Favorite John Barry Bond movie cues. And why they're magnificent.

MrGoreMrGore Posts: 129MI6 Agent
I’ve given up even thinking about Bond25. He wil return. He always has.

So, I decided to post some things about this beloved franchise. Things that genuinely move me and have given me great enjoyment over the years.

First.

My love for the music of John Barry. From the first time I heard Thunderball in the cinema in 1965, and ran out to spend my pocket money on the vinyl 7 inch Tom Jones theme from John Menzies, Barry’s music has been a part of the soundtrack of my life. I saw him conduct his music at the Albert Hall, London, in 1998. An amazing evening.

So, I decided to post my Top Three Barry Bond music cues. With each of these, I only have to hear the music and the scene is vivid in my mind. And the emotion evoked instantly. To me, Barry used very unorthodox patterns in his music. Like Bernard Herrmann using repeating sequences in Psycho and North By Northwest to enhance tension, Barry's music added layers to the visuals.
He was an authentic genius. Barry built story with his music cues.

1 Goldfinger “The Laser Scene”
In this the repeating 9 note string theme, cycling endlessly, becoming tighter and tighter, perfectly reflects Bond’s state of mind and body. Patient. Steady. Unrelenting. Astonishing piece of film music. IMHO

2 You Only Live Twice “Capsule In Space” Same idea of a repeating pattern building to a crescendo. Lifting. Rising. And with an undercurrent of threat. Delicate flutes countered by heavy horn theme.

3 Moonraker “Flight Into Space”
Sublime is the only word which comes to mind. Has a religious quality to it matching the idea of ascending into a new world. Drax’s nightmare.

Comments

  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    I'd agree with your choices there, personally I find it impossible to pick favourites of Barry's work, I love the warehouse fight scene on the roof top. Ties in so well with the ariel photography.
    Moonraker, the dog chase scene in the woods.
    I love dafs soundtrack as a whole, but ohmss is just a tour de force up there with Tb for me.

    P. S I'm also weary of the Bond 25 no news guessplogy game.
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,052Chief of Staff
    Make that 3 of us. (At least)

    I adore John Barry's music beyond any bounds of reason, and have done since the 60s. OHMSS main theme; 007; Capsule In Space. Main reason (apart from their beauty) is their aptness for the story.
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    Barbel wrote:
    Make that 3 of us. (At least)

    I adore John Barry's music beyond any bounds of reason, and have done since the 60s. OHMSS main theme; 007; Capsule In Space. Main reason (apart from their beauty) is their aptness for the story.
    I'm with you there, the music just belongs, it sits so effortlessly. Listening back in the car (as I often do) or on the headphones or blasting out around the house the music creates such accurate mental images.
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Agreed -{ Barry's music simply transports you into another realm. They fit each film perfectly and as
    Chriscoop points out. On any stand alone listen, they can evoke such memories and images that on many
    occasions I have a Barry score playing in my head. :)
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  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,052Chief of Staff
    Oh good, it's not just me then!

    Honourable mention: The James Bond Theme. Without getting into the details (and you all know I have spent a lot of time doing just that) of how much is Norman and how much is Barry, it's the exact piece of music required at specific times.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,052Chief of Staff
    When listening to the the excellent Radio 4 adaptations of Ian Fleming, the main drawback for me is the music. They are unable to use Barry's music for legal reasons, so for example
    Tracy's death
    isn't accompanied by "We Have All The Time In The World" which is just wrong, and when M has Bond look into a diamond in DAF we don't hear the tinkling ostinato we obviously should.
    I'm stressing this just to show how right Barry's music is for certain scenes.
  • Matt SMatt S Oh Cult Voodoo ShopPosts: 6,596MI6 Agent
    What I most appreciate about any cue of Barry's is that it is a complete, whole piece of music on its own without the film. Though I heard all of his Bond music for the first time within the context of the Bond films, I've heard much of his other music before seeing the films that he wrote the music for. I have The Last Valley soundtrack, but I have not yet seen the film. It's incredible, meaningful music all on its own. Barry's music can evoke images from the films without knowing what actually happens in the films. When I've seen a film with Barry's music after I've heard the music, I feel like I've already seen most of the film.

    I have a difficult time singling out individual cues from Barry's scores. His scores are entire pieces of music, while individual cues are only part of a whole.
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  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    I completely agree with everything everyone has said. My love for JBs music too extends beyond his work on Bond, Zulu being a standout for me, along with the pursuaders amongst other more obscure pieces.
    I also have an automatic built in Barry player in my head, cues and title songs pop in there and can stay with me for ages. I love his textured use of instruments from sweeping harps to punctuating brass. Just watching tmwtgg I love that score too, right up until lulu starts.
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,052Chief of Staff
    Matt S wrote:
    What I most appreciate about any cue of Barry's is that it is a complete, whole piece of music on its own without the film. Though I heard all of his Bond music for the first time within the context of the Bond films, I've heard much of his other music before seeing the films that he wrote the music for. I have The Last Valley soundtrack, but I have not yet seen the film. It's incredible, meaningful music all on its own. Barry's music can evoke images from the films without knowing what actually happens in the films. When I've seen a film with Barry's music after I've heard the music, I feel like I've already seen most of the film.

