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City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra James Bond Covers.

MurdockMurdock The minus world
edited July 2012 in Music Posts: 16,361
I have the 40th anniversary album from 2002. Does anyone like there remakes of famous James Bond music? And does anyone know if there's going to be a 50th Anniversary album done by them?

Comments

  • Monsieur_AubergineMonsieur_Aubergine Top of the Eiffel Tower with a fly in my soup!
    edited July 2012 Posts: 642
    I remember they were the first cover artists (orchestra) I purchased. Back in 1992 they did The Essential James Bond Collection - great cover art on that one.

    I do like what they do albeit with whats sounds like limited recording facilities/size of orchestra.

    Their strings section cant be faulted but the ever so slightly out of time or plodding percussion let's them down. They also have a penchant for Alto Sax wherever possible. I think they struggle a bit with trying to make the more modern hits symphonic but hey! they try and try hard. (I admit to using their version of 'Surrender' as a karaoke track a couple of years ago) :-)

    I love the way Nic Raine is involved with them and following his work with Barry was at least on hand to keep things in order. Their For Your Eyes Only - Main Title - is beautiful.

    I like their OHMSS/Wine with Stacey/AVTAK suite the best from that original 1992 album but all in all i think they are probably the best professionaly orchestral and relatively cheap (in price) covers you could hope for.

    I did hear about a 50th Anniversary cd but it will be all the previous just with added YKMN and AWTD (the latter may suddenly find its time to shine...how you orchestrate a song like that is beyond me however)

    This is very good too:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Barry-Collection-Years-Music/dp/B00005CC1K/ref=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1343669560&sr=1-4

    My personal preference whilst on the subject of covers is Roland Shaw and His Orchestra from 1972. Available on CD as The World Of James Bond Adventure

    Here is my personal review I did in 2008 (for anyone who is not familiar with it);
    "If any man out there had the balls to tackle the Bond beast or could muster the sound from his orchestra in such a way that rivalled 'official' recordings of bond music then Roland Shaw was that man.

    Geoff Love et all had all had a go at Bond re recording but they missed one main thing...the drama. They simply rearranged, focussed on melody and gave it a sound of the times. Shaw is pretty convincing in that he knows where the drama is and he is going to hit you with it!

    Not content with an utterly brilliant rendition of the main bond theme, he throws in the '007' track written by Barry as an alternative main theme - introducing Pitch bending on trumpets against a thumping and rapid rythm section. Thunderball is equally relentless.

    This album also represents all that was good about the dying days of big band music in the 60's/70's - Shaw presents us with his versions that in no way ditract from the originals and actually seem to say "anything you can do (Barry), i can do too" and he delivers. Granted, there are moments that make you wish your CD player was intelligent enough to edit out the odd vocal here and there but this is about two tracks from 22.
    Most are instrumentals of incidental music as well as main titles. In terms of vocals I am pleased to say No one dares to tackle the sacred cows of Bond, you know what I mean!!

    Apart from that we hear fresh interpretations that put todays 'wannabee' tribute bands to shame. With the amount of bootleg, regurgetated 16 times under different names compilations available from your local petrol station this is a gem from a time when cinematic music and its contributing musicians meant something and was showcased as such.The album displays respect for the genre, respect for the composer/s and most importantly, respect for the talents of real musicians at work."
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,361
    I loved all of there work. I hope they remake some more classics. I'd kill to hear a re-orchestration of Space Lazer Battle from Moonraker.
  • GerardGerard
    edited July 2012 Posts: 6,022
    Their stuff is so good that I used their Dr. No suite to complete my CD, and the Arrival at Château Drax/Freefall to complete my Moonraker soundtrack. Worked like a charm.
  • jolearonjolearon
    Posts: 645
    I have the album as well, I'd like to see a nice 50th made by them, but it would need to out do the last one, not just adding a few movies to it.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    edited July 2012 Posts: 16,361
    Here's my dream list of tracks they should remake.
    DN: Underneath the Mango Tree.

    FRWL: Death of Grant.

    GF: James Bond back in Action Again, The Laser Beam and Oddjob's Pressing Engagement.

    TB: Chateau Flight and Street Chase.

    YOLT: A Drop in the Ocean, Fight at Kobe Dock and Twice is the Only Way to Live.

    OHMSS: Main Title Theme, Do You Know How Christmas Trees are Grown (Instrumental.) and Over and Out/Battle at Piz Glora/Bobsled Chase.

    DAF: Bond's Manhunt/The Whyte House/Death at the Whyte House, Bond Smells a Rat.

