John Barry (composer)

Last updated

John Barry
OBE
John-barry-2006.jpg
Barry in 2006
Background information
Birth nameJohn Barry Prendergast
Born(1933-11-03)3 November 1933
York, England
Died30 January 2011(2011-01-30) (aged 77)
Oyster Bay, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Composer, conductor
Spouse(s)
  • Barbara Pickard
    (m. 1959;div. 1963)
  • (m. 1965;div. 1968)
  • Jane Sidey
    (m. 1969;div. 1978)
  • Laurie Barry
    (m. 1978)

John Barry Prendergast OBE (3 November 1933 – 30 January 2011) [1] [2] was an English composer and conductor of film music.

Contents

He composed the scores for eleven of the James Bond films between 1963 and 1987, as well as arranging and performing the "James Bond Theme" for the first film in the series, 1962's Dr. No . He wrote the Grammy- and Academy Award-winning scores to the films Dances with Wolves and Out of Africa , as well as the scores of The Scarlet Letter , Chaplin , The Cotton Club , Game of Death , The Tamarind Seed , Mary, Queen of Scots and the theme for the television series The Persuaders! , in a career spanning over 50 years. In 1999, he was appointed with an OBE for services to music.

Born in York, Barry spent his early years working in cinemas owned by his father. During his national service with the British Army in Cyprus, Barry began performing as a musician after learning to play the trumpet. Upon completing his national service, he formed a band in 1957, the John Barry Seven. He later developed an interest in composing and arranging music, making his début for television in 1958. He came to the notice of the makers of the first James Bond film Dr. No , who were dissatisfied with a theme for James Bond given to them by Monty Norman. [3] Noel Rogers, the head of music at United Artists, approached Barry. [4] This started a successful association between Barry and the Bond series that lasted for 25 years.

Barry received awards including five Academy Awards: two for Born Free and one each for The Lion in Winter (for which he also won the first BAFTA Award for Best Film Music), Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves (both of which also won him Grammy Awards). He also received ten Golden Globe Award nominations, winning once for Best Original Score for Out of Africa in 1986. Barry completed his last film score, Enigma, in 2001 and recorded the successful album Eternal Echoes the same year. He then concentrated chiefly on live performances and co-wrote the music to the musical Brighton Rock in 2004 alongside Don Black.

In 2001, Barry became a Fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, and, in 2005, he was made a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Barry was married four times and had four children. He moved to the United States in 1975 and lived there until his death in 2011.

Biography

Early life and education

Barry was born John Barry Prendergast in York, the youngest of four children. His mother, a classical pianist, was English; his Irish father, John Xavier "Jack" Prendergast from Cork, was a projectionist during the silent film era and later owned a chain of cinemas across northern England. [5] [6] [7] As a result of his father's work, Barry was raised in and around cinemas in northern England [5] and he later stated that this childhood background influenced his musical tastes and interests. [6] He had two older brothers and one older sister. [8] Barry was educated at St Peter's School, York, and received composition lessons from Francis Jackson, Organist of York Minster. [6]

Career

Barry spent his national service in the British Army playing the trumpet, working from a correspondence course with jazz composer Bill Russo. [9] After national service he worked as an arranger for the orchestras of Jack Parnell and Ted Heath, [10] forming his own band, the John Barry Seven, [11] in 1957. The John Barry Seven recorded hit records on EMI's Columbia label including "Hit and Miss", the theme tune he composed for the BBC's Juke Box Jury programme; a cover of the Johnny Smith song "Walk Don't Run"; and a cover of the theme for the United Artists western The Magnificent Seven .

By 1959 Barry was gaining commissions to arrange music for other acts, starting with a young trio on Decca, coincidentally called the Three Barry Sisters, though unrelated both to Barry and American duo The Barry Sisters. [12] The career breakthrough for Barry was the BBC television series Drumbeat , when he appeared with the John Barry Seven. He was employed by EMI from 1959 until 1962 arranging orchestral accompaniments for the company's singers, including Adam Faith. [13] He also composed songs (along with Les Vandyke) and scores for films in which Faith was featured. When Faith made his first film, Beat Girl (1960), Barry composed, arranged and conducted the film score, his first. His music was later released as the UK's first soundtrack album. [14]

Barry also composed the music for another Faith film, Never Let Go (also 1960), orchestrated the score for Mix Me a Person (1962), and composed, arranged and conducted the score for The Amorous Prawn (also 1962). In 1962, Barry transferred to Ember Records, where he produced and arranged albums. [15]

These achievements caught the attention of the producers of a new film called Dr. No (1962) who were dissatisfied with a theme for James Bond given to them by Monty Norman. Barry was hired and his arrangement of Norman's composition created the "James Bond Theme". When the producers of the Bond series sought to hire Lionel Bart to score the next James Bond film From Russia with Love (1963), they learned that Bart could not read or write music. Though Bart wrote a title song for the film, the producers remembered Barry's arrangement of the James Bond Theme and his composing and arranging for several films with Adam Faith. Bart also recommended Barry to producer Stanley Baker for his 1964 film Zulu . [16] That same year Bart and Barry collaborated on the film Man in the Middle ; and then, in 1965, Barry worked with director Bryan Forbes in scoring the World War II prison-camp drama King Rat .

