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Which One time Bond composer do would you have liked to have returned to score another Bond film?

MurdockMurdock The minus world
in Music Posts: 16,349
Monty Norman
George Martin
Marvin Hamlisch
Bill Conti
Michael Kamen
Eric Serra

Each of these composers gave the Bond franchise a fresh new take on the Bond sound. Which one did you like the best and which one do you think deserved a second chance? And your answers can be more than one if you so please.

For me personally I would have liked Michael Kamen to do another Bond score. Recently I've been listening to his scores for the Die Hard movies and thinks he does a very good job for them. I also enjoyed his score for Licence To Kill, he adapted the Bond theme in his own style and it rocked. I would have liked to see how his approached would have been different for a Brosnan Bond film.

I'd have also would have liked to hear another George Martin Bond score. His work for Live and Let Die was truly fantastic.

So what are your thoughts?
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Comments

  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2016 Posts: 23,883
    I love all the one off's.

    Martin is my favourite, with Hamlisch a close second and Serra (yes, I love the score) third, but I'd be happy with any of them really. That's why I'm ok with them going with one time composers if they choose. I think it brings a fresh interpretation and perspective.

    The only one I'm not all that keen on, come to think about it, is Monty.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,349
    Interesting choices. I wasn't Hamlisch's biggest fan though the non disco heavy tracks he composed were very nice. I also loved Serra's score. I'd love to have him do another score today. I'm not sure how much his style has changed since 1995 but It would be great to have another score by him.
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,591
    I strongly dislike Conti's take. I'm a fan of all the others.
  • daltondalton
    Posts: 1,631
    I would have been more than happy to have either Michael Kamen or Eric Serra return for more.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2016 Posts: 23,883
    I think Serra gets a bad rap. His Goldeneye Overture in particular is a modern interpretation of the Bond theme with some interesting cues thrown in. I would have liked to hear at least another film with Serra as well, to see how and in what direction he would have taken the new Bond sound. Sure, there was some overreach with his tank sequence score (can be heard on the CD but was replaced for the film) but the rest is thematically consistent, fits the film perfectly, and is modern and fresh, imho.

    @Murdock, I know that many don't like the disco elements in TSWLM, but I love Bond 77 personally. It's just so 'of the moment' for that film. Yes, some of his cues are really great, especially nearly everything in Egypt (sinister sounding for the most part - as suspenseful as Barry for FRWL in Turkey imho), the Liparus cue, and the wonderful Atlantis cue. Just love that score all round and the title track is a work of art.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,349
    @bondjames, I quite agree. Serra is only hated because of "Ladies First" which I agree isn't fitting for Bond at all but I think the rest of his score is quite great. The choices of instruments he used his iconic "sonar" esque sound is nothing more than a tamborine tap slowed down and those twangy sounds he uses at the end of GoldenEye overture as well as the Gunbarrel sequence and escape from the Tiger scene was the Gunbarrel music from Goldfinger put through heavy synth filters.

    I also agree with you about Hamlisch's score. There's a lot of good stuff in it. The traditional Bond theme with guitars is nicely sprinkled throughout the film and the Liparus and Atlantis cues as you mentioned are quite good. I also have to give props to Marvin for remaking Barry's "Stalking" cue from FRWL for the scene where Bond and Anya are searching for Jaws in the temple. A nice reworking of that track.
  • Major_BoothroydMajor_Boothroyd Republic of Isthmus
    Posts: 2,722
    The late, great Sir George Martin would be my choice. There are so many wonderful bondian moments in his score. By far my favourite non-Barry soundtrack is LALD. But otherwise is a case of the lesser of evils in which case I'd go for Hamlisch - I have a soft spot for Bond 77 and as for conti - I actually really like 'Submarine' from FYEO, but little else.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,099
    I love the Egypt cues in TSWLM, sinister and mysterious. Alas not featured on the album.

    LTK, also badly served by its album, has a lot of nice Latin American tunes fitting for the film.

    But we all know I'm a big Serra fan. Love every bit of the GE score. I strongly recommend to give some of his scores he composed for Luc Besson a go. Nikita, Léon and The Fifth Element are amazing. However Le Grand Bleu (The Big Blue) is his masterpiece. I'd even say it's one of the best scores ever.

    So in the end I liked both Hamlisch and Kamen, I adored Serra.
    Martin and Conti, not really standouts to me. Then again, not the biggest fan of those films either.
    Norman is another story, I love Dr. No but the score is one of its few sore points.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    edited June 2016 Posts: 8,199
    Major_Boothroyd wrote: »
    The late, great Sir George Martin would be my choice. There are so many wonderful bondian moments in his score. By far my favourite non-Barry soundtrack is LALD. But otherwise is a case of the lesser of evils in which case I'd go for Hamlisch - I have a soft spot for Bond 77 and as for conti - I actually really like 'Submarine' from FYEO, but little else.

    "Submarine" and "Run Them Down / The Climb" are FYEO's high points musically - aside from the instrumental of the title song. The rest is pretty average to poor.

