The Official David Arnold thread

[GerateWohl 5,040]

I never thought, Play Dead could be sung by anyone but Björk. But you never know.

[Sweeping Strings 2,613]

On 10/09/2023 at 3:13 AM, LSH said:

Didn't think it was quite worthy of a thread itself (and I couldn't find a 'general' David Arnold thread) so I'll announce it here:

 

from

https://soundtrackfest.com/en/news/david-arnold-the-songs-live-uk-tour-nov-2023/

 

 

Something different... but the Hare & Hounds pub is very literally 1 mile down the road from me. Might be worth checking out.

Got back from a week's holiday in Brum on Friday - if the Hare And Hounds date had happened during it, I'd definitely have gone to it (although given that I did catch Ricky Gervais at the Utilita Arena on the Monday night, went to the Rep on Tuesday night for 'Noises Off' and was at the 1000 Trades pub for their improv night on Wed, I can't really complain about the live entertainment options while I was there).   

[LSH 1,048]

1 minute ago, Sweeping Strings said:

1000 Trades pub 

 

A good friend of mine runs that place.

[Sweeping Strings 2,613]

A 2 course meal and 4 beers in it came to only 31 quid. Bargain! 

[thestat 411]

Watched Godzilla again - what a fantastic score. SO fucking lively and massive. The melodies are exquisite and the orchestral dynamics wonderful, Who the fuck ever thought this was a lesser work? It sounds like Arnold is Mahler riding on Herrmann - just great. The finale especially is so impressive as a composition

 

 

[Andy 5,152]

For whatever reason, Godzilla slipped by me and I never pursued it.  Wish these things could be reprinted on demand. 
 

Just did a FOMO blind buy of the World is Not Enough.  Hope I like it. 

[Schilkeman 1,330]

The second cd I ever bought was the soundtrack to Independence Day. I’ll always have a soft spot for David Arnold, even if I haven’t been thrilled with where his sound has gone.  

[Naïve Old Fart 10,426]

11 minutes ago, Schilkeman said:

The second cd I ever bought was the soundtrack to Independence Day. I’ll always have a soft spot for David Arnold, even if I haven’t been thrilled with where his sound has gone.  

 

So... what was the first?

 

 

Because of the Jamiroquai song, and the fact that GODZILLA had one of those "Music From And Inspired By" CDs, like @Andy, the score passed me by, but I'm liking what I'm hearing.

[Edmilson 8,919]

I'm listening to Arnold's Zilla score now thanks to @thestat's post, and not only it's great but also it's so much fun! I miss the times when action blockbusters had fun scores like this. Since Bourne/Batman Begins, most music for Hollywood action movies is of the "dark and disturbing" brand.

[Naïve Old Fart 10,426]

I agree, @Edmilson.

For further details, see my most recent post, in the "Who Is The Most Overrated Film Composer?" thread.

[Schilkeman 1,330]

7 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

So... what was the first?

That would be John Williams Conducts John Williams: The Star Wars Trilogy

[Sweeping Strings 2,613]

13 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

 

So... what was the first?

 

 

Because of the Jamiroquai song, and the fact that GODZILLA had one of those "Music From And Inspired By" CDs, like @Andy, the score passed me by, but I'm liking what I'm hearing.

I remember quite liking the Jamiroquai track. He will forever be the Twat In The Hat, though.  

[Naïve Old Fart 10,426]

"Twat In The Hat" 

 

[Sweeping Strings 2,613]

The 'eco-concern' lyrics penned by a man with a huge penchant for gas-guzzling sports cars are hilariously hypocritical. 

[Naïve Old Fart 10,426]

Agreed.

It's as hypocritical as a multimillionaire singing about the homeless ("Another Day In Paradise").

[1977 1,746]

I only recently discovered this song written by Arnold and Don Black:

 

 

To be clear this is not a rejected song for QoS but apparently Arnold had started writing this in anticipation, only to be told that Keyes and White had been signed to do their "song".

 

The song was finished and recorded with Bassey as part of the Arnold-produced The Performance album.

 

If there was ever any doubt that the Bond producers are musical idiots then this is proof positive.

 

[Sweeping Strings 2,613]

Certainly during the Craig era, one wonders what the hell they were thinking with 3 of the tracks (the aforementioned Another Way To Die, Sam 'balls* in a vice' Smith's Writing's On The Wall and mumblin' Billie Eilish's No Time To Die). 

*Of course, by now there is every chance that he/she/they/it is no longer in possession of said dangly bits.   

[1977 1,746]

Not to mention dumping Surrender for squeaky Sheryl Crowe and Demonna's whatever that was.

