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Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

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Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

Old 02-01-11, 06:07 AM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

Originally Posted by wm lopez
What did he say about the Bond movies in his book?
I heard he was asked to do NEVER SAY AGAIN but declined because of loyalty to Cubby B.
I can't imagine him honestly considering it for two reasons. Firstly, he had to know that Broccoli was already committed to legally strangling the production and there'd be all kinds of legal scrutiny over whatever he might compose. Secondly, Never Say Never Again was a one-off production with a budget that didn't even allow Irvin Kershner to hire James Horner, who had done practically nothing to that point (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was released in 1982, but I'm not sure how much time had passed between that and when Kershner went about trying to hire a composer.)
Old 02-01-11, 09:08 AM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

Originally Posted by wm lopez
What did he say about the Bond movies in his book?
I heard he was asked to do NEVER SAY AGAIN but declined because of loyalty to Cubby B.
There is quite a bit about the Bond movies in the book but I have seen no mention of NSNA. I just checked the index and it isn't in it either.

As far has Wonderful World being Armstrong's last recording, I gave my Dad a book about the making of OHMSS ( http://www.amazon.com/Making-Her-Maj...2&sr=1-8-spell ) for x-mas and I could swear that it stated that it wasn't his last recorded song as many believe but it was his last big hit. He was very sick and weak when he recorded the song though. That was just from me glancing at the book before I gave it to him so I am not completely certain.
Old 02-01-11, 10:05 AM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

Does the book talk about the Bond films he didn't score? I've often wondered if they wanted him but he was already tied up with another film.
Old 02-01-11, 09:49 PM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

I believe I read it somewhere.
Might have been 007 MAGAZINE which I subscribe to.
I'll look at my back issues.
Old 02-01-11, 11:04 PM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

I know James Horner was asked to do it but Connery did not approve after meeting at a cafe.
Old 02-02-11, 09:40 AM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

Originally Posted by rw2516
Does the book talk about the Bond films he didn't score? I've often wondered if they wanted him but he was already tied up with another film.
A few interesting Bond tid-bits from the book.

John Barry couldn't stand George Lazenby and has a few coarse comments about him. Lazenby wanted Blood Sweat And Tears to record "We Have All The Time In The World."

Barry got along well with Cubby Broccoli but never got along with Harry Saltzman. Saltzman supposedly disliked the song "Diamonds Are Forever" which infuriated Barry. Saltzman felt the line "Hold one up and then caress it, touch it, stroke it and undress it" was obscene. Barry admittedly told Bassey to visualize the image of a penis when singing those lines but in his opinion, they were no way offensive in the context of a diamond. Barry questioned Saltzman's competence to make such a critical analysis of the song and then threw him out of his apartment. The book states Barry's anger even influenced his decision not to score Live And Let Die. He also honored a commitment to the musical "Billy" during this time but he was back for Man With The Golden Gun.

It says he wrote MWGG's score in three weeks and in my opinion, it shows. One of my least favorite of the Bond scores he did. Barry didn't like the main song he and Don Black wrote together either. He was somewhat jaded with JB at this point in his career and took a 5 year sabbatical before coming back to Moonraker. It also states he likely missed The Spy Who Loved Me due to choosing to permanently reside in America to avoid tax problems that would have resulted from his setting foot in Britain. With Moonraker shot partially in France, he was able to return and record that music in Paris.

Frank Sinatra was asked to sing Moonraker but he turned it down. Then Johnny Mathis was considered but it didn't work out.

Interestingly, it was Barry's recommendation that Bill Conti be hired to compose the score for For Your Eyes Only because he was unavailable. The book doesn't say why but it appears likely for tax reasons again. He settled this in 1983 and thus returned to the fold for the next 3 JB films.

Barry enjoyed his collaboration with Duran Duran but hated a-ha. It doesn't say why Living Daylights was his final JB score but it looks like he was just tired of doing them by this time and wanted to move on. It may give some more information in another chapter but I haven't seen it scanning through the book.

There are lots of other small tidbits of JB info but the above is the main stuff you asked about. Hope it helps. I definitely recommend picking up the book as it goes through basically every score he ever did and gives info on each.
Old 02-02-11, 09:50 AM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

Originally Posted by brianluvdvd
A few interesting Bond tid-bits from the book.

John Barry couldn't stand George Lazenby and has a few coarse comments about him. Lazenby wanted Blood Sweat And Tears to record "We Have All The Time In The World."
No doubt, Louis Armstrong was the right choice but I have to say I'd have liked to have heard Blood, Sweat and Tears's take on the song.

Barry got along well with Cubby Broccoli but never got along with Harry Saltzman. Saltzman supposedly disliked the song "Diamonds Are Forever" which infuriated Barry.
It's well known that Saltzman was the one who kept pushing for stunts and gags in the movies, having become bored with merely adapting Fleming's novels. It's my understanding that he was somewhat manic, prone to fits of fancy and could be difficult to reason with once he got a whim.

That said, I'm with Saltzman about "Diamonds Are Forever." Not because of the line, "Hold one up and then caress it, touch it, stroke it and undress it," but because I think the song is subpar. I'll go ahead and throw up that soundtrack and then comment further on it.

It says he wrote MWGG's score in three weeks and in my opinion, it shows. One of my least favorite of the Bond scores he did. Barry didn't like the main song he and Don Black wrote together either.
The score is kind of weak, but I personally love the title song. It's a guilty pleasure.

Thanks for taking the time to share all those tidbits, by the way! I was familiar with most of it, but I think they really added to our discussion here.
Old 02-02-11, 11:37 AM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

Originally Posted by MinLShaw
Sorry for the month long delay! I got distracted with the TV on DVD* Challenge and kind of forgot about this thread. Anyway, OHMSS stands as one of the strongest scores in the Bond canon, which is almost surprising given the high prevalence of synthesizer. Barry makes it work, though, and the driving main title is killer. Louis Armstrong's weary vocals infuse "We Have All the Time in the World" with an endearing sweetness (alas, that's not him playing horn; he was incapable of performing by the time of recording). Another standout is the romping version of "James Bond Theme" played over the end credits (an arrangement David Arnold would steal for 1999's The World Is Not Enough).

The 2003 CD reissue is a must for Bond music fans, adding ten tracks and expanding an eleventh ("Journey to Blofeld's Hideaway"). Sean Connery may not have been on hand, but John Barry's score made it clear that this was a James Bond movie.
Not only one of my favorite Bond movies, but I also love the soundtrack to OHMSS equally! I agree with pretty much everything you said.
Old 02-02-11, 03:18 PM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

Both the Diamonds Are Forever and MWTGG title songs are sub-par, but the melody of both songs works beautifully spread throughout the score.
Old 02-02-11, 03:58 PM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

Diamonds Are Forever song I like, but MWTGG song could have been better if done by another band.
Elton John at that time would have been good.
Old 02-02-11, 06:15 PM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

Yeah, I too like the Diamonds Are Forever song, if only for the great bassline and 70's feel that it has.

I don't even think the MWTGG song could have been done by another band and made to sound any better; that was Barry's only misstep as the melody is pretty bad.
Old 02-03-11, 05:57 PM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks


Diamonds Are Forever - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Music Composed, Arranged and Conducted by John Barry
Title Song Sung by Shirley Bassey
Lyrics by Don Black
  1. "Diamonds Are Forever (Main Title)" Vocals by Shirley Bassey
  2. "Bond Meets Bambi and Thumper"
  3. "Moon Buggy Ride"
  4. "Circus, Circus"
  5. "Death at the Whyte House"
  6. "Diamonds Are Forever (Source Material)"
  7. "Diamonds Are Forever (Bond and Tiffany)"
  8. "Bond Smells a Rat"
  9. "Tiffany Case"
  10. "007 and Counting"
  11. "Q's Trick"
  12. "To Hell with Blofeld"
  13. "Gunbarrel and Manhunt"
  14. "Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd/Bond to Holland"
  15. "Peter Franks"
  16. "Airport Source/On the Road"
  17. "Slumber, Inc."
  18. "The Whyte House"
  19. "Plenty, Then Tiffany"
  20. "Following the Diamonds"
  21. "Additional and Alternate Cues"

Last edited by Travis McClain; 02-03-11 at 06:11 PM.
Old 02-03-11, 06:09 PM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

As I already indicated, I'm not a big fan of "Diamonds Are Forever" as a song. I think it's one of the weaker Bond title songs, but I do like that it's got a different sound than most of the others. Barry's score, though, is pretty strong. I love the eerie motif for Kidd and Wint, and the instrumental interpretations of the title song are actually pretty interesting. I dig the lounge version. And bonus: Barry brought back "007" for the film's climax!