This was the turning point for Barry, and he subsequently won five Academy Awards and four Grammy Awards, with scores for, among others, Born Free (1966), The Lion in Winter (1968), Midnight Cowboy (1969) for which he did not receive an on-screen credit, and Somewhere in Time (1980). [2] [17]

Barry was often cited as having had a distinct style which concentrated on lush strings and extensive use of brass.[ citation needed ] He was one of the first to employ synthesizers in a film score ( On Her Majesty's Secret Service , also 1969), [18] and to make wide use of pop artists and songs in Midnight Cowboy. [19] Because Barry provided not just the main title theme but the complete soundtrack score, his music often enhanced the critical reception of a film, notably in Midnight Cowboy, The Tamarind Seed, the first remake of King Kong (1976), Out of Africa (1985), and Dances with Wolves (1990). Barry would often watch films and would note down with pen and paper what worked or what did not. [7]

Barry composed the theme for the TV series The Persuaders! (1971), also known as The Unlucky Heroes, in which Tony Curtis and Roger Moore were paired as rich playboys solving crimes. [20] The instrumental recording features the cimbalom (which Barry also used for The Ipcress File (1965) and other themes) and Moog synthesizers. The theme was a hit single in many European countries (including France, Germany, and the Benelux states), contributing to the cult status of the series in Europe, and the record featured Barry's The Girl with the Sun in Her Hair on the B side, an instrumental piece featured in a long running TV advert for Sunsilk shampoo. Barry also wrote the scores to a number of musicals, including the 1965 Passion Flower Hotel (lyrics by Trevor Peacock), the successful 1974 West End show Billy (lyrics by Don Black), [21] and two intended Broadway musicals that never opened on Broadway, Lolita, My Love (1971), with Alan Jay Lerner as lyricist, and The Little Prince and the Aviator (1981), again with lyricist Don Black. [22] Barry also composed the soundtrack for the Bruce Lee film Game of Death (1978).

In 2001, the University of York conferred an honorary degree on Barry, and in 2002 he was named an Honorary Freeman of the City of York. [23] [24]

During 2006, Barry was the executive producer on an album entitled Here's to the Heroes by the Australian ensemble The Ten Tenors. The album features a number of songs Barry wrote in collaboration with his lyricist friend, Don Black. Barry and Black also composed one of the songs on Shirley Bassey's 2009 album, The Performance. The song, entitled "Our Time Is Now", is the first written by the duo for Bassey since "Diamonds Are Forever". [25]

James Bond

After the success of Dr. No, Barry was hired to compose and perform eleven of the next fourteen James Bond films.

In his tenure with the film series, Barry's music, variously brassy and moody, achieved very wide appeal. For From Russia with Love he composed "007", an alternative James Bond signature theme, which is featured in four other Bond films (Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker). The theme "Stalking", for the teaser sequence of From Russia with Love, was covered by colleague Marvin Hamlisch for The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). Barry also contributed indirectly to the soundtrack of the spoof version of Casino Royale (1967): his Born Free theme appears briefly in the opening sequence.

In Goldfinger (1964), he perfected the "Bond sound", a heady mixture of brass, jazz elements and sensuous melodies. There is even an element of Barry's jazz roots in the big-band track "Into Miami", which follows the title credits and accompanies the film's iconic image of the camera lens zooming toward the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach.

Barry's love for the Russian romantic composers is often reflected in his music; in his Bond scores he unites this with brass-heavy jazz writing. His use of strings, lyricism, half-diminished chords and complex key shifting provides melancholy contrast; in his scores this is often heard in variations of the title songs that are used to underscore plot development. [26]

As Barry matured, the Bond scores became more lushly melodic (along with other scores of his such as The Tamarind Seed and Out of Africa ) as in Moonraker (1979) and Octopussy (1983). Barry's score for A View to a Kill was traditional, but his collaboration with Duran Duran for the title song was contemporary and reached number one in the United States and number two in the UK Singles Chart. Both A View to a Kill and The Living Daylights theme by A-ha blended the pop music style of the bands with Barry's orchestration. In 2006, A-ha's Pal Waaktaar complimented Barry's contributions: "I loved the stuff he added to the track, I mean it gave it this really cool string arrangement. That's when for me it started to sound like a Bond thing." [27]

