James Bond theme song guitarist Vic Flick dies aged 87
His son Kevin has confirmed the news
Last updated 20th Nov 2024
English studio guitarist Vic Flick, best known for playing on the iconic James Bond theme song, has died aged 87.
Flick’s son Kevin Flick broke the news of his passing, writing on Facebook: 'With great sadness my mother - Vic's wife Judith, his grandchild Tyler and I must announce that my father Vic Flick passed away peacefully last Thursday and so ending his battle with Alzheimer’s.'
Born in Worcester Park, Surrey on 14th May 1937, Victor Harold Flick joined The John Barry Seven in the late 1950s and they released a number of singles together.
The collective recorded The James Bond Theme in June 1962 for the movie Dr No, using Flick’s solo guitar, five saxophones, nine brass instruments, and a rhythm section.
The seminal two-minute track was written by the late Monty Norman and it became a Number 12 hit in the UK upon its initial release.
Flick’s iconic guitar motif was performed a 1939 English Clifford Essex Paragon Deluxe guitar plugged into a Fender Vibrolux amplifier. The guitar has been displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
It’s reported that Flick was paid £6 for the one-off James Bond Theme session, which is just £108 in today’s money.
Flick went on to perform on numerous later versions of the James Bond Theme, and he also played on Shirley Bassey’s theme for the 1964 film Goldfinger.
Outside of the James Bond universe, Flick also played on Tom Jones’ ‘It’s Not Unusual’ and the instrumental version of ‘This Boy’ for The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night movie.
Other artists he peformed with include Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Cilla Black, Englebert Humperdinck, The Walker Brothers, Bee Gees and Cliff Richard.
In 2013, Flick received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Guitar Museum for his "contribution to the history of the guitar."
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