Bonded to the series: Musical style, performance and the 007 theme song

This article examines the way in which the James Bond theme songs have helped shape the Bond series stylistically, and also considers song-writing as a process of adaptation and development by analysing the songs’ relationships with other Bond musical compositions. It considers the performers and evidence of the success of the Bond soundtracks. It argues that the Bond theme songs have an afterlife both in directly shaping those which follow in the series and also in that the cultural memory of earlier compositions and performances, powerfully influences their marketing and reception.