    I do love Live And Let Die myself. It gets a regular play on my walkman. I happily listen to the whole thing from beginning to end.

    I also enjoy the more muscular parts of Kamen's score. His latin influences unfortunately brought his lower key cues down - they simply weren't as interesting to my ears despite working well in the film. His full throttle version of the Bond theme kicked ass, though.

    Hamlisch I can take or leave. A couple of nice bits but overall nothing I'd be crazy about.

    I could probably have lived with another Serra score - I don't dislike his score nearly as much as most do - but then I'd be without Arnold's TND and I don't think that's a trade I'd be happy to make.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    dalton wrote: »
    I would have been more than happy to have either Michael Kamen or Eric Serra return for more.

    I agree with Tim.
  • vzokvzok
    Posts: 4,044
    I'm surprised that when John Barry wasn't used that they kept going for one-offs rather than sticking with George Martin and/or Marvin Hamlisch who both did really well with their efforts.
  • mcdonbbmcdonbb deep in the Heart of Texas
    Posts: 4,116
    I would've liked to have had a modern Sir George Martin score maybe but unsure which film it would've been

    I guess Conti and Serra are the only two one offs still alive?

  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Monty Norman is alive.
  • mcdonbbmcdonbb deep in the Heart of Texas
    Posts: 4,116
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    Monty Norman is alive.

    Ok thanks.

  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,789
    Martin, for sure.
  • vzokvzok
    Posts: 4,044
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    Monty Norman is alive.

    Alive and singing
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    It would have been really cool if Michael Kamen did the score for GoldenEye.
  • IncompetentHenchmanIncompetentHenchman
    Posts: 1,817
    Marvin or Martin would be good, but neither Monty nor Conti.
  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 4,043
    Martin is my favourite, Hamlish will always have sentimental I really used to love Bond 77 as a kid but it is rather disco and dated now. Though some of Egypt bits and the Tanker theme were good.

    Conti has and always will be ill advised for me, Michael Kamen has it's moments but not great as for Serra I don't like the PB era and I remember hugely disliking his score, the best thing about the music to that film is Bono & The Edge's penned theme.

    As for Monty Norman, not great at all, I think Barry doing the score plays into why I'll always prefer FRWL quite considerably amongst other things when it comes to DN.
  • cooperman2cooperman2 Uk
    Posts: 377
    When i've got the blues and feeling down the first score i reach for is Martins LALD. Sure its very much of its time but what great tracks there are. Whisper Who Dares, Bond meets Solitare , Trespassers Will Be Eaten. The list goes on. It's about time we had a remastered full score for LTK though that would be awesome
  • daltondalton
    Posts: 1,631
    cooperman2 wrote: »
    When i've got the blues and feeling down the first score i reach for is Martins LALD. Sure its very much of its time but what great tracks there are. Whisper Who Dares, Bond meets Solitare , Trespassers Will Be Eaten. The list goes on. It's about time we had a remastered full score for LTK though that would be awesome

    That would be nice. Even better if EON would ever release Eric Clapton's version of the Bond theme that was recorded for it.
  • CrabKeyCrabKey
    Posts: 1,955
    George Martin
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    edited June 2016 Posts: 8,193
    I'd go with Martin or Kamen

    For those who haven't heard any of Kamen's non-score work, give this a try. It's incredible work.

  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    edited June 2016 Posts: 3,985
    Would have liked to have heard another Conti Bond score. I really like his work on FYEO although i'm probably in a tiny minority on that one!

    Didn't care for Kamen's work on LTK at all. It's one of the many things i dislike about the film.

    Would like to see Arnold back to do another one.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,251
    It would have been great to have had George Martin back for another Bond score.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    What do you think? Will Zimmer be a one-time composer, or will he perhaps be a new regular?
  • GadgetManGadgetMan Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 4,247
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    What do you think? Will Zimmer be a one-time composer, or will he perhaps be a new regular?

    It's a very tight situation. I want Zimmer to stay on, but I also want David Arnold to return. And if Zimmer stays on, it means Arnold could be permanently out. I really miss Arnold, but I'm beginning to think EON don't want him anymore....because if Newman wasn't returning for NTTD, it should have been Arnold. But they tried Romer and when Romer left, it looked it would be Arnold, before it became Zimmer.
  • DaltonFanDaltonFan California
    Posts: 69
    Definitely Eric Serra.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T.
    Posts: 7,018
    Based on sheer musical joy, I'd have to say Bill Conti. Another run of exhilarating action cues? Yes, please.
  • hegottheboot_hegottheboot_ USA
    Posts: 113
    All of them really in the proper context.
    But Martin without question. I wish he had done more film scores in general. The LALD score is a powerhouse and easily the best non Barry score in the series.

    FYEO takes some getting used to with the dated synths but it gets the nuance and feeling of the entire film perfectly. Plus when Conti goes big in the score he goes properly big but is then able to come back down to softer pieces with expertise. It’s really an outstanding score and very well recorded.
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