Chris Martin Coldplay demo for 1999 Bond film auctioned

A previously unreleased demo recording of a song intended for the 1999 James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough," performed by Coldplay's Chris Martin, is being auctioned this week. The acoustic track, recorded 27 years ago, represents one of the band's early and unsuccessful attempts to write a theme for the franchise.

The song is part of a larger archive of early Coldplay recordings from British producer Chris Allison, who worked with the band prior to their breakthrough. The collection is being sold through the auction site WaxPoetics.com, with bidding open until July 19. The specific "James Bond" demo is featured on an original Parlophone reference cassette tape described as containing a stripped-back acoustic guitar and vocal performance by Martin. It is being sold as a single recording.

According to auction details and past statements from the band, it is not known if this demo was ever formally submitted for consideration for the film. The final theme song for "The World Is Not Enough" was recorded by the band Garbage. Chris Martin has previously acknowledged Coldplay's repeated attempts to craft a Bond theme. In a 2021 interview, he stated the band had "kept trying to...