B-side "Pretty Little Missy" Genre Jazz Writer(s) Hal David, John Barry | Format 7-inch single Label United Artists | |
Released 1969, 1994 (Re-released) | ||
"We Have All the Time in the World" is a James Bond theme and popular song sung by Louis Armstrong. Its music was composed by John Barry and the lyrics by Hal David. It is a secondary musical theme in the 1969 Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the title theme being the instrumental "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," also composed by Barry. The song title is taken from Bond's final words in both the novel and the film, spoken after his wife's death. Armstrong was too ill to play his trumpet. Barry chose Armstrong because he felt he could "deliver the title line with irony."
The song was released as a single in both the US and the UK to coincide with the release of the film in December 1969, but did not chart in either market. However, the recording became a hit in the UK twenty-five years later, in 1994, as a result of a Guinness beer commercial, after My Bloody Valentine chose to cover it for charity. Armstrong's version was then re-released on vinyl and CD and reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart and #4 in Ireland. In 2005, a BBC survey found that it was the third most popular love song played at weddings.
In addition to My Bloody Valentine, "We Have All the Time in the World" has been covered by Iggy Pop, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Vic Damone, Michael Ball, Giorgia Todrani, The Puppini Sisters, Tindersticks, The Pale Fountains, Shirley Bassey (for a later withdrawn album of Bond themes), Thomas White, and Alfie Boe. Iggy Pop's version plays during the end credits of the film The Jacket.
John Barry cited "We Have All The Time In The World" as one of his favourite Bond compositions, saying it was the finest piece of music he had written for a Bond movie, and also because of the pleasure of working with Louis Armstrong.