The Goldfinger Theme

Inspired by the song “Mack the Knife,” 1964’s “Goldfinger” was the only Billboard Hot 100 top 40 hit for singer Shirley Bassey.  John Barry composed the title song and lyrics were written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.

John Barry returned for his third James Bond soundtrack, composing the previous film’s score and overseeing the arrangement of the music for Dr. No.  For a complete bio of Barry, go here.

 

Leslie Bricusse was born January 29, 1931, and is most prominently known for composing musicals and film theme songs.  Bricusse wrote popular theme songs for Sammy Davis Jr. Nina Simone, Matt Monro, Frank and Nancy Sinatra, and The Turtles.  Bricusse also co-wrote the opening theme to the television series It’s a Living.

 

His musical work includes Doctor Dolittle, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Scrooge, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Victor Victoria, and Cyrano de Bergerac The Musical.  Bricusse won a Song of the Year Grammy Award in 1963 for “What Kind of Fool Am I?” and received two Academy Awards for his work with Doctor Dolittle and Victor/Victoria.  He is also a member of the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.

 

Bricusse currently resides in California with his wife, actress Yvonne Romain.

 

Anthony Newley was an English actor, singer, and songwriter who had great success as a recording artist between 1959 and 1962, penning a dozen Top 40 UK Singles Chart hits, including two number one songs.

 

Newley was born September 24, 1931 and died April 14, 1999.  He received an Academy Award nomination for the film score of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.  His film career began as a child actor, with work in Peter Ustinov’s vice Versa and David Lean’s Oliver Twist.  His career transitioned from child actor to leading man with Idle on Parade, which was somewhat inspired by Elvis Presley’s call to national service in World War II.

 

Teaming with Bricusse, Newley also won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for “What Kind of Fool Am I?”  The group also wrote a musical, Stop the World – I Want to Get Off, which Newley also performed in and earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical.  He was elected to the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in recognition of his creative skills and body of work.

 

Newley was married three times and died at the age of 67 from renal cancer, survived by five children, a granddaughter, and his mother.

Shirley Bassey, made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire on December 31, 1999, by Queen Elizabeth II, is a Welsh singer and her 60-year career has resulted in her being called one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century.  Along with singing the theme song to Goldfinger, Bassey also sang the title songs to two other James Bond pictures.

 

Shirley Veronica Bassey was born January 8, 1937, signed her first professional singing contract in 1953 to sing in a touring variety show based on the life of Al Jolson.  She briefly left show business and became pregnant at 16, but returned to singing in 1955.  Her success continued to increase and at one point in the late 1950s she had two hit singles in the top three of charts at the same time.

 

Although “Goldfinger” was her only successful hit in the United Sates, her star continued to shine throughout the 1960s and 1970s, having numerous hits on the UK charts and 10 albums in the Top 15.  “Goldfinger” is now Bassey’s signature hit, despite only reaching number 21 on the UK charts, with several of her singles charting much higher.

 

Bassey was married twice, both ending in divorce.  She birthed a son and two daughters, one of which died in 1985, and has five grandchildren.  She currently resides in Monaco.

 

“Goldfinger” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.  It sold more than a million copies in the United States upon its release and it reached number one in Japan, four in Australia, and the top ten of several European countries.