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In Time and Again Rupert pays a visit to a prison to give a talk. Back at home he realises that one of the prisoners has hidden a manuscript (written in pencil) in his briefcase. A pair of excellent actors in the shape of Diana Coupland and Anthony Bate take the lead guest roles. When […]

Wilde Alliance: Time and Again (ITV 21 Mar 1978 with Diana Coupland)...

Every James Bond movie has separate iconic songs to get listed, but the James Bond Theme has become synonymous with the franchise name. It has been the signature music since Dr. No in 1962. Before Daniel Craig took the legacy baton forward in 2006, every Eon-produced James Bond movie featured Monty Norman’s created theme song. Although Monty Norman wrote several songs for other musical stage plays, including Pinocchio, Stand, and Deliver, he will forever be remembered for composing the iconic James Bond music.

A snippet from Dr. No | Credits: United Artists

Despite his illustrious career, Norman’s association with the “Dum di-di dum dum” guitar que arranged by the John Barry Orchestra will always be iconic. Vic Flick, who used to work with John Barry as a guitarist is popularly known for playing that particular guitar riff, has died. To honor his legacy, let’s look at a few unknown facts about the theme music.

Near the beginning of what many consider to be the definitive James Bond movie, 1964’s Goldfinger, Sean Connery’s 007 reveals himself to be simultaneously roguish and antiquated. The moment occurs when his latest conquest affronts his snobbish tastes—dismissing something to do with champagne and refrigerators. He thus believes it’s his duty to explain, “My dear girl, there are some things that just aren’t done, such as drinking Dom Pérignon ’53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs.”

Bond might’ve been the coolest fictional character around at the time of that movie’s release, but his musical tastes were clearly not. Fortunately for the superspy, his producers at Eon Productions were rarely so old-fashioned.

Over the past 60 years and 25 James Bond pictures, the Bond franchise has become synonymous in its better years with evolving with the times.

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Monty Norman, the British composer who wrote the propulsive theme for the James Bond films, died Monday after a short illness, according to a post on his official website. He was 94.

Producer Cubby Broccoli, who had worked with Norman by backing the stage musical Belle, about murderer Hawley Crippen, asked the composer to come up with the score for the first Bond film, Dr. No (1962), after he and Harry Saltzman had acquired the rights to Ian Fleming’s spy.

The deal was sealed when the producers offered to fly Norman and his then-wife, actress-singer Diana Coupland, to Jamaica, where the movie was being filmed, all expenses paid. “Well, that was the clincher for me!” Norman said in a story posted on his website. “I thought, even if Dr. No turns out to be a stinker, at least we’d have sun, sea and sand to show for it!

Monty Norman, the composer behind the iconic James Bond theme, has died at the age of 94.

A statement posted on his official website said, “It is with sadness we share the news that Monty Norman died on 11th July 2022 after a short illness.”

Norman most famously composed the score for “Dr. No,” the 1962 James Bond film starring Sean Connery. His theme for James Bond, as arranged by fellow Englishman John Barry, would go on to become the theme for the entire franchise.

As Norman said on his site, “We recognized we needed a fresh, contemporary sound for the main theme, and in the up-and-coming young John Barry we found a wonderful arranger, so the whole thing worked very well.”

But controversy erupted decades later when Barry claimed authorship of the theme, resulting in Norman suing the Times of London for libel over a 1997 story (“Theme Tune Wrangle Has 007 Shaken and...

2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic James Bond film franchise, and in conjunction with Eon Productions and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Capitol/Emi is proud to join the world.s celebration of 007. Best Of Bond. James Bond, a new commemorative collection of the legendary films. digitally remastered music, will be released in two configurations on October 9th (October 8th outside of North America). Best Of Bond. James Bond features the memorable theme songs from all 22 official Bond films and will be available on CD and digitally, and as a deluxe, .50 Years . 50 Tracks. 2Cd and digital collection. On October 5th, the 50th anniversary of the release of the first Bond film, Dr. No, James Bond Day was celebrated around the world.

The 23-track single-disc edition and deluxe edition of Best Of Bond. James Bond both feature the themes from all 22 Bond films released since 1962, including The John Barry Orchestra.s seminal .James Bond Theme. from Dr. No,...

2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic James Bond film franchise, and in conjunction with Eon Productions and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Capitol/Emi is proud to join the world’s celebration of 007. Best Of Bond. James Bond, a new commemorative collection of the legendary films’ digitally remastered music, will be released in two configurations on October 9th (October 8th outside of North America). Best Of Bond. James Bond features the memorable theme songs from all 22 official Bond films and will be available on CD and digitally, and as a deluxe, “50 Years – 50 Tracks” 2Cd and digital collection.

On October 5th, the 50th anniversary of the release of the first Bond film, Dr. No, James Bond Day will be celebrated around the world. Best Of Bond. James Bond will be available for pre-order on James Bond Day.

The 23-track single-disc edition and deluxe edition of Best Of Bond. James Bond both feature the...

As James Bond prepares for his 23rd official outing in Skyfall and to mark next year’s 50th Anniversary of one of the most successful movie franchises of all time I have been tasked to take a retrospective look at the films that turned author Ian Fleming’s creation into one of the most recognised and iconic fictional characters in film history.

Back in 1961 nobody could have foreseen the success and longevity that James Bond would go on to enjoy in the years that followed. At the time, film producer Albert R. Broccoli, who was reeling from being declared bankrupt after the box-office failure of his most recent picture The Trails of Oscar Wilde, was on the lookout for an idea for his next project. When asked by his wife Dana what he really wanted to do, he replied “I have always wanted to film the Ian Fleming James Bond...