The theme started playing in 1962, with Sean Connery’s debut as Agent 007, and incidentally set the tone for how spy movies should sound.
Monty Normanthe British composer who wrote the iconic theme song of the James Bond film sagadied at the age of 94.
“It is with sadness that we share the news that Monty Norman passed away on July 11, 2022 after a brief illness,” reads a statement posted on his official website Monday.
Norman, whose real name was Monty Noserovitchwas born to Jewish parents in London’s East End in 1928 and got his first guitar at the age of 16.
Just as the matter gave him great prestige, Monty Norman had to resort to a legal battle over his paternity against his colleague John Barry. AP photo
He played with big bands and in a variety act along with comedian Benny Hill before writing songs for early British rockers Cliff Richard and Tommy Steeleas well as composing for theatrical musicals such as Make me an offer, Bongo Express, song book Y Poppy.
How Bond Music Was Born
Alberto the producer Cube Broccoli hired him to compose a theme for the first James Bond film, titled dr (The satanic Dr. Noin Argentina)since 1962, with Sean Connery in the role of the gallant spy.
Bond … James Bond over the years: there are already 25 films with the famous spy.
Norman was based on a piece he had written for a musical adaptation A home for Mr. Biswas, the acclaimed novel by writer VS Naipaul. The piece in question was Good sign, bad signsubject to which Norman swapped a sitar riff in key with an electric guitar riff.
The result is that vibrant, propulsive and menacing musical sequence that has marked the franchise and that It was used in all 25 films of the British secret agent created by Ian Fleming.
A little bit of confusion
The producers hired singer-songwriter John Barry to rearrange the song. Here because, much to Norman’s annoyance, many assumed it was Barry who wrote it.
It is worth mentioning that Barry, who died in 2011, has composed scores for nearly a dozen Bond films, including Golden finger (007 and 007: You only live twice.
In 1973, Roger Moore, who had just shot the “El Santo” series, replaced Connery as a secret agent.
Norman went to court to claim his paternity, suing the newspaper Sunday times for defamation for a 1997 article who claimed that his original composition was performed by Barry. In 2001, she won the case and received compensation for £ 30,000 (to date just over $ 35.5,000).
Composer for film, TV and theater
His career as a film composer included music for horror films The two faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960). He also composed the song The day the Earth caught fire (1961) and various themes from British television series, including Quick before they catch us (1966) and ITV Sunday Night Theater (1971).
On the small screen he composed the complete soundtrack for the 13-episode miniseries Dickens of Londonfirst presented in 1976.
He also left his mark in the theater. His songs have been heard in London musicals Make me an offer Y Bongo Expressboth from 1958.
His last pieces for musical works were song book (1979), which won an Olivier Award, an Evening Standard Award and an Ivor Novello Award for Best New Musical; Poppy (1982), another winner of the Olivier Award for Best Musical; and a 1988 version of the story of Pinocchio.
Gold medal
In 1989, Norman was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit for services to British music from the British Academy of Composers and Authors (BASCA).
The last 007 was in charge of Daniel Craig in “No time to die”. After 25 films, Norman’s theme is still playing. AFP photo
In recent years he has been seen on British TV shows telling the story of how he wrote the music for James Bond and how proud he was to have contributed to 007’s musical identity, along with Barry and other great colleagues who helped create the franchise. how George Martin, Marvin Hamlisch, Bill Conti, Michael Kamen, David Arnold and Hans Zimmer.
CJL
Source: Clarin