Barry's last score for the Bond series was The Living Daylights (1987), Timothy Dalton's first film in the series, with Barry making a cameo appearance as a conductor in the film. [28] Barry was intended to score Licence to Kill (1989) but was recovering from throat surgery at the time, and it was considered unsafe to fly him to London to complete the score. The score was completed by Michael Kamen. [29]

David Arnold, a British composer, saw the result of two years' work in 1997 with the release of Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project, an album of new versions of the themes from various James Bond films. Arnold thanks Barry in the sleeve notes, referring to him as "the Guvnor". Almost all of the tracks were John Barry compositions, and the revision of his work met with his approval – he contacted Barbara Broccoli, producer of the then upcoming Tomorrow Never Dies , to recommend Arnold as the film's composer. [30] Arnold also went on to score four subsequent Bond films: The World Is Not Enough , Die Another Day , Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace .

Monty Norman, who was contracted as composer for Dr. No, received sole compositional credit for the "James Bond Theme". Nearly 40 years later, in 2001, the disputed authorship of the theme was examined legally in the High Court in London after Norman sued The Sunday Times for libel for publishing an article in 1997 in which Barry was named as the true composer; Barry testified for the defence. [31] [32]

In court, Barry testified that he had been handed a musical manuscript of a work by Norman (meant to become the theme) and that he was to arrange it musically, and that he composed additional music and arranged the "James Bond Theme". He also claimed that Norman received sole credit because of his prior contract with the producers. Barry said that a deal was struck whereby he would receive a flat fee of £250 and Norman would receive the songwriting credit. [33] Barry said that he had accepted the deal with United Artists Head of Music Noel Rogers because it would help his career. Despite these claims, the jury ruled unanimously in favour of Norman. [33]

On 7 September 2006, John Barry reiterated his claim of authorship of the theme on the Steve Wright show on BBC Radio 2. [34]

Personal life and death

Barry was married four times. His first three marriages, to Barbara Pickard (1959–63), Jane Birkin (1965–68) and Jane Sidey (1969–78) all ended in divorce. [10] He was married to his fourth wife, Laurie, from January 1978 [10] until his death. The couple had a son, Jonpatrick. Barry had three daughters: Suzanne with his first wife, Barbara; Kate with his second wife, Jane; and Sian, from a relationship with Ulla Larson between the first two marriages. [6]

In 1975, Barry moved to the US. A British judge later accused him of emigrating to avoid paying £134,000 due the Inland Revenue. [10] The matter was resolved in the late 1980s, and Barry was able to return to the UK. [10] He subsequently lived for many years in the United States, mainly in Oyster Bay, New York, in Centre Island on Long Island, from 1980. [6] [35]

Barry suffered a rupture of the esophagus in 1988, following a toxic reaction to a health tonic he had consumed. The incident rendered him unable to work for two years and left him vulnerable to pneumonia. [36]

Barry died of a heart attack on 30 January 2011 at his Oyster Bay home, aged 77. [37] [38]

A memorial concert took place on 20 June 2011 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Shirley Bassey, Rumer, David Arnold, Wynne Evans and others performed Barry's music. [39] Sir George Martin, Sir Michael Parkinson, Don Black, Timothy Dalton and others also contributed to the celebration of his life and work. [37] [39] [40] The event was sponsored by the Royal College of Music through a grant by the Broccoli Foundation. [41]

Awards and nominations

In 1999, Barry was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to music. He received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award in 2005. [40] [42] In 2005, the American Film Institute ranked Barry's score for Out of Africa No. 15 on their list of the greatest film scores. [43] His scores and original songs for the following films were nominated: [44]

Accolades

AwardYearProjectCategoryOutcome
Academy Awards 1966 Born Free Best Original Music Score Won
"Born Free" (from Born Free ), with Don Black Best Original Song Won
1968 The Lion in Winter Best Original Music Score – For a Motion Picture (Not a Musical) Won
1971 Mary, Queen of Scots Best Original Dramatic Score Nominated
1985 Out of Africa Best Original Score Won
1990 Dances with Wolves Best Original Score Won
1992 Chaplin Best Original Score Nominated
BAFTA Awards 1968 The Lion in Winter Anthony Asquith Award for Film MusicWon
1986 Out of Africa Best Score [45] Nominated
1991 Dances with Wolves Best Original Film Score [46] Nominated
2005 BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award [47] Won
Golden Globe Awards 1966 "Born Free" (from Born Free ), with Don Black Best Original Song Nominated
1968 The Lion in Winter Best Original Score Nominated
1971 Mary, Queen of Scots Best Original Score Nominated
1974 "Sail the Summer Winds" (from The Dove ), with Don Black Best Original Song Nominated
1977 "Down Deep Inside" (from The Deep ), with Donna Summer Best Original Song Nominated
1981 Somewhere in Time Best Original Score Nominated
1985 Out of Africa Best Original Score Won
"A View to a Kill" (from A View to a Kill ), with Duran Duran Best Original Song Nominated
1990 Dances with Wolves Best Original Score Nominated
1992 Chaplin Best Original Score Nominated

