James Bond Title Sequences

23rd December 2009

The James Bond films have set movie-making standards for action, adventure and have often been the first to pioneer new and fantastic film techniques. From the pre-title sequence, to the gun barrel icon and lavish main title sequence, almost Bond film to date opens with the signature which film-goers have come to associate with James Bond. Bond veteranMaurice Binder set the standards of the Bond title sequence and the legacy was continued by Robert Brownjohn and in the '90s and today, Daniel Kleinman and MK12 have contributed to the aesthetics of Bond's title sequences. MI6 compiles a list of the 22, and counting, titles and their designers - complete with notes on style, series firsts, and title trivia.

	1962 Dr. No Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: The James Bond Theme Title Artist: John Barry Orchestra			1962 From Russia With Love Designed By: Robert Brownjohn & Trevor Bond Title Song: From Russia With Love Title Artist: Matt Munro
Notes Featuring colourful spheres, flashing in time to the famous James Bond Theme, this is the only credit sequence not preceded by a pre-titles sequence. The only sequence in which the gun barrel intro does not feature the Bond theme.			Notes Credit text is colourfully projected onto the midriff of a belly dancing beauty. Reds and oranges dominate this sequence. Binder is busy on "The Mouse and the Moon", so Robert Brownjohn is invited to step in to his shoes.

	1964 Goldfinger Designed By: Robert Brownjohn Title Song: Goldfinger Title Artist: Shirley Bassey			1965 Thunderball Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: Thunderball Title Artist: Tom Jones
Notes Footage from the third Bond film is projected onto a gold-painted female figure. Like "From Russia With Love", the credits are also brightly projected on the body.			Notes Maurice Binder returns to design the "Thunderball" credits. This fourth sequence has an underwater flavour mixing sea-blue tones with the red of bloodied waters. Scantily clad diving girls are thrown into the mix.

	1967 You Only Live Twice Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: You Only Live Twice Title Artist: Nancy Sinatra			1965 OHMSS Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: We Have All The Time In The World Title Artist: Louis Armstrong
Notes Red fiery volcanoes feature in the titles of "You Only Live Twice". Binder continues the tradition of semi-naked female silhouettes performing various acrobatic stunts - a theme that would remain with the Bond credits through to modern times.			Notes Clocks are shown ticking backwards and archive footage of the past 5 films rolls backwards through an hourglass - in the hopes of indicating George Lazenby's 007 is still the same character filmgoers know and love. Sea-blues feature in the OHMSS colour palette.

	1971 Diamonds Are Forever Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: Diamonds Are Forever Title Artist: Shirley Bassey			1973 Live And Let Die Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: Live And Let Die Title Artist: Paul McCartney & Wings
Notes Black and white are dominant within the "Diamonds Are Forever" title. Blofeld's signature white cat with diamond encrusted collar is present and characters and dancing girls are projected onto the facets of the diamond.			Notes Flames and sculls are common during the "Live and Let Die" credit sequence. One of the first title sequences to show the faces of the title girls captured on-screen.

	1974 The Man With The Golden Gun Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: The Man With The Golden Gun Title Artist: Lu Lu			1977 The Spy Who Loved Me Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: Nobody Does It Better Title Artist: Carley Simon
Notes Colours of red and black, with imagery and icons of woman brandishing guns feature in this credit sequence.			Notes "The Spy Who Loved Me" titles are dominated by blue tones, marching girls, the Union Jack, and for the first time, James Bond himself - in the guise of Roger Moore.

	1979 Moonraker Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: Moonraker Title Artist: Shirley Bassey			1981 For Your Eyes Only Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: For Your Eyes Only Title Artist: Sheena Easton
Notes Circus girls tumble from the skies while Bond parachutes through this sequence in a continuation of the pre-titles sequence. Moody blues and mauves are a backdrop for acrobatic girls and an outer-worldly feeling.			Notes The only credit sequence to feature its title-song artist, Sheena Easton. Within this "For Your Eyes Only" title sequence, colours and images are of sea-blue tones.

	1983 Octopussy Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: An All Time High Title Artist: Rita Coolidge			1985 A View To A Kill Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: A View To A Kill Title Artist: Duran Duran
Notes The Octopussy title sequence is appropriately laden with Bondian beauties. The Octopussy “tattoo is laser-projected onto the scantily clad girls' bodies.			Notes The "A View To A Kill" titles are dominated by fluorescent tattoos on glamorous girls as well as laser guns, skiing, dancing girls with ribbons and '80s buffoon hairstyles. Probably the most dated look of the series.

	1987 The Living Daylights Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: The Living Daylights Title Artist: A-ha			1989 Licence To Kill Designed By: Maurice Binder Title Song: Licence To Kill Title Artist: Gladys Knight
Notes A classic Binder titles sequence - complete with girls brandishing guns and and performing acrobatics.			Notes "Licence To Kill" marks Binder's 15th James Bond credit, and sadly his last. A memorable young lady brandishing a camera opens the sequence.

	1995 GoldenEye Designed By: Daniel Kleinman Title Song: GoldenEye Title Artist: Tina Turner			1997 Tomorrow Never Dies Designed By: Daniel Kleinman Title Song: Tomorrow Never Dies Title Artist: Sheryl Crow
Notes Daniel Kleinman opts for the digital approach. Girls and guns still feature, but motion-capture technology is applied to digitally render the GoldenEye title sequence. The East/West cold war conflict creeps into the "GoldenEye" title with hammer and sickle iconography.			Notes The "Tomorrow Never Dies" title sequence taps into the digital and mass-media theme of its plot. Kleinman incorporates glass, oil and computer chip patterns into the title sequence. For the first time a different artist is credited with the closing-credits design: General Screen Enterprises.

	1999 The World Is Not Enough Designed By: Daniel Kleinman Title Song: The World Is Not Enough Title Artist: Garbage			2002 Die Another Day Designed By: Daniel Kleinman Title Song: Die Another Day Title Artist: Madonna
Notes James Bond falls straight from the Millennium Dome into this grimy title sequence. "The World Is Not Enough" embodies the oil themes of the plot to produce a stark, predominantly black and white title sequence.			Notes For the first time in the history of the series, the Die Another Day title sequence extends the plot and pretitles - featuring icy montages of 007's torture sequence. Bond and the villains appear in the sequence in live action along with CGI scorpions.

	2006 Casino Royale Designed By: Daniel Kleinman Title Song: You Know My Name Title Artist: Chris Cornell			2008 Quantum of Solace Designed By: MK12 Title Song: Another Way To Die Title Artist: Jack White & Alicia Keys
Notes Bond does battle in vector, as his fights in the movie are replicated. For the first time in a long run of pictures, the title sequence does not contain the signature silhouetted models, instead Kleinman adopts the gambling theme to create a stunning sequence that includes Bond and Vesper. The credits also signify James Bond's promotion to "Agent 007".			Notes MK12 is brought onto the production by director Marc Forster and the designers take a leaf out of the explosive finale with themes of desert and dust. The Bond girls make a subtle comeback this picture but images of Daniel Craig as 007 are still prominent.