Composed for the first film of the saga in 1962, the version of the music of Monty Norman had however not convinced the producers. The latter had asked John Barry to touch it up.
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His music will live forever. British composer Monty Norman, author of the original James Bond musical score, died on Monday July 11 at the age of 94, his official website announced. The site evokes “a brief illness” and displays a large black and white photo of the composer, displaying a frank smile.
Created for the first film of the saga, James Bond versus Dr Noin 1962, the version of the music by Monty Norman does not convince the producers, who ask John Barry (died in January 2011), monument of film music (Midnight Cowboy, Out of Africaetc.), to retouch it.
The latter later claimed authorship of the work, but in March 2001 Monty Norman won a libel suit against the Sunday Times, who attributed it to John Barry. Monty Norman had ordered the newspaper to pay 30,000 pounds (48,000 euros at the time) in damages.
Born in east London to a Jewish family that left the British capital in the early days of the Blitz at the start of World War II, he got his first guitar at the age of 16, given to him by his mother, and discovers the Beatles and Eric Clapton. In the 1950s and early 1960s, he sang for jazz groups, including those of Cyril Stapleton, Ted Heath and Nat Temple, and participated in variety shows.