Thunderball: Original Motion Picture Sound Track [Soundtrack]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
The film Goldfinger firmly established the James Bond franchise as a box-office juggernaut, while the pop success of Shirley Bassey's title song only helped focus attention on the film's score and composer John Barry's key musical contributions in setting the mood for the series. But it was the next installment in the British spy's saga, Thunderball, that stands as Barry's most evocative and memorable Bond score. Tom Jones's rendition of the title track has all the muscular bombast of Bassey's previous effort, but Barry's scoring quickly shifts the mood to one of dark mystery. The brassiness of the Goldfinger score is supplanted here by jazz-inflected winds and Barry's distinctive, haunting string arrangements; a nigh-perfect cocktail of action, adventure, and suspense elements. --Jerry McCulley

Tracks:

Main Title-Thunderball - Tom Jones
Chateau Flight
The Spa
Switching The Body
The Bomb
Cape Martinique
Thunderball
Death Of Fiona
Bond Below Disco Volante
Search For Vulcan
007
Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Amazon.com essential recording

The film Goldfinger firmly established the James Bond franchise as a box-office juggernaut, while the pop success of Shirley Bassey's title song only helped focus attention on the film's score and composer John Barry's key musical contributions in setting the mood for the series. But it was the next installment in the British spy's saga, Thunderball, that stands as Barry's most evocative and memorable Bond score. Tom Jones's rendition of the title track has all the muscular bombast of Bassey's previous effort, but Barry's scoring quickly shifts the mood to one of dark mystery. The brassiness of the Goldfinger score is supplanted here by jazz-inflected winds and Barry's distinctive, haunting string arrangements; a nigh-perfect cocktail of action, adventure, and suspense elements. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Look Up! Look Down! Look Out!.......2002-11-14

The 4th James Bond movie. Tom Jones creates a true masterpiece with his title song that is played in many versions throughout the movie. With a powerful voice, inspired lyrics and slam-bang ending to the song Thunderball is a James Bond theme of the highest order! What is also interesting, is that this soundtrack also includes a alternate title song in it's instrumental version- Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Previously recorded by Dionne Warwick and Shirley Bassey, it was decided that Thunderball should be the title song, but this song was put in the movie, where 007 dances with femme fatale, Fiona Volpe. Fantastic music. Two stunning songs. Look Out! John Barry has done it again!

Good soundtrack for an underrated Bond film.......2002-10-02

I always thought that Thunderball was not bad as they say, or slower than other Bonds, thanks to the underwater scenes. I actually think that the entire movie was made with real gusto. Anyway one thing is undenyable, it has a wonderful score that fits in every part of the mov, in action cues or the mysterious ones(there's a lot of these)

The opening track is one of the most famous, it is sung by Tom Jones in a strong way-it was also spoofed in Spy Hard(Leslie Nielsen).
Chateau Flight is as many people say, one of the best in the score- dark and exciting use of Bond theme.
The Spa and Switching the Body(love that sexy first notes!) are the first tracks of many in OST to use Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang in instrumental(that occurs in many scenes of the movie) That also occurs in The Bomb, with some differences.
Cape Martinique is a romantic way to show the relationship Bond/Domino with some sad notes of Kiss Kiss again.
Thunderball is a very nice track showed in relaxing notes fitting perfectly in the scene that Bond goes to the Casino.
Death of Fiona, another excellent track in a chachacha type.
Bond Below Disco Volante-the soundtrack tends to be forgettable near the end, however this one includes nice variation of Thunderball
Search For Vulcan- again Kiss Kiss, theme totally arranged for the last track in the middle Barry's theme for 007.

After all these Kiss Kiss variations, you'll probably think the soundtrack is repetitive...You're wrong! If you have listen attentively the music during the film you certainly noticed the music is always done in a different way. My only concern is that it could have been more variation of the main theme.
However, it is a must-have for Bondians, it does't include music not placed in the movie, thing will make some people happy.

P.S: I'm not hoping for some complete rerelease as some guys do. I know there's not 100% music of the film in it-at least we have more music than From Russia With Love.
I know there's Bond Back in Action, but those themes don't sound like in the movie.

Four and a half stars.......2002-07-17

In view of the fact that the title song almost didn't got written, this soundtrack is really good. It's one of those soundtracks that you like, but you don't know why.
The music for the underwater scenes is really great and it's also interesting to hear the alternate title song "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang".

Four and a half stars- some missing songs; good music........2002-04-22

This soundtrack is a very good soundtrack. THUNDERBALL is a pretty good title song, and is one of the better one's because of its good lyrics. It is sung very well by Tom Jones, and the orchestra is just superb. Tracks 3 and 4 include haunting music that is played for the scenes at the health spa, and 5 and 9 include the music for the underwater sequences which perfectly captured the underwater feel.

Highlights of this soundtrack are:
"Chateau Flight" which is an extremely fast-paced song starting out with calm music as the "widow" arrives at "her" house to find James Bond sitting in a chair. Then James Bond punches
"her" and the fast-paced fight music starts. "The Bomb" which starts out with exciting music and then goes into tense music, which perfectly captures the mood of the underwater theme in Thunderball. "Cafe Martinique" is a beautiful orchestral version of the Thunderball theme, and is played primarily by strings. "Search For Vulcan" is a tense and exciting song, perfectly capturing the mood of the scenes where Bond and Leiter search for the lost Vulcan. Then of course "007" which is an updated version of the "007 Takes The Lektor" theme from From Russia With Love. It was played during the underwater battle scene, but for some odd reason I think it leaves out a few parts.

The other highlights of this soundtrack are the missing tracks. Some of the underwater battle music was missing, the fight on the Disco Volante music was omitted, the break-in at Palmyra, and other songs from the movie. But the music is so good that the soundtrack is redeemed from the obvious absence of some music from the movie, and only loses half a star.

The music is very good, and fortunately some of the best songs are not missing like "Chateau Flight" and "Bond Below Disco Volante". A must buy for Bond music fans, and one to consider for people who like good movie soundtracks.

THUNDERBARRY DOES IT AGAIN!.......2002-03-28

THE SCORE STARTS WITH THE MAIN TITLE PERFORMED POWERFULLY
BY TOM JONES, AFTERWARDS WE ARE GIVEN A GREAT TREAT WITH THE
CHAUTEAU FIGHT, THE SPA, SWITCHING THE BODY, THUNDERBALL INSTRUMENTAL
AND THE CLASSIC 007 THEME,
MAY I REMIND THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE DISCOVERING BOND MUSIC
WILL NOT BE DISSAPPOINTED WITH THIS ONE.
AT THE END OF THIS SOUNDTRACK IS MR KISS KISS BANG BANG, THIS
IS THE INSTRUMENTAL VERSION AND NOT THE VOCAL VERSION PERFORMED
BY DIONNE WARWICK.

Music:

Music

Music