 

Have they not figured out after sixty years that the best Bond title songs are written or at least co-written with the composer of the score?

 

Not wanting Shirley Bassey to record a new Bond song is like having access to Jerry Goldsmith to score your mediocre film, but then deciding to go with...some random 3rd rate hack. It's incredible how she can still belt them out at her age, and Arnold sure can write a tune.

[Sweeping Strings 2,613]

Don't mind Crow's Tomorrow Never Dies, but given that there were submissions by the likes of Pulp and Radiohead for TND's song it strikes me that the producers could've been a little more adventurous. A squandered opportunity to surf the late 90s 'Britpop' zeitgeist. 

[Tom Guernsey 2,681]

4 hours ago, JTWfan77 said:

I only recently discovered this song written by Arnold and Don Black:

 

 

To be clear this is not a rejected song for QoS but apparently Arnold had started writing this in anticipation, only to be told that Keyes and White had been signed to do their "song".

 

The song was finished and recorded with Bassey as part of the Arnold-produced The Performance album.

 

If there was ever any doubt that the Bond producers are musical idiots then this is proof positive.

 

Fucking hell, that's brilliant. Bought and will be added to the QoS album and the "official" song (one of my least favourite Bond songs" relegated to... somewhere else.

 

2 hours ago, Sweeping Strings said:

Don't mind Crow's Tomorrow Never Dies, but given that there were submissions by the likes of Pulp and Radiohead for TND's song it strikes me that the producers could've been a little more adventurous. A squandered opportunity to surf the late 90s 'Britpop' zeitgeist. 

I thought Radiohead did a song for Spectre? Did they do one for TND as well? What was Pulp's effort? Gotta love some Jarvis...

[1977 1,746]

What seemed effortless in the final product was apparently not so much

 

 

He's got some pipes on him too!

 

 

 

🤣

 

 

[Tallguy 4,417]

Have Mark Sheppard and David Arnold ever been seen in the same room?

[Sweeping Strings 2,613]

13 hours ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Fucking hell, that's brilliant. Bought and will be added to the QoS album and the "official" song (one of my least favourite Bond songs" relegated to... somewhere else.

 

I thought Radiohead did a song for Spectre? Did they do one for TND as well? What was Pulp's effort? Gotta love some Jarvis...

I actually think I've mixed up Radiohead covering Nobody Does It Better at their gigs with them submitting a song for SPECTRE, and out of that came me thinking they'd submitted one for TND. 

The Pulp track was Tomorrow Never Lies, the movie's original title. They did work with Arnold on his Bond covers album Shaken And Stirred, doing All Time High.   

[1977 1,746]

19 hours ago, JTWfan77 said:

I only recently discovered this song written by Arnold and Don Black:

 

 

To be clear this is not a rejected song for QoS but apparently Arnold had started writing this in anticipation, only to be told that Keyes and White had been signed to do their "song".

 

The song was finished and recorded with Bassey as part of the Arnold-produced The Performance album.

 

If there was ever any doubt that the Bond producers are musical idiots then this is proof positive.

 

 

This song is a serious earworm. I find myself hearing it in my head all day long. I even woke up this morning with it playing in my brain

[Naïve Old Fart 10,426]

It's well-known that Arnold and Black were trying to get Amy Winehouse to sing this.

I can understand why EON preferred "Another Way To Die" (which, like QUANTUM OF SOLACE, has grown on me, over the years).

[GerateWohl 5,040]

I really like "Another Way To Die". It has a cool Prince vibe and I adore how the "Bond DNA" is vowen into a rock song here.

Still I would say, I like No Good About Goodbye better, than Adele's Skyfall. That song, for me patched together from fragments of "Diamonds are Forever" is a little overrated in my view.

[Naïve Old Fart 10,426]

6 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

... overrated ...

 

Oh, no!

Did you have to say that word? 

"Another Way To Die" suits the gritty, no-nonsense film, for which it was written.

"You Know My Name" is awesome.

"Skyfall" is nothing less than an abomination.

"Writing's On The Wall", is not bad, but, ultimately, laughable.

"No Time To Die" is a fucking joke... but no-one's laughing.

[Tallguy 4,417]

I love Skyfall.

I would have liked something different but Writing's On the Wall actually gets stuck in my head for days at a time.

I'm indifferent to No Time to Die.

I HAAAAATE Another Way to Die. And this is from someone who thought Die Another Day was... Fine? (Although I haven't listened to it in over a decade.)

[tomsmoviemadness 3,495]

Same here.. I love Skyfall. I remember I heard it for the first time in the film in the cinema. That was an incredible experience, I thought.

