Coldplay's lost James Bond theme on auction

A cassette containing a demo of ‘The World Is Not Enough’ recorded by Chris Martin as a potential theme song to the 1999 James Bond film of the same name is auctioned at WaxPoetics.

The tape is part of a collection of recordings from British producer, mixer and engineer Chris Allison and centers on Coldplay’s “Blue Room” sessions at London’s Orinoco Studios, recorded shortly after the band signed to Parlophone.

Presented on an original Parlophone reference cassette, the recording features a stripped-back acoustic guitar and vocal performance by Martin, capturing the song in a raw demo form before any studio production. Unlike the final Bond theme, which was ultimately recorded by Garbage, this version offers a fascinating glimpse into an alternative direction.

The tape originates directly from the Chris Allison archive and dates from a period when Coldplay were still establishing themselves professionally, shortly before the release of The Blue Room EP and their subsequent breakthrough. As such, it documents a little-known chapter in the band’s history.

To the best of current knowledge, this recording has never been commercially released or publicly circulated, making it one of the most intriguing and potentially significant items within the collection: it is not known if this demo was ever submitted to the film for consideration.

A percentage of Chris Allison's proceeds from this collection will be donated to Restore The Music charity, a social impact charity that addresses systemic inequality in music education by providing capital grants to state schools in areas of high socio-economic deprivation.

Included in this lot

Chris Martin - ‘The World Is Not Enough’ Demo Cassette

Collectibility & Provenance

• Original Parlophone reference cassette
• Unreleased Chris Martin recording of ‘The World Is Not Enough’
• Acoustic guitar and vocal demo performance
• Dates from Coldplay’s formative pre-Parachutes era
• Written for but understood never to have been submitted for the 1999 Bond film
• Believed to be previously unheard and unreleased
• Direct provenance from the Chris Allison archive
• Unique insight into an undocumented moment in Coldplay history

Bidding currently stands at $1500.

For bidding and more info, visit the WaxPoetics auction page.