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Bond Theme


GetTheLedOut

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Wasn't Page, James Page, involved with Bond's music and particularly Shirley Bassey (Goldfinger), during his session days?

The guitar intro of the main JB theme has got Jimmy written all over it! B)

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Wasn't Page, James Page, involved with Bond's music and particularly Shirley Bassey (Goldfinger), during his session days?

The guitar intro of the main JB theme has got Jimmy written all over it! B)

The James Bond theme was actually played by Vic Flick

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The James Bond theme was actually played by Vic Flick

Yes, I love what I've found out about Vic: :)

http://www.vicflick.com/

The genius of the James Bond Theme belies its elegant simplicity. Its chords and melody performed for the first time in history in CTS Studios, Bayswater, London, England in 1962. The James Bond theme has become the everlasting ode to all that is smooth, sultry, and spy; ultimately attesting that nobody has done it, does it, or will do it better than the music of 007. The world, therefore, owes a debt of gratitude to the one of the most influential guitarists of all time, the man behind Bond's twang, the incomparable Vic Flick.

Flick's illustrious career has literally spanned decades, from acoustic folk in the late 1950's to live stage performances and session recordings of the early 1960's and ultimately, to partake in the soundtrack of cinema's ultimate spy, James Bond. In Flick's career, he has had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in music history. Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra, Burt Bacharach, Henry Mancini, Shirley Bassey, Jimmy Page, John McLaughlin, and Eric Clapton are but a few of the musical giants that have shared the recording studio floor with Vic Flick.

Flick's musical career originated at the tender age of age of fourteen, when he traded his piano lessons for acoustic guitar. Flick's first major gig in the late 50's was with an acoustic band that toured with Paul Anka, named the Bob Cort Skiffle Group. On the same tour with Paul Anka of the United Kingdom was the John Barry Seven, led by Oscar winning composer, John Barry. Months later, after a call from Barry, Flick joined the Seven, becoming the lead guitarist by 1958.

Monty Norman was contracted to compose the first Bond film, Dr. No. Three weeks before the film release date; the main theme of James Bond remained uncompleted. Film producer, Cubby Broccoli, contacted Barry and commissioned him to complete a suitable final score. With the aid of Flick's excellent guitar skills, they finished the score in time, and went on to make movie history. Flick performed the legendary Bond theme on what he refers to as a "big, blonde f-hole Clifford Essex Paragon Cello-Bodied guitar, fitted with a DeAmond Volume Pedal into a Vox 15-Watt Amplifier." Thanks to the efforts of Robert Rush of The Rip Chords, the guitar has now made its home in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The sound of the 007 theme was a breakthrough in session recording due to its technique. In the early 60's, the orchestra would record only one take, on what the studios referred to as "compatible stereo." This unique recording method allowed for the sound of the guitar to "bleed" into adjacent microphones of the orchestra, adding a lustrous and ambient quality to the final recording.

Flick's guitar virtuoso is also in composition, as is prevalent in his banjo solo in the Kentucky sequence in Goldfinger; and his haunting guitar styling in the gypsy encampment scene featured in the film From Russia with Love. Flick's complete 007 filmography: Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever, and License to Kill.

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I completely agree with the article above called the original 007 music unbeatable. I'm baffled at all these remakes of films, remakes of soundtracks, all trying to "modernize" old classics.

None of the James Bond movies after Sean Connery can match the originals. Even as good as Roger Moore was, he is second fiddle to Connery. Analog gadgets are so much cooler than digital ones too.

I don't know what happened over time with movies and TV shows, but they pale in comparison to the oldies. Even the Bond women were so much more voluptuous and "real" back then.

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I completely agree with the article above called the original 007 music unbeatable. I'm baffled at all these remakes of films, remakes of soundtracks, all trying to "modernize" old classics.

None of the James Bond movies after Sean Connery can match the originals. Even as good as Roger Moore was, he is second fiddle to Connery. Analog gadgets are so much cooler than digital ones too.

I don't know what happened over time with movies and TV shows, but they pale in comparison to the oldies. Even the Bond women were so much more voluptuous and "real" back then.

Agreed......

The Last time I saw James Bond film......

It had Sean Connery in it ! B):D

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That underwater battle between the scuba guys in "Thunderball" was the best!

I prefered the underwater encounter Bond had with the starlet of the film. Ooo La La.

I'll be going to see Diamonds are Forever on the big screen today. Our local cinema has been having Bond weekends and showing the originals in release order.

007DAFposter.jpg

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I completely agree with the article above called the original 007 music unbeatable. I'm baffled at all these remakes of films, remakes of soundtracks, all trying to "modernize" old classics.

I remember a few years ago they re-recorded all the James Bond theme songs with 'hip new artists' from today, and they did a behind-the-scenes film of the recording sessions and what blew me away was how incredible all those John Barry-written theme songs sounded when they were just played on piano. Then they went and recorded all these terrible arrangements and put out a crap record. It was a shame, those songs were gold just on the piano.

As much as David Arnold is flavour-of-the-month at Bond head-office, he's no John Barry...

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I remember hearing the Brian Setzer Orchestra doing James Bond's theme and it blowing me away.

I love all the Sean Connery Bond movies, but my alltime favorite is GoldenEye, and not just because of the game. I think Brosnan made a good bond.

but Connery = best

he used the same exact accent for a Lithuanina Sub Captian AND a British Spy. Fantastic.

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I'm confident Jack White will do a good job.

too bad he can't sing very well. He's an amazing guitarist, but I can't stand his voice. I saw a Youtube video of them live doing Seven Nation Army, and THE ENTIRE song was completely off-key. His voice sounds so damn constricted and whiny it annoys the heck out of me. It's as if you took Plant's vocals on The Crunge, and then sucked all the wind out of it.

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too bad he can't sing very well. He's an amazing guitarist, but I can't stand his voice. I saw a Youtube video of them live doing Seven Nation Army, and THE ENTIRE song was completely off-key. His voice sounds so damn constricted and whiny it annoys the heck out of me. It's as if you took Plant's vocals on The Crunge, and then sucked all the wind out of it.

He has some moments that aren't so great, but I enjoy his singing the vast majority of the time.

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I prefered the underwater encounter Bond had with the starlet of the film. Ooo La La.

I'll be going to see Diamonds are Forever on the big screen today. Our local cinema has been having Bond weekends and showing the originals in release order.

007DAFposter.jpg

Diamonds are Forever had both Lana Wood and Jill St. John (wow!!!)

Say no more, say no more !!! :D

R B)

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  • 4 years later...

Long live Vic Flick!

FYI, the 50th Anniversary of the Premiere of "Dr. No" was yesterday, October 5, and in honour of that, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences(AMPAS) in Beverly Hills held a gala celebration Friday night, with special guest Vic Flick performing the James Bond Theme on the original guitar he used to record it.

http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/10/04/james-bond-a-tuneful-50-year-overview-from-the-movie-academy/

Also, there's a new Anniversary Edition of the "Dr. No" soundtrack being released:

http://www.soundtrack.net/albums/database/?id=8439

In light of Big Jim Sullivan's recent passing, it should be noted that he played on the "Goldfinger" soundtrack, being a member of John Barry's group at that time. It has also been suggested that Jimmy Page played on the "Goldfinger" sessions, but I have yet to find independent corroboration of this fact.

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