7 replies to this topic

[marktmurphy]

I only ask because Monty Norman was on Film 2002 last week celebrating the 40th anniversary of the theme, and when Jonathan Ross asked him the inspiration behind it, Norman replied by talking about what he referred to as his 'section of the theme'. He then talked about how the guitar bit was a tune hae came up with for a musical and sang that song about a terrible sneeze to the tune.
This made me remember what a friend and I had decided about the theme, i.e Norman wrote the melody to the twangy guitar bit (the bit used for spying scenes), whilst everything else is John Barry. We thought this because the brassy bit (the part usually used for action) is very jazzy; much more Barry's style (and its much better than anything by Norman). Also, listening to Dr No, only the 'guitar bit' is used in the soundtrack (excluding appearances of the John Barry Seven version), played by a trumpet. No 'brassy bit' or even the Bond rhythm. We know Barry decided to play the melody with a twangy guitar, but do we know for certain what else he came up with? Certainly he plays the Bond theme at his concerts (the only tune he plays credited to some one else) so presumably thinks of it as his own.
Does anyone know more? What were the findings in the court case?

[Tedley King]

All I knew about it was that Monty Norman did it but that Barry tried to credit it to himself, I believe there was even a legal battle if not more, about it, where Norman won.

[marktmurphy]

I know he won; but I was wondering what came to light during the procedings- how much Barry altered/wrote of it?

[Robert Sterling]

Monty Norman came back with hours and hours of steel drum stuff from Jamaica in preparation for Dr.No. His theme was 'inspired' by a street musician, heard playing in Jamaica. He offered his score for Dr.No to the producers, to a limp reception. He had originally wanted 'Under the Mango Tree' to be the main theme to the film, and then 'Dr.No's fantasy.' Director Terence Young and Editor Peter Hunt were appalled at Norman's music, feeling that untouched, it could ruin the film. No recording of Norman's theme exists, but by all accounts, his version was the very basic melody of the guitar riff, albeit at a funereal pace.

In steps John Barry. He introduced the opening four-note motif, the distinctive, dominant guitar twang (the sound of the John Barry Seven), and the arrangement - changing style halfway through the piece with a swing middle was, at the time unheard of, musically.

The answer to your question has to be, that Norman indeed technically 'wrote' the James Bond theme, though John Barry changed it, almost beyond recognition into the theme, which, today hasn't lost any of its edge.

"Norman's theme certainly didn't sound like John's. No way." - Peter Hunt

[Blofeld's Cat]

The way I look at is that Norman invented the VW, but Barry converted it into a Porche.

Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme" Lawsuit (on The John Barry Resource website) details through a transcript by a reporter on the case as to who did what, when, where, and how.

The special note at the beginning of the article reads:

I make a point of carefully differentiating between two songs, "The James Bond Theme" and the "James Bond Theme" (note the inclusion of The between the parentheses in the former). This follows the convention of the two different songs from the soundtrack to Dr. No. The former was written by Monty Norman and is not in dispute. The latter (the famous one) is the one that Barry worked on. Barry's exact role in the creation of the song has been controversial.

This was the crux of the whole lawsuit. It's certainly well worth reading the whole article.

In places where a specific part of "The Song" and related compositions concerned were addressed in the case requires listening to to understand the nuances of how this song was developed, and I was thinking of doing my own article that would include these particular soundbite as a listening reference, but not being musically minded and unsure how to add these bites I've put it by the wayside.

Maybe someone like Rich Douglas could tackle such an assignment. It would be very interesting if we could compare these bits of music with our own ears and then we could decide for ourselves.

[marktmurphy]

So Robert, you're saying that Norman= dang-daddle-la-dang-dang and Barry= Bwa-bwa-ba-na; der-der-deeeer-der; and Ba-ba!---ba-ba!---ba-dup-da-ba-ba! Hmmm, just as I thought.....

[JimmyBond]

Its a credit to how recognizable the Bond theme is that you can type a few dang dang's and I immediately know what part youre talking about

[marktmurphy]

And to my uncanny ability to transmit my soul's desires to any other human being on the planet and beyond. Natch.