Monty Norman, the Jewish composer and lyricist best known for the world-famous James Bond theme tune, has died at the age of 94, his family has said.
Born Monty Noserovitch in London's East End, Norman received his first guitar from his mother at the age of 16, and he went on to compose for West End productions like Expresso Bongo and Irma La Douce, before then expanding into film.
He wrote the Bond theme tune, written originally for Dr. No in 1962, which is now universally recognised as encapsulating the essence of the James Bond character.
Speaking to the Mail in 2019, Norman explained how he came to pen one of the world’s best-known riffs, saying that he had never read the novels by Ian Fleming, but met American producer Cubby Broccoli and his business partner Harry Saltzman in the late 1950s who relayed their plans to turn the books into a film.
Norman was initially hesitant, but a free trip to Jamaica was on offer: “Harry said to me, ‘We are doing Dr No in Jamaica. Why don’t you come with us, get a feel for the music and the place and bring the wife? All expenses paid.’ Wahey, I thought.’
Despite having some misgivings about the project, Norman began writing. The breakthrough came when he recalled the melody of a track that he had composed for a show a few years earlier that was not being used: “It was good but too ethnic, with this Indian feel. But I got the idea of splitting the notes and putting them to a guitar. From that moment I was sure I had the right James Bond sound: absolutely positive.”
Norman knew then that he had struck gold, later recalling: “His sexiness, his mystery, his ruthlessness - it's all there in a few notes.”
John Barry arranged the theme tune, and in 2001, he took the Sunday Times to court over an article that said that he was not the composer of the famous riff.
Norman won the case and was awarded £30,000 damages and costs of around £500,000. He and Barry never made amends, and asked later if he had any regrets about that, he said: “None whatsoever. I did not like him.”
He added: “I’m very proud and delighted that I am the man who wrote the James Bond theme.”
Norman had many pursuits during his career, writing the music for movies like The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960), The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961), and Call Me Bwana (1963).
He also sang with big bands during his career, and appears in variety shows alongside Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Tommy Cooper, among many more.
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