Grammy Award

Grammy Award nominations

Emmy Award nominations

Golden Raspberry Award

Max Steiner Lifetime Achievement Award (presented by the City of Vienna)

Lifetime Achievement Award from World Soundtrack Academy (presented at the Ghent Film Festival)

In 2011, he received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.

Barry was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1998. [50] Also wrote the theme for raise the titanic much under rated too

Filmography

Bond films

Barry worked on the soundtracks for the following James Bond films (title song collaborators in brackets):

In addition, a brief excerpt from the song "Born Free" is heard during a sequence in the non-EON Productions Bond film, Casino Royale (1967).

Film and television work

YearFilmDirected bySinglesLatest CD / Digital Release
1959Drumbeat
(TV series theme music)
Stewart Morris
Juke Box Jury
(TV series theme music)
Peter Potter Hit And MissEMI / 07243 523073 2 6 / 1997
1960 Never Let Go John Guillermin
Beat Girl Edmond T. Gréville Cherry Red / ACMEM204CD / 2011
1962 Dateline London
(TV series theme music)
Columbia 45-DB 4806: Cutty SarkEMI / 07243 523073 2 6 / 1997
The Amorous Prawn Anthony Kimmins
The L-Shaped Room Bryan Forbes
1963 Elizabeth Taylor in London Sid SmithÉl / ACMEM59CD / ???
From Russia with Love (film) Terence Young EMI / 72435-80588-2-6 / 2003
1964 Zulu Cy Endfield UA 743: Zulu Stamp / Big ShieldEmber Records / NR 5012 / 2010
Man in the Middle (film) Guy Hamilton
Impromptu
(TV series soundtrack)
David Croft
A Jolly Bad Fellow Don Chaffey
Séance on a Wet Afternoon Bryan Forbes United Artists Records UP1060: Seance On A Wet Afternoon / Oublie CaEMI / 07243 523073 2 6 / 1997
Goldfinger Guy Hamilton EMI / 72435-80891-2-7 / 2003
Sophia Loren in Rome Sheldon Reynolds P.E.G. Recordings / PEG023 / 1998
1965 Boy and Bicycle
("Onward Christian Spacemen")
Ridley Scott
The Ipcress File Sidney J. Furie Silva Screen / FILMCD 605 / 2002
The Party's Over Guy Hamilton EMI / 07243 523073 2 6 / 1997
Mister Moses Ronald Neame
The Knack ...and How to Get It Richard Lester Quartet Records / QRSCE024 / 2011
The Passion Flower Hotel Gene Gutowski Sony West End / SMK 66175 / ????
The Newcomers (TV series) Colin Morris Fancy Dance
King Rat Bryan Forbes Intrada / ISC 434 / 2019
Thunderball (film) Terence Young EMI / 72435-80589-2-5 / 2003
Four in the Morning Anthony Simmons Ember Records / NR 5029 / 2009
1966 The Chase Arthur Penn Columbia 4-43544: The Chase (2:44) / Saturday Night Philosopher (2:55)Legacy / 515133 2 / 2004
Born Free James Hill Film Score Monthly / FSM Vol.7 No. 10 / 2004
The Wrong Box Bryan Forbes Intrada / Special Collection Volume 191 / 2011
Vendetta CBS 2390: Vendetta (2:01) / The Danny Scipio Theme (2:45)
The Quiller Memorandum Michael Anderson CBS 2451: Theme From "The Quiller Memorandum" – Wednesday's Child / Sleep Well My DarlingIntrada / Special Collection Volume 201 / 2012
Dutchman Anthony Harvey
1967 You Only Live Twice (film) Lewis Gilbert EMI / 72435-41418-2-9 / 2003
The Whisperers Bryan Forbes Rykodisc / RCD 10720 / 1998
1968 Boom! Joseph Losey harkit records / HRKCD 8248 / 2008
Petulia Richard Lester Film Score Monthly / FSM Vol. 8 No. 20 / 2005
Deadfall Bryan Forbes Retrograde Records / FSM-80124-2 / 1997
The Lion in Winter Anthony Harvey Legacy / CK 66133 / 1995
1969 The Appointment Sidney Lumet Film Score Monthly / FSM Vol. 6 No. 11 / 2003
Midnight Cowboy John Schlesinger Quartet Records / QR434 / 2021
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film) Peter R. Hunt EMI / 72435-41419-2-8 / 2003
1970 Monte Walsh (1970 film) William A. Fraker Film Score Monthly / FSM Vol. 2 No. 4 / 1999
1971 Murphy's War Peter Yates
The Last Valley (film) James Clavell Quartet Records / QR257 / 2016
Walkabout Nicolas Roeg The Roundtable / PM001CD / 2016
