IAN FLEMING: WICKED GRIN

On the 50th anniversary of Ian Fleming's death, Spy Vibe pays tribute to the author by celebrating his unique curiosity. Walt Disney once said, "Ideas come from curiosity." Fleming, by nature and by profession, was an Idea Man. His immense curiosity led him down myriad rabbit holes in life, where he  discovered passionately the details of foreign lands and customs, the rebellious and romantic strains of jazz and popular music, and the athletic pleasures of snorkeling. Like his brother Peter, Ian had a gift for observation, and he was celebrated for his work as a journalist, commander for Naval Intelligence, and as a writer of thrillers. He was a complex character, but I'd like to highlight a few images from his life that always stand out for me. At sixteen, it is said he began to avoid family hunting excursions, preferring instead to practice Hawaiian guitar. Did the sounds of slack-key records and his own fingers on the strings transport him to a more exciting, exotic place away from the family? At seventeen, he fell in love with Whispering Jack Smith's Cecelia, a tune filled with young lust and innuendo. Shortly before his death decades later, Fleming named this first among his favorite songs on BBC's Desert Island Discs. Did the flirtatious lyrics still play in his mind, calling amorous impulses to the surface? The humorous tone of the song must have laid the ground for his friendship with Noel Coward. And the final image is a rare photograph I tracked down last year of the author's research trip to Japan for You Only Live Twice. The picture reveals he made a special journey to Beppu to visit a volcanic location called Mount Demon Hell. Fleming stands with a twinkle in his eye next to a gigantic demon statue in the picture, pulling at the monster's belly button. There were many sides to the author, but these images seem to gel in this one photo for me and describe one of his main character traits- a snapshot of a man who avoided family hunting trips and his wife's dinner parties in favor of sensual experience. These moments in Fleming's life remind me of my own father, who rejected his parents' world as classical musicians by blasting Howlin' Wolf songs and riding motorcycles. And like Fleming, he would even escape under the sea. I gather Ian Fleming was a man who needed to keep moving. Like his character James Bond, he abhorred inactivity and boredom. With that streak of curiosity, rebellion, and carnal wit, I wonder what he found in all those records, fast cars, and trips to exotic locales? I imagine he created his own feeling of adventure. Maybe he discovered a sense of freedom. Here's to that wicked grin! At Fleming's memorial service, held on September 15th, 1964, William Plomer described his friend in the excerpts below. Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive on Pinterest here.

"He made one feel one had to try and live up to his standard of alertness, to keep tuned up, and to move at his own quick tempo. He seemed always to take the shortest distance between two points in the shortest possible time, and although he didn't suffer bores gladly, his appetite for life, his curiosity and quick understanding, and his admiration of what was well done used generally to bring out the best in other people."

"Only since his death has it begun to be more generally understood that he had done well in several different careers, and that he was a character of some complexity. But those who were at school with him, or who used to work with him in the City, or in Reuters, or in the Admiralty, or in the newspaper world, or who had watched him creating his original and important library, or who saw him enjoying life in Jamaica, or who at any time travelled or played cards or golf with him, can confirm that he was a man who touched life at many points. And of how many men can one say, as one can of him, not only that he had much to give but gave all he had got? One is reminded of James Bond`s saying: "I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time." [photo below: Fleming at Beppu, Spy Vibe collection].

"It was Admiral Godfrey who introduced him to the delights of under-water swimming, when it was much less familiar than it is now. It seemed an activity exactly made for him. It was athletic, it was not without its hazards, and it offered the discovery of a hidden world of fascinating mysteries. Discovery, I think, is a key-word: Ian was a great finder-out. And this predominant trait in his character helped to fit him for his valued association, after the War, with the Sunday Times, as its foreign manager. His ability and enterprise as a journalist can be seen in what may almost be called his instant travel-book, Thrilling Cities. That inquiring mind of his and that retentive memory would often surprise one. He was just as liable to reveal a knowledge of tropical birds or rare seashells, as of first editions or motor engines or the night life of Hamburg. What never surprised one, because one knew them to be constant, were his truthfulness and directness, his loyalties, and that restless, high-spirited independence which must sometimes have made him feel like a surf-rider alone with the speed of a tremendous wave."

"Let us remember him as he was on top of the world, with his foot on the accelerator, laughing at absurdities, enjoying discoveries, absorbed in his many interests and plans, fascinated and amused by places and people and facts and fantasies, an entertainer of millions, and for us a friend never to be forgotten." [photo below from a collection of letters to his Austrian lover before the war].

