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Re-orchestrated James Bond Music

loullersloullers Eskilstuna, Sweden
in Fan Creations Posts: 75
This is a mock-up/re-orchestration I have done of one of my favourite Bond themes from the entire franchise. It's the track 'Bond Lookalike' from 'Octopussy'.

Link: 'Bond Lookalike'

I would love if you took a listened to it and I hope you enjoy it!

Comments

  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,211
    Fantastic! You've really captured the sound incredibly well.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T.
    Posts: 7,018
    Terrific work. The only notes I can give are that, at 1:09, those two short G notes played on violins should be fused together, and at 2:37, I think there is some brass missing, complementing the background strings. But the track sounds great, a real pleasure to listen to. I've been listening to the original quite a bit these days so this arrives at the perfect time.

    Thanks very much for sharing and I hope you do more!
  • loullersloullers Eskilstuna, Sweden
    edited January 16 Posts: 75
    Thank you both for your kind words! I'm composer by day so I do these mock-ups if time allows but I'll certainly do some more of this or maybe write some original Bond music for a fan film in the future again.

    As for your feedback on 1:09 @mattjoes, I really hear at least the strings as being divided into two notes there. I think it sounds quite different the other time around as to the first one when I hear one note.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T.
    edited January 16 Posts: 7,018
    loullers wrote: »
    As for your feedback on 1:09 @mattjoes, I really hear at least the strings as being divided into two notes there. I think it sounds quite different the other time around as to the first one when I hear one note.
    I don't hear it that way, but I suppose it's possible.

    I've just subscribed to your channel. I'm going to give your original Bond music a listen as well!
  • loullersloullers Eskilstuna, Sweden
    Posts: 75
    mattjoes wrote: »
    loullers wrote: »
    As for your feedback on 1:09 @mattjoes, I really hear at least the strings as being divided into two notes there. I think it sounds quite different the other time around as to the first one when I hear one note.
    I don't hear it that way, but I suppose it's possible.

    I've just subscribed to your channel. I'm going to give your original Bond music a listen as well!

    It might be one note as you say, I just heard it the other way. Thank you very much Matt for subscribing!
  • loullersloullers Eskilstuna, Sweden
    edited January 21 Posts: 75
    I took on the slightly suicidal and mammoth task of doing a mock-up of perhaps one of the greatest (if not THE greatest in my opinion) tracks from the entire franchise, 'Flight Into Space' from Moonraker.

    I tried to stay true to the original as always but I couldn't manage to find a good enough choir library so bear that in mind.

    Link: Flight Into Space

    I would love for you to take a listen and comment what you think about it and I hope you enjoy! 😁🎵
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T.
    Posts: 7,018
    Superb work. How long did this one take you?
  • loullersloullers Eskilstuna, Sweden
    Posts: 75
    Thank you Matt! This one was a little trickier in part due to the lacklustre recording (in comparison to Octopussy for instance) and also because it's a much longer track. It took me 4 days of around 5-6 hours each day to get this done.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,211
    That's lovely.
  • loullersloullers Eskilstuna, Sweden
    Posts: 75
    Thank you! I really appreciate you listening!
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T.
    edited January 22 Posts: 7,018
    loullers wrote: »
    Thank you Matt! This one was a little trickier in part due to the lacklustre recording (in comparison to Octopussy for instance) and also because it's a much longer track. It took me 4 days of around 5-6 hours each day to get this done.
    That's pretty fast; I probably would have taken much, much longer with such a long track. I can write sheet music quickly, but I'm slow when it comes to the recreation with virtual instruments, tinkering with the performance and the mix. I have a hard time making up my mind on the small decisions. I wish I was faster!

