They do exist. Every now and again. Once every five years... okay,
ten. So this is a refreshing change from the horror stories that Hollywood seems to take particular delight in.
It involves Laurence Juber.
Mr. Juber is a guitar player. He played lead guitar for Paul McCartney’s WINGS, so you know “
that little country boy can play.” ( Actually, wrong country. He’s from England)
One day, as a tadpole, Juber wandered into an East London movie theater and saw an early James Bond movie. What knocked him out was that great guitar riff that twangs the melody in the first stanza of the James Bond theme. You know the one.
From that moment on, when every boy wanted to be secret agents, he wanted to play guitar.
And so he did. You can’t do too much better than being in a Paul McCartney band.
After the group disbanded he moved to California and became a session player. Lots of albums, soundtracks, commercials, etc.
One day he got a call to lay down some tracks for a movie soundtrack. There was nothing from the somewhat generic title that gave him any clue as to what the movie was about. The title was “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Yes, it was
that "Spy Who Loved Me." And his assignment: to play lead guitar on the James Bond theme.
Now, seriously -- “How cool is that?”
Talk about a
dream come true, or
coming full circle, or six other Hollywood clichés. Every time I hear the James Bond theme it gives me chills… because of that. I, on the other hand, never became a secret agent. It’s a lot harder to ask Mom for espionage lessons rather than guitar lessons.