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Vic Flick

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Vic Flick was an English session guitarist, one of the busiest in London in the 1960s, and best known for the guitar riff in the James Bond Theme. He was born in 1937 in Worcester Park, Surrey, the son of a piano teacher and a singer. At fourteen he began playing guitar in his father's dance band. In the 1950s he played in bands at Butlin's holiday camps, was asked by bandleader Eric Winstone to play for BBC radio, and toured with the Bob Cort Skiffle Group and Paul Anka. After that he joined the John Barry Seven, and wrote Zapata, a hit from 1961.

Music and breakthrough

In 1963 he left the group and grew into one of London's most important session guitarists. He played the lead guitar in the James Bond Theme on the soundtrack of Dr. No and continued to work on Bond films well into the 1980s. His guitar can be heard on records by Dusty Springfield, Nancy Sinatra, Cliff Richard and Shirley Bassey, on all of Tom Jones's early hits, such as It's Not Unusual and What's New Pussycat?, and on Petula Clark's Downtown. With Herman's Hermits he played the riff in Silhouettes. With the George Martin Orchestra he played the solo in Ringo's Theme (This Boy) in the Beatles film A Hard Day's Night, and on Paul McCartney's Thrillington.

Influence

He also wrote music for Merchant Ivory films, such as Heat and Dust. In 2012 he was honoured by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and he died in 2024. Flick shows how a studio musician defines the sound of an era without appearing on the sleeve.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to the James Bond Theme and notice the electric guitar riff, low, sharp and menacing. How often does it return?

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists