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"And how would you like that autographed?"
"From John Barry to me, a fan."
Lawsuit.
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There's only one item I would want signed from Monty Norman.
I recall an anecdote from way back (can't remember the source) wherein John Barry told an interviewer that one time he was getting pressure from Monty's lawyers to stop claiming authorship of the JB Theme , , , and that Barry told them he would gladly take out an ad and admit that he didn't write the theme if he could include in the ad the scrap of paper that Monty gave him with whatever note(s) Monty had scrawled on the paper. Monty and the lawyers declined the offer.
If anybody can source this, I'd love to hear the source and the exact wording. I think this incident was from the seventies, but I'm not sure.
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There's only one item I would want signed from Monty Norman.
I recall an anecdote from way back (can't remember the source) wherein John Barry told an interviewer that one time he was getting pressure from Monty's lawyers to stop claiming authorship of the JB Theme , , , and that Barry told them he would gladly take out an ad and admit that he didn't write the theme if he could include in the ad the scrap of paper that Monty gave him with whatever note(s) Monty had scrawled on the paper. Monty and the lawyers declined the offer.
If anybody can source this, I'd love to hear the source and the exact wording. I think this incident was from the seventies, but I'm not sure.
Specifically Barry offered to take out a page in (I believe) a trade journal, with Norman's rudimentary manuscript on one side and a page from his (Barry's) arrangement on the other, with a note that read "I apologize. I did not write the James Bond Theme".
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John mentioned this incident with Norman's lawyer in testimony at the March 2001 Monty Norman V Times Newspapers case at the High Court in London.
From my notes on the case:
Barry was asked about a meeting that he had had with Norman's solicitor in the 70's. He said that Norman was not present but apparently was unhappy with persistent rumors in the press that Barry had written the "James Bond Theme." Barry said that he would gladly apologize in Billboard magazine. On the right side of the page he would put his manuscript for the "James Bond Theme" and on the left he would put the manuscript from Norman that he was given at Rogers's office. Underneath he would write:
I APOLOGIZE. I DID NOT WRITE THE "JAMES BOND THEME."
He never heard from the solicitor again.
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The Dr. Who theme also reportedly got a lot of help after it was composed:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_theme_music#1960s
"Grainer was amazed at the resulting piece of music and when he heard it, famously asked, "Did I write that?" Derbyshire modestly replied, "Most of it." However the BBC, who wanted to keep members of the Workshop anonymous, prevented Grainer from getting Derbyshire a co-composer credit and a share of the royalties."
Ron Grainer would go on to score The Omega Man, which is beyond awesome.
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So...when do we get to see Barry's manuscript?
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There's only one item I would want signed from Monty Norman.
For me, this item would be his autograph for Hammer's The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll.
Why do FSMers continue to bring up Dr. No, James Bond & John Barry whenever they read the name of Monty Norman?
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Norman may be the author of his own signature . . . but who arranged it?
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Why do FSMers continue to bring up Dr. No, James Bond & John Barry whenever they read the name of Monty Norman?
Probably because the James Bond theme is the only thing of any major significance on Norman's CV.
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Why do FSMers continue to bring up Dr. No, James Bond & John Barry whenever they read the name of Monty Norman?
Probably because the James Bond theme is the only thing of any major significance on Norman's CV.
The songs are great too. Give the man some credit.
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