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I thought you were talking about Barry-Bond scores.
I love all John Barry, even from forgotten movies like Game of Death or Frances, Barry was capable of doing masterpieces.
I knew about Somewhere in Time through its soundtrack. After listen to that impressive work, I had to see the film and, of course, fell in love with it:
Obvious choices: (Bond apart) Lion in Winter, Midnight Cowboy, Robin and Marian, Body Heat, Out of Africa, Dances with Wolves, Chaplin, Indecent Proposal, My Life and Enigma.
A Genius.
Best Barry score? Goodness gracious me, not much to choose from is there? Zulu is definitely up there for me, the Ipcress File for the main theme, Chaplin, hell even Howard the damned Duck is made watchable because of the score. Definitely a genius, right up there with Williams and Hermann, otherwise more or less peerless IMHO
I agree. The Specialist is very good indeed. I have the Zulu soundtrack and there is an extended suite from the Specialist on there, played by the Prague Phiharmonic, along with the incredible Tamarind Seed suite (I think the whole Barry score is specially included on the blu ray coming out soon).
One of my best times ever was seeing the John Barry Tribute concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Derek Watkins performed Chet (RIP DW) and Bassey performed her 3 Bond songs. Aside from Rumer utterly murdering We Have All the Time In the World, it was a stunning night.
I love Barry's choral work on LITW. I don't own many of his scores outside of Bond, various compilations, Dances With Wolves & Alice In Wonderland. I do plan to get more like Somewhere In Time, Out of Africa, Body Heat etc. I would want them on vinyl though and some are quite pricey.
Though OHMSS is my favourite Bond score and probably my all time favourite score of any film, Barry's work with Bond was always quality even his worst (MWTGG) is better than most peoples best.
From the moment he took the baton you heard Bond getting well and truly cemented on FRWL that opening title track is so striking and announces Bond is well and truly back.
Again GF, I'm not the biggest fan of Bassey's vocal on the credits but Barry's instrumental arrangements of the theme and the cues are simply magnificent
TB is another great score, again not a huge fan of the Tom Jones sang title tune, Barry's instrumental is much more classy.
YOLT is where we get the first truly sublime title tune and the score to match, regardless of my feelings on the film Barry's score is masterful, to think even better was to follow.
OHMSS is a given.
DAF not a film I have any time for but again Barry provides the goods with class and sophistication and also delivers another sublime title tune with Bassey much more suited to the music, I don't hate her GF tune but this is where she truly shines.
MWTGG his weakest Bond score but nothing to be embarrassed about.
MR again not a film I have a huge amount of time for but Barry delivers one his best scores. While it's title tune isn't of DAF quality, Barry's cues are the best since OHMSS.
OP & AVTA.K are again Barry not slouching, he never seems to go onto autopilot and both contain some thrilling cues but Barry goes out on a high with a score that hits the heights of MR at times with it's cues and his last Bond theme arrangement (Ice Chase) a corker, the likes of Hercules Takes off and Mujahadin and Opium are classic Barry.
He was a one off and Bond films are likely to be accompanied by anything as distinctive and original ever again, it's one thing I came to terms with many years ago. No sorry Arnold has not got close.
A soundtrack on cd I've mentioned on other threads, and that I often have in my car, is that of Zulu. It's available on a double CD, and is conducted by Nic Raine and the brilliant Prague Philharmonic. They really do Barry justice with this one. What's particularly enjoyable is that this double cd has several other very hard to come by Barry compositions conducted by the above team as a bonus, including:
1. The Girl with the sun in her Hair
2. The Specialist, film score: Suite: Main Title / Bogota 1984 / You Bastard, How Do You Feel, Better? / Did You Call Me?
3. The Cotton Club, film score: Suite: The Depression Hits / Best Beats Sandman /
4. King Rat, film score: March
5. Tamarind Seed, film score: Suite: Play It Again
6. Last Valley, film score: Main Theme, The Choral Version
7. Love Among The Ruins, film score: Theme
8. Mercury Rising, film score: The Story Ends
9. Midnight Cowboy, film score: Florida Fantasy
10. King Kong, film score (1976): Prelude & Love Theme
11. Frances, film score: Theme
12. My Sister's Keeper, film score: Suite
13. Hammett, film score: Theme
14. Dances with Wolves, film score: The Buffalo Hunt
15. The Deep, film score: Theme
16. Mister Moses, film score: Suite: Main Title / Moses in the River / An Elephant Called Emily / The Dam / What Would I Do For L
2. TB
3. GF
4. OHMSS
Interestingly, while watching FRWL the other day, I noticed that Barry used a motif for the train that he ended up repeating a decade later for The Deep (another Robert Shaw film, btw).
Enigma does not seem to get the credit it deserves IMHO, very moving and haunting
For Barry's non Bond stuff, Zulu is also fantastic. I used to have the main theme set as an alarm on my stereo to get me up in the morning, rousing doesnt even cover it lol. Love The Ipcress File too, the opening scene where Michael Caine is making coffee is about as good as it gets in my book.
Seems like after the sixth film, there was a significant dropoff in the quality of Barry's work on the Bonds.
One of his underrated scores is from the film, 'Zulu" . I highly recommend you check youtube and listen to some of this fine work by the master.