Everybody knows the James Bond theme music, right? Well, did you know that the tune was originally written for a musical based on a VS Naipaul story?
Norman first wrote the classic tune … for a musical version of VS Naipaul’s novel A House for Mr Biswas. After he was hired to provide music for the first Bond film, Dr No, he reworked the song as a theme tune. [BBC]
The tune was then given its distinctive, big band orchestration by composer James Barry. Monty Norman (the composer of the original tune) is now going to record it, with its original lyrics intact. The song was called “Good Sign, Bad Sign” and the lyrics are as follows:
I was born with this unlucky sneezeAnd what is worse I came into the world the wrong way round
Pundits all agree I am the reason why
My father fell into the village pond and drowned. [BBC]
Kinda bollywood actually …
p.s. am I the only one who finds the idea of a VS Naipaul musical in 1961 (?) really bizarre?
Wow, that has to be the weirdest nexus ever
Vindicated again!
p.s. am I the only one who finds the idea of a VS Naipaul musical in 1961 (?) really bizarre?
Whoa. What the hell? No, you really aren’t.
I think VS Naipaul would have made a good James Bond in his youth he was quite dapper – although now he would make a good M – giving a lecture on the darkness of the post-colonial soul to 007 just before sending him off on assignment to save the world from SMERSH
How did you find this out? Was this musical ever recorded? Who made it? Can you send me any info you have about this? Thanks.