Writing's On The Wall is fine. I also really like No Time To Die, but that's probably because I've always liked Eillish's vocals.

 

Another Way To Die is awful. Together with Die Another Day those are the worst Bond songs.

 

You Know My Name is actually is a really great song. It just took me a while to warm up to it

[Tallguy 4,417]

You Know My Name is one of the greatest Bond songs OF ALL TIME.

[Tom Guernsey 2,681]

6 hours ago, Sweeping Strings said:

I actually think I've mixed up Radiohead covering Nobody Does It Better at their gigs with them submitting a song for SPECTRE, and out of that came me thinking they'd submitted one for TND. 
 

No worries, Radiohead's Spectre song is pretty great. I inserted into the soundtrack on iTunes ages ago, much better than the actual song.

 

6 hours ago, Sweeping Strings said:

The Pulp track was Tomorrow Never Lies, the movie's original title. They did work with Arnold on his Bond covers album Shaken And Stirred, doing All Time High.   

Thanks for the info. I don't seem to have This is Hardcore (more a casual Pulp fan) so will have to pick it up sometimes. Seems to be on the second disc of the deluxe edition as well as a B side. Listening to it on YouTube I rather like but not totally sold on Jarvis Cocker as a Bond song singer somehow, but it's still a great song. I like his All Time High too.

39 minutes ago, Tallguy said:

You Know My Name is one of the greatest Bond songs OF ALL TIME.

Agreed, absolutely love that one.

 

I never liked Die Another Day until I got Silva's 4CD Bond collection and heard their orchestral version and realised that I actually quite liked it. I don't think that's gonna happen with anything from Adele to date though...

[Sweeping Strings 2,613]

40 minutes ago, Tallguy said:

You Know My Name is one of the greatest Bond songs OF ALL TIME.

'Alternative rock' artists provided 2 of the best - YKMN, and Garbage's The World Is Not Enough.  

[Thor 8,353]

James Bond.

[1977 1,746]

On 15/09/2023 at 12:19 PM, Tallguy said:

I would have liked something different but Writing's On the Wall actually gets stuck in my head for days at a time.

 

I don't mind the song, but would have prefered an actual singer performed it sans falsetto. 

 

On 15/09/2023 at 3:20 PM, Sweeping Strings said:

'Alternative rock' artists provided 2 of the best - YKMN, and Garbage's The World Is Not Enough.  

 

And both were composed (co-composed?) by Arnold.

 

On 15/09/2023 at 3:16 PM, Tom Guernsey said:

I never liked Die Another Day until I got Silva's 4CD Bond collection and heard their orchestral version and realised that I actually quite liked it. I don't think that's gonna happen with anything from Adele to date though...

 

The orchestral version is...interesting, but serves to highlight how completely unsuitable the song is for a Bond film.

 

I would have prefered this:

 

 

I quite enjoy Silva's orchestral take on Skyfall.

[Naïve Old Fart 10,426]

It's nice, but I think I prefer "Only Myself To Blame" (yes, I know they are from different films, but, to these ears, they sound quite alike).

[Andy 5,152]

Dammit this thread made me order Godzilla. 

[Tallguy 4,417]

16 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

It's nice, but I think I prefer "Only Myself To Blame" (yes, I know they are from different films, but, to these ears, they sound quite alike).

 

I'll take Writing's on the Wall over Only Myself. I've always HATED that song.

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

 

 

[Richard P 4,189]

That's really beautiful. The only other version I've heard that gives remotely similar chills is this one from The Nativity Story, but Arnold's has that bit of extra sparkle.

 

 

[Giftheck 1,023]

ITV are airing a repeat of The Chase Celebrity Special, David Arnold is one of the contestants.

[Naïve Old Fart 10,426]

29 minutes ago, Giftheck said:

ITV are airing a repeat of The Chase Celebrity Special, David Arnold is one of the contestants.

 

I'm unable to watch it. Who's the chaser?

[Giftheck 1,023]

1 hour ago, Slipperman9 said:

 

I'm unable to watch it. Who's the chaser?

 

Darragh Ennis.

 

EDIT: I didn't see this one through the first time, I think I assumed a win for the Chaser and just stopped watching it. I did watch it all the way through this time.

 

Spoiler

The outcome was that the team got 15 steps, 5 pushbacks, and won with 1 step remaining when time ran out. Shared £19,000 between their charities. £8,000 of the total prize fun was earned by David Arnold.

 

I must say that "David Arnold and Basil Brush in the same room" was not on any of my bingo cards.