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We Have All the Time in the World

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"We Have All the Time in the World" is a James Bond theme song performed by Louis Armstrong. Its music was composed by John Barry and the lyrics by Hal David.[2] It is a secondary musical theme in the 1969 Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The title is Bond's final words in the film, spoken after the death of his wife, Tracy Bond.

"We Have All the Time in the World"
1994 single re-release
Single by Louis Armstrong
from the album On Her Majesty's Secret Service
B-side"Pretty Little Missy"
Released1969, 1994 (re-released)
GenreJazz[1]
Length3:15
LabelWarner Bros.
ComposerJohn Barry
LyricistHal David
ProducerPhil Ramone
Louis Armstrong singles chronology
"The Kinda Love Song"
(1969)		 "We Have All the Time in the World"
(1969)		 "Give Peace a Chance"
(1970)
James Bond theme singles chronology
"You Only Live Twice"
(1967)		 "We Have All The Time In The World"
(1969)		 "Diamonds Are Forever"
(1971)
Audio sample

Recording

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Barry chose the jazz trumpeter and vocalist Louis Armstrong, then aged 68 and in poor health, to perform the song because he felt he could "deliver the title line with irony".[3]

The recording took place in October 1969. Armstrong had not recorded since July 1968.[4] He is rumoured to have recorded his vocal in a single take.[5] There are rumours that Armstrong was too ill to play trumpet,[6] but later that day he played a trumpet solo on Pretty Little Missy.[7] At least one photo taken at the time of the session remains.[8]

Armstrong photographer Jack Bradley[9] later wrote "After over a year’s lay-off, Louis made his first professional engagement on October 23. The occasion was a record date to do the theme song of a new James Bond movie. Accompanying Louis was a large string section including five basses (among them Milt Hinton, Jack Lesberg and Ron Carter). Derek Smith was on piano and John Barry was the arranger and musical director. The title tune was All The Time In The World, a love ballad which will appear on the movie soundtrack. Pops also made a second side, a slow version of his and Billy Kyle’s Pretty Little Missy (arranged by Torrie Zito) on which he not only sang but blew his horn gloriously! It was thrilling to see his chops in such great shape. These two titles will be issued on an United States single.”[10]

Armstrong died of a heart attack less than 2 years later. This was reputed to have been his last studio recording.[11]

Use in film

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In On Her Majesty's Secret Service the song is used during the Bond–Tracy courtship montage, bridging Draco's birthday party in Portugal and Bond's burglary of the Gebrüder Gumbold law office in Bern, Switzerland, and at the end of the film. For the title sequence at the start of the film, an instrumental composition is used.[12]

The song was reused in the 2021 Bond film No Time to Die for the closing credits.[13]

Release

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"We Have All the Time in the World" was released as a single in the US and the UK (under the title "All the Time in the World" in the UK[14]) to coincide with the release of On Her Majesty's Secret Service in December 1969, but did not chart in either market.

In 1994, "We Have All the Time in the World" was rereleased in the UK after it was used in a Guinness commercial (Chain), after My Bloody Valentine covered it for charity for the 1993 compilation Peace Together. Armstrong's version was released on vinyl and CD and reached No. 3 on the UK singles chart and No. 4 on the Irish Singles Chart.[15] In 2005, a BBC survey found it to be the third most popular love song played at weddings.[16]

Charts

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Chart (1994) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA) 4
UK Singles (OCC) 3
UK Airplay (Music Week)[17] 11

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Every James Bond Theme Song Ranked". Slant Magazine. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2024. That said, the jazzy ballad (with music by John Barry and lyrics by Burt Bacharach collaborator Hal David) is perfectly lovely...
  2. ↑ Smith, Jim (2002). Bond Films. London: Virgin Books. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-7535-0709-4.
  3. ↑ John Barry. "On Her Majesty's Secret Service audio commentary". On Her Majesty's Secret Service Ultimate Edition. MGM Home Entertainment.
  4. ↑ https://virtualexhibits.louisarmstronghouse.org/2024/04/15/the-greatest-photo-taker-remembering-jack-bradley-part-48-james-bond-session-and-letters-from-louis-1969-1970/
  5. ↑ "The Top 10 James Bond Theme Songs". Rolling Stone. 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  6. ↑ On Her Majesty's Secret Service liner notes, On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Ultimate Edition (©2006 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc.).
  7. ↑ https://virtualexhibits.louisarmstronghouse.org/2024/04/15/the-greatest-photo-taker-remembering-jack-bradley-part-48-james-bond-session-and-letters-from-louis-1969-1970/
  8. ↑ https://collections.louisarmstronghouse.org/asset-detail/1044245
  9. ↑ https://www.jazztimes.com/features/tributes-and-obituaries/remembering-jack-bradley-1934-2021/?v=7885444af42e
  10. ↑ https://virtualexhibits.louisarmstronghouse.org/2024/04/15/the-greatest-photo-taker-remembering-jack-bradley-part-48-james-bond-session-and-letters-from-louis-1969-1970/
  11. ↑ https://www.smoothradio.com/features/the-story-of/we-have-all-the-time-in-the-world-song-lyrics/
  12. ↑ Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcus (2001). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: the Unofficial James Bond Film Companion. Batsford Books. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-7134-8182-2.
  13. ↑ "'We Have All the Time in the World' is Crucial to Truly Understanding 'No Time to Die'". Esquire. 8 October 2021. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021.
  14. ↑ 45cat.com
  15. ↑ "Louis Armstrong, Top 75 Releases". Official UK Charts Archive. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  16. ↑ "Adams hit tops wedding dance poll". BBC News. 7 April 2005. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  17. ↑ "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 14 January 1995. p. 17. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
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