Selected Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: 50th events, Goldeneye US Design, new Fleming books, SE Asian 007, Cumberbatch as Ian Fleming, Fleming Jamaica Book, Bond Japanese Editions, Fleming Chinese Edition, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 50th, Ian Fleming: Mt. Demon Hell Japan, Collecting Fleming, 007 Audio Books Update, Appropriating Bond Exhibit, Fleming Letters Mystery, The Goldfinger Variations, Double 007 Book Designs, Double 007 designs II, rare Ian Fleming edition, Book Design Dopplegangers, Turkish Bond design, Erno Goldfinger, Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.

Selected Spy Vibe posts: Jane Bond Hong Kong Records, Ryan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Diana Rigg at 76, Gerry Anderson Doc, Mr. Hulot's Box Set, Rare Avengers Scripts, Man From Uncle UK Comics, Mattel X-15, Thunderbirds Comics, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Batman News, Monty Python Fathom Spies, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Avengers Book: Bowler Hats & Kinky Boots, George Lois Design & Mad Men, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Big Fun Toys, Danger Diabolik Soundtrack, Mod Fashion Dolls, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, The 10th Victim German Edition, The Saint books return, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.

IAN FLEMING MUSIC: WHISPERING JACK SMITH

The era of the 'mix tape' may have evolved into that of the 'playlist', but people have been sharing their cultural tastes for generations, passing along small glimpses into their personality and times. Similarly, the top-ten lists come flooding in every new year, as do those desert island picks. This week on Spy Vibe, we look at the musical world of Ian Fleming. Series links: Noel Coward,Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr.

On August 6th, 1963, Ian Fleming made an appearance on the BBC's Desert Island Dics, where Roy Plomley interviewed him about the creation of James Bond and about his writing routine. As part of the show's format, Fleming also shared his his favorite records that he would choose as his desert island picks. One of the first he highlighted was Cecilia by Whispering Jack Smith. Image below of Ian Fleming during his Eton years.

Whispering Jack Smith was born Jacob Schmidt in New York City in 1899. While serving in the American Expeditionary Forces in France during World War I, he was in a gas assault at the battle of Saint-Mihiel. He sustained permanent damage to the throat resulting in a soft whispering voice, which later became his trademark as a singer. He changed his name to Jack Smith after the war and worked as a club singer and song seller for Irving Berlin Music for $100 week. By 1926 TD Kemp had landed him a gig at The Strand for $650 a week. Rave reviews in the trade magazines brought Smith further dates in England and Europe. Smith soon became a sensation through the 1920s and 1930s. Prone to melancholy and drink, Whispering Jack's career slowly eroded into obscurity. He died in 1952, leaving behind about 100 cherished recordings. Ian Fleming became interested in Whispering Jack Smith during that initial breakthrough period in Europe. Fleming mentioned later in life that his favorite tune during his time as a student at Eton (1921-1926) was Smith's Celilia. 

The song was light and charming and had a hint of the kind of innuendo that must have appealed to Fleming's "red-blooded" instincts. Cecilia was in fact Smith's first recording, made for Victor on September 15th, 1925. For you collectors out there, the matrix number was BVE-33383 and the label description read 'Male vocal solo, with piano." The song was also released later by Decca. Below is Fleming's schoolboy favorite, Cecilia. Smith Whispering Jack history here. Full lyrics here.

Now, little Miss Cecilia Green,

A little over sweet sixteen,

But the cutest flapper that you've ever seen;

When the fellows pass her by,

She will always wink her eye,

And when she talks to them, when she walks with them,

This is what they all cry:

Does your mother know you're out, Cecilia?

Does she know that I'm about to steal ya?

Oh my, when I look in your eyes,

 Something tells me you and I should get together!

How about a little kiss, Cecilia?

Just a kiss you'll never miss, Cecilia,

Why do we two keep on wasting time?

Oh, Cecilia, say that you'll be mine!

I have a spy novella coming out soon! Stay tuned for more info. Did you know that Spy Vibe has a Pinterest page? You can see collections of images of Ian Fleming's life, dynamic vintage action, cliffhanger serials, Japanese designs from the 20s, vintage mystery novels, and more! Ian Fleming board here.

Check Spy Vibe for recent posts about 1960s espionage writers, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, my review of SKYFALL, 007 at the Intnl Spy Museum, Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot, new Beatles bio from Mark Lewisohn, tributes to Donald Richie and Tony Sheridan, the Les Vampires serial on Blu-ray, Lucy Fleming, The Beatles first record session, Ian Fleming's desert island interview, new Ian Fleming book designs, Fantomas, Spy Smasher, Barbarella tv show, British spy comics, Piper Gates retro designs, Cinema Retro, and more. 

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