They Might Be Giants Anthony Harvey
The Persuaders! Val Guest CBS 7469: Theme From 'The Persuaders' (2:10) / The Girl With The Sun In Her Hair (2:55)
Diamonds Are Forever (film) Guy Hamilton EMI / 72435-41420-2-4 / 2003
Mary, Queen of Scots Charles Jarrott Quartet Records / QR504 / 2022
1972 Follow Me! (film) Carol Reed King Records / KICP 1476 / 2010
The Adventurer (TV series) Universal Music Jazz France / 531 340 5 / 2009
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972 film) William Sterling Film Score Monthly / FSM Vol. 8 No. 20 / 2005
1973 A Doll's House Patrick Garland
Orson Welles Great Mysteries Universal Music Jazz France / 531 340 5 / 2009
The Glass Menagerie (1973 film) Anthony Harvey
1974 Billy (musical)
The Tamarind Seed Blake Edwards Silva Screen / SILCD1647 / 2021
Born Free (TV series) Leonard Horn, Paul Krasny, Russ Mayberry
The Dove Charles Jarrott Intrada / ISC 313 / 2015
The Man with the Golden Gun (film) Guy Hamilton EMI / 72435-41424-2-0 / 2003
1975 Love Among the Ruins (film) James Costigan
The Day of the Locust John Schlesinger Intrada / ISC 367 / 2016
1976 Eleanor and Franklin (miniseries) Daniel Petrie
Robin and Marian Richard Lester Prometheus Records / PCR 522 / 2008
King Kong John Guillermin Film Score Monthly / FSM Vol. 15 No. 5 / 2012
1977 Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years Daniel Petrie
The White Buffalo J. Lee Thompson Quartet Records / QR267 / 2017
The War Between the Tates Lee Philips
The Deep Peter Yates Casablanca Records USA
Pye Records-Precision Tapes UK /1977
Intrada / Special Collection Volume 143 / 2010
Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy Richard T. Heffron
First Love (1977 film) Joan Darling La-La Land Records / LLLCD 1243 / 2013
The Gathering (1977 film) Randal Kleiser
1978 The Betsy Daniel Petrie
Game of Death Robert Clouse Silva America / SSD 1154 / 2003
Starcrash Luigi Cozzi BSX Records / BSXCD 8846 / 2008
1979 The Corn Is Green George Cukor
Willa Joan Darling, Claudio Guzmán
Hanover Street Peter Hyams Varèse Sarabande / VCL 0309 1090 / 2009
Moonraker (film) Lewis Gilbert EMI / 7243 5 41425 2 9 / 2003
The Black Hole Gary Nelson Intrada / D001383402 / 2011
1980 Night Games (1980 film) Roger Vadim Silva America / SSD 1154 / 2003
Raise the Titanic (film) Jerry Jameson
Somewhere in Time (film) Jeannot Szwarc La-La Land Records / LLLCD 1550 / 2021
Touched by Love Gus Trikonis
Inside Moves Richard Donner
1981 The Legend of the Lone Ranger William A. Fraker Intrada / ISC 420 / 2018
Body Heat Lawrence Kasdan Film Score Monthly / FSM Vol. 15 No. 4 / 2012
The Little Prince and the Aviator Jerry Adler
1982 Hammett Wim Wenders Silva Screen / SILCD1662 / 2023
Murder by Phone Michael Anderson
Frances Graeme Clifford Label X / LXSACD 1001 / 2005
1983 High Road to China Brian G. Hutton BSX Records / BSXCD 8864 / 2010
Octopussy John Glen EMI / 7243 5 41450 2 5 / 2003
The Golden Seal Frank Zuniga Intrada / Special Collection Volume 89 / 2009
Svengali Anthony Harvey
1984 Mike's Murder James Bridges Prometheus Records / PCR 521 / 2009
Until September Richard Marquand Kritzerland / KR 20018-9 / 2011
The Cotton Club Francis Ford Coppola Geffen Records / CDGEF 70260 / 1984
1985 A View to a Kill John Glen EMI / 72435-41448-2-0 / 2003
Jagged Edge Richard Marquand Varèse Sarabande / VCL 0916 1174 / 2016
Out of Africa Sydney Pollack MCA Records / MCAD-11311 / 1995
1986 A Killing Affair David Saperstein
Howard the Duck Willard Huyck Intrada / ISC 426 / 2019
Peggy Sue Got Married Francis Ford Coppola Varèse Sarabande / VCL 1114 1152 / 2014
The Golden Child Michael Ritchie La-La Land Records / LLLCD 1180 / 2011
1987 The Living Daylights John Glen EMI / 72435-41451-2-4 / 2003
Hearts of Fire Richard Marquand
1988 Masquerade Bob Swaim Quartet Records / QR326 / 2018
USA Today: The Television Show

