‘James Bond’ Box Set a Paean to 007

Are you a James Bond music fan?

That’s the unlikely question posed by a new two-CD box set from EMI Records.

Titled “The Best of James Bond 30th Anniversary Limited Edition,” the box contains everything from two versions of the “James Bond Theme” to nine tracks previously unreleased in the United States. The latter include co-composer Anthony Newley’s version of “Goldfinger” and alternate versions of “Mr. Kiss-Kiss Bang-Bang” by Dionne Warwick and Shirley Bassey.

The booklet that accompanies the box set explains that “Mr. Kiss-Kiss Bang-Bang” was the nickname given to James Bond, the dashing British secret service agent, by Japanese film fans.

Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, who produced the Bond films, liked it and planned to use it as the title of the film that became “Thunderball.” When the name was changed, the Warwick-Bassey recordings were put on the shelf.

The heart of the box set involves the various hit singles that grew out of the films.

Here are the four Bond-related singles that reached the highest positions on the U.S. sales charts:

* Duran Duran’s “A View to a Kill,” which was written by the British rock group and John Barry, who wrote the score for most of the Bond films. The single reached No. 1 in 1985.

* Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Live and Let Die,” written by Paul and Linda McCartney. The song--which reached No. 2 in 1973--was revived last year by Guns N’ Roses on the group’s “Use Your Illusion I” album and remains a staple of the band’s live shows.

* Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better,” written by Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager, and featured in “The Spy Who Loved Me.” The single reached No. 2 in 1977.

* Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger,” written by Leslie Bricusse, Newley and Barry. The single made it to No. 8 in 1965.

Among the other Bond-related singles: Tom Jones’ “Thunderball,” Nancy Sinatra’s “You Only Live Twice” and Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds Are Forever.”

On the Way: ICE, the monthly CD newsletter, reports that Motown is releasing a four-CD box set next month that will include more than 100 of the label’s classic singles. While most of the records have appeared on CD before, most will be offered for the first time in their original mono form. It’ll be called “Hitsville U.S.A.: The Motown Collection 1959-1971.”. . . PolyGram, meanwhile, this month will release Elton John’s “Rare Masters,” a two-disc collection of singles that have not appeared on album, the entire “Friends” soundtrack album and some previously unreleased tracks.