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The John Barry Thread


Sharkissimo

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I had major issues with Barry for the first 20-25 years of my film music fandom, and I still do for certain things (especially the staccato action writing, prevalent in the Bond movies, for example). But over the last 5 years or so, I've come to really appreciate the thematic writing, and the pastoral quality of some works. So I've acquired things like DANCES WITH WOLVES, SOMEWHERE IN TIME, THE LAST VALLEY, PETULIA and the elegant, jazzy concert album AMERICANS.

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  • 4 months later...

If only because someone posted some rather cool alternative cover art here or at FSM (apologies, I can't recall which or who it was) but I gave The Cotton Club a listen and, as noted, there is very little Barry score on the album - indeed if you have it on a compilation, that's probably all you need if you're just after his music. Having said that, I actually enjoyed the jazz standards. Does anyone know how much score is in the film? I always thought of it was a relatively well known Barry score but perhaps that's just because the theme appears on compilations. Surprised nobody has looked to release more... unless there isn't more to release?!

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  • 8 months later...
5 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

KING KONG is, easily, top-5 Barry, for me.

For once we agree.

That island music us wonderful.

My rendition:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/JohnBarryAppreciationSociety/permalink/10158717686665770/

 

Fyi IIRC the OST has a specially arranged version which further develops the melody.

I think it also appears during the montage of Dwan on the tanker.

 

Top " Five" Barry

1. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

2. OHMSS

3. BODY HEAT

4. KING KONG

5. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

6. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

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On 26/03/2022 at 10:15 PM, Bespin said:

OKay, so tell us what are the 10 albums in your top-5? :P

 

My Barry top-5 would be, in chronological order:

THE LION IN WINTER

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE

KING KONG 

BODY HEAT 

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS

 

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Just buy 'The Last Valley'. Barry, like Morricone, isn't a composer where you need every last minute of music, there's a lot of low-key stuff on Bond that ain't that great. And the expanded editions that are out since the early 2000's include his most important contributions on very long albums.

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Since my first contact with a Barry score was The Black Hole, I couldn't help noticing the similarities of the The Last Valley Main Title and The Black Hole's "Durant is Dead", which was for a long time my favourite track on the OST (but not on the expansion, where it has a lousy sound somehow).

 

 

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14 hours ago, bruce marshall said:

Get the Quartet if you can

 

I would if I could.

 

My top Barry would probably make some eyes roll

 

Black Hole

Dances With Wolves

StarCrash

King Kong

Thunderball

Legend of the Lone Ranger

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

I've discovered a compilation of John Barry featuring a bunch of re-recordings he made between 1967 and 1970.

 

It contains some nice instrumentals of his songs composed for James Bond movies, a jazzy version of "The Lion in Winter"... wow these versions are quite funky!

 

NS04MjIzLmpwZWc.jpeg

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  • 1 month later...

I came across an album called "Moviola", recoded in 1992 by Barry himself with the Royal Philh. O.

 

I didn't found many documentation on the web, I think it was done a for a television special. Some people seemed to blame Barry for making a very romantic selection of the highlights of his career, and for setting aside his "James Bond" period (which was addressed in a subsequent volume, Moviola II)

 

Any comments about these UFOs?

 

Primary

 

Primary

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Often too slow and languid, even by Barry standards. Some of the long-lined melodies die a prolonged and agonizing death. I didn't even bother with Volume 2. Rumor has it that 'Moviola' (the cue) was the rejected theme from 'Prince of Tides'.

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3 hours ago, publicist said:

Often too slow and languid, even by Barry standards. Some of the long-lined melodies die a prolonged and agonizing death. I didn't even bother with Volume 2. Rumor has it that 'Moviola' (the cue) was the rejected theme from 'Prince of Tides'.

They are somewhat drawn out performances but I always loved the first album. The rich golden sound perfectly suits the music but I agree to some extent on volume 2 which doesn’t work as well with Bond tracks which tend to dawdle. The titular track from the first volume was also repurposed as Flight Over New York from Across the Sea of Time (which I think is a hidden gem in Barry’s illustrious back catalogue). 

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  • 10 months later...
On 27/04/2023 at 7:22 AM, Naïve Old Fart said:

Is there any love out there, for THE TAMARIND SEED?

 

Thanks, @Yavar Moradi.

 

 

 

23 minutes ago, Indianagirl said:

No chance of a complete Black Hole?

 

Wasn't there a recent (ish) re-release of THE BLACK HOLE?

What's on that?

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