    While listening to your track, I was thinking "this mix is so much better than the one from the album." I especially enjoy the crisper sound of the low brass at 4:30, compared to the album version.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,211
    Yes I thought the increased quality really did it wonders. It somehow has an even more dreamlike quality than the original.
  • loullersloullers Eskilstuna, Sweden
    edited January 22 Posts: 75
    mattjoes wrote: »
    loullers wrote: »
    Thank you Matt! This one was a little trickier in part due to the lacklustre recording (in comparison to Octopussy for instance) and also because it's a much longer track. It took me 4 days of around 5-6 hours each day to get this done.
    That's pretty fast; I probably would have taken much, much longer with such a long track. I can write sheet music quickly, but I'm slow when it comes to the recreation with virtual instruments, tinkering with the performance and the mix. I have a hard time making up my mind on the small decisions. I wish I was faster!

    While listening to your track, I was thinking "this mix is so much better than the one from the album." I especially enjoy the crisper sound of the low brass at 4:30, compared to the album version.

    I actually thought I was quite slow :)), but I really like to tinker with those small decisions (like how loud should the harp be here or how much ritardando should there be here and so on). Thank you so much! I'm really glad you like it. It does sound crisper and more hi-fi.
  • loullersloullers Eskilstuna, Sweden
    Posts: 75
    mtm wrote: »
    Yes I thought the increased quality really did it wonders. It somehow has an even more dreamlike quality than the original.

    I take that as a great compliment! I really like the dreamlike quality of the track itself so I'm glad you thought I amplified that in my mock-up.
  • loullersloullers Eskilstuna, Sweden
    Posts: 75
    It's mock-up time again! This week I've done two mock-ups. One is the action packed 'A Drop in the Ocean' from YOLT and the other is the sweeping and beautiful 'Mujahadin' from TLD. Both are great tracks but also diametrical opposites that are posing different challenges for different reasons. I think I did a decent job with them at least.

    You can find them here:
    A Drop in the Ocean
    Mujahadin

    I would very much appreciate it if you'd listen to them and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy them!

  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T.
    edited September 11 Posts: 7,018
    Very nice!

    The mock-up of Drop in the Ocean sounds especially refreshing. Maybe it's the warmer, more reverby mix compared to the original recording. And the violins sound so beautiful!

    In Mujahadin, I think the melody at 1:21 is also played on violins on a higher octave.

    Also, you may already know this, but that track is a combination of multiple cues. In the film, the first 1:19 are followed by a closing chord, which was edited out in the album to immediately lead into the following cue of the track. So if you wanted to, you could recreate the ending as heard in the film and add it at the end of the first 1:19 you reconstructed, to get that first cue in isolated form.
  • loullersloullers Eskilstuna, Sweden
    Posts: 75
    Thank you! Yeah ADIO really got a more high definition version with this mock-up

    Yeah I missed that at 1:21 in Mujahadin, I agree with you. There should be 1st violins playing an octave above.
  • loullersloullers Eskilstuna, Sweden
    edited September 16 Posts: 75
    I've made another one the last couple of days. It's the track 'Bond Meets Stacey' from AVTAK.

    Bond Meets Stacey

    I hope you enjoy it! :D
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,211
    Excellent work, really fantastic.
  • loullersloullers Eskilstuna, Sweden
    edited September 15 Posts: 75
    mtm wrote: »
    Excellent work, really fantastic.

    Thank you very much for the kind words and for listening!
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,129
    loullers wrote: »
    I've made another one the last couple of days. It's the track 'Bond Meets Stacey' from AVTAK.

    Bond Meets Stacey

    I hope you enjoy it! :D

    Listening to this track is a real joy. 'Bond meets Stacey' is one of my absolute favourite musical legacy bits from the Bonds. Thank you very much, @loullers. You're spoiling me.
  • loullersloullers Eskilstuna, Sweden
    Posts: 75
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    loullers wrote: »
    I've made another one the last couple of days. It's the track 'Bond Meets Stacey' from AVTAK.

    Bond Meets Stacey

    I hope you enjoy it! :D

    Listening to this track is a real joy. 'Bond meets Stacey' is one of my absolute favourite musical legacy bits from the Bonds. Thank you very much, @loullers. You're spoiling me.

    Thanks a lot for the kind words! It's my pleasure. I do this when I'm in between projects, just to practice my ear and orchestration skills.
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