It is 1977. Disco is everywhere. 007 needs a win. After a few years of Roger Moore finding his footing, the James Bond franchise was looking for something that wasn't just another action flick. They needed a vibe. That vibe ended up being a piano-driven power ballad that basically redefined what a movie theme could be.
When you think of The Spy Who Loved Me, your brain probably goes straight to that white Lotus Esprit turning into a submarine. Or maybe Jaws and his metal teeth. But honestly? The heart of that movie is Carly Simon.
"Nobody Does It Better" isn't just a song; it’s a mood. It was the first Bond theme since Dr. No to have a title different from the movie itself. Usually, the producers forced the title into the lyrics like a square peg in a round hole. Think Thunderball or Goldfinger. Here, they let the music breathe. They let it be a love song. And it worked.
The Secret Sauce of Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager
You’ve got to wonder how this even happened. Most Bond music until then was the domain of John Barry. He was the architect of that brassy, spy-jazz sound. But Barry had tax issues in the UK and couldn't work on the film. Enter Marvin Hamlisch.
Hamlisch was fresh off a massive winning streak with The Way We Were and The Sting. He wasn't a "spy guy." He was a melody guy. He teamed up with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager, and the legend goes that they weren't even working on Bond initially.
When Hamlisch told Sager he had the 007 gig, she apparently just blurted out, "Nobody does it better." It was perfect. It was a boast. It was a romantic sigh. It was everything James Bond represents to the women in his life—and to the audience.
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Why Carly Simon Was the Only Choice
Carly Simon was in a bit of a weird spot in 1977. She was a massive star, sure, but she wasn't exactly "action movie" material. She was the queen of the introspective, confessional singer-songwriter movement.
Producer Richard Perry heard the demo and immediately thought of her. Why? Because the lyrics felt "incredibly vain." It was a cheeky nod to her 1972 hit "You're So Vain."
If you listen to her voice on the track, it’s not just singing. It’s a performance. She captures that mix of "I’m totally in love with this guy" and "I know he’s probably going to leave me in the morning." It’s sultry. It’s sophisticated.
Thom Yorke from Radiohead once called it the "sexiest song ever written." He’s not wrong. There’s a specific kind of 70s swagger in those opening piano chords that feels like velvet.
Breaking the Bond Theme Mold
Most Bond songs are about the villain or the mission. This one is about the man. It’s a "lust-drunk anthem," as some critics have called it.
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The song actually manages to sneak the film's title, The Spy Who Loved Me, into the lyrics near the end. It doesn't feel forced. It feels like a secret being shared.
- Chart Success: It stayed at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks.
- The Spoiler: It was only kept out of the No. 1 spot by Debby Boone’s "You Light Up My Life." (Which, let's be real, hasn't aged nearly as well).
- The Awards: It snagged Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.
Hamlisch’s score for the rest of the movie is very of-its-time. He used a disco-heavy sound, including a track called "Bond 77" that was heavily influenced by the Bee Gees. It’s fun, but "Nobody Does It Better" is the part that actually stayed timeless.
The Legacy of a Masterpiece
In 2021, USA Today ranked it the greatest James Bond theme of all time. Not Goldfinger. Not Live and Let Die. This one.
There is something about the way the song builds. It starts with that intimate piano—Hamlisch said it was inspired by a Mozart riff—and then swells into this massive orchestral climax. By the time the drums kick in, you’re fully on board.
It changed the game for future Bond themes. It proved that a Bond song could be a standalone radio hit that didn't need the movie to make sense. Artists from Celine Dion to Radiohead have covered it.
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What You Should Do Next
If you haven't listened to the track in a while, go find the original studio version. Put on some decent headphones. Don't just watch the movie intro; listen to the full 3-minute and 29-second single.
Pay attention to the bridge. The way Carly Simon hits the line "And baby, you're the best" is a masterclass in phrasing.
Your Action Plan:
- Listen to the 1977 Soundtrack version: Compare it to the disco-infused "Bond 77" track on the same album to see how Hamlisch balanced the ballad with the era's trends.
- Watch the Opening Credits: Notice how the Maurice Binder visuals (those iconic silhouettes) sync perfectly with the tempo shifts in Simon's vocals.
- Check out the Radiohead cover: It’s a completely different, much darker take that proves how strong the underlying composition really is.
The song is a reminder that even in a franchise built on gadgets and explosions, a little bit of human vulnerability goes a long way. Nobody did it better than Carly.