Television film scores

Television themes

Musicals

Other works

Singles

(Excludes co-composed hits, e.g. Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill")

His four highest-charting hits all spent more than 10 weeks in the UK top 50.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Best of Bond... James Bond</i> 1992 soundtrack album from the James Bond films by various artists

The Best of Bond... James Bond is the title of various compilation albums of music used in the James Bond films made by Eon Productions up to that time. The album was originally released in 1992 as The Best of James Bond, as a one-disc compilation and a two-disc 30th Anniversary Limited Edition compilation with songs that had, at that point, never been released to the public. The single disc compilation was later updated five times in 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, and 2021. The 2008 version was augmented with the addition of a DVD featuring music videos and a documentary. Another two-disc edition, this time containing 50 tracks for the 50th anniversary of the franchise, was released in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Arnold</span> British film composer

David Arnold is an English film composer whose credits include scoring five James Bond films, as well as Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998) and the television series Little Britain and Sherlock. For Independence Day, he received a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television, and for Sherlock, he and co-composer Michael Price won a Creative Arts Emmy for the score of "His Last Vow", the final episode in the third series. Arnold scored the BBC / Amazon Prime series Good Omens (2019) adapted by Neil Gaiman from his book Good Omens, written with Terry Pratchett. Arnold is a fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.

Leslie Bricusse OBE was a British composer, lyricist, and playwright who worked on theatre musicals and wrote theme music for films. He was best known for writing the music and lyrics for the films Doctor Dolittle; Goodbye, Mr. Chips; Scrooge; Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory; Tom and Jerry: The Movie; the titular James Bond film songs "Goldfinger" and "You Only Live Twice"; "Can You Read My Mind? " from Superman; and "Le Jazz Hot!" from Victor/Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monty Norman</span> British composer (1928–2022)

Monty Norman was a British film score composer and singer. A contributor to West End musicals in the 1950s and 1960s, he is best known for composing the "James Bond Theme", first heard in the 1962 film Dr. No. He was an Ivor Novello Award and Olivier Award winner, and a Tony Award nominee.

Since its inception in 1962, the James Bond film series from Eon Productions has featured many musical compositions, many of which are now considered classic pieces of British film music. The best known piece is the "James Bond Theme" composed by Monty Norman. Other instrumentals, such as "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", and various songs performed by British or American artists such as Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger", Nancy Sinatra's "You Only Live Twice", Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die", Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better", Sheena Easton's "For Your Eyes Only", Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill", Tina Turner's "GoldenEye" also become identified with the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Bond Theme</span> Main theme music of the James Bond films

The "James Bond Theme" is the main signature theme music of the James Bond films and has featured in every Bond film since Dr. No in 1962. Composed in E minor by Monty Norman, the piece has been used as an accompanying fanfare to the gun barrel sequence in every Eon Bond film besides Casino Royale.

Perry Botkin Jr. was an American composer, producer, arranger, and musician. The tune "Nadia's Theme", composed by Botkin and Barry De Vorzon, peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976 and became the theme song for the long-running television soap opera The Young and the Restless. He was also a major contributor to Incredible Bongo Band, one of the most influential groups of all-time for its Bongo Rock album which is one of the most sampled from records, making it a major influence in the origins of Hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Black (lyricist)</span> English lyricist

Donald Blackstone, known professionally as Don Black, is an English lyricist. His works have included numerous musicals, movie, television themes and hit songs. He has provided lyrics for John Barry, Charles Strouse, Matt Monro, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Quincy Jones, Hoyt Curtin, Lulu, Jule Styne, Henry Mancini, Meat Loaf, Michael Jackson, Elmer Bernstein, Michel Legrand, Hayley Westenra, A. R. Rahman, Marvin Hamlisch and Debbie Wiseman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A View to a Kill (song)</span> 1985 single by Duran Duran

"A View to a Kill" is a song by English rock band Duran Duran, released on 6 May 1985. Written and recorded as the theme for the James Bond film of the same name, it became one of the band's biggest hits. It is the only James Bond theme song to have reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100; it also made it to number two for three weeks on the UK Singles Chart while stuck behind Paul Hardcastle's "19". The song was the last track recorded by the most famous five-member lineup of Duran Duran until their reunion in 2001 and was also performed by the band at Live Aid in Philadelphia, their final performance together before their first split.

