NAME OF SONG: THUNDERBALL / MR KISS KISS BANG BANG
FILM: THUNDERBALL
YEAR: 1965
SUNG BY: TOM JONES
COMPOSED BY: JOHN BARRY
FILM PLOT OUTLINE: S.P.E.C.T.R.E. steal two bombs and hold the British
government to ransom. All the 00 agents are dispersed to try to bring the
culprits to justice. Bond ends up in the Bahamas on the trail of Largo – an
agent of S.P.E.C.T.R.E.
STARRING: Sean Connery as James Bond Claudine Auger Adolfo Celi Luciana
Paluzzi
MEMORABLE BECAUSE: Bond falling in a pool of sharks and still coming out
unscathed!
QUOTE “Do you come here often?”
GADGETS Jet Pack Mini Breather Underwater Camera
INTERESTING MUSICAL FACTS: The original main title song for this film was
going to be a Dione Warwick number Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – the Japanese
translation of James Bond. The producers decided to pay homage to the Japanese
following of Bond. Barry’s score in the film reflects that and all the way
through the film the music contains quotes from that song. Then just a few weeks
before release the filmmakers got cold feet and decided the song should contain
the word Thunderball, so John Barry hastily wrote a new song for Tom Jones to
sing. Jones passed out recording the final long, high note of the song.
INTERESTING FILM FACTS: Thunderball was originally supposed to be the first
Bond film to be released but due to legal wrangling it was postponed until the
fourth film. Of course it was these legal loopholes that led to the film being
re-made under the title “Never Say Never Again”, starring Sean Connery. It was
not an official Bond film and could not contain the 007 logo or the Bond theme
that were so instantly recognisable and ultimately the film was considered a
flop.
Since you are clearly a keen spy, you must be
alert for more more information. Here's a
clue.
