Monty Norman has died, aged 94. And in case you're thinking, "Who?" or "That name rings a bell but I can't quite put my finger on where from," let me just say that, in a long and distinguished, if unheralded, songwriting career Monty gave us one of the most instantly recognisable pieces of music in the world.
Ever.
Sure, John Barry gets kudos for his arrangement, and his orchestra's original rendition, but Monty wrote this...
Cheeky bonus - David Arnold's retooling of the theme, for Casino Royale.
RIP.
My thoughts on seeing his name come up yesterday were exactly the same as the ones you describe here. It's a real shame that he didn't get the same degree of recognition as John Barry for this - as you also say, how instantly recognisable it is.
ReplyDeleteApparently he took a newspaper to court (and won) when they suggested he didn't write the iconic guitar line.
DeleteThe way John Barry tells it he did write it. And without Vic Flick on guitar it would have ben barely recognisable as the tune we know today.
ReplyDeleteI guess the true story will remain, appropriately enough, a mystery.
DeleteBeen. D'oh!
ReplyDeleteSad news - I meant to write about him but think the moment has now passed.
ReplyDeleteOne of my first albums was one of Bond themes (and there hadn't been many films at that point). Track one was of course the Dr No theme and it was credited to Monty Norman so his was a name I never forgot. He's certainly left something behind that few of us, globally, won't have listened to at some point. Quite a legacy.
Exactly that, a legacy and a global impact few manage.
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