    I have a difficult time singling out individual cues from Barry's scores. His scores are entire pieces of music, while individual cues are only part of a whole.

    Totally agree! {[]
  • Mr SnowMr Snow Station "J" JamaicaPosts: 1,736MI6 Agent
    The one that is a stand out for me is at Café Martinique in Thunderball. I just love the gentleness of the music and the scene itself with Domino and Bond on the dance floor and this is a very nice vivid memory for me. I also think it is quite a poignant scene in the film when Domino says "The way you... hold me." She has fallen for him in a way and she has his trust (that's how I saw it anyway) and I just found it moving as such.

    Many, many other Bond/Barry scenes I can think of but this was the standout for me. -{
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  • MrGoreMrGore Posts: 129MI6 Agent
    edited September 2018
    on many
    occasions I have a Barry score playing in my head. 

    And here was me thinking it was only me who hears that life soundtrack in my head.

    Non Bond scores have also hit me hard over the years.

    I remember the cue for the scene in King Kong where Kong strips Jessica's gown off underneath the waterfall. Only Barry could make a giant ape stripping a tiny woman sound authentically romantic.

    Also, my favourite non Bond score is Body Heat. I saw that movie on a very hot Glasgow summer evening (now that is a true rarity). Came out the cinema and couldn't get the theme music out of my head for days.
  • hehadlotsofgutshehadlotsofguts Durham England Posts: 2,107MI6 Agent
    I've recently been listening to OHMSS There's a few cues i love. The whole score is a masterpiece!

    Gumbold's Safe

    Love the synthesisers and the brass. I love how it gets louder, when Gumbold is on his way back to the office. Really emphasises how suspenseful it is,that Bond could be caught. The part near the end when Bond leaves Gumbold's office and you get those plucked guitar strings. I think it sounds cool.

    Dusk At Piz Gloria
    Sounds very romantic and peaceful. Not in the finished film. I wonder if leaving it out works best. Makes the part where Bond gets shocked, more impactful.
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  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Ohmss, is my favourite Bond score -{ so many
    Great compositions.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Golrush007Golrush007 South AfricaPosts: 3,418Quartermasters
    It's an incredibly difficult task to choose just three music cues, but I've given it my best try.

    James Bond With Bongos - From Russia With Love is my favourite Bond film, and I just love this arrangement of the James Bond Theme, followed up the very evocative bongos and bass section at the end.

    Escape From Piz Gloria - a great action cue, making full use of Barry's brilliant OHMSS main theme.

    Capsule in Space - Classic Barry. Repeated musical phrases, slowly building. Terrific atmosphere and tension.


    The runners up were:

    Oddjob's Pressing Engagement
    Hercules Take Off
    Flight into Space
    Snow Job
    Gumbold's Safe
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    Ohmss is quickly coming out on top so far, can't say I'm surprised. Well done to those of you who can even start to pick out 3.
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • I never missI never miss EnglandPosts: 47MI6 Agent
    He was a genius and an integral part of the success of the series. In fact there are a number of key elements (Connery/Hunt/Young/Maibaim/Adam/Binder/Barry) that were all essential in making Bond what it became from DN onwards.

    Favourite cues?
    Cafe Martinique as mentioned already because of its elegance and the impression it gives of the idle rich holidaying in Nassau.
    Moonraker - both the six minutes of flight into space and Bond lured to the pyramid.
    007 theme from the stealing the lektor scene.
    Hercules take off from TLD.

    So many great cues from Barry. If only he had scored GE.

    On a side note, I feel that David Arnold must return for B25 - his CR and QoS scores were great and it'd be lovely for him to do the final Craig.
  • MrGoreMrGore Posts: 129MI6 Agent
    (Connery/Hunt/Young/Maibaim/Adam/Binder/Barry) that were all essential in making Bond what it became from DN onwards.

    That is a magical combination of talents.

    Maibaum was a fantastic screenwriter who knew movie Bond inside out. Young was the best Bond director IMHO. Established so much of what is distinctive about movie Bond.
  • Shady TreeShady Tree London, UKPosts: 2,965MI6 Agent
    edited January 2019
    There are just so many Barry Bond cues forever in my mind that I can't list them all, but 'Hip's Trip' from TMWTGG is certainly one guilty pleasure. I love the playful phrases of traditional Far East music as Scaramanga boards his junket, and then the lavishly perverse, romantic strings with the dark undertow as he wordlessly menaces his girlfriend in the cabin.

    Another favourite is the music as Bond goes mountaineering above the Whyte House in DAF: this has a nocturnal, suspenseful atmosphere to it, again with playful elements but darker undertones too.

    Barry's Bond-action swansong - for the final confrontation with Whitaker in TLD - moves and thrills me as a reworking of some of his staple Bondian motifs; it recalls, indeed, one of his first incidental pieces for the series, 'Stalking' in the FRWL PTS -
    reinforcing the point he made in an interview that scoring the Bonds was essentially like doing variations on the same movie/themes.
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