The 2003 re-issue adds quite a lot of material and is clearly the version that Bond music fans will want in their library. The film opening "Gunbarrel and Manhunt" is old school Bond coolness, and "Following the Diamonds" stands on its own as an almost creepy composition. Diamonds Are Forever isn't in the same league as From Russia with Love or On Her Majesty's Secret Service but I think it stands firmly with Thunderball.
Old 02-03-11, 06:16 PM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

I think the reason why I enjoy Diamonds Are Forever more than others is that it's the closest to a mix of the spy genre and film noir of the series and the Barry score has a huge hand in that. As you mentioned, the Kidd and Wint piece adds to the murky sub-plot points that the film adds to throw the viewer off of what the whole movie is about.

And yeah, I cannot picture any other "Bond song" playing over the oil-rig finale than 007; it's brass and string combo used in staccato form help to punctuate the action points very well.
Old 02-12-11, 06:51 PM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks


Live and Let Die Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Music Score by George Martin
Title Song Composed by Paul and Linda McCartney
And Performed by Paul McCartney and Wings
  1. "Live and Let Die (Main Title)" Performed by Paul McCartney & Wings
  2. "Just a Closer Walk with Thee/New Second Line" Performed by Harold A. "Duke" Dejang & the Olympia Brass Band
  3. "Bond Meets Solitaire"
  4. "Whisper Who Dares"
  5. "Snakes Alive"
  6. "Baron Samedi's Dance of Death"
  7. "San Monique"
  8. "Fillet of Soul - New Orleans/Live and Let Die - performed by B.J. Arnau/Fillet of Soul - Harlem"
  9. "Bond Drops In"
  10. "If He Finds It, Kill Him"
  11. "Trespassers Will Be Eaten"
  12. "Solitaire Gets Her Cards"
  13. "Sacrifice"
  14. "James Bond Theme"
  15. "Gunbarrel/Snakebit"
  16. "Bond to New York"
  17. "San Monique" [Alternate]
  18. "Bond and Rosie"
  19. "The Lovers"
  20. "New Orleans"
  21. "Boat Chase"
  22. "Underground Lair"
Old 02-12-11, 06:58 PM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

Welcome to the Roger Moore era, boys and girls! I've never been a big fan of Live and Let Die as a movie, but I would count the music along with Jane Seymour as one of the highlights. It's a dated score, to be sure; even if you had no idea what it was from it'd be easy enough to peg as being from the 70s. And yet, it has an endearing charm that I think has managed to age fairly well. I dig the motif that plays when Bond is traveling. The action cues are energetic, and Martin makes good use of the title song. For my money, this is one of the stronger scores not composed by John Barry, maybe the best of the 70s and in the upper echelon of the overall Bond canon. It falls just shy of greatness, though, never quite as solid as, say, From Russia with Love or On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Old 02-12-11, 09:52 PM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

Thanks for keeping up with soundtracks MinLShaw, I look forward to the discussions!

As I mentioned in the Bond thread, I do not like Live and Let Die, either the theme or the music; even in the film it seemed to be low-key and really only the ambiance music like the funeral procession or the San Monique ritual music stood out. I think the fact that it's also one of the Bonds I watch the least is a contributor.
Old 01-14-15, 11:30 AM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

I hate this thread died but I thought it would be apropos to resurrect it with kickstarter project info regarding recording a complete soundtrack for Moonraker.

Details are here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...-new-recording

and here: http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/boar...ID=1&archive=0
Old 01-21-15, 02:48 AM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

OHMSS is one of the few soundtracks in which I can recall a lot of the "incidental" music from memory alone.

The other ones I usually remember for their themes (good or bad).
Old 01-21-15, 08:51 AM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

I got a very clean copy of OHMSS on vinyl last year.
Old 12-25-15, 09:09 AM
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Re: Album by Album: James Bond Soundtracks

I thought this was pretty cool, and far superior to what we got: https://m.soundcloud.com/radiohead/spectre

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