Moonraker

Music written by John Barry (Jonathan Barry Prendergrast) and lyrics by Hal David.

Moonraker recorded: April, 1979 released: on United Artists soundtrack album:   August 8, 1979, UA-LA971-I on United Artists singles:   UK: June, 1979, UP 602   US: June 25, 1979, UA-X1308-Y charted: album US: #159, 1979

Written as theme for the James Bond movie "Moonraker" 1979. Released on a single, and on soundtrack LP. The song did not chart and the soundtrack LP only reached a position 159 on the LP charts. This was the third official James Bond recording for Shirley Bassey and her last recording for the United Artists label. Shirley Bassey repeatedly said that she hated "Moonraker" and only did it as a favour to John Barry.

The original soundtrack album contained two versions: the "Main Title" which was playing in the beginning of the film, and an up-tempo "End Title" which is from after the film during the credits.
The soundtrack album is available on CD digitally remastered. The Main Title is also available on the collection Bassey - The EMI/UA Years 1959 - 1979, and was on the Reader's Digest collection Shirley Bassey - This Is My Life, and is on many James Bond and John Barry collections. Another recording has been released 1992 on the Bassey Sings Bond album.

It was planned to release a remix of the original recording by Superfunk in 2000 on The Remix Album...Diamonds Are Forever and the remix had even been released on some promotional copies of the CD, but paradoxically the remix is not on the final UK release, but it is on the releases of other countries.

The note about Goldfinger from the 30th anniversary Bond collection:

The big news about the next Bond,

"Moonraker,"

was that "Jaws is back!" The towering Richard Kiel - who'd portrayed the recurring evil henchman, Voltaire, in TVs "Wild Wild West" - apparently found a following in "Spy" and was therefore called back for "Moonraker." As the steel-toothed Jaws, he was a likeable bad guy who could never get hurt (thanks to Bond's masochistic penchant for punching him in the mouth).

Directed by Gilbert and written by Chris Wood, one of "Moonraker" 's bright spots is the presence of the beautiful French actress Corinne Clery in the small but memorable role of Drax associate Corinne Dufour. John Barry, Shirley Bassey and Hal David all came back to add some musical gusto to the proceedings.

Following a plot outline of the film "Moonraker" I found on the net:

A space shuttle is stolen en-route to London and M sends 007 out to apologize to the shuttle creator - billionaire Hugh Drax. While visiting Drax's estate several attempts are made on Bond's life making Drax himself the number one suspect. Bond also meets Dr. Holly Goodhead, a NASA scientist who is also a CIA agent who is investigating Drax. Their investigations lead Bond to discover a plot to mass murder the world's population so that Drax can repopulate the planet in his image. The chase takes Bond all over the world - California, Brazil, the Amazon Jungle and finally, to Drax's huge space-city over the Earth. Drax, meanwhile, has hired a old friend of Bond to take care of any problems.

Someone told me about a radio interview Shirley Bassey did in New York. She said that she walked out of the premiere because the sound on the song was so low, and she thought it should be louder. The interviewer asked her what she thought of Roger Moore, she said: "Wet! Wet! Wet!"

I heard that it was originally offered to Kate Bush to to write and record the song for this Bond movie, but she turned it down and so John Barry got the job again.
Someone also said that this song was originally written for Dionne Warwick, but she could not sing it, and then John Barry bumped into Shirley in an L.A. hotel and asked if Shirley could sing the song and she did, but I'm not sure if this is true, because I also read that Hal David and Dionne Warwick had parted ways years before.
Finally I heard that this song was intended for Johnny Mathis but he was sick and had to drop out.
Tell me more details about these stories please.

A James Bond fan wrote:

Shirley Bassey sings the title track as well as ever, and it has a very haunting, mellow feel to it in comparison to previous efforts. Unfortunately the song didn't chart which is a shame as it suits the movie's open feel perfectly.

Lyrics:

Where are you?
Why do you hide?
Where is that moonlight trail that leads to your side?
Just like the Moonraker goes in search of his dream of gold
I search for love, for someone to have and hold
I've seen your smile in a thousand dreams
Felt your touch and it always seems
You love me
You love me

Where are you?
When will we meet?
Take my unfinished life and make it complete
Just like the Moonraker knows his dream will come true someday
I know that you are only a kiss away
I've seen your smile in a thousand dreams
Felt your touch and it always seems
You love me
You love me
(transcribed by Roman <scribbler@gmx.net>)