Brian Smith remembers The James Bond Theme guitarman Vic Flick (1937–2024)

By: Brian Smith

Published:
2024-11-22

Vic Flick, The James Bond Theme, guitarist

Vic Flick, who has died at the age of 87, played guitar on the world’s most famous piece of film music, The James Bond Theme. His passing was announced on social media by his son Kevin.

“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 [14 November 2024] and so ending his battle with Alzheimer’s.”

Vic Flick was born in Worcester Park, Surrey, England on 14 May 1937. He began his musical career as a teenager in his father’s band. Vic could read music and play the piano but decided to take up guitar. He later formed a band with his brother Alan – the Vic Alan Quintet. Following a successful audition for the Eric Winstone Agency, they were offered a season at Butlins, Clacton. Winstone showed a keen interest in Vic’s talents and asked him to play in his band as well for his weekly BBC broadcast, “mainly because I could read music and play well.”

When guitarist Ken Sykora left The Bob Cort Skiffle to pursue a career on BBC radio, Vic was asked to replace him. In 1957 The Bob Cort Skiffle were the support group for Paul Anka on his first UK tour. Anka’s backing band was The John Barry Seven. “After meeting John Barry on the tour,” said Vic, “he called and asked me to join the band as he had a television show [Oh Boy!] coming up where the group had to accompany acts. The band had to read music, so I joined.” The John Barry Seven also became one of the resident bands on the BBC series Drumbeat.

Paul Anka, The John Barry Seven, programme

Paul Anka, The John Barry Seven, programme

The programme for Paul Anka's first UK Tour backed by The John Barry Seven.

In 1962 John Barry was asked to rework, arrange and record a version of Monty Norman’s James Bond Theme for the Dr. No title sequence. “It was short notice,” recalled Vic, “which probably gave the arrangement and recording that little extra excitement.” John and Vic captured lightning in a bottle!

“I can remember recording the theme at the old CTS Studios in Bayswater [21 June 1962] and then going to EMI a few days later to record the Record [24 June 1962].” In his autobiography, Vic Flick Guitarman, he said he played the theme on his “Clifford Essex Paragon with a DeArmond Pick Up gripped by its supporting plates to the strings behind the bridge, and held away from the body of the guitar by a carefully folded Senior Service Cigarette Packet.”

During his career Vic worked with The Beatles, the Bee Gees, Tom Jones, Cliff Richard, Burt Bacharach, Dusty Springfield, Nancy Sinatra and Shirley Bassey to name but a few.

Vic also performed notable pieces for From Russia with Love (1963) and Goldfinger (1964) – a Spanish-type guitar for the Gypsy camp scenes and the banjo over the Kentucky ranch sequence.

Vic continued his career as a session player, as well as composer for film, television and video games. He wrote the score for the 1975 Merchant Ivory production Autobiography of a Princess. In the early ‘80s Vic and his family moved to America.

In 1989 Michael Kamen called Vic and asked if he would play guitar on the score for Timothy Dalton’s second 007 film Licence to Kill (1989). He collaborated with Kamen and Eric Clapton on a version of the Bond theme for the main titles and shot a promotional video, neither of which were used or released.

In 1999 Vic again found himself on Bond theme guitar duties for Silva Screen Record’s Bond Back In Action (Part I, Part II), and memorably played it on Film ’99 with Jonathan Ross. A year later Vic recorded James Bond Now featuring music from the Bond films plus original compositions. His daughter Jayne provided backing vocals. “I had planned the CD to be totally instrumental, but Jayne came into my small studio as I was working on ‘Live And Let Die’ and just happened to sing along with the phrase you hear on the record. It sounded good and I recorded her.” Jayne sadly passed away in 2000.

Despite playing the most famous film theme in the world, Vic admitted he didn’t have a favourite piece of music. He said, “I’m proud to have been associated with the Bond films, John Barry, Henry Mancini, Burt Bacharach and countless others.”

Vic is survived by his wife Judith, his son Kevin, and one grandchild.

Obituary by Brian Smith. Copyright © 2024 From Sweden with Love. All rights reserved.

Editor's note:
The above quotes, unless otherwise indicated, were taken from an interview conducted by Chris Johnson which Brian Smith published in 2001.

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Brian Smith remembers The James Bond Theme guitarman Vic Flick (1937–2024)

“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 [14 November 2024] and so ending his battle with Alzheimer’s.”

Despite playing the most famous film theme in the world, Vic admitted he didn’t have a favourite piece of music. He said, “I’m proud to have been associated with the Bond films, John Barry, Henry Mancini, Burt Bacharach and countless others.”

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