Lana Del Rey says her Bond theme was turned down
Lana Del Rey says she wrote a James Bond theme in 2015, only to have it rejected by producers.
The Video Games star was speaking backstage at the Ivor Novello Awards in London, where she had just won a special prize celebrating her career and influence.
Asked if she would ever consider writing a Bond theme, she replied: “I mean, how has that not happened?”
She then broke into the chorus of her song 24, from the album Honeymoon, before revealing: “I wrote that for them.”
Given its release date, the song would have been in contention for Daniel Craig's fourth outing as 007, Spectre.
The theme was eventually recorded by Sam Smith, who won an Oscar for their song Writing’s On The Wall.
“Sam, you did a wonderful job,” laughed Del Rey, who said she still hoped to get another shot at the franchise.
“One day, maybe...
“But I'm going to continue to do my little Nancy Sinatra thing every now and then and just pretend it's the title track.”
Pop star Raye, who won songwriter of the year at Thursday's ceremony, was shocked by Del Rey's revelation.
“I can't believe she would have been rejected by them, because she just has the perfect energy for it,” Raye said.
“I feel like she would eat that up – and I feel like that should happen in the future.”
The London-born singer added that she would jump at the chance to create a Bond theme of her own.
“If they ever approached me, I'd roll over backwards, obviously.
“I don't know how those things happen, but it would be my absolute pleasure.”
Del Rey is in good company, however.
Other stars who have had Bond themes rejected include Pulp, Blondie, Johnny Cash, Pet Shop Boys and KD Lang.
Producers often commission several alternatives, and only decide which to use once the film is complete.
Radiohead even recorded a third potential theme for Spectre – which they eventually released on Christmas Day 2015.
Here is a list of the known "lost" Bond songs.
Johnny Cash – Thunderball
Dionne Warwick – Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Thunderball)
Shirley Bassey – Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Thunderball)
Julie Rogers – You Only Live Twice
Lorraine Chandler – You Only Live Twice
Alice Cooper – The Man with the Golden Gun
Blondie – For Your Eyes Only
Phyllis Hyman – Never Say Never Again
Pet Shop Boys – The Living Daylights
Ace of Base – GoldenEye
Pulp – Tomorrow Never Lies (Tomorrow Never Dies)
Saint Etienne – Tomorrow Never Dies
Swan Lee – Tomorrow Never Dies
KD Lang – Surrender (Tomorrow Never Dies)
Straw – The World Is Not Enough
Shirley Bassey – No Good About Goodbye (Quantum of Solace)
Muse – Supremacy (Skyfall)
Radiohead – Spectre
Lana Del Rey – 24 (Spectre)
Skylar Grey – I’m A Soldier (No Time To Die)
Del Rey was in a chatty mood at the Ivor Novellos.
She also revealed that she had turned down the offer of a world tour that was pitched after her headline set at the Coachella music festival this April.
"I decided not to do a stadium tour this year, because I want to go to McCreary County and Kentucky," she said.
"I want to go meet with the people, and say hi and have breakfast with them.
"It's not always about just going to every island and picking up money at the stadium."
And she also talked about the genesis of her Grammy-nominated 2023 album Did You Know There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd - which was largely written during impromptu jam sessions with her then-boyfriend Mike Hermosa.
"It's funny, every time a producer doesn't have time for me, someone I'm dating happens to be a prodigious guitar player," she told BBC News backstage.
"And then, as they're noodling around on Sundays, I think: 'Could I have that sequence of chords?' And they say, 'Well yeah, if you want them'.
"And that's how Tunnel came about with Mike Hermosa. It was all done with him on Sundays in his two bedroom apartment in Genesee (California).
"Everything was just easy and I thought, here comes another record."
But she added: "I was looking to get married, not to have another record!"
