A classic John Barry score is set to spin again in a strictly limited pressing.
More than fifty years after Roger Moore first faced Christopher Lee’s deadly marksman, The Man With the Golden Gun is being revisited in a new format that will catch the eye of Bond fans and record collectors alike. La-La Land Records has announced a remastered and expanded 2LP vinyl edition of John Barry’s original score, limited to just 700 units and scheduled to ship in June 2026.
First released alongside the 1974 film, the score marked Barry’s return to the series after his absence from Live and Let Die. It was also his first collaboration with Moore’s interpretation of 007, setting the tone for a musical partnership that would continue across the decade. Barry’s work here combines familiar Bond motifs with a mixture of orchestra, rock and jazz, reflecting the shifting musical landscape of the 1970s while retaining the series’ established identity.
Produced by Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman and directed by Guy Hamilton, The Man With the Golden Gun saw Moore’s Bond pitted against Francisco Scaramanga, played with cool menace by Christopher Lee. While the film itself has often divided opinion, its music has endured, not least for Lulu’s forceful performance of the title song, with lyrics by long-time Barry collaborator Don Black.
This new release offers an expanded presentation beyond earlier vinyl editions, with audio remixed from high-resolution transfers of the original 2-inch tapes supplied by MGM. The result, according to La-La Land Records, is a significant upgrade in clarity and depth, overseen by mixer Chris Malone and mastering engineer Doug Schwartz. The score is spread across two 180-gram records in a “glittering end gold” colour variant exclusive to the label.
Additional material includes liner notes by Bond music historian Jon Burlingame and artwork by Jim Titus, whose designs have become familiar to collectors of soundtrack reissues. Producer Neil S Bulk, a regular figure in archival Bond releases, oversees the project.
With only 700 copies available, this latest edition of The Man With the Golden Gun score is likely to move quickly among Bond fans, especially those with an ear for Barry’s distinctive sound and an eye for collectible pressings.
Source: La-La Land Records
