A View to a Kill (3:35)

“A View to a Kill” is the thirteenth single by rock band Duran Duran, released in May 1985.

It was a stand-alone single, created for the movie, and it remains the only James Bond theme song to have reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100; it also made it to #2 for 3 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, held off the top spot by “19” by Paul Hardcastle. In 1986, John Barry and Duran Duran were nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for “A View to a Kill”.

The song was the last track that the original five members of Duran Duran recorded together until their reunion sixteen years later, in 2001. It was played at their final 1985 performance together, at Live Aid in Philadelphia.

The song was written by Duran Duran and John Barry, and recorded at Maison Rouge Studio and CTS Studio in London with a 60-piece orchestra.

Duran Duran was chosen to do the song after bassist John Taylor (a lifelong Bond fan) approached producer Cubby Broccoli at a party, and somewhat drunkenly asked “When are you going to get someone decent to do one of your theme songs?” This inauspicious beginning led to some serious talks, and the band was introduced to Bond composer John Barry, and also Jonathan Elias (whom Duran Duran members would later work with many times). An early writing meeting at Taylor’s flat in Knightsbridge led to everyone getting drunk instead of composing.