Composer Monty Norman has passed away. He was one of the last remaining major contributors to the first James Bond film, "Dr. No", released in 1962. Norman had a humble childhood, growing up in East London as the son of a cabinetmaker. His mother sewed in order to provide additional income for the fiancially-strapped family. When WWII broke out in 1939, Norman was initially evacuated from London along with countless other children, but later returned to the city just in time to endure the terrors of Hitler's Blitz. The son of the family's landlord used to play the guitar and it had a mesmerizing effect on young Norman. His parents scrimped and saved to buy him his own guitar. It proved to a good investment. Following a stint in the army, Norman became a proficient musician and entertainer. He started his
career in show business as a singer, following in the footsteps of his
uncles who were amateur opera performers. He later began to host jazz-related radio broadcasts that caught the ear of top band leader Cyril Stapleton, who signed Norman as a singer for his band. There would be no looking back. Soon, Norman was touring with future superstar Benny Hill as a comedy/singing act and he also performed with Ted Heath's band. He later worked with the famed comedy troupe the Goons, which included Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan.
Although Monty Norman found success as a big band singer, he chose to concentrate on composing music. His first song, "False Hearted Lover", was a hit. He then turned his attention to composing shows for London's West End, working occasionally with the likes of director Peter Brook and and actor Paul Scofield. He adapted a hit French musical comedy, "Irma La Douce", for an English-language run and it was a smash hit both on the West End and on Broadway. He also found success with an original show, "Expresso Bongo", which would inspire the acclaimed feature film that would be a major career stepping stone for young Cliff Richard. His 1959 show, "Make Me an Offer", also won acclaim. Norman later took a chance by launching the show "Belle", a musical that was based on the notorious murderer Dr. Crippen. The show was his first major failure, but it had unforeseen positive aspects. One of the investors in the production was film producer Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli, who along with his partner, Harry Saltzman, had recently acquired the film rights to Ian Fleming's James Bond novels for their production company, Eon. Broccoli had liked Norman's score for "Belle" and hired him to compose the score for the first Bond movie, "Dr. No". The year was 1962. Norman based the famed signature theme for agent 007 on a previous composition, "Bad Sign Good Sign", that he had written for a musical that was never produced. He also contributed some innovative other tracks for the film including the song "Underneath the Mango Tree", "Jump Up Jamaica" and a reworking of "Three Blind Mice" that was used for nefarious purposes in the opening of the movie. Broccoli and Saltzman were not entirely satisfied with Norman's arrangement of "The James Bond Theme" and hired up-and-coming composer John Barry to rework the track. The result was one of the most recognizable pieces of pop culture music in history but it also led to some hard feelings. Norman, who went on to score the Bob Hope comedy "Call Me Bwana" for Broccoli and Saltzman, had a bit of a falling out with Saltzman over a contract, and was never employed by Eon Productions again. As the Bond juggernaut took off, the Barry became the go-to composer for most of the films and Norman seethed, as Barry was often credited with composing the Bond theme. The matter would finally be settled in a London courtroom many years later when Norman was legally confirmed to be the composer of record of the theme, even though Barry's orchestrations were undeniably pivotal in its success and longevity.
(Note: in the above video interview, the photo of Harry Saltzman is incorrectly designated as Albert R. Broccoli)
In 1989, Norman received the Gold Badge of Merit, for Services to British Music from from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors. Over the years, Norman embraced his association with the Bond films and appeared at numerous 007-related events and premieres, taking satisfaction at his enduring contribution to the world's longest-running film franchise. He told interviewer Sandra Kessell, "‘Well, I hope when the time comes people will remember that I’ve done quite a few things, but the fact that James Bond is so iconic in everybody’s mind - you can’t argue with that and nor would I want to."
(For more about Monty Norman's life and career, visit his official web site.)