sound of his 1960s Bond scores to a smoother, string based sound. The film was also the first to drop the distinctive plucked guitar from the "

James Bond Theme The "James Bond Theme" is the main signature theme music of the List of James Bond films, James Bond films and has been used in every Bond film, starting with ''Dr. No (film), Dr. No'' in 1962. Composed in E minor by Monty Norman, the piece has ...

" heard over the

gun barrel sequence The gun barrel sequence is a signature device featured in nearly every List of James Bond films, ''James Bond'' film.Cork, John & Scivally, Bruce (2002). ''James Bond: The Legacy''. Boxtree, 46. Shot from the point of view of a presumed assassin, ...

- in all subsequent John Barry James Bond scores, this theme would be heard on strings and trumpet. Not present on the album but heard in the film is a brief reprise, for recognition purposes, of the song " Live and Let Die" when a character (

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as Sheriff J.W. Pepper) from the previous film reappears. The next three Bond films would wittily feature excerpts from the familiar music of other films, too (though classics rather than Bond films), while '' On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' had included a janitor character (Norman McGlen) whistling the theme from '' Goldfinger'' as an

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Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...

claims his song "Man with the Golden Gun" was a day too late to be used by the film's producers, who had already signed Lulu's song instead. Cooper's song appears on his 1973 album '' Muscle of Love''. The popular song "Mindfields" by

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(released on the 1997 album ''The Fat of the Land'') features a specific part of "Hip's Trip". Barry gave the band permission to do so. In November 2024, La La Land Records released a limited expanded edition containing previously unreleased music.

Track listing

1974 release

Composer, except as noted, is John Barry. # "The Man with the Golden Gun (Main Title)" (J. Barry/ Don Black) –

# " Scaramanga's Fun House" # "Chew Me in Grisly Land"contains the "

", originally composed for the ''Dr. No'' soundtrack # "The Man with the Golden Gun (Jazz Instrumental)" # "Getting the Bullet" # "Goodnight Goodnight" # "Let's Go Get 'Em" # "Hip's Trip" # "Kung Fu Fight" # "In Search of Scaramanga's Island" # "Return to Scaramanga's Fun House" # "The Man With the Golden Gun (End Title)" (Barry/Black) – Lulu

2024 release

Disc 1

# "Gun Barrel / The Island" (1:36) # "Scaramanga’s Fun House" (4:37) # "Main Title: The Man with the Golden Gun" (Performed by Lulu) (2:35) # "Getting the Bullet" (2:43) # "Macau / Forever Hold Your Piece" (2:04) # "Following Andrea" (1:43) # "Scaramanga Strikes" (2:05) # "Hip’s Trip" (3:19) # "Chew Me" (2:03) # "Quite Titillating" (1:02) # "Grisly Land" (2:12) # "Take Mr. Bond to School / Chula / Escape" (1:30) # "Kung Fu Fight" (1:54) # "20,000 Baht" (1:22) # "J.W. Pepper / Bond Rides Off" (0:39) # "The Death of Hai Fat / New Chairman" (1:22) # "Moments" (1:01) # "Goodnight Goodnight" (5:22) # "You Must Be Good / In the Boot / Car Keys" (2:07) # "Let’s Go Get ’Em" (3:48) # "Flying Car" (0:58) # "In Search of Scaramanga’s Island (Film Version)" (2:33) # "Bond’s Arrival / The Solex Agitator / The Sun / Solar Power" (1:32) # "Return to Scaramanga’s Fun House" (6:26) # "Absolute Zero" (0:59) # "Retrieving the Solex Agitator" (2:45) # "Slow Boat from China" (1:38) # "End Title: The Man with the Golden Gun–Reprise" (Performed by Lulu) (3:06) # "Lost Charm" (0:48) # "Bottoms Up I" (2:14) # "Bottoms Up II" (2:48) # "In Search of Scaramanga’s Island (Alternate)" (2:31) # "The Man with the Golden Gun (Demo Instrumental)" (2:35)

Disc 2

# "Main Title: The Man with the Golden Gun" (Performed by Lulu) (2:35) # "Scaramanga’s Fun House" (4:37) # "Chew Me in Grisly Land" (3:59) # "The Man with the Golden Gun (Jazz Instrumental)" (2:29) # "Getting the Bullet" (2:43) # "Goodnight Goodnight" (5:21) # "Let’s Go Get ’Em" (3:41) # "Hip’s Trip" (3:19) # "Kung Fu Fight" (1:54) # "In Search of Scaramanga’s Island" (2:28) # "Return To Scaramanga’s Fun House" (6:26) # "End Title: The Man with the Golden Gun–Reprise" (Performed by Lulu) (3:06)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Man With The Golden Gun, The Soundtrack albums from James Bond films

Soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...