Charles Ira Fox is an American composer for film and television. His compositions include the sunshine pop musical backgrounds which accompanied every episode of the 1970s ABC-TV show Love, American Style; the theme song for the late 1970s ABC series The Love Boat; and the dramatic theme music to ABC's Wide World of Sports and the original Monday Night Football; as well as the Grammy-winning hit song "Killing Me Softly with His Song", written in collaboration with Fox's longtime writing partner, Norman Gimbel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Know My Name</span> 2006 single by Chris Cornell

"You Know My Name" is the theme song of the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale, performed by American musician Chris Cornell, who wrote and produced it jointly with David Arnold, the soundtrack's composer. The film producers chose Cornell because they wanted a strong male singer. Cornell and Arnold tried to make the song a replacement theme for the character instead of the "James Bond Theme" reflecting the agent's inexperience in Casino Royale, as well as an introduction to Daniel Craig's grittier and more emotional portrayal of Bond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldfinger (Shirley Bassey song)</span> 1964 single by Shirley Bassey

"Goldfinger" is the title song from the 1964 James Bond film of the same name. Composed by John Barry and with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, the song was performed by Shirley Bassey for the film's opening and closing title sequences, as well as the soundtrack album release. The single release of the song gave Bassey her only Billboard Hot 100 top forty hit, peaking in the Top 10 at No. 8 and No. 2 for four weeks on the Adult Contemporary chart, and in the United Kingdom the single reached No. 21.

<i>The Man with the Golden Gun</i> (soundtrack) 1974 soundtrack album by John Barry

The Man with the Golden Gun is the soundtrack for the ninth James Bond film of the same name.

<i>Dr. No</i> (soundtrack) 1963 film score by Monty Norman

Dr. No is the film score for the 1962 film of the same name composed by Monty Norman.

<i>From Russia with Love</i> (soundtrack) 1963 soundtrack album by John Barry

From Russia with Love is the soundtrack for the second James Bond film, From Russia With Love. This is the first series film with John Barry as the primary soundtrack composer.

<i>Goldfinger</i> (soundtrack) 1964 soundtrack album by John Barry

Goldfinger is the soundtrack of the 1964 film of the same name, the third film in the James Bond film series, directed by Guy Hamilton. The album was composed by John Barry and distributed by EMI. Two versions were released initially, one in the United States and the United Kingdom, which varied in terms of length and which tracks were within the soundtrack. In 2003, Capitol-EMI records released a remastered version that contained all the tracks within the film.

<i>On Her Majestys Secret Service</i> (soundtrack) 1969 soundtrack album by John Barry, Performed by Louis Armstrong

On Her Majesty's Secret Service ("OHMSS") is the soundtrack for the James Bond film. It was composed, arranged, and conducted by John Barry; his fifth in the series.

<i>A View to a Kill</i> (soundtrack) 1985 soundtrack album by John Barry

A View to a Kill is the soundtrack for the film of the same name, the 14th instalment in the James Bond film series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Only Live Twice (song)</span> 1967 single by Nancy Sinatra

"You Only Live Twice", performed by Nancy Sinatra, is the theme song to the 1967 James Bond film of the same name. The music was by veteran Bond film composer John Barry, with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. The song is widely recognized for its striking opening bars, featuring a simple 2-bar theme in the high octaves of the violins and lush harmonies from French horns. It is considered by some to be among the best James Bond theme songs, and has become one of Nancy Sinatra's best known hits. Shortly after Barry's production, Sinatra's producer Lee Hazlewood released a more guitar-based single version.

Simon Franglen is an English composer of classical and film music. He is also a record producer and former musician. His credits include four of the list of top grossing films and six of the list of best-selling albums of all time.

