Vic Flick, the legendary guitarist and composer who played the James Bond theme and later worked with stars such as Paul McCartney, has died. His family announced his passing on November 18th via Facebook, following a struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Flick was 87.
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Flick contributed to No. 1 hits like Peter and Gordon’s “A World Without Love” and Petula Clark’s “Downtown.” He also played on Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual” and “Ringo’s Theme” (This Boy) for A Hard Day’s Night (1964). His collaborations included luminaries such as Jimmy Page, George Martin, Herman’s Hermits, Cliff Richard, Eric Clapton, Dusty Springfield, and Engelbert Humperdinck.
However, he will be remembered as the guitarist who played the iconic James Bond theme, known for its distinctive “dum di-di dum-dum” riff.
First introduced in the 1962 film Dr. No, the theme reached number 13 on the UK chart by December of that year, according to The Guardian. It has been featured in every Bond film since.
Flick himself contributed to half a dozen other 007 films, including Shirley Bassey’s theme for Goldfinger (1964).
Vic Flick’s Career, from Bond to Merchant Ivory to a Memorable ‘Pawn Stars’ Appearance
Victor Harold Flick was born on May 14, 1937, in Surrey, England. His father taught music, and Flick initially began playing the piano. However, he later transitioned to the guitar to join his father’s band. Eventually, he became part of Bob Cort’s skiffle group, where he first met John Barry when The John Barry Seven toured Europe with Paul Anka.
Eventually, Barry was brought on to re-arrange Monty Norman’s original theme for Dr. No. He invited Flick to play guitar for the track, and the rest is history.
During the 1970s and 80s, Flick served as a composer and arranger for several Merchant Ivory films, such as Autobiography of a Princess (1975) and Heat and Dust (1983). He was also featured on Paul McCartney’s 1977 album Thrillington and often collaborated with Beatles producer George Martin.
In 1999, he revisited the iconic Bond theme on the album Bond Back in Action. The following year, he released his own album, James Bond Now, featuring new guitar-oriented arrangements of Bond themes. In 2000, he also published his memoir Vic Flick, Guitarman: from James Bond to the Beatles and Beyond.
Flick even appeared in a season 8 episode of Pawn Stars. The legendary guitarist blew host Rick Harrison out of his mind with his insane music resume while selling a 1961 Stratocaster guitar he used while recording many hallmark tunes. Spoiler: the guitar fetches Flick $55,000.
In 2013, The National Guitar Museum honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
He is survived by his wife, Judith; his son, Kevin; and his grandchild, Tyler. Flick’s daughter, Jayne, died in 2000.