The soundtrack was still being recorded when it came time for the album to be released, so the LP only featured twelve tracks from earlier in the film; an expanded edition with six bonus tracks was released for the first time when the album was reissued on Compact Disc on 25 February 2003 as part of the "James Bond Remastered" collection.

Barry felt he could not write a song using the term "Thunderball" so instead he wrote a description of James Bond.

It featured a longer instrumental opening, such that the lyrics would not start before the word "Thunderball" appeared in Maurice Binder's title design.

[7] Barry teamed up with lyricist Don Black and wrote "Thunderball" in a rush.

"[9] Country musician Johnny Cash also submitted a song to Eon productions titled "Thunderball" but it was not used.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" was dropped as the theme song, some of the pieces which included its melody remained part of the score, and it receives full statements twice: by full orchestra and jazz rhythm quartet with bass, drums, guitar, and vibraphone in the track "Café Martinique" (immediately followed by the "Vulcan" cue), and as a wild, bongo-laden cha-cha-cha in "Death of Fiona."