References

  1. The Sunday Times Magazine (London). 18 December 2011. p. 64.
  2. 1 2 "'James Bond Theme' composer John Barry dies of heart attack". One India. 1 February 2010. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  3. "The John Barry Resource: Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme" Lawsuit". www.jollinger.com. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  4. Tweedie, Neil (20 March 2001). "£30,000 damages for composer of 007 theme tune". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Film composer Barry dies aged 77". The Irish Times . Dublin. 31 January 2011. Archived from the original on 6 March 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Sweeting, Adam (31 January 2011). "John Barry Obituary". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 3 February 2011. WebCitation archive.
  7. 1 2 Hastings, Sheena (31 January 2011). "John Barry Obituary". Yorkshire Post . Leeds. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  8. "John Barry Biography". musicianguide.com. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  9. "John Barry: 15 facts about the great composer". Classic FM. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "John Barry". The Daily Telegraph . London. 31 January 2010.. WebCitation archive.
  11. "John Barry The Gstaad Memorandum". Film score monthly. November 1996. Archived from the original on 17 October 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  12. Pete Frame The restless generation: how rock music changed the face of 1950s Britain 0952954079 2007 – Page 414 "Meanwhile, Barry was winning commissions to arrange music for other acts, starting with a young trio on Decca, the unrelated (to him) Barry Sisters. Together, they cut two singles, Tall Paul and Jo Jo The Dog-faced Boy, which had been consecutive American hits for Annette Funicello. Neither excited retail interest – and nor did any of the three singles he made with Larry Page"
  13. "John Barry: 15 facts about the great composer". Classic FM. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  14. Firth, Simon Music for Pleasure: Essays in the Sociology of Pop Routledge, 1988, p.147
  15. Cody, Joshua (3 November 1933). "The Ensemble Sospeso – John Barry". Sospeso.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  16. Hall, Dr Sheldon Zulu: With Some Guts Behind It: The Making of the Epic Movie 2005 Tomahawk Press
  17. "Midnight Cowboy (1969)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  18. "John Barry: On Her Majesty's Secret Service". Classic FM. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  19. "John Barry: 15 facts about the great composer". Classic FM. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  20. "John Barry: 15 facts about the great composer". Classic FM. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  21. "John Barry: 15 facts about the great composer". Classic FM. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  22. Burlingame, Jon (31 January 2011). "John Barry dies at 77". Variety. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  23. "University of York to award nine honorary degrees". University of York. 21 June 2001. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  24. "Movie music legend John Barry dies aged 77". Mirror.co.uk. 1 February 2010.
  25. Shepherd, Fiona. "Album review: Dame Shirley Bassey". The Scotsman 2 November 2009. WebCitation archive.
  26. Madden, Karl. "The Melancholy Touch: Romantic Shades of John Barry's Bond" Archived 16 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine in James Bond in World and Popular Culture: The Films Are Not Enough. Eds. Robert G. Weiner, B. Lynn Whitfield, and Jack Becker. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars, 1st Edition 2010, 116–126, 2nd Edition 2011, 121–131. Print.
  27. Waaktaar, Pal (interviewee) (2006). James Bond's Greatest Hits (Television). UK: North One Television.
  28. "John Barry: 15 facts about the great composer". Classic FM. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  29. "John Barry – The Man with the Midas Touch". Johnbarry.org.uk. 1 February 2011. Archived from the original on 2 November 2011.
  30. Macnee, Patrick (Narrator). The Bond Sound: The Music of 007 (DVD (Documentary)).
  31. "Monty Norman v. The Sunday Times: The "James Bond Theme" Lawsuit". The John Barry Resource. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
  32. Tweedie, Neil. "£30,000 damages for composer of 007 theme tune", The Telegraph , 20 March 2001. WebCitation archive.
  33. 1 2 "Bond theme writer wins damages". BBC News. 1 February 2010.
  34. "John Barry on the Bond Theme". MI6-HQ.com. 9 September 2006. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
  35. "Centre Island – Long Island New York – Long Island Exchange". Longislandexchange.com. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  36. "John Barry". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  37. 1 2 Burlingame, Jon. "John Barry Dies at 77", Variety , 31 January 2011. WebCitation archive.
  38. Lovece, Frank. "John Barry, Oscar-winning Composer, Dies", Newsday , 31 January 2011
  39. 1 2 "Composer John Barry remembered at memorial concert". BBC. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  40. 1 2 "Bond composer John Barry dies aged 77". BBC. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  41. "John Barry: The Memorial Concert". MI6-HQ.com . Retrieved 15 April 2011.
  42. Fiegel, Eddi (29 November 2012). John Barry: A Sixties Theme: From James Bond to Midnight Cowboy. Faber & Faber. ISBN   9780571299119.
  43. "John Barry: 15 facts about the great composer". Classic FM. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  44. "AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores: Official Ballot" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2011.
  45. "Film Nominations 1986". BAFTA. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  46. "Film Nominations 1991". BAFTA. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  47. "Fellowship Award winners". BAFTA. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  48. 1 2 3 4 "Past Winners Search – John Barry". Grammy.com. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  49. 1 2 "Primetime Emmy Award Database". Emmys.com. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  50. 1 2 "John Barry". The Daily Telegraph. London. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  51. Moriarty (5 November 2004). "AICN Animation Double-Header! Moriarty Interviews Brad Bird!!". Ain't It Cool News. Archived from the original on 18 July 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2013. Yeah. We worked on it for a little while, and I'm a huge fan of John Barry. But I kind of wanted him to go back to a style that he used in the past, and use that as kind of a starting place. I think he kind of felt like he'd already done that.

Further reading