Remember the classic James Bond theme that Monty Norman composed and John Barry re-arranged for "Dr. No," and which was subsequently used in the 22 other official Bond films, including "Skyfall"? It started as the song "Bad Sign Good Sign," part of a failed musical called "A House For Mr. Biswas."
Norman and Julian More wrote a musical adaptation of V.S. Naipual's best-selling novel, but the expense of the show made it a non-starter. Soon after, Norman used the melody of "Bad Sign Good Sign" for Bond. Wrote Norman when the track was released in 2005:
As time moved on, many people suggested I record the progenitor of the signature theme first heard in Dr No. So, with musical cuts of the middle production area, and with the help of Mehboob Nadim's evocative sitar and Pandit Dimesh's terrific tabla rhythms the embryonic melodies of the James Bond Theme, for the first time in nearly forty-five years, can be heard in their original form.
It's jarring to hear the seeds of the Bond theme in musical form, but fans can listen above. For a more traditional Bond sound, listen to the jazzy "Dr. No" theme, as performed by the John Barry orchestra, below.
Check out this 2005 NPR story for more on Norman.
