It seemed appropriate this weekend to play “Goldfinger,” one of the all-time great James Bond theme songs; a martini glass raised, a come hither glance returned, in honor of the original 007, Sean Connery, who died on October 31 at the age of 90.
Though I’ve got several songbooks that include the music for “Goldfinger” — including the handy “James Bond: The Ultimate Music Collection” — I feel glad to have an original U.S. edition of the sheet music. This was another library sale find, and as is often the case, there’s something about an object from its original era; this isn’t simply notation for the Bond song delivered so dramatically by Shirley Bassey; it’s also a souvenir from the days when Sean Connery was still making Bond films.
“Goldfinger” is an iconic movie theme — the American Film Institute ranked the tune at #53 in their list of Top 100 Movie Songs, so there are plenty of ways to get ahold of an arrangement, including in the AFI’s songbook “American Film Institute’s 100 Years, 100 Songs.” And that sort of collection could keep you busy at your piano for hours.
Where to find it:
“Goldfinger”
Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, music by John Barry
VINTAGE SHEET MUSIC: on eBay, on Amazon, on AbeBooks
Publisher: Unart Music Corporation (1964)
Status (2020): Out of Print
DIGITAL SHEET MUSIC: “Goldfinger” sheet music available for purchase as a digital download on MusicNotes.com.
SONGBOOKS: sheet music for the song “Goldfinger” included in the songbooks “James Bond: The Ultimate Music Collection” (2015) and “American Film Institute’s 100 Years, 100 Songs” (2005)
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Status (2020): In Print
FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION: original British edition of sheet music for “Goldfinger” at the website, John Barry: The Man with the Midas Touch.
So Many Songbooks 