JAMES BOND
NEWS

15 January 2025
La-La Land Records mark the 35th Anniversary of Licence To Kill, with a remastered and expanded 2-CD re-issue of composer Michael Kamen’s original motion picture score, which also includes two versions of the film’s title song performed by Gladys Knight. Produced by Neil S. Bulk and mastered by Doug Schwartz from 1/4" stereo tapes and 3-track mag provided by MGM, this is a special 2-CD release, limited to only 5,000 units. The score presentation is spread across both discs, while Disc Two also includes the remastered 1989 soundtrack album, as well as additional source music. The exclusive, new liner notes are by film music journalist and author Jon Burlingame and the art direction is by Dan Goldwasser.

Available exclusively from La-La Land Records or the 007store.com for the first 90 days of release.

23 December 2024
British Visual Effects Producer Alan Church has died at the age of 60. Church began his film career at General Screen Enterprises where he trained as an VFX optical assembler/cameraman. GSE was one of only a few VFX companies in the UK at that time, and Church assisted the Creative Director.

Alan Church later worked as an optical cameraman on Octopussy (1983), and also served in this capacity on Sean Connery's comeback as James Bond in Never Say Never Again (1983). Church met main title designer Maurice Binder during the production of A View To A Kill (1985) and worked as his assistant on The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence To Kill (1989). In addition to working on the trailers, Church also assisted Binder with the filming of the main titles on both films and was responsible for compositing footage of Timothy Dalton into a first generation element of Binder's gun barrel sequence for Licence To Kill (1989), resulting in a much crisper image. Following the death of Maurice Binder in 1991, Alan Church then joined Special Effects Supervisor Derek Meddings at The Magic Camera Company, and contributed to the process photography for Pierce Brosnan's debut as 007 in GoldenEye (1995). Like many technicians, Alan Church was not formally credited for any of the six Bond films on which he worked.

Church later became a Visual Effects Producer and won a BAFTA award in 2001 for Best Visual Effects & Graphic Design for the BBC TV series Gormenghast (2000). More recently Church worked on the Sky Atlantic drama series The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2024), which won him two further visual effects awards: The Royal Television Society for VFX, and Broadcast Tech innovation award for VFX Excellence.

18 December 2024

007 MAGAZINE looks back at the production of The Man With The Golden Gun, released 50 years ago as the 9th entry in the long-running James Bond film series. Roger Moore’s second James Bond film hit cinemas 18-months after his debut in the box-office smash Live And Let Die (1973), which finally proved that audiences would accept a new actor as Ian Fleming’s secret agent 007.
 

“An assassin that's second to none...”

13 December 2024
From Roger Moore With Love - in selected UK cinemas 15-18 December 2024, and screened on BBC2 Christmas Day 9.00pm.

Friends, family and co-stars take part in this revealing and entertaining look at British icon Roger Moore and his rise to global fame. With rare home-movie footage, it follows his journey from shy London schoolboy to teenage knitwear model to global TV heartthrob, from The Saint and The Persuaders to his decade-defining role as James Bond, a part he made his own.
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Read 007 MAGAZINE's review of From Roger Moore With Love

29 November 2024

La-La Land Records have announced two newly remastered editions of John Barry's soundtracks for The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) and Moonraker (1979). Released to celebrate the 45th and 50th anniversary of the respective films, both CDs feature the remastered and expanded film score presentation on disc one, with a remastered version of the original soundtrack album on the second disc - plus additional bonus tracks, alternate cues and source music. Moonraker will also include demo versions of the title track with early lyrics performed by Oscar^© and GRAMMY^© winner Paul Williams.

Limited to 5,000 units the CDs are available exclusively from La-La Land Records or the 007store.com for the first 90 days of release.

The Man With The Golden Gun Order from La-La Land or 007 Store
Moonraker Order from La-La Land or 007 Store

Bonhams Rock, Pop & Film online auction
25 November to 4 December 2024

Several James Bond items are featured in the auction, including scripts and correspondence relating to Jack Whittingham and the writing of James Bond of the Secret Service; Bert Luxford's original production drawing of Rosa Klebb's ‘poison-tipped shoe blade’ seen in From Russia With Love (1963); a rare 1960 Sean Connery publicity photographic portrait by Vaslav [pictured left], and many publicity stills - including original photographs of designer Maurice Binder and models shooting the credit titles for The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).

Also included are several items from the personal collection of James Bond actor Roger Moore, and Diana Rigg's copy of the spiral-bound premiere brochure from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969).

FULL CATALOGUE

18 November 2024
At the Academy's 15th Governors Awards, Honorary Oscars were presented to composer & producer Quincy Jones (1933-2024) and casting director Juliet Taylor; along with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to filmmaker Richard Curtis, and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson & Barbara Broccoli. The four Oscar^® statuettes were presented at a ceremony held on Sunday November 17, 2024, at The Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles.

FULL STORY AND ACCEPTANCE SPEECHES

14 November 2024

Vic Flick (born Victor Harold Flick on May 14, 1937), the English guitarist renowned for his distinctive riff on ‘The James Bond Theme’, has died at the age of 87.

Joining the John Barry Seven in 1958, Vic Flick began a long-standing collaboration with its band leader & composer that would make musical history. His guitar work was prominent on tracks such as his own 1961 composition ‘Zapata’, and ‘Hit and Miss’ - the theme for the popular BBC television show Juke Box Jury (1959-67). But it will be his lead guitar on ‘The James Bond Theme’ which accompanied Maurice Binder's main titles for Dr. No (1962) that cemented his (and John Barry's) place in cinematic history. Contractually credited as being written by Monty Norman, but arranged by John Barry, ‘The James Bond Theme’ has been used in some form or other in each of the 25 EON Productions James Bond films.

Vic Flick played guitar on all of John Barry's James Bond soundtrack recordings from 1963 to 1967. His playing can be heard prominently on the track ‘Gypsy Camp’ in From Russia With Love (1963), which he improvised during the recording session; and his later ad-libbed Bluegrass-style banjo plucking as James Bond (Sean Connery) arrives at Auric Stud in Kentucky (filmed at Pinewood Studios) in the 1964 classic Goldfinger.

Vic Flick returned to the series one final time with Licence To Kill in 1989, in which his distinctive rendition of ‘The James Bond Theme’ is heard during the opening gun barrel sequence and throughout the film. He also played on an unreleased version of ‘The James Bond Theme’ with Eric Clapton. As a prolific session musician, Vic Flick also featured on numerous 1960s recordings including the Tom Jones hits ‘It’s Not Unusual’ and ‘What’s New Pussycat?’, Peter and Gordon’s ‘A World Without Love’, and Petula Clark’s ‘Downtown’.

8 November 2024

007 MAGAZINE looks back at the production of The World Is Not Enough, released 25 years ago as the 19th entry in the long-running James Bond film series. Following the action-packed Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Pierce Brosnan’s third 007 adventure was a conscious attempt to craft a more realistic fantasy, with new writers and a director chosen for his dramatic background.

TWENTIETH CENTURY BOND