The James Bond theme Alice Cooper recorded but was rejected for being a "day late"

13 August 2025, 20:03

Alice Cooper almost had a James Bond theme. Picture: Getty

By Tom Eames

The year was 1973, and Alice Cooper was riding the crest of a wave that would make even 007 himself envious.

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The moniker 'Alice Cooper' was not yet the sole property of singer Vincent Furnier; it still also referred to the tough and tuneful hard rock band that backed the vocalist, and they had just taken Billion Dollar Babies to the number one spot on the Billboard charts.

With their theatrical shock rock sensibilities and undeniable knack for crafting anthemic rockers, they seemed an unlikely candidate for a Bond theme. Yet, in one of cinema's greatest "what if" moments, they came tantalizingly close to providing the soundtrack to Roger Moore's second outing as Britain's most famous secret agent.

The story begins with the band's well-documented obsession with film soundtracks, particularly John Barry's iconic Bond compositions. "That's all the music we like," Cooper cheerfully admitted in a March 1972 interview with Rolling Stone. "We swiped about 11 bits from the Goldfinger soundtrack on the first album [and] just redid them in guitar." This wasn't mere musical borrowing – it was a love letter to the cinematic grandeur that Bond themes represented.

When Paul McCartney's 'Live and Let Die' broke new ground as the first rock-influenced Bond theme in 1973, it opened a door that Alice Cooper was eager to walk through. During sessions for what would become their final album as the original lineup, Muscle of Love, the band decided to try their hand at crafting the perfect spy anthem for the upcoming ninth Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun.

Man with the Golden Gun

During the Muscle sessions, Alice Cooper recorded "The Man With the Golden Gun" as a possible theme for the ninth entry in the James Bond series, and Roger Moore's second outing as MI6 Agent 007. What they created was nothing short of remarkable – a track that captured the essence of Bond whilst maintaining their signature hard rock edge.

The song was a masterclass in understanding the Bond formula. A grimy guitar riff suggests the blaring brassy horns of '60s James Bond themes like 'Goldfinger' and 'Thunderball', as Cooper's gritty vocal slips the film's title into the lyrics right off the bat. They had studied every John Barry album, dissecting what made those themes so effective, and translated that into their own musical language.

But here's where the story takes a heartbreaking turn. According to Cooper himself, "It was supposed to be the Bond theme, but it actually came in a day too late, and by the time they heard it, they'd already signed for Lulu's song." In the cutthroat world of film production, timing is everything, and Alice Cooper's timing was just slightly off.

Lulu breaks down her biggest songs | Gold's Hall of Fame

The frustration in Cooper's voice is palpable when he recounts the tale: "I went, you're gonna take Lulu over this? Cause it was perfect for The Man With The Golden Gun. It had helicopters, it had machine guns, it had the Pointer Sisters, Ronnie Spector & Liza Minelli doing background vocals!" Indeed, the track was a sonic spectacular that seemed tailor-made for the opening credits of a Bond film.

What makes this rejection even more poignant is the validation Cooper received from an unexpected source – the film's villain himself. Even Christopher Lee, who played Scaramanga in the movie, said, "Oh, man, why did we take the Lulu song? This song is the one!" When Dracula himself is endorsing your Bond theme, you know you've got something special.

The song that did make it to the film, Lulu's version of 'The Man with the Golden Gun', has become something of a cautionary tale in Bond history. Barry considered the theme tune – the only Bond film title track not to chart as a single on either the UK Singles Chart or U.S. Billboard Hot 100 – and score to be among the weakest of his contributions to the series: "It's the one I hate most... it just never happened for me." Even Lulu herself has expressed regret about the song, "I think mine was probably the worst one ever," Lulu told British journalist Dylan Jones in 2017.

Lulu - The Man With The Golden Gun (LULU, 4th Jan 1975)

In contrast, Cooper's version is a powerhouse that showcases everything a Bond theme should be. A bridge with bubbling bass suggests Norman's James Bond theme without copying it, as chiming guitars and spooky theremin-style keyboards segue into a swaggering reprise of the chorus. Then a double-time outro gallops on agitated ascending horns and whirligig brass like a cyclone. It's a track that understands the assignment completely.

Cooper wasn't about to let his masterpiece gather dust. "I said, 'I don't care, I'm going to do a James Bond track no matter what'", and he included it on Muscle of Love, ensuring that fans could hear what might have been. The track stands as a testament to what happens when genuine film score appreciation meets rock and roll craftsmanship.

This near-miss represents one of the most significant "what ifs" in Bond theme history. While other rejected themes like Radiohead's 'Spectre' offering or Johnny Cash's 'Thunderball' attempt have their merits, Other unused entries, like the Pet Shop Boys' 1987 theme for The Living Daylights and Blondie's 1981 tune for For Your Eyes Only, are credible and catchy songs, but they don't capture the James Bond spirit with the same affection and verve as the killer combination of Alice Cooper, the man, and Alice Cooper, the band.

The irony is delicious – a band known for theatrical horror and shock rock almost provided the soundtrack to one of cinema's most sophisticated franchises. Yet when you listen to their version of 'The Man with the Golden Gun', it makes perfect sense. Cooper understood that Bond themes needed to be both sophisticated and dangerous, elegant yet menacing – qualities that his band had in spades.