6 replies to this topic

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Might sound like a stupid question, but I'm a little confused.

My first issue of The Best of Bond CD says that the "Monty Norman Orchestra" performed it, however the latest re-issue claims that "John Barry & Orchestra" did.

Can anyone help me with a definitive answer?

Thanks.

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[sausagebrigade]

I always assumed it was John Barry, with Monty Norman scoring the rest of the movie. I'm not certain though.

[AlphaSigOU]

Monty Norman composed the music. John Barry orchestrated it into the familiar tune we hear today. (At the risk of sounding blasphemous, and paraphrasing a well known evangelical profession of faith... "Norman wrote it, Barry orchestrated it, I believe it, that settles it!" )

For Dr. No, the 'Monty Norman Orchestra' is credited for the music in the film. John Barry later released a single of the James Bond Theme under the 'John Barry Orchestra' musical credit (still giving composing credit to Norman).

[Johnson Galore]

Yes, John Barry did re-record it later and this appears on the 30th anniversary collection. However, it was John Barry and his gang that recorded the Dr. No track as well. It is occasionally credited to the Monty Norman Orchestra. I assume this just has to do with the way it was listed in the film or else as part of the original agreement over Barry's orchestration/composition of the piece.

[Blox]

The James Bond Theme was performed by the John Barry Seven, and the sessions supervised in the studio by Vic Flick at John Barry's request. When Dr. No was released, Norman was credited as composer of the score, but the James Bond Theme had its own credit in the titles: the John Barry Seven, etc. (Other instrumental cues were credited in the titles as orchestrated by Eric Rogers and conducted by Burt Rhodes.) So the 30th anniv. CD credit to Monty Norman is apparently incorrect.

[Doubleshot]

Adding to what Blox said, Barry has recalled in various interviews that he got a phone call on a Friday to come to a meeting with the producers and Monty Norman. Barry was given the assignment without even seeing the film; wrote and recorded the theme with the John Barry Seven and handed in the finished "James Bond Theme" the following Tuesday. Other than his obvious contribution - the "James Bond Theme" - Barry has nothing else to do with the score of Dr. No. The credit has since gone to Monty Norman soley because it was in his contract for it to.

[Blox]

So getting back to the original post in this thread, the performance credits for the James Bond Theme heard on track 1, CD 1 and CD 2 of the 30th Anniversary CD should be one and the same: John Barry Orchestra. His band performed both versions.

Norman had the credit for the score by contract in 1962. And he has the credit for composing the James Bond Theme derived from his tune Good Sign/Bad Sign. But the credit for performing that theme for Dr. No in 1962 by contract went to the John Barry Seven.

It is a shame the masters to Dr. No weren't recovered for this round of remixing/remastering . There's a second take of the James Bond Theme that Barry's Seven performed for Dr. No. It is different from the 1:45 version heard under the main titles. It can be heard as Bond saunters through Kingston airport, calls on Miss Taro, and under the Gunbarrel in the End Titles. This version was also used by Maurice Binder at the close of the Thunderball trailer (UK version I think).