    LALD: San Monique, Trespassers will be Eaten, Bond Meets Solitaire, Sacrifice.

    TMWTGG: Main Theme Lulu version (Instrumental.)

    TSWLM: Bond 77, Eastern Lights

    MR: Amazon Jungle/Cable Car Duel, Space Lazer Battle, Jaws and Dolly on the Space Station. (Moonraker Reprise.)

    FYEO: Helicopter Ride, Runaway, A Drive in the Country.

    OP: Arrival at Octopussy's Island/Death of Vijay, The Chase Bomb Theme.

    AVTAK: Mayday Jumps out/Golden Gate Fight.

    TLD: The Sniper Was a Woman/Ice Chase/Final Confrontation.

    LTK: License Revoked.

    GE: GoldenEye Overture, A Pleasant Drive through St. Petersburg. (Serra Version.) Experience of Love (instrumental.), Severnaya Suite/Fatal Weakness.

    TND: White Knight/The Countdown/ All in a Day's Work

    TWINE: Welcome to Baku, The Bunker, Caviar Factory, Submarine/Escape.

    DAD: Hovercraft Chase/Ice Palace Car Chase.

    CR: African Rundown, The Name's Bond...James Bond, City of Lovers.

    QoS: Night at the Opera, What's Keeping you Awake/Forgive yourself, AWTD.


    There my dream list. :D
  • MrBrownMrBrown
    Posts: 202
    A few of the tracks are worth writing home about. Most of them are trash. Still, it's good to have the theatrical version of the tank chase music from GOLDENEYE, along with cues from MOONRAKER and DR. NO.

    Raine and The City of Prague Philharmonic have done some solid re-recordings in their days (LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is worth checking out, for example), but this set is pretty messy, in my opinion.

    I wouldn't be surprised if they re-release this. They recently re-released a John Williams set for his 80th birthday anniversary and, if I recall correctly, there was absolutely no new music on it.

    Cha-ching.
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,526
    Love Prague! Fabulous place to visit and enjoy! Highly recommend a trip there! Big bonus to have some Bond music too! :D
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,361
    I hope they come out with a new Bond album loaded with new tracks. That will make my ears very happy. :D
  • CrabKeyCrabKey
    Posts: 2,029
    For some time I've been listening to their Gold edition which includes all the tile songs except QoS and Skyfall, and several additional tracks.

    With just a couple of exceptions, they do a really nice job. I really never cared for any
    of the Brosnan title songs, but their instrumental versions of these, except GE, are quite good. They even manage to make DAD sound decent.

    Of all their interpretations, I think their best is YOLT, but All Time High is also very nice.
    Never been an RM fan, but Barry did some great work during the RM years.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited January 2015 Posts: 23,883
    A little off topic, but if you like the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra doing John Barry (not Bond), I heartily recommend the "Zulu" double disc soundtrack.

    It has more than Zulu on it. Other great Barry tracks on it include (I've highlighted my favourites, but they are all bloody brilliant):

    -The Girl With The Sun In Her Hair
    -The Specialist - Main Title, Bogota 1984, "did You Call Me?"
    -The Cotton Club - The Depression Hits, Best Beats The Sandman, The Cotton Club
    -King Rat
    -The Tamarind Seed - Play It Again, The Accident, Double Agent, End Credits
    -The Last Valley - Main Theme (Choral)
    -Love Among The Ruins
    -Mercury Rising - The Story Ends
    -Midnight Cowboy - Florida Fantasy
    -King Kong Prelude And Love Theme
    -Frances
    -My Sister's Keeper - Suite-Hammett
    - Dances With Wolves - The Buffalo Hunt
    -The Deep
    -Mr. Moses - Suite
  • CrabKeyCrabKey
    Posts: 2,029
    Once more we are reminded of Barry's brilliance. So many songs.
  • CrabKeyCrabKey
    Posts: 2,029
    For some time now, the City of Prague version of TND has reminded me of something else I've heard. Never thought much about it until today, when suddenly I thought of the original Perry Mason theme. Lo and behold, they share a lot of the same elements.

  • timdalton007timdalton007 North Alabama
    Posts: 155
    I've always kind of hoped that, given that the original tapes are missing and so little of the actual score was released, that Raine and City of Prague might do a re-recording of the Dr. No score. They've done it was some of Barry's work (Raise The Titanic being the example that immediately comes to mind) and there's a couple of cues they've recorded before.

    timdalton007
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,361
    They did do a Dr. No suite and re re recorded a lot of lost cues.
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