20 Things You Didn’t Know About You Only Live Twice (1967)
5. “One Life For Yourself And One For Your Dreams.”
The Bond producers wanted Frank Sinatra to sing the title song to You Only Live Twice, but he wanted to play a Bond villain instead.
The Rat Pack member did, however, suggest that the filmmakers approach his daughter, Nancy who had scored a major hit with her 1965 song, These Boots Are Made for Walkin’. Unlike her father, Nancy Sinatra could not turn down the offer of a lifetime and became the first American to perform a Bond song in the films.
However, Nancy was so nervous that she and John Barry had to do 25 takes to record the theme. Even though it is melodic in the finished film, the song was actually patched together from the best parts of each of those takes - a testament to Barry’s skill as a composer.
The Bond producers continued to pursue Frank Sinatra over the years to perform a Bond theme song, but sadly it was not to be - he stood by his ambition to become a Bond villain.