Vic Flick
Encyclopedia
Victor Harold Flick is an English
guitarist
, most famous for playing the guitar
riff
in the "James Bond Theme
".
, until he was given a guitar. He joined The John Barry Seven in the early 1950s, his first composition for the group being "Viva Zapata!". On the Dr. No
soundtrack he was lead guitarist, the soundtrack being recorded before the musicians had seen the film.
Before that, he also played the guitar riff in the theme tune of the popular early 1960s TV show Juke Box Jury
. As a member of The John Barry
Seven, he appeared on every episode of BBC TV's Drumbeat
during 1959. Flick continued to contribute to James Bond soundtracks throughout the 1960s.
Apart from his early 1960s work as the distinctive lead guitarist in The John Barry Seven, Flick was a much in demand session player
, and featured on many early 1960s UK
pop
records. Flick was a member of the George Martin
Orchestra, playing on the soundtrack of the film A Hard Day's Night
.
He has worked with many notable artists, including Tom Jones
, Cliff Richard
, Eric Clapton
, and Jimmy Page
. One of Flick's legendary guitars, a Clifford Essex Paragon De Luxe, on which he played the original James Bond Theme
for John Barry
, stands in honour at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in Cleveland, Ohio
.
Flick also collaborated with Merchant Ivory Film as composer/music arranger for Autobiography of a Princess
(1975), The Europeans
(1979), Quartet
(1981), Heat and Dust
(1983).
In 2003, he recorded the album James Bond Now, featuring tracks from James Bond soundtracks and new compositions.
In 2008 his autobiography, Vic Flick, Guitarman (ISBN 978-1593933081), was published by Bearmanor Media.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, most famous for playing the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
in the "James Bond Theme
James Bond Theme
The "James Bond Theme" is the main signature theme of the James Bond films and has featured in every Eon Productions Bond film since Dr. No. The piece has been used as an accompanying fanfare to the gun barrel sequence in almost every James Bond film....
".
Biography
As a child, Flick first played pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, until he was given a guitar. He joined The John Barry Seven in the early 1950s, his first composition for the group being "Viva Zapata!". On the Dr. No
Dr. No (film)
Dr. No is a 1962 spy film, starring Sean Connery; it is the first James Bond film. Based on the 1958 Ian Fleming novel of the same name, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather and was directed by Terence Young. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R...
soundtrack he was lead guitarist, the soundtrack being recorded before the musicians had seen the film.
Before that, he also played the guitar riff in the theme tune of the popular early 1960s TV show Juke Box Jury
Juke Box Jury
Juke Box Jury was a musical panel show which originally ran on BBC Television from 1 June 1959 until December 1967. The programme was based on the American show Jukebox Jury, itself an offshoot of a long-running radio series....
. As a member of The John Barry
John Barry (composer)
John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
Seven, he appeared on every episode of BBC TV's Drumbeat
Drumbeat (TV series)
Drumbeat was a BBC television series that aired every Saturday from 4 April to 29 August 1959. It was the BBC's answer and rival to ITV's TV series Oh Boy!, though as the latter finished on 30 May, for most of its run Drumbeat had no comparable competition.It launched the careers of singer Adam...
during 1959. Flick continued to contribute to James Bond soundtracks throughout the 1960s.
Apart from his early 1960s work as the distinctive lead guitarist in The John Barry Seven, Flick was a much in demand session player
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, and featured on many early 1960s UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
records. Flick was a member of the George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
Orchestra, playing on the soundtrack of the film A Hard Day's Night
A Hard Day's Night (film)
A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of Beatlemania. It was written by Alun Owen and originally released by United Artists...
.
He has worked with many notable artists, including Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, and Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
. One of Flick's legendary guitars, a Clifford Essex Paragon De Luxe, on which he played the original James Bond Theme
James Bond Theme
The "James Bond Theme" is the main signature theme of the James Bond films and has featured in every Eon Productions Bond film since Dr. No. The piece has been used as an accompanying fanfare to the gun barrel sequence in almost every James Bond film....
for John Barry
John Barry (composer)
John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
, stands in honour at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
.
Flick also collaborated with Merchant Ivory Film as composer/music arranger for Autobiography of a Princess
Autobiography of a Princess
Autobiography of a Princess is a film by Merchant Ivory Productions , starring James Mason and Madhur Jaffrey.-Plot:...
(1975), The Europeans
The Europeans (film)
The Europeans is a 1979 Merchant Ivory Film, directed by James Ivory, produced by Ismail Merchant, and with an adapted screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. It is based upon the novel, The Europeans, by Henry James. It was entered into the 1979 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:*Lee Remick - Eugenia...
(1979), Quartet
Quartet (1981 film)
Quartet is a 1981 Merchant Ivory Film, starring Isabelle Adjani, Maggie Smith, Anthony Higgins and Alan Bates, set in 1924 Paris. It premiered at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival and was an entry for the Selection Officielle...
(1981), Heat and Dust
Heat and Dust (film)
Heat and Dust is a 1983 romantic drama film with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala based upon her novel, Heat and Dust. It was directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant...
(1983).
In 2003, he recorded the album James Bond Now, featuring tracks from James Bond soundtracks and new compositions.
In 2008 his autobiography, Vic Flick, Guitarman (ISBN 978-1593933081), was published by Bearmanor Media.
External links
Album discography
- West of Windward - 1968 - RediffusionRediffusionRediffusion was a business which distributed radio and TV signals through wired relay networks. The business gave rise to a number of other companies, including Associated-Rediffusion, later known as Rediffusion London, one of the first companies to win a terrestrial ITV franchise in the UK...