John Barry - The Music Of John Barry '1976

Tracks list

Jonathan Barry Prendergast — aka John Barry — was one of the
worlds best-known and most popular film score composers. Aside from those who
were also well-known classical composers, he was probably the most notable of
all British film composers. His career was inherited from both his mother and
father. His mother was a pianist with classical training who saw to it that he
got a musical education, playing trumpet and piano. His father owned a movie
theater. Johns exposure to films increased when he left school at 15 to work
full-time as a projectionist in his fathers cinema. By then he was already on
the way to deciding definitely to pursue a career in film music.

He joined a local band as trumpet player and was a bandsman during his military
service from 1952 to 1955. Meanwhile, he studied with the organist of York
Minster (the historic church of York) and by correspondence with American
composer/arranger William Russo and with Joseph Schillinger, the
theorist/teacher who had also taught George Gershwin compositional technique and
form (after Gershwin had already become a famous composer). At this time Barry
began arranging for band.

In 1957, he founded John Barry and the Seven, a pop/rock band (later the John
Barry Seven), which remained in existence through 1966. One of his most
prominent early jobs was as arranger and musical director for the popular
British singer Adam Faith. Barry appeared on radio and television, worked as an
A&R man for record companies, and in 1959 scored his first film, the rock
musical Beat Girl, starring Adam Faith.

In 1962, he was asked to orchestrate and arrange a non-symphonic, hip score by
composer and bandleader Monty Norman, engaged to compose the soundtrack for Dr.
No, the first James Bond film. It was this project that led to Barrys fame, but
not without controversy. The single distinctive cue in the soundtrack is the
famous James Bond Theme. It is rumored that the producers were dissatisfied with
Normans Bond theme and approached Barry directly to fix it. Whether Barry
composed a theme anew or worked up Normans theme is the crux of the issue. But
contractually Norman is credited with its authorship and has successfully
maintained legal actions in court to defend that credit. Barry proponents,
however, respond that it is telling that for 11 several subsequent Bond films
(including all the classic Sean Connery movies) the producers hired Barry to do
the scoring and never Norman. It has also been reported that Barry succeeded in
reclaiming authorship of the theme.

The Bond films made Barry famous, and established a personal non-symphonic
sound, often orchestrated by Barry himself, that is among the most distinctive
personal sounds in film music. Traits of it include a remarkably well-timed
ability to freeze the harmonies quietly to build suspense, often while melody
instruments continue to move slowly. He is notable for his use of the trumpet,
the guitar, and the flute in a low register.

But he went on to score dozens of movies, and none of his five Academy Awards
were for Bond thrillers. They are for the scores of Born Free (1966), The Lion
in Winter (1968), Out of Africa (1985), and Dances with Wolves (1990) and for
Best Song for Born Free. (He said he wrote the song with the private idea of
composing a satire on a Disney animal movie.) In 1992 Barry was nominated for
his sixth Oscar for his music for Chaplin. He also wrote successful West End
musicals, most notably Billy starring Michael Crawford (1974). Barry moved to
California in 1975 and New York in 1980.

In 1999, Barry released an album of his classical instrumental-style
compositions, The Beyondness of Things. In 2001 he composed the score for
Enigma, in addition to recording a new album of non-soundtrack material, Eternal
Echoes. Among Barrys last work was a co-composing credit (with lyricist Don
Black) for the song Our Time Is Now, sung by Shirley Bassey on her 2009 comeback
album, The Performance. John Barry died of a heart attack in Glen Cove, NY on
January 30, 2011, and although his work in the 21st century had been
comparatively sporadic, his wide-ranging career, both critically acclaimed and
popular, secured his position as one of the most respected musical figures of
the latter half of the 20th century.

Tracklist:
01. John Barry - You Only Live Twice (Instrumental) (2:37)
02. John Barry - Born Free (Album Version) (2:46)
03. John Barry - Goldfinger (Album Version) (4:24)
04. John Barry - The Whisperers (2:38)
05. John Barry - From Russia with Love (2:36)
06. John Barry Orchestra - Wednesdays Child (From The Quiller Memorandum) (2:11)
07. John Barry Orchestra - Space March (Capsule In Space) (2:44)
08. John Barry Orchestra - The Girl with the Sun in Her Hair (2:53)
09. John Barry - Thunderball (3:13)
10. John Barry - Dutchman (2:51)
11. John Barry - The Wrong Box (2:32)
12. John Barry - The James Bond Theme (From Dr. No) (Album Version) (2:53)
13. John Barry - 007 (Album Version) (2:13)
14. John Barry - Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (3:13)
15. John Barry - Main Title: The Chase (Alternate Version) (Album Version)
(3:14)
16. John Barry - Theme From King Rat (Album Version) (4:14)
17. John Barry - The Knack (Album Version) (2:53)
18. John Barry - Seance On a Wet Afternoon (2:20)
19. John Barry - The Ipcress File (3:52)
20. John Barry - Midnight Cowboy (2:35)
21. John Barry - Theme from Romance for Guitar snd Orchestra (2:36)
22. John Barry - On Her Majestys Secret Service (Album Version) (2:40)
23. John Barry - Theme from The Appointment (2:35)
24. John Barry - The Lion In Winter (Album Version) (2:47)

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