Sam Smith lands title song to new Bond movie ‘Spectre’

Sam Smith has beaten out Ellie Goulding, Lana Del Ray and Radiohead to record the theme for the 24th James Bond movie Spectre.

The movie, directed by Sam Mendes and with Daniel Craig reprising the iconic role for the fourth time, is released in Australia on November 6.

The track Writing's On The Wall is available to purchase and stream on September 25 in Australia.

Smith wrote it with fellow-Grammy winner Jimmy Napes who worked with him on his chart topping Stay With Me and La La La. It is the first Bond theme song to be recorded by a British solo male artist since 1965, when Tom Jones did Thunderball. Smith collaborators Disclosure tweeted that they had "added some additional production" to the song.

Smith said: “This is one of the highlights of my career. I am honoured to finally announce that I will be singing the next Bond theme song. I am so excited to be a part of this iconic British legacy and join an incredible line up of some of my biggest musical inspirations. I hope you all enjoy the song as much as I enjoyed making it.”

Smith recorded the track back in January after he met with producer Barbara Broccoli and Mendes. They gave him the script and told him, “Have a go at the song.” Smith told BBC Radio, "It's the quickest I've ever written a song — it took 20 minutes… and they loved it!" But he was sworn to secrecy and as recent as last week was denying he was involved in the Bond movie.

He was in the running to record the theme alongside Goulding, Del Ray and Radiohead. The latter becoming a late favourite in July after an anonymous gambler placed a £15,000 (A$33,000) bet on them with bookmakers William Hill at odds of 10/1. Speculation grew this week when composer Robert Ziegler briefly posted a photo of the band in the studio with a full orchestra last weekend.

In July, Goulding hinted she had landed the gig when she posted a picture on Instagram, showing her leaving London’s Abbey Road Studios with the caption: "It's a wrap". She also tweeted the title of the 1973 Bond film Live and Let Die.

Smith joins an elite group of singers who’ve tackled Bond themes. The biggest seller is Paul McCartney and Wings’ Live And Let Die (1973) which sold 1 million in America alone after peaking at #2. It reached #5 in Australia.

The biggest digital seller is Adele’s Skyfall with 1.5 million units – almost more than the rest of the digital top ten Bond themes put together.

The highest-charting Bond album in America is Goldfinger which spent three weeks at #1 in 1964 and a total of 70 weeks in the Top 100.

Other noteworthy Bond themes have included John Barry’s James Bond Theme which emerged in 1962 on Dr. No, Shirley Bassey’s Goldfinger (1964) who also did Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Jack White & Alicia Keys’ Another Way To Die from The Quantum of Solace (2008), Chris Cornell’s You Know My Name from Casino Royale (2006), Carly Simon’s Nobody Does It Better from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Duran Duran’s A View To A Kill (1985) and Madonna’s Die Another Day (2002).