Chris Martin’s unreleased James Bond demo heads to auction

An unreleased demo recorded by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin during his early attempts to write a James Bond theme song is set to go under the hammer, offering fans a rare glimpse into one of the band’s long-running ambitions. The recording, believed to be around 27 years old, has never been officially released or publicly heard.
According to auction details published by Wax Poetics, the cassette features Martin performing an acoustic version of The World Is Not Enough, a song reportedly written with the hope of becoming the theme for the 1999 James Bond film of the same name starring Pierce Brosnan. However, the demo was never submitted to the filmmakers and remained in private archives for more than two decades.
The recording is being described as an unreleased, unheard cassette, making it a significant collector’s item for both Coldplay fans and James Bond memorabilia enthusiasts. As of publication, bidding for the rare demo had reached $1,000, with expectations that interest could increase before the auction closes.
Martin has previously spoken about Coldplay’s repeated attempts to secure a Bond theme song. During an interview with NME in 2021, the singer revealed that the band had spent years trying to write music suitable for the iconic film franchise.
“We kept trying to write one for 20 years, but never submitted them,” Martin said.
Reflecting on those efforts, he added with characteristic humour, “We have Bond themes for about five movies, but they’re not very good, to be honest.”
Martin also joked that Coldplay’s musical style may never have been the right fit for the world-famous spy. Speaking about James Bond’s personality, he said, “I don’t know if we’re spiritually on the same trip as James… He’d be like, ‘That’s not what I’m into at all, fellas. I like guns and sh*t.'”
The Bond demo forms part of a much larger collection of early Coldplay recordings assembled by British producer Chris Allison, who worked with the band during their formative years on the The Blue Room EP before they achieved global fame.
The archive includes several rare recordings, such as original DAT mixes, alternate versions of early tracks and a previously unheard version of We Never Change, providing a fascinating look at Coldplay’s musical development before the release of their debut album.
Collectors believe the auction could attract strong interest because it combines two globally recognised names—Coldplay and the James Bond franchise. Unreleased recordings connected to either have historically generated considerable attention among music enthusiasts.
Although Coldplay never recorded an official Bond theme, Martin’s comments over the years have shown that contributing to the franchise remained a long-standing dream for the band. The newly surfaced cassette offers fans a chance to hear one of those early attempts and provides a unique piece of Coldplay history that has remained hidden for nearly three decades.