As a fan, I feel deeply saddened by the passing of Vic Flick, a British guitarist whose iconic riffs graced some of the most memorable tunes in the history of music. From the twangy riff of the James Bond theme to the No. 1 hits for Peter and Gordon, Petula Clark, and Tom Jones, his work has been an integral part of my musical journey.
The well-known British session guitarist Vic Flick, best recognized for his distinctive twanging riff in the James Bond theme tune heard first in Dr. No, has passed away at the age of 87.
On Thursday, it was shared on Facebook by his family that he had passed away following a long fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
Flick was featured in chart-topping songs such as “A World Without Love” by Peter and Gordon, “Downtown” by Petula Clark, and contributed to “It’s Not Unusual” and “Ringo’s Theme” (This Boy) for the movie A Hard Day’s Night (1964). Additionally, Flick worked with notable musicians like Jimmy Page, George Martin, Herman’s Hermits, Cliff Richard, Eric Clapton, Dusty Springfield, and Engelbert Humperdinck.
Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues described him as a ‘musician among musicians,’ in the introduction to Vic Flick’s 2008 autobiography, titled Vic Flick Guitarman: From James Bond to The Beatles and Beyond.
He was always ready to strum! Indeed, it might seem evident – but our kind of music simply didn’t work while seated. The true legends of the guitar never sat to perform.
In the band known as The John Barry Seven, Flick had previously played alongside John Barry. When it was time for Barry to rework Monty Norman’s original theme for the 1962 film Dr. No, Flick contributed a “heavy tone” using a Clifford Essex Paragon De Luxe guitar.
Flick described it as having a distinctive quality, more like a lively tone,” Flick said in Jon Burlingame’s 2012 book, ‘The Music of James Bond’. “I emphasized it excessively – pushing into the strong bass strings with a firm pick, playing slightly before the rhythm, and it produced an exhilarating effect, sounding almost aggressive, which suited the image of James Bond.
Flick would appear in several more James Bond movies, like the one where Shirley Bassey sang the theme song for “Goldfinger” (1964).
Victor Harold Flick was born on May, 14, 1937, in Surrey, England. His father taught music, and he started out on the piano. He switched to the guitar to play in a band formed by his dad, eventually joined Bob Cort and his skiffle group and met Barry for the first time when The John Barry Seven accompanied Paul Anka on a European tour.
Speaking as a devoted admirer, in an interview for Guitar Player magazine last year, I proudly acknowledged that the unique sound of my guitar on the Bond theme was largely due to the plectrum I used, coupled with the specific strings on my instrument. To achieve that distinctive round tone, I positioned the DeArmond pickup close to the bridge and slipped a crushed cigarette packet beneath it to bring it closer to the strings. The key element, audibly speaking, was the Vox AC15 amplifier, which I relied upon during tours. It never failed me – until one unfortunate incident when it fell eight feet into a music pit and shattered beyond repair.
Additionally, the method of recording the guitar was crucial. We captured its sound using microphones designed for an orchestra, which lent it a mystical, potent tone. This distinctive, edgy sound was partially crafted by us and proved to be quite popular.
In 2013, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Guitar Museum.
Survivors include his wife, Judith; his son, Kevin; and his grandchild, Tyler.
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2024-11-19 20:24