Additional music in No Time to Die

An in-depth look at the additional music used in No Time to Die.

Whether or not you are a fan of the score by Hans Zimmer and Steve Mazzaro, some of the more interesting music in No Time to Die is by other artists. The 25th James Bond movie uses a number of additional tracks, particularly in the scenes set in Jamaica and Cuba and listed in the end credits.

Despite some of the songs only heard in snatches of a couple of seconds, it’s a real shame they aren’t included on the soundtrack. So here is a Spotify playlist of the music for anyone who is interested. Irritatingly, the embedded playlist is limited to 30 seconds of each song, so head over to Spotify to listen to the playlist in its entirety.

Listen on Spotify

Below you’ll find info on each track with a timestamp to locate it in the film. Times are based on the streaming version of No Time to Die and will differ from the DVD version.

[00:55] Dans la ville endormie (Dalida)

Cigarette in hand, Madeleine’s mother lies back in a haze of wine and pills as Dalida’s Dans la ville endormie (In the sleeping town) plays on a Bang & Olafsen CD player.

Dalida was an Italian-French model, actress and singer and actress now considered a gay icon in France and the Middle East. She was born and raised in Cairo and moved to Paris in her early 20s where she became a hugely prolific and successful singer, recording more than 700 songs and becoming the biggest selling artist in France. Dans la ville endormie was recorded in 1968 for her 21st studio album, Le temps des fleurs. She sadly ended her own life in 1987 at the age of 54.

[01:12] J’t’emmène au vent (Louise Attaque)

As Madeleine lies on her bed listening to music on headphones and playing with her Tamagotchi, her mother calls from downstairs. She needs more wine. When Madeleine removes her headphones (why did headphones in the 1980s and 90s always have orange foam?) you can just get a snatch of J’t’emmène au vent by Louise Attaque.

The song, which means “I take you away in the wind”, was included on the band’s 1997 eponymous debut album produced by Gordon Gano of Violent Femmes. It became the biggest selling French rock album of all time.

[04:15] Incidental 21 (Julian Knott)

As Safin climbs the stairs searching for Madeleine a TV is showing Wallace and Gromit in The Wrong Trousers. You can just about hear some voices over Hans Zimmer’s score but can’t actually make out this track at all. Presumably it does appear in this section of The Wrong Trousers but is completely drowned out. Although a movie soundtrack was available, Incidental 21 is not included.

[09:14] La Boheme: Che gelida manina (Enrico Caruso)

After arriving in Matero, Bond and Madeleine check into their hotel and head straight for bed. In their room is a gramophone playing Puccini’s Che gelida manina from the opera La Bohème performed by Enrico Caruso.

[17:06] Quiete eterna (Nunzio Vincenzo Paolicelli)

This one took quite a lot of detective work as the track isn’t available online, but the composer turns out to be a musician from Matero who runs the Città di Matera band. It is a marching band comprised of woodwind and brass.

After Bond’s motorbike jump and while he is still in the air you can see a queue of people extending from the doors of the cathedral across the square and then turning a corner to descend the steps. Just on the corner is the band.

When the bike actually lands in the square the band is in the foreground and you get a couple of seconds of this track.

[35:16] Rastafari Way (Teacha Dee)

Heading into town after finding Felix Leiter’s cigar at his house, Bond passes Nomi waiting by the side of the road near some kind of shack.There is a man with a bike with a sound system blasting this track out. Like most of the music listed here you only get a snatch of this 2016 reggae hit – just enough to lend some local flavour.

[36:00] Bam Bam (Sister Nancy)

After intercepting Felix and Logan Ash in Port Antonio they are on foot. As Ash introduces himself you can hear Bam Bam by Sister Nancy in the background. The 1982 song is considered a reggae classic and has been widely sampled. Sister Nancy didn’t receive royalty payments for the song for years until taking legal action in 2014.

[36:29] Champion (Buju Banton)

Inside the Good ovr Evil nightclub Buju Banton’s 1994 single Champion is playing as Bond and Felix play three-coin spoof.

[37:36] Money Up (Shaggy with Noah Powa)

As Bond leaves the two CIA men to get another drink this track starts playing. It continues as Felix joins him at the bar.

[38:47] Love in the Arena (Jah Buzz)

As Bond returns to his Land Rover he is just finishing eating something. Piggy’s Jerk Centre can be seen in the background, so we can assume that’s where Bond ordered his food. The cast and crew frequented the restaurant while filming. After it burnt down Daniel Craig made a donation for the owner to rebuild the restaurant.

[44:50] Cumbia de Buenaventura (La Sonora Matancero)

After Bond is handed his passport after arriving in Cuba this song starts playing and continues as he walks along the street with Bar El Nido.

[44:55 ] Golpe de Arpa (Andrés Emilio Cartaya)

As we follow Bond along the street there is a cacophony of noise as different tracks blare out from the shops. You can’t make out this track at all, but it must be in there somewhere.

[44:56 ] “Hot Sauce” “Salsa Verde” (Chris Benstead)

This track was written and performed by Chris Benstead, Supervising Music Editor on the film. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be available except in the film, but may only consist of just a few seconds of music.

[45:00 ] Ritmo de mi Cuba (Pio Leiva)

As we first meet Paloma waiting for Bond in the bar we hear this song playing.It continues in the background until the pair descend the steps.to the wine cellar.

[46:41 ] La Mulata Rumbera (Cuban Jazz Legends)

After Bond and Paloma walk into Bar El Nido for the SPECTRE party Bond suggests they get a drink as this song starts playing. It continues as they drink their vodka martinis.

[48:51 ] ¿Dónde Estabas Tú? (Oi Brasil)

You first hear this song in the distance a few seconds before, but as the chorus starts when Bond and Paloma enter SPECTRE’s party you start to hear it more clearly. The song was composed by Cuban musician Ernesto Duarte Brito in 1950 and literally means “where were you?”

There have been numerous recordings of ¿Dónde Estabas Tú? over the years but for No Time to Die a London based company band specialising in Brazilian and Cuban music was tasked with providing dancers and choreography for the scene and put together a band to perform the version of the song that appears in the film. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear to be available except in this short video:

The track was recorded at the world famous Abbey Studios in London. Interestingly recording appears to have been supervised (and presumably chosen) by Dan Romer, who was hired to compose the score but left the production in late 2019.

The slightly faster version on the Spotify playlist is by the legendary Tito Puente. Thanks to Esther for letting me know about Oi Brasil  in the comments below

[1:09:44 ] Incacho (Royal Anthem) (Yma Sumac)

As Q prepares dinner for his guest he is playing this song, which continues when Moneypenny and Bond arrive to spoil his evening until he starts to examine the USB drive Bond hands him. It’s probably fair to describe this music as an acquired taste.

[2:36:56 ] We Have All the Time in the World (Louis Armstrong)

As Madeleine drives Mathilde along the winding roads of the Italian coast this Bond classic starts playing. It fades out to the titles as Louis Armstrong starts singing.

Other than noted above, the versions may differ from the ones used in the film. I’ll correct those that I can identify providing the movie version is available on Spotify.

And if you want to buy the score for No Time to Die it’s available from Amazon in a number of formats:

Amazon UK | Amazon.com

An earlier version of this article was published on 11th November 2021.