Leslie Bricusse (1931- 2021)

Leslie Bricusse, a prolific songwriter whose work included some of the best-known songs of the 1960s spy craze, has died at 90, according to the BBC.

Bricusse, over his career, picked up two Oscars and multiple nominations.

His work included the 1967 film Doctor Doolittle, where he wrote the screenplay and the music and lyrics for the songs. The movie included the song If I Could Talk to the Animals, which has been re-recorded on numerous occasions.

Bricusse became familiar to fans of 1960s spy movies. He collaborated with composer John Barry and wrote the lyrics to two of the most famous James Bond songs, Goldfinger (with Anthony Newley) and You Only Live Twice.

Goldfinger, recorded by Shirley Bassey, was a big hit song. The subject of Bond, though, wasn't new to Bricusse. He told Jon Burlingame, author of The Music of James Bond, that he was a fan of Ian Fleming's novels.

"I read the books from the day they came out," Bricusse said. The songwriter told Burlingame they key to writing the song was the phrase "Midas touch," because after that the rest of the lyrics came together.

John Barry

With You Only Live Twice, the Barry-Bricusse team wrote two songs. The first, recorded by Julie Rogers, went unused (surfacing in the early 1990s on a collection of 007 title songs and film music). The second attempt was written in early 1967, according to Burlingame's book.

"John made it easy for the lyric writer in that the music said what it was meant to be," Bricusse told Burlingame. "Remember, you go in (a) knowing the context, (b) you've got the melody, and (c) you're given the title of the song. So it's fill in the blanks." The song was recorded by Nancy Sinatra.

Barry and Bricusse also worked together on another Bond song, Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. It was intended as the title song for 1965's Thunderball. But the production team vetoed it at the last minute, instead wanting a song titled Thunderball.

Barry and Don Black collaborated on Thunderball, which was recorded by Tom Jones. However, music from the Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang song was woven into the film's score by Barry.

Bricusse also worked with Jerry Goldsmith on the unlikely titled Your Zowie Face in 1967's In Like Flint. An instrumental version was used in the main titles. But the end titles featured full vocals.

Zowie came from Z.O.W.I.E., or Zonal Organization for World Intelligence and Espionage, that was part of the two Derek Flint films starring James Coburn. Working "zowie" into a song sounds as if it might have been difficult, but the song actually works.

Bricusse knew early he wanted to be a songwriter.

"I wanted to grow up to be George and Ira Gershwin from the age of about six," he told the Financial Times in a November 2017 interview.

Asked by the FT what kept him motivated, Bricusse replied: "The sheer pleasure of writing. When you live in a world of imagination, your imagination doesn't necessarily grow old with you."

The songwriter also told the FT he didn't believe in an afterlife.

"No. I think we have to assume we have one life," he said. "Though having said that, I did write a song called 'You Only Live Twice'. I'll settle for that."