Obscure James Bond Theme Question

[citychap26]

Hi All,

Sorry for random question but it's been bugging me.

I was watching a documentary sometime ago, I think it was on Ian Fleming. Anyways, there was a bit about how the actual JB theme came about. It was lifted from a Caribbean piece of music. Does anyone else remember seeing this or know what the original music is.

Cheers

Sunil

[ndtman]

HTH http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bond_Theme

[Spice_Weasel]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_James_Bond_Theme

[elster]

A Caribbean musical, possibly.

Or John Barry did it all, more likely.

[Eric Mc]

At the time John Barry composed the theme (1962), calypso music was going through a phase of popularity in Britain. To be honest, I'd never connected the Bond theme with calypso - although calypso music does turn up in early Bond films quite a bit.

For exanple - "Underneath the Mango tree".

[citychap26]

Thanks for the link gents, already checked those out and not what I wanted.

I think that there might be a calypso link there ... I vaugely remember the chap saying he got the idea from a song... Which went something like "In de morning when I ...." No pistonhead humour on the next verse of the song

Cheers

Sunil

[williamp]

I vaguley remember a progarame about it, and the tune was written for Dr No, and I seem to recall they originally thought it would have lyrics in a calypso style (most of Dr No was filmed in jamaica afterall) but decided to use the music without the words

[elster]

citychap26 said:

Thanks for the link gents, already checked those out and not what I wanted.

I think that there might be a calypso link there ... I vaugely remember the chap saying he got the idea from a song... Which went something like "In de morning when I ...." No pistonhead humour on the next verse of the song

Cheers

Sunil

This wasn't enough

""Good Sign Bad Sign" sung by Indian characters in A House for Mr Biswas, a musical he composed based on a novel by V.S. Naipaul set in the Indian community in Trinidad"

[citychap26]

elster said:

citychap26 said:

Thanks for the link gents, already checked those out and not what I wanted.

I think that there might be a calypso link there ... I vaugely remember the chap saying he got the idea from a song... Which went something like "In de morning when I ...." No pistonhead humour on the next verse of the song

Cheers

Sunil

This wasn't enough

""Good Sign Bad Sign" sung by Indian characters in A House for Mr Biswas, a musical he composed based on a novel by V.S. Naipaul set in the Indian community in Trinidad"

At work at the moment so cant view youtube, however I think this is what I was looking for.

Cheers

Sunil

[elster]

citychap26 said:

elster said:

citychap26 said:

Thanks for the link gents, already checked those out and not what I wanted.

I think that there might be a calypso link there ... I vaugely remember the chap saying he got the idea from a song... Which went something like "In de morning when I ...." No pistonhead humour on the next verse of the song

Cheers

Sunil

This wasn't enough

""Good Sign Bad Sign" sung by Indian characters in A House for Mr Biswas, a musical he composed based on a novel by V.S. Naipaul set in the Indian community in Trinidad"

At work at the moment so cant view youtube, however I think this is what I was looking for.

Cheers

Sunil

A video to explain it for you for when you gte home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jjywVmz2EI

[Pappa Lurve]

Was it not written by Monty Norman? Certainly he has always been credited with it, won at least two court cases that I know of about it and has (or had, can't recall if he is alive or not!) enough provable anecdotes about the Bond films etc to make it seem likely!

[Muzzlehatch]

Pappa Lurve said:

Was it not written by Monty Norman? Certainly he has always been credited with it, won at least two court cases that I know of about it and has (or had, can't recall if he is alive or not!) enough provable anecdotes about the Bond films etc to make it seem likely!

Yes, it was composed by Monty Norman, and played by John Barry's orchestra, although John Barry did compose additional music for JB.

[elster]

Pappa Lurve said:

Was it not written by Monty Norman? Certainly he has always been credited with it, won at least two court cases that I know of about it and has (or had, can't recall if he is alive or not!) enough provable anecdotes about the Bond films etc to make it seem likely!

If you watch the video I posted it shows that Mark Norman came up with the riff, well acquired it, and John Barry did the rest.