Biography
Norman entered the world on 4 April 1928 in London, England, into a household of Jewish immigrants originating from Latvia. During his youth he developed a strong passion for music, and once the war had ended he began performing as a vocalist while also turning his hand to songwriting. Engagements followed with the orchestras led by Cyril Stapleton, Stanley Black and Ted Heath; he further broadcast on radio and took part in the celebrated Sunday concerts held at the London Palladium. Launching a solo career brought bookings at variety theatres across the United Kingdom together with appearances on radio and television programmes, among them That Old Black Magic.
His contributions to West End productions encompassed material written for the 1958 musicals Expresso Bongo and Irma La Douce, the latter drawing on Marguerite Monnot’s music; both shows were created in partnership with Julian More and David Heneker. Expresso Bongo enjoyed solid success, whereas Irma La Douce achieved major acclaim, transferred to Broadway and earned a Tony Award nomination for its score. Another well-received stage work, Make Me An Offer, arrived in 1959 and again paired Norman with Heneker. The 1972 production Songbook, once more a collaboration with More, brought Norman an Ivor Novello Award and a further Tony nomination.
Film assignments occupied him as well, sometimes limited to main-title themes and on other occasions extending to complete scores. Early-1960s credits include The Two Faces Of Dr. Jekyll (1960), The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961) and Dr. No (1962), the last of which featured his composition of the title theme later woven into subsequent James Bond pictures. Among his television scores stands Quick Before They Catch Us (1966). Into the early 2000s Norman was said to be developing a musical adaptation of Kingsley Amis’ novel Lucky Jim.
His contributions to West End productions encompassed material written for the 1958 musicals Expresso Bongo and Irma La Douce, the latter drawing on Marguerite Monnot’s music; both shows were created in partnership with Julian More and David Heneker. Expresso Bongo enjoyed solid success, whereas Irma La Douce achieved major acclaim, transferred to Broadway and earned a Tony Award nomination for its score. Another well-received stage work, Make Me An Offer, arrived in 1959 and again paired Norman with Heneker. The 1972 production Songbook, once more a collaboration with More, brought Norman an Ivor Novello Award and a further Tony nomination.
Film assignments occupied him as well, sometimes limited to main-title themes and on other occasions extending to complete scores. Early-1960s credits include The Two Faces Of Dr. Jekyll (1960), The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961) and Dr. No (1962), the last of which featured his composition of the title theme later woven into subsequent James Bond pictures. Among his television scores stands Quick Before They Catch Us (1966). Into the early 2000s Norman was said to be developing a musical adaptation of Kingsley Amis’ novel Lucky Jim.
Albums
