Last Bond Soundtrack You Listened To

Gave the neighbours something to contend with by a few select Thunderball tracks.

Like GF it has a brassy sound, chiefly in Chateau Flight -that frantic Bond theme amidst it. Street Chase the way it tempts the 007 theme then goes with it. Death of Fiona is genius. I wonder if Connery had done OHMSS would the 007 theme have cropped up then. Barry's approach seemed to be (apart from him saying Lazenby was such a bad actor, the score had to prop him up) taking the score back to basics, like Hunt taking Bond back to basics. Imagine the Battle for Piz Gloria would've been ideal for 007 or maybe the ski scenes.

Anyway. Last week I rewatched YOLT and was reminded of how I think of the score. It's a luscious score in places but seeing it or rather hearing it in the context of the film, I always get this feel of an ending. Maybe because this was, technically in '67, Connery's last Bond film but when Bond first turns up in Japan and is walking about (on the expanded "007 in Japan") the music 'speaks':
a man out of time, a man weary and fed up (not Connery as such).

I don't know, this is why I keep scthum on the JW forum. But a beautiful title song and cracking pieces for the wedding.

Indeed it's almost as if Barry was channeling aspects of the novel even if only subconsciously. There is this feeling throughout of spiritual rebirth, death and goodbyes. TB-YOLT-OHMSS are scores for epic films and not just Bonds.

Very much agree on the epic film comment boots. Pieces in those three films could easily sit in something else, like Journey to Blofeld's Hideaway.

I would argue the same for Moonraker, if but for Flight into Space.

For years I've wanted to (but haven't due to fear of getting pulled for rights clearance) just lay in Flight into Space over Bowman discovering the monolith in 2001 just to show naysayers that Moonraker is art dammit. It fits perfectly. I think Barry could have scored 2001 if I'm honest. He was so underrated and undervalued and pigeonholed in his lifetime but proved he could do anything.

There's a thought, Barry doing something like 2001. I have the rejected Alex North score but John Barry, at that time, peak of his powers.

I read recently he was considered or asked to do Battle of Britain in 1969. Though it seems he was never ever close to doing it, does make me think what he could've done though some scores in the 60s were quite brief (i.e Quiller).

I know right? Kubrick said he could find anything like what he wanted even after rejecting the North score.

Barry became a bit more in demand once his scores were attached to big award winners and he was in his later period string romantic style.

somebody I subscribe to put together a Dr No suite



that frantic music at the end (also used for the Spectre boats blowing up in FRWL) is probably the highlight for me. FRWL itself started the unique scores for Bond.

If can get my analog outputs working right I think I'll try to do a better capture of the old isolated track from the Criterion LD.

That would be worth a listen.