I woke up to the very sad news that film composer John Barry has died. He was 77 years old. Best known for the James Bond film scores (he did twelve, from 1962 to 1987), he also won four Oscars for original score (Born Free, The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa, Dances With Wolves) and one Oscar for original song (“Born Free”). In addition, he composed the score for the cult classic Somewhere in Time, as well as such films as Midnight Cowboy and Peggy Sue Got Married. His last film was Enigma (2001).
He had a cameo in his last Bond film, The Living Daylights, as a conductor.
Barry was beloved by those he worked with; that “nice guy” reputation never attaches to the wrong people in Hollywood, because word spreads too fast. He was also enormously admired by his peers for his skill and professionalism. His sound was lush, layered, and romantic. He had a deft hand for intermixing melodic themes into a soundtrack; so that a James Bond film played with the James Bond Theme, a lesser known but thrilling tune known as the 007 Theme, and the film’s title song (of which “Goldfinger” is the most famous), and sometimes another song as well.
May his travels to the Other World be easy, and may his loved ones be comforted by the immortality of his melodies.
17 Responses to “John Barry, Rest in Peace”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Very sad news about John Barry. A great loss.
I posted a tribute here at http://adventures-in-couchsitting.blogspot.com/
Keep up the good work.
Always loved his theme for “The Persuaders” – I think I even have the sheet music somewhere in my home…
I’ve been listening to the “Somewhere In Time” soundtrack all morning.
#2 – LOVED the Persuaders theme! Especially that tinny, slightly off-key piano bit. His music always did a great job of setting the stage.
I heard the news via BBC Radio York, in the wee hours this morning.
Barry was from York and the mid-morning host was taking calls from listeners, many of whom had followed his work for decades.
Here’s a link to listen to Jonathan Cowap’s Monday program …
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00dbjjr/Jonathan_Cowap_31_01_2011/
It was one of John Barry’s work that started my love for movie scores. That was the soundtrack of “Somewhere In Time”. In the special edition of the movie’s DVD, he explained that the inspiration for the music was his parents who died weeks apart.
A life rich in music is a life fully lived. I loved John Barry’s compositions. Two of my favorite themes were completely different styles, but both powerful in their presentations. There’s “The Lion In Winter”, whose , opening theme, was strong, pounding, thoroughly medieval; its chanting chorus pre-dating “Excalibur”s use of the Carmina Burana as distinctly threatening. You knew from the opening chords that this drama was about scheming, angry royals in total dysfunction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jde-NT7vfn0
My other favorite was the Bond film “You Only Live Twice” which was so dreamy and exotic it could float you away down Ishikari River. Rest in peace, John, and may you have your own special orchestra in heaven!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40Eflz8ebYE (instrumental)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDitUVMMzE0 (w/Nancy Sinatra)
Don’t forget the beautiful soundtrack for Out of Africa … and also Dances with Wolves …
My favorite John Barry soundtrack is Thunderball, which is so rich and beautiful and genuinely complex.
“His sound style will love forever”
The melody for “You Only Live Twice” is one of my favorite things ever .
I hadn’t listened to all of the BBC Radio York Mid-Morning program when I posted the link (in # 5), but now that I have, I should also mention that there’s a program from Monday evening that features a musical tribute to John Barry.
Here’s the link …
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00dbjjw/Sandie_Dunleavy_31_01_2011/
Check out both shows! If you’re a fan of John Barry’s work, you will enjoy them.
I believe that these shows will only be available online for about a week, so listen soon (or find a way to record ‘em). I recommend Audacity …
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Now, you might be wondering how I happened to be listening to BBC Radio York in the dead of night, here in San Diego.
Well, I’m a bit of a night owl usually and the other night I happened to think about a visit to England and Scotland in early 1985. I had struck up a friendship with pen pals there, in 1984, so I decided to travel there and pay a visit.
At the time, I was working as a disc jockey in Kansas City and my British pen pal, who lived in a town called Bridlington, arranged for me to visit two of the regional BBC radio stations, one of which was BBC Radio York.
Not only did I get the grand tour of the place, but they interviewed me on the air. I’ve got the tape around here somewhere and I haven’t listened to it in years, but as I recall, much of the chat had to do with the differences between American radio and English radio.
So, with all that on my mind, I looked online and found the Radio York “listen live” link and tuned in a few days ago — and that’s how I happened to be tuned-in early Monday morning.
Wow, I love that so many Maddicts are also John Barry fans!! Deb, was a given but some other great posts here.
I have had JB on rotation since I learnt of his death, ironically, I was cataloging CD’s and I was checking out my JB collection when my mate called me about his death – spooky! Being a massive Bond fan, his music provides the atmospheric conditions that transports you into Bond’s world. As David Arnold said in The Guardian; you could be in a Ford Fiesta stuck on the M25 motorway, but as soon as you put Barry on you are in an Aston Martin. Perfect!
One of my favourite scores, however, is his score to Body Heat – that skinny, jazz trumpter somehow provides a lush, romantic score that has all the undertones that sex in this film is somehow deadly – which it is for Ned Racine – incredible!!
Whilst his passing is sad, this true artist will have music that will continue on for many years to come. Vale John Barry!
#9 Deb – Cafe Martinque and Death of Fiona – enough said!
PJ, I just watched Body Heat again a couple of weeks ago, you’re quite right.
There’s a movie going around Bond fan circles that is Never Say Never Again remixed with a John Barry soundtrack (all entirely unauthorized, of course). For anyone who ever doubted the importance of a score to a film, this will make of you a convert, because all of a sudden it’s a pretty good movie!
Deb,
I heard about this rumour, and it further confirms JB’s genius as the music to NSNA is utterly disgraceful…and the movie itself contained Connery, Klaus Maria Brandauer and Max Von Sydow – not a bad cast?!?
Got for Xmas the book “Battle For Bond” Bob Sellars book on the whole McClory/Fleming court battles which I have just started reading – timing again is incredible!
The Battle for Bond is a great book, one of the best for Bond obsessives.
#13 Deb, they say the first 10 pages (10mins) of a script are make or break – Body Heat nails it!
Within 10 mins, Ned is identified as an incompetent lawyer, a philandering lothario, stuck in Smalltown USA, looking for a big score – enter Matty – who has him pegged from the get go; “Your not too smart are you?” and cajoles a mesmerized Ned (Kath Turner is very sexy indeed!) into her spider’s web. Moreover, the heat of Florida is always reminding us the temperature is rising! Explosive! Meanwhile, JB just allows his music to lull us into this steaming, sexual, malevolent maelstrom… wow!
Dances With Wolves soundtrack. One of the greatest movie scores ever. Heartfelt, soaring, epic and powerful.